K-Pax (24 page)
Fred
,
fo
r
instance
,
i
s
th
e
mos
t
sensitiv
e
o
f
th
e
four
.
A
s
a
bo
y
h
e
alway
s
ha
d
hi
s
nos
e
i
n
a
book
,
and
a
n
ea
r
fo
r
musi
c
a
s
well
.
I
n
fact
,
h
e
stil
l
ha
s
a
n
enormou
s
collectio
n
o
f
recording
s
o
f
Broadwa
y
shows.
W
e
alway
s
though
t
h
e
woul
d
becom
e
a
n
artis
t
o
f
som
e
kind
,
an
d
wer
e
quit
e
amaze
d
whe
n
h
e
ende
d
up
i
n
aeronautics.
Jennife
r
i
s
ver
y
differen
t
still
.
Slim
,
beautiful
,
no
t
a
s
seriou
s
a
s
Abigai
l
o
r
a
s
quie
t
a
s
Fred
,
sh
e
i
s
the
onl
y
on
e
o
f
th
e
fou
r
wh
o
ha
s
showe
d
an
y
interes
t
i
n
followin
g
he
r
ol
d
man'
s
footsteps
.
A
s
a
gir
l
sh
e
loved
biolog
y
(an
d
slumbe
r
partie
s
an
d
chocolate-chi
p
cookies)
,
an
d
sh
e
i
s
no
w
a
thirdyea
r
medica
l
studen
t
at
Stanford.
Wil
l
(Chip
)
i
s
th
e
youngest
,
eigh
t
year
s
younge
r
tha
n
Jenny
.
Probabl
y
th
e
brightes
t
o
f
th
e
bunch
,
h
e
is
a
sta
r
athlet
e
i
n
school
,
active
,
popular
.
Lik
e
Abb
y
befor
e
him
,
an
d
unlik
e
Fre
d
an
d
Jenny
,
h
e
i
s
hardly
eve
r
home
,
preferrin
g
instea
d
t
o
spen
d
hi
s
tim
e
wit
h
hi
s
friend
s
rathe
r
tha
n
wit
h
hi
s
grizzle
d
parents
.
He
hasn'
t
th
e
foggies
t
ide
a
wha
t
h
e
want
s
t
o
d
o
wit
h
hi
s
life.
Al
l
o
f
whic
h
lead
s
t
o
th
e
question
:
I
s
th
e
shap
e
o
f
th
e
individua
l
personalit
y
du
e
primaril
y
t
o
geneti
c
or
t
o
environmenta
l
factors
?
Afte
r
a
grea
t
dea
l
o
f
experimentatio
n
an
d
debat
e
o
n
thi
s
critica
l
issue
,
the
answe
r
i
s
fa
r
fro
m
clear
.
Al
l
I
kno
w
i
s
that
,
despit
e
simila
r
background
s
an
d
geneti
c
makeup
,
m
y
four kid
s
ar
e
a
s
differen
t
fro
m
eac
h
othe
r
a
s
i
s
nigh
t
fro
m
day
,
winte
r
fro
m
summer.
Abby'
s
husban
d
Stev
e
i
s
a
professo
r
o
f
astronomy
,
an
d
whil
e
th
e
steak
s
wer
e
sizzlin
g
o
n
th
e
gril
l
I
mentione
d
t
o
hi
m
tha
t
ther
e
wa
s
a
patien
t
a
t
th
e
hospita
l
wh
o
seeme
d
t
o
kno
w
somethin
g
abou
t
hi
s
field
.
I
showe
d
hi
m
prot'
s
figure
s
o
n
th
e
constellatio
n
Lyr
a
an
d
th
e
doubl
e
sta
r
syste
m
Agap
e
an
d
Satori
,
around
whic
h
travele
d
a
putativ
e
plane
t
th
e
patien
t
calle
d
"K-PAX.
"
Stev
e
studie
d
th
e
information
,
scratche
d
his
reddis
h
beard
,
an
d
grunted
,
a
s
h
e
ofte
n
doe
s
whe
n
h
e
i
s
thinking
.
Suddenl
y
h
e
looke
d
u
p
wit
h
a_
ferociou
s
gri
n
an
d
drawled
,
"Charli
e
pu
t
yo
u
u
p
t
o
this
,
didn'
t
he?"
I
assure
d
hi
m
tha
t
h
e
hadn't
,
tha
t
I
didn'
t
eve
n
kno
w
wh
o
"Charlie
"
was.
H
e
said
,
"Terrifi
c
joke
.
A
h
lov
e
it.
"
M
y
grandso
n
Rai
n
wa
s
bangin
g
hi
m
wit
h
a
Frisbe
e
now
,
tryin
g
to
ge
t
hi
m
t
o
play
,
afte
r
failin
g
t
o
coa
x
Shast
a
Daisy
,
ou
r
neuroti
c
Dalmatian
,
ou
t
fro
m
unde
r
th
e
porch.
I
swor
e
i
t
wa
s
n
o
jok
e
an
d
aske
d
hi
m
wh
y
h
e
though
t
so
.
I
don'
t
recal
l
hi
s
exac
t
words
,
bu
t
they
wen
t
somethin
g
like
:
"Thi
s
i
s
somethin
'
Charli
e
Flyn
n
an
d
hi
s
student
s
hav
e
bee
n
workin
'
o
n
fo
r
quit
e
a
while
.
I
t
involve
s
a
doubl
e
sta
r
i
n
th
e
constellatio
n
Lyra
.
Thi
s
doubl
e
show
s
certai
n
perturbation
s
i
n
its
rotatio
n
patter
n
tha
t
indicat
e
th
e
possibilit
y
o
f
a
larg
e
dar
k
body
,
prob'l
y
a
planet
,
a
s
par
t
o
f
th
e
system.
Lik
e
you
r
allege
d
patien
t
said
,
thi
s
plane
t
appear
s
t
o
trave
l
aroun
d
the
m
i
n
a
n
unusua
l
pattern-Charlie
think
s
it'
s
a
figur
e
eight
.
D
o
yo
u
se
e
wha
t
Ah'
m
sayin'
?
Thi
s
i
s
unpublishe
d
work
!
Excep
t
fo
r
on
e
o
r
two
colleagues
,
Charli
e
hasn'
t
tol
d
anybod
y
abou
t
thi
s
yet
;
h
e
wa
s
planmn
'
t
o
repor
t
i
t
a
t
th
e
Astrophysics
meetin
g
nex
t
month
.
Wher
e
doe
s
thi
s
`patient
'
o
f
your
s
com
e
from
?
Ho
w
lon
g
ha
s
h
e
bee
n
a
t
the hospital
?
Hi
s
nam
e
id'
n
`Charlie,
'
i
s
it?
"
H
e
stuffe
d
hi
s
mout
h
wit
h
a
handfu
l
o
f
potat
o
chips.