K-Pax (80 page)
"Ca
n
yo
u
tal
k
t
o
dolphin
s
an
d
whales?"
"They'r
e
beings
,
aren'
t
they?"
"Ho
w
d
o
yo
u
d
o
that?"
H
e
wagge
d
hi
s
hea
d
i
n
abjec
t
frustration
.
"Yo
u
human
s
conside
r
yourselve
s
th
e
smartes
t
o
f
the
EARTH'
s
beings
.
A
m
I
right?"
"Yes."
"The
n
obviousl
y
th
e
othe
r
being
s
spea
k
muc
h
simple
r
language
s
tha
n
yours
,
right?"
"Well-"
Ou
t
cam
e
th
e
notebook
,
penci
l
poised
.
"S
o
i
f
you'r
e
s
o
smart
,
an
d
thei
r
language
s
ar
e
s
o
simple
,
how com
e
yo
u
can'
t
communicat
e
wit
h
them?
"
H
e
waite
d
fo
r
a
n
answer
.
Unfortunately
,
I
didn'
t
hav
e
one.
JUS
T
befor
e
I
lef
t
fo
r
th
e
da
y
Gisell
e
gav
e
m
e
anothe
r
discouragin
g
repor
t
fro
m
th
e
police
.
Her
contac
t
ha
d
com
e
u
p
wit
h
a
lis
t
o
f
al
l
disappearance
s
o
f
whit
e
male
s
bor
n
betwee
n
195
0
an
d
196
5
from th
e
entir
e
Unite
d
State
s
an
d
Canada
.
Ther
e
ha
d
bee
n
thousand
s
durin
g
thi
s
period
,
o
f
course
,
bu
t
no
t
a
singl
e
on
e
eve
n
cam
e
clos
e
t
o
matchin
g
prot'
s
profile
.
Som
e
wer
e
to
o
tall
,
som
e
wer
e
bald
,
som
e
were blue-eyed
,
som
e
wer
e
dead
,
som
e
ha
d
bee
n
foun
d
an
d
wer
e
accounte
d
for
.
Unles
s
pro
t
wer
e
a
femal
e
in
disguise
,
wa
s
muc
h
olde
r
o
r
younge
r
tha
n
h
e
seemed
,
o
r
someon
e
whos
e
disappearanc
e
ha
d
no
t
been
noticed
,
ou
r
patient
,
fo
r
al
l
practica
l
purposes
,
di
d
no
t
exist.
Sh
e
wa
s
als
o
waitin
g
fo
r
th
e
name
s
an
d
location
s
o
f
al
l
th
e
slaughterhouse
s
operatin
g
anywher
e
in
Nort
h
Americ
a
betwee
n
197
4
an
d
1985.
"Yo
u
ca
n
eliminat
e
th
e
one
s
i
n
o
r
nea
r
larg
e
cities,
"
I
tol
d
her
.
"There'
s
onl
y
on
e
movi
e
theater."
Sh
e
nodde
d
he
r
acknowledgment
.
Sh
e
looke
d
tired
.
"I'
m
goin
g
t
o
g
o
hom
e
an
d
slee
p
fo
r
abou
t
two
days,
"
sh
e
said
,
yawning
.
Ho
w
I
wishe
d
I
coul
d
hav
e
don
e
th
e
same!
I
wa
s
lyin
g
awak
e
tha
t
nigh
t
tryin
g
t
o
mak
e
som
e
sens
e
o
f
th
e
day'
s
events-why
,
I
wondere
d
hazily,
wa
s
ther
e
n
o
recor
d
o
f
Pete'
s
disappearance
?
An
d
wha
t
good
,
I
trie
d
t
o
reason
,
wa
s
a
lis
t
of
slaughterhouse
s
withou
t
furthe
r
informatio
n
a
s
t
o
wher
e
ou
r
abattoi
r
migh
t
b
e
located?-whe
n
I
go
t
a
call
fro
m
Dr
.
Chakraborty
.
Erni
e
wa
s
i
n
th
e
clinic
.
Someon
e
ha
d
trie
d
t
o
kil
l
him!
"What
?
Who?
"
I
barked.
"Howie!
"
cam
e
th
e
chillin
g
reply.
Al
l
I
coul
d
thin
k
o
f
a
s
I
spe
d
dow
n
th
e
expresswa
y
was
:
Jesu
s
Christ
!
Wha
t
hav
e
I
done
?
Whatever happene
d
t
o
Erni
e
wa
s
m
y
fault
,
m
y
responsibility
,
jus
t
a
s
I
wa
s
responsibl
e
fo
r
everythin
g
els
e
that
happene
d
a
t
th
e
hospital
.
I
t
wa
s
on
e
o
f
th
e
wors
t
moment
s
o
f
m
y
life
.
Bu
t
eve
n
a
t
tha
t
blackes
t
o
f
hour
s
I wa
s
heartene
d
b
y
th
e
glo
w
o
f
th
e
city
,
he
r
throbbin
g
light
s
brigh
t
agains
t
th
e
steel-gra
y
backgroun
d
o
f
the
dawnin
g
sky
,
a
s
ful
l
o
f
defian
t
lif
e
a
s
th
e
night
,
som
e
fort
y
year
s
earlier
,
tha
t
w
e
futilel
y
rushe
d
m
y
father
t
o
th
e
hospital
.
Sam
e
glowin
g
sky
,
sam
e
darkenin
g
guilt.
