K-Pax (36 page)
"Gesundheit."
pro
t
ha
d
eithe
r
a
well-develope
d
sens
e
o
f
humo
r
o
r
non
e
a
t
al
l
-
I
wa
s
neve
r
abl
e
t
o
tell
.
"Thank
you,
"
h
e
said
,
withou
t
blinkin
g
a
n
eye
.
"No
w
th
e
fruit
s
ar
e
a
differen
t
story
.
W
e
hav
e
severa
l
wonderful
kind
s
–
I
especiall
y
lik
e
th
e
one
s
w
e
cal
l
yorts
,
o
r
suga
r
plums-bu
t
the
y
can'
t
compar
e
wit
h
EARTH's
variety
,
whic
h
i
s
du
e
primaril
y
t
o
you
r
grea
t
variation
s
i
n
climate
.
T
o
summarize
:
I
f
w
e
ge
t
hungr
y
w
e
grab
som
e
soake
d
grains
,
usuall
y
i
n
frui
t
juice
,
an
d
si
t
dow
n
agains
t
a
balno
k
tre
e
an
d
fal
l
to."
"Wha
t
abou
t
vegetables?"
"Wha
t
abou
t
them?"
"D
o
yo
u
hav
e
them?"
"Oh
,
o
f
course
.
Afte
r
th
e
nex
t
snooz
e
w
e
migh
t
munc
h
a
bunc
h
o
f
kree
s
o
r
likas."
"Meat
?
Fish
?
Seafood?"
"N
o
meat
.
N
o
fish
.
N
o
seafood
.
N
o
sea."
"N
o
animal
s
o
f
an
y
kind?"
H
e
tappe
d
hi
s
glasse
s
o
n
th
e
ar
m
o
f
hi
s
chair
,
"Now
,
gene
,
I'v
e
alread
y
tol
d
yo
u
abou
t
th
e
ap
s
and mots-remember?"
"Wha
t
abou
t
pig
s
an
d
cow
s
an
d
sheep?"
Wit
h
a
dee
p
sigh
:
"A
s
I
pointe
d
ou
t
i
n
sessio
n
two
,
w
e
don'
t
hav
e
an
y
`domesticated
'
being
s
on
K-PAX
.
Bu
t
w
e
hav
e
wil
d
pigs
,
wil
d
cows
,
wil
d
sheep-"
"Wil
d
cows??"
"Well
,
they'r
e
calle
d
rulis
,
bu
t
they'r
e
muc
h
lik
e
you
r
cows-big
,
cumbersome
,
placid
.
Hav
e
yo
u
ever
notice
d
ho
w
gentl
e
you
r
larg
e
being
s
are
?
You
r
elephant
s
an
d
giraffe
s
an
d
whales
,
eve
n
whe
n
the
y
are
mistreated?"
"S
o
basicall
y
yo
u
jus
t
ea
t
an
d
slee
p
o
n
you
r
planet?"
"Perhap
s
I
shoul
d
bac
k
u
p
a
step
.
Whe
n
I
tol
d
yo
u
tha
t
w
e
snooz
e
whe
n
w
e
fee
l
th
e
need
,
you
probabl
y
imagine
d
a
be
d
i
n
a
bedroo
m
i
n
a
hous
e
muc
h
lik
e
th
e
on
e
yo
u
liv
e
in
.
Wroooong
!
It'
s
different
o
n
K-PAX
.
Yo
u
see
,
ou
r
weathe
r
i
s
ver
y
dependable
.
Ever
y
da
y
i
s
abou
t
th
e
sam
e
a
s
th
e
on
e
before
.
It
i
s
usuall
y
quit
e
warm
,
an
d
i
t
neve
r
rains
.
Ther
e
ar
e
structure
s
scattere
d
aroun
d
fo
r
storag
e
o
f
utensil
s
and
th
e
like
,
fo
r
th
e
us
e
o
f
anyon
e
wh
o
happen
s
t
o
pas
s
by
.
Foo
d
i
s
kep
t
there
,
a
s
wel
l
a
s
mat
s
an
d
musical
instruments-
a
variet
y
o
f
things-bu
t
n
o
beds
.
Fo
r
th
e
mos
t
part-"
"Wh
o
own
s
thes
e
structures?"
"N
o
on
e
`owns
'
anythin
g
o
n
K-PAX."
"G
o
on."
"Fo
r
th
e
most-par
t
w
e
slee
p
ou
t
o
f
doors-excep
t
ther
e
ar
e
n
o
doors-usuall
y
fo
r
a
n
hou
r
o
r
two
,
your hour
,
a
t
a
time
.
Wher
e
w
e
won'
t
ge
t
steppe
d
o
n
b
y
a
n
ap
,
o
f
course
.
B
y
th
e
way,
"
h
e
interrupte
d
himself,
sittin
g
u
p
again
,
"sinc
e
sexua
l
contac
t
i
s
no
t
a
desirabl
e
thin
g
o
n
ou
r
PLANET
,
o
r
o
n
mos
t
others
,
men
an
d
wome
n
ar
e
fre
e
t
o
shar
e
everythin
g
withou
t
fea
r
o
r
th
e
nee
d
fo
r
guile
.
Yo
u
migh
t
fin
d
yoursel
f
lying
dow
n
fo
r
a
na
p
nea
r
someon
e
o
f
th
e
opposit
e
gender
,
bu
t
yo
u
don'
t
nee
d
t
o
worr
y
abou
t
wha
t
you
r
wife
o
r
husband-o
r
whatever-migh
t
thin
k
i
f
h
e
o
r
sh
e
hear
s
abou
t
it
,
o
r
suffe
r
embarrassmen
t
o
r
discomfor
t
of
an
y
kind
,
eve
n
thoug
h
w
e
usuall
y
wea
r
littl
e
o
r
n
o
clothing
.
Sexua
l
apparat
i
ar
e
simpl
y
n
o
bi
g
dea
l
on
K-PAX
,
especiall
y
sinc
e
ther
e
ar
e
onl
y
tw
o
varietie
s
and
,
a
s
yo
u
know
,
whe
n
you'v
e
see
n
both
,
you've
see
n
the
m
all."