K-Pax (94 page)
"Ho
w
so?"
"
I
don'
t
know
.
H
e
wa
s
nice
.
Kind
.
You'
d
hav
e
like
d
him."
"
I probabl
y
woul
d
have
.
Ma
y
I
as
k
wha
t
happene
d
t
o
him?"
"H
e
committe
d
suicide."
"Oh
,
Giselle
,
I'
m
ver
y
sorry."
Dreamily
:
"H
e
ha
d
cancer
.
H
e
didn'
t
wan
t
t
o
b
e
a
burden."
W
e
sa
t
i
n
m
y
offic
e
thinkin
g
ou
r
ow
n
privat
e
thought
s
unti
l
I
happene
d
t
o
glanc
e
a
t
th
e
cloc
k
o
n
my
desk
.
"Goo
d
grief-I'v
e
go
t
t
o
run
.
We'r
e
goin
g
t
o
g
o
se
e
Fredd
y
perfor
m
tonight
.
He'
s
playin
g
a
reporter
.
Yo
u
wan
t
t
o
com
e
wit
h
us?"
"No
,
n
o
thanks
.
I'v
e
go
t
som
e
writin
g
t
o
do
.
An
d
som
e
thinking."
A
s
w
e
go
t
int
o
th
e
elevato
r
I
reminde
d
he
r
tha
t
I
wa
s
goin
g
ou
t
o
f
tow
n
fo
r
a
fe
w
day
s
an
d
wouldn't b
e
bac
k
unti
l
th
e
middl
e
o
f
th
e
followin
g
week.
"Mayb
e
I'l
l
hav
e
th
e
cas
e
solve
d
b
y
then
!
I'
m
suppose
d
t
o
ge
t
th
e
location
s
o
f
al
l
th
e
slaughterhouses tomorrow!"
Sh
e
go
t
of
f
o
n
Tw
o
an
d
I
stoo
d
ther
e
i
n
th
e
empt
y
elevato
r
feelin
g
th
e
tu
g
o
f
gravit
y
an
d
a
profound sens
e
o
f
sadnes
s
an
d
no
t
knowin
g
whic
h
I
understoo
d
less.
Sessio
n
Fourteen
I
didn'
t
ge
t
bac
k
t
o
m
y
offic
e
unti
l
th
e
followin
g
Wednesda
y
morning
.
A
s
soo
n
a
s
I
walke
d
i
n
I
detecte
d
th
e
fragranc
e
o
f
pin
e
trees
,
an
d
I
kne
w
tha
t
Gisell
e
ha
d
bee
n
there
.
Perche
d
o
n
to
p
o
f
th
e
great
moun
d
o
f
wor
k
pile
d
o
n
m
y
des
k
wa
s
a
not
e
neatl
y
handwritte
n
i
n
gree
n
ink:
Ther
e
wa
s
onl
y
on
e
disappearanc
e
i
n
198
5
tha
t
occurre
d
i
n
a
tow
n
wher
e
a
slaughterhous
e
is
located
.
I
t
wa
s
i
n
Sout
h
Carolina
,
an
d
th
e
missin
g
perso
n
wa
s
a
woman
.
A
m
spendin
g
thi
s
week
i
n
th
e
librar
y
goin
g
ove
r
newspape
r
file
s
fo
r
tha
t
year.
Se
e
yo
u
later.
Love
,
G.
Whil
e
I
wa
s
readin
g
i
t
I
go
t
a
cal
l
fro
m
Charli
e
Flynn
,
th
e
astronomer
,
m
y
son-in-law'
s
colleagu
e
at Princeton
.
Afte
r
h
e
ha
d
returne
d
fro
m
hi
s
vacatio
n
i
n
Canada
,
Stev
e
ha
d
tol
d
hi
m
abou
t
th
e
discrepancy
betwee
n
hi
s
an
d
prot'
s
accoun
t
o
f
th
e
orbi
t
o
f
K-PA
X
aroun
d
it
s
doubl
e
suns
.
H
e
wa
s
ver
y
excited
.
The calculation
,
h
e
said
,
ha
d
bee
n
don
e
b
y
on
e
o
f
hi
s
graduat
e
students
.
Upo
n
hearin
g
o
f
prot'
s
versio
n
he ha
d
recalculate
d
th
e
orbita
l
patter
n
himself
,
an
d
i
t
turne
d
ou
t
t
o
b
e
exactl
y
a
s
pro
t
ha
d
describe
d
it
:
a
pendulum-lik
e
back-and-fort
h
motion
,
no
t
a
figur
e
eight
.
Al
l
th
e
sta
r
chart
s
pro
t
ha
d
draw
n
u
p
wer
e
quite
accurat
e
a
s
well
.
I
though
t
nothin
g
woul
d
faz
e
m
e
anymor
e
wher
e
pro
t
wa
s
concerned
,
bu
t
wha
t
this
traine
d
scientis
t
sai
d
nex
t
shocke
d
m
e
a
s
muc
h
a
s
i
t
fascinate
d
him
.
H
e
said
,
"Savant
s
ar
e
basically
peopl
e
wit
h
prodigiou
s
memories
,
aren'
t
they
?
Thi
s
i
s
different
,
ther
e
i
s
n
o
wa
y
anyon
e
coul
d
gues
s
that
orbita
l
patter
n
o
r
intui
t
it
.
I
kno
w
thi
s
sound
s
crazy
,
bu
t
I
can'
t
se
e
ho
w
h
e
coul
d
hav
e
com
e
u
p
wit
h
this
informatio
n
unles
s
h
e
ha
d
actuall
y
bee
n
there!
"
Thi
s
fro
m
a
ma
n
wh
o
i
s
a
s
san
e
as
,
yo
u
o
r
I
.
"Coul
d
I
talk
t
o
you
r
patient?
"
h
e
wen
t
on
.
"Ther
e
ar
e
severa
l
thousan
d
question
s
I'
d
lik
e
t
o
as
k
him!"
