K-Pax (113 page)
returne
d
th
e
origina
l
notebooks
,
a
littl
e
jumble
d
bu
t
intact
,
t
o
prot.
"Jus
t
i
n
th
e
nic
k
o
f
time,
"
h
e
said
.
"Bu
t
no
w
you'l
l
hav
e
t
o
leav
e
th
e
room
.
An
y
bein
g
withi
n
a
fe
w
feet
wil
l
b
e
swep
t
alon
g
wit
h
me
.
Bette
r
tak
e
the
m
wit
h
you
,
too,
"
h
e
said
,
indicatin
g
th
e
cats.
I
decide
d
t
o
humo
r
him
.
Well
,
wh
y
not
?
Ther
e
wasn'
t
a
dam
n
thin
g
I
coul
d
d
o
abou
t
i
t
anyway
.
I
rouste
d
th
e
cat
s
fro
m
hi
s
bed
.
On
e
b
y
on
e
the
y
brushe
d
agains
t
hi
s
le
g
an
d
streake
d
fo
r
variou
s
other
war
m
places
.
"Good-bye
,
Sojourne
r
Porter,
"
I
said
.
"Don'
t
ge
t
knocke
d
ove
r
b
y
an
y
aps."
"No
t
good-bye
.
Jus
t
au
f
wiedersehen
.
I'l
l
b
e
bac
k
befor
e
yo
u
kno
w
it.
"
H
e
pointe
d
towar
d
th
e
sky.
"Afte
r
all
,
KPA
X
isn'
t
s
o
fa
r
away
,
really."
I
steppe
d
ou
t
o
f
th
e
room
,
bu
t
lef
t
th
e
doo
r
open
.
I
ha
d
alread
y
notifie
d
th
e
infirmar
y
staf
f
t
o
stand
by
,
t
o
b
e
prepare
d
fo
r
anything
.
I
coul
d
se
e
Dr
.
Chakrabort
y
dow
n
th
e
corrido
r
wit
h
a
n
emergenc
y
cart
containin
g
a
respirato
r
an
d
al
l
th
e
rest
.
Ther
e
wer
e
onl
y
a
coupl
e
o
f
minute
s
t
o
go.
Th
e
las
t
I
sa
w
o
f
pro
t
h
e
wa
s
sittin
g
a
t
hi
s
des
k
tappin
g
hi
s
repor
t
int
o
a
neate
r
stack
,
checkin
g
his
flashlight
.
H
e
place
d
hi
s
bo
x
o
f
frui
t
an
d
othe
r
souvenir
s
o
n
hi
s
lap
,
picke
d
u
p
th
e
littl
e
mirro
r
an
d
gazed
int
o
it
.
The
n
h
e
transferre
d
th
e
flashligh
t
t
o
hi
s
shoulder
.
A
t
tha
t
momen
t
on
e
o
f
th
e
securit
y
guard
s
came
puffin
g
u
p
t
o
tel
l
m
e
tha
t
I
ha
d
a
n
urgen
t
long-distanc
e
call
.
I
t
wa
s
Robert'
s
mother
!
A
t
exactl
y
th
e
same
instant
,
Chuc
k
cam
e
runnin
g
dow
n
th
e
hal
l
wit
h
hi
s
wor
n
littl
e
suitcase
,
demandin
g
t
o
b
e
"take
n
aboard."
Eve
n
wit
h
al
l
thi
s
commotio
n
I
couldn'
t
hav
e
take
n
m
y
eye
s
of
f
pro
t
fo
r
mor
e
tha
n
a
coupl
e
o
f
seconds.
Bu
t
whe
n
I
turne
d
t
o
tel
l
hi
m
abou
t
th
e
phon
e
call
,
h
e
wa
s
gone!
W
e
al
l
race
d
int
o
th
e
room
.
Th
e
onl
y
trac
e
o
f
hi
m
lef
t
behin
d
wer
e
hi
s
dar
k
glasse
s
lyin
g
o
n
a
scribble
d
message
.
"
I
won'
t
b
e
needin
g
thes
e
fo
r
a
while,
"
th
e
not
e
said
.
"Pleas
e
kee
p
the
m
fo
r
me."
Actin
g
o
n
m
y
earlie
r
hunc
h
tha
t
pro
t
ha
d
hidde
n
ou
t
i
n
th
e
storag
e
tunne
l
durin
g
th
e
fe
w
day
s
h
e
had
allegedl
y
gon
e
t
o
Canada
,
Greenland
,
an
d
Iceland
,
w
e
rushe
d
t
o
tha
t
area
.
Th
e
doo
r
wa
s
locked
,
an
d
the
securit
y
guar
d
ha
d
som
e
difficult
y
findin
g
th
e
righ
t
key
.
W
e
waite
d
patiently-
I
wa
s
confiden
t
w
e
would
fin
d
pro
t
there-unti
l
h
e
finall
y
go
t
th
e
heav
y
doo
r
ope
n
an
d
foun
d
th
e
ligh
t
switch
.
Ther
e
wa
s
enough
dust
y
ol
d
equipmen
t
t
o
star
t
ou
r
ow
n
museum
,
bu
t
ther
e
wa
s
n
o
sig
n
o
f
prot
.
No
r
wa
s
h
e
hidin
g
i
n
the
surgica
l
theate
r
o
r
th
e
semina
r
room
,
o
r
anywher
e
els
e
w
e
though
t
h
e
migh
t
hav
e
trie
d
t
o
concea
l
himself. I
t
didn'
t
occu
r
t
o
an
y
o
f
u
s
t
o
chec
k
th
e
room
s
o
f
th
e
othe
r
patients.