K-Pax (77 page)

Read K-Pax Online

Authors: Gene Brewer

Tags: #Fiction, #Science Fiction, #General

BOOK: K-Pax
9.47Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

"Doe
s
you
r
frien
d
fee
l
th
e
sam
e
wa
y
yo
u
d
o
abou
t
that?"

"Nah
.
H
e
believe
s
al
l
tha
t
garbage
.
The
y
al
l
do."

"I
s
you
r
frien
d
ther
e
wit
h
yo
u
now?"

"Yes."

"Ca
n
h
e
hea
r
us?"

"O
f
course
.
He'
s
righ
t
here."

"Ma
y
I
spea
k
wit
h
him?"

Agai
n
th
e
momentar
y
hesitation
.
"H
e
doesn'
t
wan
t
to."

"I
f
h
e
change
s
hi
s
mind
,
wil
l
yo
u
le
t
m
e
know?"

"
I
guess."

"Wil
l
h
e
tel
l
m
e
hi
s
name
,
a
t
least?"

"N
o
way."

"Well
,
w
e
hav
e
t
o
cal
l
hi
m
something
.
Ho
w
abou
t
Pete?"

"That'
s
no
t
hi
s
name
,
bu
t
okay."

"Al
l
right
.
I
s
h
e
a
senio
r
now?"
Yep.

"Wha
t
yea
r
i
s
it?"

"Ninetee
n
seventy-four."

"Ho
w
ol
d
ar
e
you?"

"
A
hunner
t
an
d
seventy-three."

"An
d
ho
w
ol
d
i
s
Pete?"

"Seventeen."

"Doe
s
h
e
kno
w
yo
u
com
e
fro
m
K-PAX?"

"Yes."

"Ho
w
doe
s
h
e
kno
w
that?"

"
I
tol
d
him."

"Wha
t
wa
s
hi
s
reactio
n
t
o
that?"

"H
e
think
s
it'
s
cool."

"Incidentally
,
ho
w
di
d
yo
u
lear
n
t
o
spea
k
Englis
h
s
o
well
?
Di
d
h
e
teac
h
you?"

"Nah
.
It'
s
no
t
ver
y
difficult
.
Yo
u
shoul
d
tr
y
speakin
g
w:xljgzs/k..mns"pt."

"Wher
e
di
d
yo
u
lan
d
whe
n
yo
u
cam
e
t
o
Earth?"

"Yo
u
mea
n
thi
s
trip?"

"Yes."

'China."

"No
t
Zaire?"

"Wh
y
shoul
d
I
lan
d
i
n
zair
e
whe
n
chin
a
wa
s
pointin
g
towar
d
K-PAX?"

"D
o
yo
u
hav
e
an
y
othe
r
Eart
h
friends
?
I
s
ther
e
anyon
e
els
e
ther
e
wit
h
you?"

"Nobod
y
her
e
bu
t
u
s
chickens."

"Ho
w
man
y
chicken
s
ar
e
you?"

"Jus
t
m
e
an
d
him."

"Tel
l
m
e
mor
e
abou
t
Pete
.
What'
s
h
e
like?"

"What'
s
 
h
e
 
like
?
 
He'
s
 
al
l
right
.
 
Kind
a
 
quiet
.
 
Keep
s
 
t
o
 
himself
.
 
He'
s
 
no
t
 
a
s
 
smar
t
 
a
s
 
I
 
am
,
 
bu
t
 
that
doesn'
t
matte
r
o
n
EARTH."

"No
?
An
d
wha
t
doe
s
matter?"

"Al
l tha
t
matter
s
i
s
tha
t
you'r
e
a
`nic
e
guy,
'
an
d
no
t
to
o
ba
d
looking."

"An
d
i
s
he?"

"
I suppose."

"Ca
n
yo
u
describ
e
him?"

"Yes."

"Pleas
e
do."

"He'
s
 
beginnin
g
 
t
o
 
wea
r
 
hi
s
 
hai
r
 
long
.
 
H
e
 
ha
s
 
brow
n
 
eyes
,
 
mediu
m
 
complexion
,
 
an
d
 
twenty-eight
pimples
,
whic
h
h
e
put
s
clearasi
l
o
n
al
l
th
e
time."

