K-Pax (106 page)
"Becaus
e
w
e
nee
d
yo
u
here."
"Wha
'
for?"
"Yo
u
thin
k
th
e
Eart
h
i
s
a
prett
y
ba
d
place
.
Yo
u
ca
n
hel
p
u
s
mak
e
i
t
better."
"How
,
f'
r
cryin
'
ou
t
loud?"
"Well
,
fo
r
example
,
ther
e
ar
e
a
lo
t
o
f
peopl
e
righ
t
her
e
a
t
th
e
hospita
l
yo
u
hav
e
helpe
d
tremendously.
An
d
ther
e
ar
e
man
y
mor
e
beings
-
yo
u
ca
n
hel
p
i
f
yo
u
wil
l
stay
.
W
e
o
n
Eart
h
hav
e
a
lo
t
o
f
problems
.
All
o
f
u
s
nee
d
you."
"Yo
u
c'
n
hel
p
y'rsel
f
i
f
yo
u
wan
t
to
.
Yo
u
jus
t
haft
a
wan
t
to
,
thas
s
al
l
ther
e
i
s
t
o
it."
"Rober
t
need
s
you
.
You
r
frien
d
need
s
you."
"H
e
doesn'
t
nee
d
me
.
H
e
doesn'
t
eve
n
pa
y
'tentio
n
t
o
m
e
anymore."
"That'
s
becaus
e
he'
s
a
n
independen
t
bein
g
wit
h
a
min
d
o
f
hi
s
own
.
Bu
t
h
e
woul
d
wan
t
yo
u
t
o
stay
,
I
kno
w
h
e
would."
"Ho
w
d
'
yo
u
kno
w
that?"
"As
k
him!"
pro
t
looke
d
puzzled
.
An
d
tired
.
H
e
close
d
hi
s
eyes
.
Hi
s
glas
s
tipped
,
allowin
g
som
e
o
f
hi
s
drin
k
to
spil
l
ont
o
th
e
carpet
.
Afte
r
a
lon
g
minut
e
o
r
tw
o
hi
s
eye
s
opene
d
again
.
H
e
appeare
d
t
o
b
e
completely
sober.
"Wha
t
di
d
h
e
say?"
"H
e
tol
d
m
e
I'v
e
waste
d
enoug
h
tim
e
here
.
H
e
want
s
m
e
t
o
g
o
awa
y
an
d
leav
e
hi
m
alone."
"Wha
t
wil
l
happe
n
t
o
hi
m
whe
n
yo
u
go
?
Hav
e
yo
u
though
t
abou
t
that?"
Th
e
Cheshire-ca
t
grin
:
"That'
s
u
p
t
o
you."
Gisell
e
said
,
"Please
,
prot
.
I
wan
t
yo
u
t
o
stay
,
too.
"
Ther
e
wer
e
tear
s
i
n
he
r
eyes.
"
I
ca
n
alway
s
com
e
back."
"When?"
"No
t
long
.
Abou
t
fiv
e
o
f
you
r
years
.
I
t
wil
l
see
m
lik
e
n
o
tim
e
a
t
all."
"Fiv
e
years?
"
I
blurte
d
ou
t
i
n
surprise
.
"Wh
y
s
o
long
?
I
though
t
you'
d
b
e
bac
k
muc
h
soone
r
than
that."
pro
t
gav
e
m
e
a
loo
k
o
f
profoun
d
sadness
.
"Owin
g
t
o
th
e
natur
e
o
f
time
.
..
"
h
e
began
,
then
:
"Ther
e
i
s
a tradeof
f
fo
r
roun
d
trips
.
I
woul
d
tr
y
t
o
explai
n
i
t
t
o
you
,
bu
t
I'
m
jus
t
to
o
dam
n
tired."
"Tak
e
m
e
wit
h
you,
"
Gisell
e
pleaded.
H
e
gav
e
he
r
a
loo
k
o
f
indescribabl
e
compassion
.
"I'
m
sorry
.
Bu
t
nex
t
time...
"
Sh
e
go
t
u
p
an
d
hugged
him.
"prot,
"
I
said
,
emptyin
g
th
e
bottl
e
int
o
hi
s
an
d
Giselle'
s
glasses
.
"Wha
t
i
f
I
tel
l
yo
u
there'
s
n
o
such
plac
e
a
s
K-PAX?"
"No
w
who'
s
crazy?
"
h
e
replied.
AFTE
R
Jense
n
an
d
Kowalsk
i
ha
d
take
n
pro
t
bac
k
t
o
hi
s
room
,
wher
e
h
e
slep
t
fo
r
a
recor
d
five
hours
,
Gisell
e
tol
d
m
e
wha
t
sh
e
ha
d
learne
d
abou
t
Rober
t
Porter
.
I
t
wasn'
t
much
,
bu
t
i
t
explaine
d
why
w
e
hadn'
t
bee
n
abl
e
t
o
trac
k
hi
m
dow
n
earlier
.
Afte
r
hundred
s
o
f
hour
s
o
f
searchin
g
throug
h
old
newspape
r
files
,
sh
e
an
d
he
r
frien
d
a
t
th
e
librar
y
ha
d
foun
d
th
e
obituar
y
fo
r
Robert'
s
father
,
Gerald
Porter
.
Fro
m
tha
t
sh
e
learne
d
th
e
nam
e
o
f
thei
r
hometown
,
Guelph
,
Montana
.
The
n
sh
e
remembered
somethin
g
sh
e
ha
d
foun
d
muc
h
earlie
r
abou
t
a
murder/suicid
e
tha
t
ha
d
take
n
plac
e
ther
e
i
n
Augus
t
of