K-Pax (89 page)

"Wh
y
not?"

"Becaus
e
yo
u
woul
d
us
e
i
t
agains
t
them."

I
fel
t
a
certai
n
amoun
t
o
f
 
resentmen
t
 
a
t
 
bein
g
 
hel
d
 
personall
y
 
responsibl
e
 
fo
r
 
th
e
 
decimatio
n
 
o
f
 
many
o
f
th
e
world'
s
cetaceans
,
bu
t
coul
d
thin
k
o
f
n
o
goo
d
reply.

"Ther
e
wa
s
als
o
a
messag
e
fo
r
al
l
th
e
othe
r
being
s
o
n
th
e
 
PLANET.
"
 
H
e
 
pause
d
 
here
,
 
peerin
g
 
a
t
 
me ou
t
o
f
th
e
corne
r
o
f
a
n
eye
,
an
d
too
k
anothe
r
bit
e
o
f
fruit.

"Well
?
Ar
e
yo
u
goin
g
t
o
tel
l
m
e
wha
t
i
t
was
?
O
r
ar
e
yo
u
goin
g
t
o
kee
p
tha
t
a
secret
,
too?"

"They'r
e
saying
,
`Let'
s
 
b
e
 
friends.
'
 
"
H
e
 
finishe
d
 
th
e
 
melon
,
 
counted
,
 
"One-two-three-four-five,
"
 
and
wa
s
ou
t
lik
e
a
light.

"Comfortable?
"
I
said
,
whe
n
I
realize
d
h
e
ha
d
alread
y
hypnotize
d
himself.

"Perfectly
,
m
y
dea
r
sir."

"Good.
"
 
I
 
too
k
 
a
 
ver
y
 
dee
p
 
breath
.
 
"No
w
 
I'
m
 
goin
g
 
t
o
 
giv
e
 
yo
u
 
a
 
specifi
c
 
date
,
 
an
d
 
I
 
wan
t
 
yo
u
 
to
remembe
r
wher
e
yo
u
wer
e
an
d
wha
t
yo
u
wer
e
doin
g
o
n
tha
t
day
.
D
o
yo
u
understand?"

"Jawohl."

"Excellent.
"
I
brace
d
myself
.
"Th
e
dat
e
i
s
Augus
t
seventeenth
,
1985."
Ther
e
wa
s
n
o
hin
t
o
f
shoc
k
o
r
othe
r
emotion
.
"Yes,
"
wa
s
al
l
h
e
said.

"Wher
e
ar
e
you?"

"I'
m
o
n
K-PAX
.
Harvestin
g
som
e
kropin
s
fo
r
a
meal."

"Kropins?"

"Kropin
s
ar
e
fungi
.
Somethin
g
lik
e
you
r
truffles
.
Bi
g
truffles
.
Delicious
.
D
o
yo
u
lik
e
truffles?"

I
wa
s
a
bi
t
annoye
d
b
y
hi
s
 
attentio
n
 
t
o
 
trivi
a
 
a
t
 
a
 
tim
e
 
lik
e
 
this
,
 
thoug
h
 
i
t
 
wa
s
 
I
 
wh
o
 
ha
d
 
pursue
d
 
the
topic
.
 
"I'v
e
 
neve
r
 
ha
d
 
truffles
.
 
Bu
t
 
let'
s
 
ge
t
 
o
n
 
wit
h
 
this
,
 
shal
l
 
we
?
 
I
s
 
anythin
g
 
els
e
 
happening
?
 
An
y
 
calls
fro
m
Earth?"

"Ther
e
i
t
i
s
now
,
a
s
a
matte
r
o
f
fact
,
an
d
I'
m
o
n
m
y
way."

"Wha
t
di
d
i
t
fee
l
lik
e
whe
n
th
e
cal
l
came?"

"H
e
neede
d
me
.
I
fel
t
tha
t
h
e
neede
d
me."

"An
d
ho
w
lon
g
wil
l
i
t
tak
e
yo
u
t
o
ge
t
t
o
Earth?"

"N
o
tim
e
a
t
all
.
Yo
u
see
,
a
t
tachyo
n
speed
,
tim
e
goe
s
backward
,
s
o
that-"

"Than
k
you
.
You'v
e
alread
y
explaine
d
t
o
m
e
al
l
abou
t
ligh
t
travel."

"Funny
,
I
don'
t
remembe
r
doin
g
that
.
Bu
t
the
n
yo
u
mus
t
kno
w
i
t
take
s
n
o
tim
e
a
t
all."

"Yes
.
I
ha
d
forgotten
.
S
o
no
w
yo
u
ar
e
o
n
Earth?"

"Yes
.
I
n
zaire."

"Zaire?"

"I
t
i
s
pointin
g
towar
d
K-PA
X
a
t
thi
s
moment."

"An
d
no
w
you'l
l
b
e
headin
g
for-"

"An
d
no
w
I
a
m
wit
h
him."

"You
r
friend?"

"Yes."

"Wher
e
ar
e
you
?
Wha
t
i
s
happening?"

"B
y
a
rive
r
i
n
bac
k
o
f
hi
s
house
.
I
t
i
s
dark
.
H
e
i
s
takin
g
of
f
hi
s
clothes."

"H
e
calle
d
yo
u
t
o
Eart
h
t
o
g
o
fo
r
a
nighttim
e
swi
m
wit
h
him?"

"No
.
H
e
i
s
tryin
g
t
o
kil
l
himself."

"Kil
l
himself
?
Why?"

"Becaus
e
somethin
g
terribl
e
ha
s
happened."

"Wha
t
happened?"

"H
e
doesn'
t
wan
t
t
o
tal
k
abou
t
it."

"Dam
n
it
,
I'
m
tryin
g
t
o
hel
p
him."

"H
e
know
s
that."

"The
n
wh
y
won'
t
h
e
tel
l
me?"

"H
e
feel
s
terribl
y
hur
t
an
d
ashamed
.
H
e
doesn'
t
wan
t
yo
u
t
o
know."

"Bu
t
I
can'
t
hel
p
hi
m
unles
s
h
e
tell
s
m
e
wha
t
happened."