K-Pax (104 page)
"Sta
y
righ
t
there
.
Don'
t
move.
"
I
retreate
d
t
o
m
y
inne
r
office
,
wher
e
Mrs
.
Trexle
r
wa
s
waiting
sardonicall
y
wit
h
a
laborator
y
car
t
stocke
d
wit
h
ic
e
an
d
liquor-Scotch
,
gin
,
vodka
,
rye-plu
s
th
e
usual
accompaniments.
"I'l
l
b
e
righ
t
her
e
i
f
yo
u
nee
d
anything,
"
sh
e
growled.
I
thanke
d
he
r
an
d
wheele
d
th
e
car
t
int
o
m
y
examinin
g
room
.
"
I
thin
k
I'l
l
hav
e
a
littl
e
Scotch,
"
I
said,
tryin
g
t
o
appea
r
calm
.
"
I
lik
e
a
martin
i
befor
e
dinner
,
bu
t
o
n
specia
l
occasion
s
lik
e
thi
s
on
e
I
prefer
somethin
g
else
.
No
t
tha
t
ther
e
ar
e
tha
t
man
y
specia
l
occasions,
"
I
adde
d
quickly
,
a
s
i
f
I
wer
e
applyin
g
for
th
e
directorshi
p
o
f
th
e
hospital
.
"An
d
wha
t
abou
t
you?"
"Scotc
h
i
s
fine."
I
poure
d
tw
o
stif
f
one
s
o
n
th
e
rocks
,
an
d
hande
d
on
e
t
o
prot
.
"Bo
n
voyage,
"
I
said
,
raisin
g
m
y
glass.
"T
o
a
saf
e
tri
p
home."
"Than
k
you,
"
h
e
said
,
liftin
g
hi
s
own
.
"I'
m
lookin
g
forwar
d
t
o
it.
"
I
ha
d
n
o
ide
a
ho
w
lon
g
i
t
ha
d
been
sinc
e
hi
s
las
t
drink
,
o
r
i
f
h
e
ha
d
eve
r
take
n
on
e
a
t
all
,
bu
t
h
e
appeare
d
t
o
enjo
y
th
e
firs
t
sip.
"T
o
tel
l
yo
u
th
e
truth,
"
I
confessed
,
"K-PA
X
doe
s
soun
d
lik
e
a
beautifu
l
place."
"
I
thin
k
yo
u
woul
d
lik
e
i
t
there."
"Yo
u
know
,
I'v
e
onl
y
bee
n
ou
t
o
f
thi
s
countr
y
tw
o
o
r
thre
e
times."
"Yo
u
shoul
d
se
e
mor
e
o
f
you
r
ow
n
WORLD
,
too
.
It'
s
a
n
interestin
g
PLANET.
"
H
e
too
k
a
deep
slug
,
bare
d
hi
s
teet
h
an
d
swallowed
,
bu
t
hi
s
timin
g
wasn'
t
righ
t
an
d
h
e
choke
d
an
d
coughe
d
fo
r
several
seconds
.
Whil
e
watchin
g
hi
m
tr
y
t
o
ge
t
hi
s
breat
h
I
remembere
d
th
e
da
y
m
y
fathe
r
taugh
t
m
e
t
o
drink
wine
.
I
hate
d
th
e
stuff
,
bu
t
I
kne
w
i
t
signifie
d
th
e
beginnin
g
o
f
adulthood
,
s
o
I
hel
d
m
y
nos
e
an
d
gulpe
d
it
down
.
M
y
timin
g
wasn'
t
righ
t
either
,
an
d
I
spewe
d
som
e
burgund
y
al
l
ove
r
th
e
livin
g
roo
m
carpet
,
which
retain
s
a
ghostl
y
stai
n
t
o
thi
s
day
.
I'
m
no
t
sur
e
h
e
eve
r
forgav
e
m
e
fo
r
that....
"Yo
u
don'
t
hat
e
you
r
father,
"
pro
t
said.
"What?"
"You'v
e
alway
s
blame
d
you
r
fathe
r
fo
r
th
e
inadequacie
s
yo
u
perceiv
e
i
n
yourself
.
I
n
orde
r
t
o
d
o
that
yo
u
ha
d
t
o
hat
e
him
.
Bu
t
yo
u
neve
r
reall
y
hate
d
him
.
Yo
u
love
d
you
r
father."
"
I
don'
t
kno
w
wh
o
tol
d
yo
u
al
l
o
f
this
,
bu
t
yo
u
don'
t
kno
w
wha
t
you'r
e
talkin
g
about."
H
e
shrugge
d
an
d
wa
s
silent
.
Afte
r
a
fe
w
mor
e
swallow
s
(h
e
wasn'
t
chokin
g
anymore
)
h
e
persisted:
"That'
s
ho
w
yo
u
rationalize
d
ignorin
g
you
r
childre
n
s
o
yo
u
coul
d
hav
e
mor
e
tim
e
fo
r
you
r
work
.
Yo
u
told
yoursel
f
yo
u
didn'
t
wan
t
t
o
mak
e
th
e
sam
e
mistak
e
a
s
you
r
father."