K-Pax (6 page)

"An
d
o
n
ho
w
man
y
o
f
thos
e
hav
e
yo
u
encountere
d
life?"

"Why
,
o
n
al
l
o
f
them
.
Th
e
one
s
tha
t
 
ar
e
 
barre
n
 
don'
t
 
interes
t
 
me
.
 
O
f
 
cours
e
 
ther
e
 
ar
e
 
thos
e
 
wh
o
 
are
fascinate
d
b
y
rock
s
an
d
weathe
r
pattern
s
and-"

"Sixty-fou
r
planet
s
wit
h
intelligen
t
life?"

"Al
l
lif
e
i
s
intelligent."

"Well
,
ho
w
man
y
hav
e
huma
n
being
s
suc
h
a
s
ourselves?"

"EART
H
i
s
th
e
onl
y
on
e
wit
h
th
e
specie
s
hom
o
sapien
s
tha
t
I
hav
e
 
visite
d
 
s
o
 
far
.
 
Bu
t
 
w
e
 
kno
w
 
there ar
e
a
fe
w
other
s
her
e
an
d
there."

"Wit
h
intelligen
t
life?"

"No
,
wit
h
huma
n
life
.
 
Th
e
 
PLANET
S
 
tha
t
 
suppor
t
 
lif
e
numbe
r
 
int
o
 
th
e
 
millions
,
 
possibl
y
 
th
e
 
billions.
O
f
cours
e
w
e
haven'
t
visite
d
the
m
all
.
Tha
t
i
s
onl
y
a
roug
h
estimate."

`We
'
meanin
g
inhabitant
s
o
f
K-PAX."

"K-PAXians
,
NOLLians
,
FLORians..."

"Thos
e
ar
e
othe
r
race
s
o
n
you
r
hom
e
planet?"

"No
.
 
The
y
 
ar
e
 
inhabitant
s
 
o
f
 
othe
r
 
worlds.
"
 
Mos
t
 
delusional
s
 
ar
e
 
confuse
d
 
t
o
 
th
e
 
poin
t
 
tha
t
 
they

stutte
r
 
o
r
 
stumbl
e
 
considerabl
y
 
whe
n
 
tryin
g
 
t
o
 
answe
r
 
comple
x
 
question
s
 
i
n
 
a
 
consisten
t
 
manner
.
 
This
patien
t
 
wa
s
 
no
t
 
onl
y
 
knowledgeabl
e
 
abou
t
 
a
 
variet
y
 
o
f
 
arcan
e
 
topics
,
 
bu
t
 
als
o
 
confiden
t
 
enoug
h
 
o
f
 
his
knowledg
e
 
t
o
 
weav
e
 
a
 
cogen
t
 
story
.
 
I
 
scribble
d
 
o
n
 
m
y
 
pa
d
 
th
e
 
speculatio
n
 
tha
t
 
h
e
 
migh
t
 
hav
e
 
bee
n
 
a
scientist
,
perhap
s
a
physicis
t
o
r
astronomer
,
an
d
mad
e
a
furthe
r
not
e
t
o
determin
e
ho
w
 
fa
r
 
hi
s
 
knowledge extende
d
int
o
thos
e
fields
.
Fo
r
now
,
I
wante
d
t
o
lear
n
somethin
g
abou
t
hi
s
earl
y
life.

"Let'
s
bac
k
u
p
jus
t
a
bit
,
i
f
yo
u
don'
t
mind
.
I'
d
lik
e
yo
u
t
o
tel
l
m
e
somethin
g
abou
t
K-PA
X
itself."

"Certainly
.
 
K-PA
X
 
i
s
 
somewha
t
 
bigge
r
 
tha
n
 
you
r
 
PLANET
,
 
abou
t
 
th
e
 
siz
e
 
o
f
 
NEPTUNE
.
 
I
t
 
i
s
 
a
beautifu
l
 
world
,
 
a
s
 
i
s
 
EARTH
,
 
o
f
 
course
,
 
wit
h
 
it
s
 
colo
r
 
an
d
 
variety
.
 
Bu
t
 
K-PA
X
 
i
s
 
als
o
 
ver
y
 
lovely,
especiall
y
whe
n
K-MO
N
 
an
d
K-RI
L
ar
e
i
n
conjunction."

"Wha
t
ar
e
K-MO
N
 
an
d
K-RIL.?"

"Thos
e
ar
e
ou
r
tw
o
SUNS
.
Wha
t
yo
u
cal
l
AGAP
E
an
d
SATORI
.
On
e
i
s
muc
h
large
r
tha
n
yours
,
 
the
othe
r
smaller
,
bu
t
bot
h
ar
e
farthe
r
fro
m
ou
r
PLANE
T
tha
n
you
r
SU
N
i
s
 
fro
m
 
yours
.
 
K-MO
N
 
i
s
 
re
d
 
and
K-RI
L
blue.

Bu
t
owin
g
t
o
ou
r
large
r
an
d
mor
e
comple
x
 
orbita
l
 
pattern
,
 
w
e
 
hav
e
 
muc
h
 
longe
r
 
period
s
 
o
f
 
ligh
t
and
darknes
s
tha
n
yo
u
do
,
an
d
no
t
s
o
muc
h
variation
.
Tha
t
is
,
mos
t
o
f
 
th
e
 
tim
e
 
o
n
 
K-PA
X
 
it'
s
 
somethin
g
 
like
you
r
twilight
.
On
e
o
f
th
e
thing
s
a
visito
r
t
o
you
r
WORL
D
firs
t
notice
s
i
s
ho
w
brigh
t
i
t
i
s
here."

"I
s
tha
t
wh
y
yo
u
ar
e
wearin
g
dar
k
glasses?"

'Naturally.

"I'
d
lik
e
t
o
clarif
y
somethin
g
yo
u
sai
d
earlier."

"Certainly."

"
I
believ
e
yo
u
state
d
tha
t
yo
u
hav
e
bee
n
o
n
Eart
h
fo
r
fou
r
year
s
and-uh-som
e
od
d
months."

"Nine."

"Yes
,
nine
.
Wha
t
I'
d
lik
e
ver
y
muc
h
t
o
kno
w
is
:
Wher
e
wer
e
yo
u
livin
g
fo
r
thos
e
fou
r
o
r
fiv
e
years?"