K-Pax (93 page)
"Thos
e
wer
e
th
e
onl
y
tw
o
Roberts."
"
I
wa
s
afrai
d
o
f
that."
"He'
s
go
t
t
o
exist,
"
sh
e
wailed
.
"Ther
e
ha
s
t
o
b
e
a
recor
d
o
f
hi
s
existence
.
W
e
mus
t
hav
e
missed
something
.
A
n
importan
t
clue
.
.
.
"
Sh
e
jumpe
d
u
p
an
d
bega
n
pacin
g
aroun
d
m
y
office
.
Eventuall
y
she
spotte
d
th
e
pictur
e
o
f
m
y
famil
y
o
n
m
y
desk
.
Sh
e
aske
d
m
e
abou
t
m
y
wife
,
wher
e
w
e
ha
d
met
,
an
d
so
on
.
I
tol
d
he
r
ho
w
lon
g
I
ha
d
know
n
Karen
,
a
littl
e
abou
t
th
e
kids
.
The
n
sh
e
sa
t
dow
n
an
d
tol
d
m
e
some
thing
s
abou
t
hersel
f
sh
e
hadn'
t
mentione
d
before
.
I
shal
l
no
t
recor
d
th
e
detail
s
here
,
bu
t
sh
e
wa
s
on
intimat
e
term
s
wit
h
mor
e
tha
n
on
e
prominen
t
figur
e
fro
m
th
e
world
s
o
f
sport
s
an
d
journalism
.
Th
e
point,
however
,
i
s
tha
t
althoug
h
sh
e
ha
d
countles
s
mal
e
friends
,
sh
e
ha
d
neve
r
married
.
I
wasn'
t
abou
t
t
o
ask
he
r
why
,
bu
t
sh
e
answere
d
a
s
i
f
I
had
:
"I'
m
a
n
idealis
t
an
d
a
perfectionis
t
an
d
al
l
th
e
wron
g
things,
"
and
turne
d
he
r
gaz
e
t
o
a
farawa
y
plac
e
i
n
th
e
distan
t
past
.
"An
d
becaus
e
I
hav
e
neve
r
me
t
a
ma
n
I
coul
d
give
mysel
f
to
,
utterl
y
an
d
completely.
"
The
n
sh
e
turne
d
t
o
me
.
I
n
a
momen
t
o
f
helples
s
ego-Brown's
syndrom
e
i
s
a
ver
y
powerfu
l
force-
I
wa
s
sur
e
sh
e
wa
s
goin
g
t
o
say
,
"Unti
l
now.
"
M
y
ti
e
suddenl
y
needed
m
y
attention
.
"An
d
no
w
I'
m
goin
g
t
o
los
e
him,
"
sh
e
whimpered
,
"an
d
there'
s
nothin
g
I
ca
n
d
o
abou
t
it!"
Sh
e
wa
s
i
n
lov
e
wit
h
prot!
Caugh
t
betwee
n
disappointmen
t
an
d
relie
f
I
sai
d
somethin
g
stupid
:
"I'v
e
go
t
a
so
n
yo
u
migh
t
like.
"
I
wa
s
thinkin
g
o
f
Fred
,
wh
o
ha
d
jus
t
lande
d
a
par
t
i
n
a
comed
y
playin
g
a
t
a
dinne
r
theate
r
i
n
Newark.
Sh
e
smile
d
warmly
.
"Th
e
pilo
t
wh
o
decide
d
t
o
becom
e
a
n
actor
?
Ho
w
ol
d
wa
s
h
e
whe
n
tha
t
picture
wa
s
taken?"
"Nineteen."
"He'
s
cute
,
isn'
t
he?"
"
I
suppos
e
so.
"
I
gaze
d
fondl
y
a
t
th
e
photograp
h
o
n
m
y
desk.
"Tha
t
pictur
e
remind
s
m
e
o
f
m
y
ow
n
family,
"
sh
e
said
.
"M
y
da
d
wa
s
s
o
prou
d
o
f
us
.
W
e
al
l
became
professional
s
o
f
on
e
sor
t
o
r
another
.
Ronni
e
i
s
a
surgeon
,
Audrey'
s
a
dentist
,
Gar
y
a
vet
.
I'
m
th
e
onl
y
dud
i
n
th
e
bunch."
"
I
wouldn'
t
sa
y
that
.
No
t
a
t
all
.
Yo
u
ar
e
on
e
o
f
th
e
bes
t
reporter
s
i
n
th
e
country
.
Wh
y
settl
e
for
secon
d
bes
t
i
n
somethin
g
else?"
Sh
e
smile
d
a
t
tha
t
an
d
nodded
.
"An
d
tha
t
pictur
e
o
f
yo
u
remind
s
m
e
o
f
m
y
father."
