K-Pax (4 page)
"Uh-huh
.
Wha
t
year?"
"1990."
"Ho
w
man
y
finger
s
a
m
I
holdin
g
up?"
"Ver
y
good
.
Now
,
Mr.-excus
e
me-prot
:
D
o
yo
u
kno
w
wh
y
yo
u
ar
e
here?"
"O
f
course
.
Yo
u
thin
k
I'
m
crazy."
"
I prefe
r
t
o
us
e
th
e
ter
m
`ill.
'
D
o
yo
u
thin
k
yo
u
ar
e
ill?"
"
A
littl
e
homesick
,
perhaps."
"An
d
wher
e
i
s
`home'?"
"K-PAX."
"Kaypacks?"
"Kay-hyphen-pee-ay-ex
.
K-PAX."
"Wit
h
a
capita
l
kay?"
"I
t
i
s
al
l
capitals."
"Oh
.
K-PAX
.
I
s
tha
t
a
n
island?"
H
e
smile
d
a
t
this
,
apparentl
y
realizin
g
I
alread
y
kne
w
h
e
believe
d
himsel
f
t
o
b
e
fro
m
anothe
r
world.
Bu
t
h
e
said
,
simply
,
"K-PA
X
i
s
a
PLANET.
"
Then
:
"Bu
t
don'
t
worr
y
I’
m
no
t
goin
g
t
o
lea
p
ou
t
o
f
your chest."
I
smile
d
back
.
"
I
wasn'
t
worried
.
Wher
e
i
s
K-PAX?
"
H
e
sighed
,
tolerantl
y
i
t
seemed
,
an
d
shoo
k
his
head.
"Abou
t
seve
n
thousan
d
light-year
s
fro
m
here
.
It'
s
i
n
wha
t
yo
u
woul
d
cal
l
th
e
CONSTELLATION
LYRA."
"Ho
w
di
d
yo
u
ge
t
t
o
Earth?"
"That'
s
somewha
t
difficul
t
t
o
explain...."
A
t
thi
s
poin
t
I
note
d
o
n
m
y
pa
d
th
e
surprisin
g
observatio
n
that
,
eve
n
thoug
h
w
e
ha
d
onl
y
been
togethe
r
a
fe
w
minutes
,
an
d
despit
e
al
l
m
y
year
s
o
f
experience
,
I
wa
s
becomin
g
a
littl
e
annoye
d
b
y
the
patient'
s
obviou
s
condescension
.
I
said
,
"Tr
y
me."
"It'
s
simpl
y
a
matte
r
o
f
harnessin
g
th
e
energ
y
o
f
light
.
Yo
u
ma
y
fin
d
thi
s
a
littl
e
har
d
t
o
believe
,
bu
t
it's don
e
wit
h
mirrors."
I
couldn'
t
hel
p
feelin
g
h
e
wa
s
puttin
g
m
e
on
,
bu
t
i
t
wa
s
a
goo
d
joke
,
an
d
I
suppresse
d
a
chuckle.
"Yo
u
trave
l
a
t
th
e
spee
d
o
f
light?"
"Oh
,
no
.
W
e
ca
n
trave
l
man
y
time
s
tha
t
speed
,
variou
s
multiple
s
o
f
c
.
Otherwise
,
I'
d
hav
e
t
o
b
e
at
leas
t
seve
n
thousan
d
year
s
old
,
wouldn'
t
I?"
I
force
d
mysel
f
t
o
retur
n
hi
s
smile
.
"Tha
t
i
s
ver
y
interesting,
"
I
said
,
"bu
t
accordin
g
t
o
Einstei
n
nothing
ca
n
trave
l
faste
r
tha
n
th
e
spee
d
o
f
light
,
o
r
on
e
hundre
d
eighty-si
x
thousan
d
mile
s
pe
r
second
,
i
f
I remembe
r
correctly."
"Yo
u
misunderstan
d
Einstein
.
Wha
t
h
e
sai
d
wa
s
tha
t
nothin
g
ca
n
accelerat
e
t
o
th
e
spee
d
o
f
light
becaus
e
it
s
mas
s
woul
d
becom
e
infinite
.
Einstei
n
sai
d
nothin
g
abou
t
entitie
s
alread
y
travelin
g
a
t
th
e
speed
o
f
light
,
o
r
faster."
"Bu
t
i
f
you
r
mas
s
become
s
infinit
e
whe
n
you-"
Hi
s
fee
t
ploppe
d
ont
o
m
y
desk
.
"I
n
th
e
firs
t
place
,
dr
.
brewe
r
-
ma
y
I
cal
l
yo
u
gene
?
-
i
f
tha
t
were
true
,
the
n
photon
s
themselve
s
woul
d
hav
e
infinit
e
mass
,
wouldn'
t
they
?
An
d
beyon
d
that
,
a
t
tachyon
speeds-"
"Tachyon?"
"Entitie
s
travelin
g
faste
r
tha
n
th
e
spee
d
o
f
ligh
t
ar
e
calle
d
tachyons
.
Yo
u
ca
n
loo
k
i
t
up."