"Ar
e
hi
s
eye
s
sensitiv
e
t
o
brigh
t
light?"

"No
t
particularly
.
Wh
y
shoul
d
the
y
be?"

"Wha
t
make
s
hi
m
a
nic
e
guy?"

"H
e
 
smile
s
 
a
 
lot
,
 
h
e
 
help
s
 
th
e
 
dumbe
r
 
kid
s
 
wit
h
 
thei
r
 
assignments
,
 
h
e
 
volunteer
s
 
t
o
 
se
t
 
u
p
 
the
bleacher
s
fo
r
th
e
hom
e
games
,
stuf
f
lik
e
that
.
He'
s
vice-presiden
t
o
f
th
e
class
.
Everybod
y
like
s
him."

"Yo
u
soun
d
a
s
thoug
h
you'r
e
no
t
s
o
sur
e
the
y
should."

"
I
kno
w
hi
m
bette
r
tha
n
anybod
y
else."

"An
d
yo
u
thin
k
he'
s
no
t
a
s
nic
e
a
s
everybod
y
thinks."

"He'
s
no
t
a
s
nic
e
a
s
h
e
make
s
out."

"I
n
wha
t
way?"

"H
e
ha
s
a
temper
.
I
t
get
s
ou
t
o
f
han
d
sometimes."

"Wha
t
happen
s
whe
n
i
t
get
s
ou
t
o
f
hand?"

"H
e
get
s
mad
.
Throw
s
thing
s
around
,
kick
s
inanimat
e
objects."

"Wha
t
make
s
hi
m
mad?"

"Thing
s
tha
t
see
m
unfair
,
tha
t
h
e
can'
t
d
o
anythin
g
about
.
Yo
u
know."

I
wa
s
 
prett
y
 
sur
e
 
I
 
di
d
 
know
.
 
I
t
 
ha
d
 
somethin
g
 
t
o
 
d
o
 
wit
h
 
th
e
 
helplessnes
s
 
an
d
 
ange
r
 
h
e
 
fel
t
 
a
t
 
the
tim
e
o
f
hi
s
father'
s
death
.
"Ca
n
yo
u
giv
e
m
e
a
n
example?"

"On
e
tim
e
h
e
foun
d
a
ki
d
beatin
g
 
u
p
 
o
n
 
a
 
smalle
r
 
kid
.
 
Th
e
 
olde
r
 
gu
y
wa
s
 
a
 
bi
g
 
redheade
d
 
bull
y
 
and everybod
y
 
hate
d
 
him
.
 
H
e
 
ha
d
 
broke
n
 
th
e
 
othe
r
 
kid'
s
 
glasses
,
 
an
d
 
hi
s
 
nose
,
 
too
,
 
I
 
think
.
 
M
y
 
frien
d
 
beat
th
e
shi
t
ou
t
o
f
him
.
I
trie
d
t
o
sto
p
hi
m
bu
t
h
e
wouldn'
t
listen."

"Wha
t
happene
d
then
?
Wa
s
th
e
bull
y
badl
y
hurt
?
Di
d
h
e
tr
y
t
o
ge
t
eve
n
late
r
on?"

"H
e
los
t
 
a
 
coupl
e
 
teet
h
 
i
s
 
all
.
 
H
e
 
wa
s
 
mostl
y
 
afrai
d
 
m
y
frien
d
 
woul
d
 
tel
l
 
everybod
y
 
wha
t
 
happened.
Whe
n
h
e
didn't
,
an
d
aske
d
th
e
littl
e
ki
d
no
t
t
o
either
,
the
y
becam
e
th
e
bes
t
o
f
buddies
.
Al
l
thre
e
o
f
them."

"Wha
t
d
o
thes
e
othe
r
guy
s
thin
k
abou
t
you?"

"The
y
don'
t
kno
w
abou
t
me."

"Doe
s
anyon
e
beside
s
you
r
frien
d
kno
w
abou
t
you?"

Other books

The Simple Truth by David Baldacci
The Quality of the Informant by Gerald Petievich
Trapped by Carrie Grant
Back in the Bedroom by Jill Shalvis
Cadet 3 by Commander James Bondage
JUST ONE MORE NIGHT by FIONA BRAND,
Chasing The Dragon by Nicholas Kaufmann