K-Pax (23 page)
Th
e
patient'
s
knowledg
e
o
f
languages
,
incidentally
,
wa
s
no
t
a
s
broa
d
a
s
h
e
pretended
.
Althoug
h
he
spok
e
an
d
rea
d
a
littl
e
o
f
mos
t
o
f
th
e
commo
n
ones
,
hi
s
understandin
g
wa
s
limite
d
t
o
everyda
y
phrases
an
d
idioms
,
th
e
type
s
foun
d
i
n
book
s
fo
r
travelers
.
Anothe
r
thin
g
tha
t
caugh
t
m
y
ey
e
wa
s
some
informatio
n
th
e
patien
t
volunteere
d
abou
t
th
e
star
s
i
n
th
e
constellatio
n
Lyra-thei
r
distance
s
fro
m
Earth,
types
,
etc
.
-
nothin
g
tha
t
require
d
spac
e
trave
l
t
o
obtain
,
certainly
,
bu
t
I
decide
d
t
o
chec
k
thi
s
ou
t
a
s
well.
Drivin
g
hom
e
tha
t
afternoo
n
t
o
th
e
accompanimen
t
o
f
Gounod'
s
Faust
,
I
marvele
d
onc
e
again
,
a
s
I
bellowe
d
along
,
a
t
wha
t
th
e
huma
n
min
d
ca
n
do
.
Ther
e
ar
e
well-documente
d
case
s
o
f
superhuman
strengt
h
arisin
g
fro
m
a
desperat
e
nee
d
o
r
fi
t
o
f
madness
,
o
f
astoundin
g
performance
s
fa
r
beyon
d
the
norma
l
capabilitie
s
o
f
athlete
s
o
r
rescu
e
workers
,
o
f
peopl
e
wh
o
ca
n
g
o
int
o
trancelik
e
state
s
or
"hibernation,
"
o
f
extraordinar
y
enduranc
e
exhibite
d
b
y
victim
s
o
f
natura
l
o
r
man-mad
e
disasters
,
accounts
o
f
paralyze
d
peopl
e
wh
o
ge
t
u
p
an
d
walk
,
o
f
cance
r
patient
s
wh
o
almos
t
see
m
t
o
cur
e
themselve
s
or
,
by forc
e
o
f
wil
l
alone
,
manag
e
t
o
han
g
o
n
unti
l
a
birthda
y
o
r
favorit
e
holiday
.
N
o
les
s
striking
,
perhaps
,
i
s
the
cas
e
o
f
th
e
unattractiv
e
woma
n
wh
o
come
s
acros
s
a
s
beautifu
l
merel
y
becaus
e
sh
e
think
s
sh
e
is
.
An
individua
l
wit
h
littl
e
talen
t
wh
o
become
s
a
Broadwa
y
sta
r
o
n
th
e
basi
s
o
f
self-confidenc
e
an
d
energy alone
.
I
hav
e
personall
y
encountere
d
man
y
patient
s
wh
o
hav
e
don
e
amazin
g
thing
s
the
y
coul
d
no
t
do
befor
e
the
y
becam
e
ill
.
An
d
her
e
w
e
hav
e
a
ma
n
wh
o
believe
s
h
e
come
s
fro
m
a
plane
t
wher
e
peopl
e
are
a
littl
e
mor
e
light-sensitiv
e
tha
n
w
e
are
,
an
d
b
y
Go
d
h
e
is
.
A
t
time
s
lik
e
thes
e
on
e
wonder
s
wha
t
th
e
limits
o
f
th
e
huma
n
min
d
reall
y
are.
O
N
Memoria
l
Da
y
m
y
oldes
t
daughte
r
an
d
he
r
husban
d
an
d
thei
r
tw
o
littl
e
boy
s
drov
e
u
p
from
Princeto
n
fo
r
a
cookout
.
Abigai
l
i
s
th
e
revers
e
o
f
th
e
unattractiv
e
woma
n
I
mentione
d
above-sh
e
was
alway
s
a
ver
y
prett
y
gir
l
wh
o
neve
r
realize
d
it
.
I
don'
t
thin
k
sh
e
ha
s
eve
r
use
d
makeup
,
doesn'
t
do
anythin
g
wit
h
he
r
hair
,
pay
s
n
o
attentio
n
t
o
wha
t
sh
e
wears
.
Fro
m
th
e
beginnin
g
sh
e
ha
s
ha
d
a
min
d
o
f
her own
.
Whe
n
I
thin
k
o
f
Abb
y
I
se
e
a
ki
d
o
f
eigh
t
o
r
nin
e
marchin
g
wit
h
a
bunc
h
o
f
other
s
tw
o
o
r
three
time
s
he
r
age
,
al
l
wit
h
lon
g
hai
r
an
d
flare
d
pants
,
flashin
g
he
r
peac
e
sig
n
an
d
yellin
g
he
r
slogans
,
seriou
s
as
a
kiss
.
Now
,
a
s
a
non-practicin
g
lawyer
,
she'
s
activ
e
i
n
any
.
numbe
r
of women's/gay/environmental/civil/anima
l
right
s
groups
.
Ho
w
di
d
sh
e
tur
n
ou
t
thi
s
way
?
Wh
o
knows
?
All
o
f
ou
r
childre
n
ar
e
a
s
differen
t
fro
m
eac
h
othe
r
a
s
th
e
color
s
o
f
th
e
rainbow.