K-Pax (54 page)
Howi
e
simpl
y
ignore
d
him
,
bu
t
i
t
wa
s
differen
t
fo
r
Mrs
.
Archer
.
I
t
woul
d
b
e
a
ba
d
jok
e
t
o
stat
e
that
h
e
wa
s
drivin
g
he
r
crazy
,
bu
t
tha
t
wa
s
th
e
ne
t
effect
.
Conversin
g
wit
h
Russel
l
require
s
a
certai
n
amoun
t
of
forbearanc
e
unde
r
th
e
bes
t
o
f
circumstances
.
H
e
tend
s
t
o
preac
h
righ
t
int
o
you
r
face
,
releasin
g
prodigious
amount
s
o
f
spittl
e
wit
h
almos
t
ever
y
word
.
An
d
whe
n
sh
e
wa
s
abl
e
t
o
escap
e
hi
s
ferven
t
hectorin
g
she
foun
d
hersel
f
bein
g
assaulte
d
b
y
Chuck'
s
observations
,
expresse
d
i
n
n
o
uncertai
n
terms
,
tha
t
sh
e
stunk.
Mrs
.
Archer
,
wh
o
use
d
nearl
y
a
pin
t
o
f
expensiv
e
perfume
s
weekly
,
wa
s
bot
h
mortifie
d
an
d
irate
.
"I
mos
t
certainl
y
d
o
no
t
stink!
"
sh
e
screeched
,
impatientl
y
lightin
g
a
cigarette.
"Thos
e
goddam
n
thing
s
reek,
"
Chuc
k
woul
d
badger
.
Sh
e
wa
s
finall
y
reduce
d
t
o
tears
.
"Please,
"
she
implored
,
whe
n
I
happene
d
by
.
"Le
t
hi
m
com
e
back."
"H
e
wouldn'
t
tak
e
a
stinke
r
lik
e
yo
u
wit
h
him
.
He'
s
goin
g
t
o
tak
e
me!
"
Chuc
k
proclaimed.
Bu
t
Russel
l
warned
,
"Fo
r
ther
e
shal
l
aris
e
fals
e
Christs
,
an
d
fals
e
prophets
,
an
d
the
y
shal
l
sho
w
great
sign
s
an
d
wonders
;
insomuc
h
that
,
i
f
i
t
wer
e
possible
,
the
y
shal
l
deceiv
e
th
e
ver
y
elect!"
"Yo
u
stink
,
too!
"
Chuc
k
reminde
d
him.
DURIN
G
a
quic
k
lunc
h
i
n
th
e
doctors
'
dinin
g
roo
m
Dr
.
Goldfar
b
tol
d
m
e
mor
e
abou
t
Chuck
.
H
e
had
bee
n
a
middle-leve
l
governmen
t
employe
e
a
t
on
e
time
,
sh
e
said
,
bu
t
ble
w
th
e
whistl
e
o
n
th
e
wast
e
and
corruptio
n
i
n
hi
s
divisio
n
a
t
th
e
Pentagon
.
Fo
r
hi
s
effort
s
h
e
wa
s
fire
d
and
,
fo
r
al
l
practica
l
purposes,
blackballed
,
bot
h
fro
m
governmen
t
an
d
corporat
e
employment
.
Tha
t
alon
e
migh
t
b
e
caus
e
enoug
h
for
disillusionment
,
bu
t
th
e
stra
w
tha
t
brok
e
hi
s
bac
k
wa
s
hi
s
wife'
s
divorcin
g
hi
m
afte
r
thirty-fiv
e
year
s
of
marriage
.
"
I
couldn'
t
hav
e
bee
n
happier,
"
h
e
muttere
d
t
o
Goldfarb
.
"
I
ha
d
t
o
kis
s
tha
t
malodorou
s
maw
ever
y
day
.
P.U.
!
Stinkeroonie!
"
Bu
t
th
e
trut
h
wa
s
tha
t
h
e
love
d
hi
s
wif
e
passionatel
y
an
d
i
t
wa
s
more
tha
n
h
e
coul
d
bear
.
Indeed
,
h
e
ha
d
trie
d
t
o
commi
t
suicid
e
shortl
y
afte
r
sh
e
lef
t
hi
m
b
y
blowin
g
hi
s
brains
ou
t
wit
h
a
shotgun
.
I
t
mus
t
see
m
incredibl
e
t
o
th
e
reade
r
t
o
lear
n
tha
t
h
e
missed
,
bu
t
th
e
fac
t
i
s
tha
t
many
attempte
d
suicide
s
en
d
i
n
"failure
"
fo
r
th
e
simpl
e
reaso
n
tha
t
the
y
ar
e
actuall
y
desperat
e
attempt
s
t
o
draw
attentio
n
t
o
th
e
sufferer'
s
terrible
,
an
d
ofte
n
silent
,
unhappiness
.
Mos
t
victim
s
don'
t
actuall
y
wan
t
t
o
die;
the
y
wan
t
t
o
communicate.
O
f
course
,
no
t
al
l
thos
e
wh
o
fee
l
rootles
s
o
r
valueles
s
resor
t
t
o
thi
s
futil
e
measure
.
A
manic-depressiv
e
onc
e
assure
d
m
e
tha
t
h
e
woul
d
neve
r
tr
y
t
o
kil
l
himself
.
I
aske
d
hi
m
ho
w
h
e
coul
d
be
s
o
sure
.
"Because,
"
h
e
tol
d
me
,
"
I
stil
l
haven'
t
rea
d
Mob
y
Dick."
