K-Pax (62 page)
I
lov
e
tha
t
house
.
It'
s
a
bi
g
whit
e
fram
e
wit
h
a
pati
o
a
s
wel
l
a
s
th
e
second-stor
y
terrace
,
an
d
the
backyar
d
i
s
loade
d
wit
h
oak
s
an
d
maples
.
Th
e
root
s
ar
e
deep
.
Righ
t
nex
t
doo
r
i
s
th
e
hous
e
m
y
wife
gre
w
u
p
in
,
an
d
m
y
ol
d
basketbal
l
coac
h
stil
l
live
s
o
n
th
e
othe
r
side
.
I
wondered
,
a
s
I
gathere
d
u
p
the
stick
s
an
d
leave
s
lyin
g
aroun
d
th
e
yard
,
whethe
r
an
y
o
f
m
y
ow
n
childre
n
woul
d
b
e
livin
g
her
e
afte
r
we've
gone
,
pickin
g
u
p
loos
e
twig
s
o
n
th
e
Fourt
h
o
f
July
,
thinkin
g
o
f
m
e
a
s
I
though
t
o
f
m
y
father
.
An
d
I
wondere
d
whethe
r
simila
r
thought
s
migh
t
no
t
hav
e
bee
n
buzzin
g
aroun
d
Shast
a
Daisy'
s
hea
d
a
s
she
sniffe
d
aroun
d
he
r
predecessor'
s
littl
e
woode
n
marke
r
barel
y
visibl
e
i
n
th
e
bac
k
corne
r
behin
d
the
grill-Dais
y
th
e
Dog
:
1967-1982.
B
y
tw
o
o'cloc
k
th
e
coal
s
wer
e
heatin
g
u
p
an
d
th
e
res
t
o
f
m
y
famil
y
bega
n
t
o
arrive
.
Firs
t
cam
e
Abby
wit
h
Stev
e
an
d
th
e
tw
o
boys
,
the
n
Jennifer
,
wh
o
ha
d
brough
t
he
r
roommate
,
a
denta
l
student
,
fro
m
Palo
Alto.
No
t
a
man
,
a
s
w
e
ha
d
thought
,
bu
t
a
tal
l
African-America
n
woma
n
wearin
g
coppe
r
earring
s
th
e
size
o
f
sala
d
plate
s
tha
t
hun
g
dow
n
t
o
an
d
reste
d
o
n
he
r
bar
e
shoulders
.
An
d
I
d
o
mea
n
tall.
A
s
soo
n
a
s
I
sa
w
Stev
e
I
tol
d
hi
m
abou
t
th
e
varianc
e
betwee
n
Charli
e
Flynn'
s
descriptio
n
o
f
the
figure-eigh
t
orbi
t
o
f
K-PA
X
aroun
d
it
s
twi
n
suns
,
an
d
prot'
s
version
,
which
,
i
f
I
understoo
d
i
t
correctly,
wa
s
mor
e
o
f
a
retrograd
e
pattern
,
lik
e
tha
t
o
f
a
pendulum
.
Late
r
I
showe
d
hi
m
th
e
calenda
r
an
d
the
secon
d
sta
r
char
t
pro
t
ha
d
concocted-th
e
on
e
describin
g
th
e
sk
y
a
s
see
n
fro
m
K-PA
X
lookin
g
away
fro
m
Earth
.
Stev
e
shoo
k
hi
s
hea
d
i
n
wonde
r
an
d
drawle
d
tha
t
Professo
r
Flyn
n
ha
d
jus
t
lef
t
fo
r
a
vacation
i
n
Canada
,
bu
t
sai
d
h
e
woul
d
mentio
n
al
l
thi
s
t
o
hi
m
whe
n
h
e
go
t
back
.
I
aske
d
hi
m
whethe
r
h
e
kne
w
of
an
y
physicist
s
o
r
astronomer
s
wh
o
ha
d
disappeare
d
i
n
th
e
las
t
fiv
e
years
,
particularl
y
o
n
Augus
t
17,
1985
.
T
o
hi
s
knowledg
e
ther
e
ha
d
bee
n
n
o
suc
h
disappearances
,
thoug
h
h
e
joke
d
tha
t
ther
e
wer
e
a
few
colleague
s
wh
o
h
e
wishe
d
migh
t
quietl
y
d
o
so.
Fredd
y
arrive
d
fro
m
Atlanta
,
stil
l
wearin
g
hi
s
airlin
e
uniform
,
alon
e
a
s
usual
.
No
w
everyon
e
wa
s
here
fo
r
th
e
firs
t
tim
e
sinc
e
Christmas
.
Chip
,
however
,
ha
d
bette
r
thing
s
t
o
d
o
an
d
soo
n
wen
t
of
f
somewhere
wit
h
hi
s
friends.
