K-Pax (41 page)
"Th
e
bluebird,
"
h
e
said.
"Th
e
bluebird?"
"Th
e
bluebir
d
o
f
happiness."
Tha
t
wa
s
a
n
od
d
thin
g
fo
r
Howi
e
t
o
say
.
H
e
migh
t
wel
l
hav
e
know
n
everythin
g
abou
t
bluebirds
,
from thei
r
ey
e
colo
r
t
o
thei
r
migrator
y
habit
s
t
o
th
e
tota
l
numbe
r
worldwide
.
Bu
t
th
e
bluebird
?
O
f
happiness?
An
d
wher
e
di
d
h
e
ge
t
tha
t
glea
m
i
n
hi
s
eye
?
Whe
n
I
presse
d
hi
m
o
n
thi
s
I
learne
d
tha
t
th
e
ide
a
had
originate
d
wit
h
prot
.
Indeed
,
m
y
proble
m
patien
t
ha
d
assigne
d
Howi
e
thi
s
"task,
"
th
e
firs
t
o
f
three
.
I
didn't
kno
w
a
t
th
e
tim
e
wha
t
th
e
othe
r
tw
o
were
,
an
d
neithe
r
di
d
Howie
.
Bu
t
th
e
firs
t
wa
s
assigne
d
and
accepted
:
Fin
d
th
e
bluebir
d
o
f
happiness.
Som
e
o
f
th
e
temporarie
s
i
n
War
d
On
e
quickl
y
dubbe
d
Howi
e
"th
e
bluener
d
o
f
sappiness,
"
an
d
in
War
d
Fou
r
ther
e
wa
s
tal
k
o
f
a
bluebear
d
stalkin
g
th
e
grounds
,
bu
t
Howi
e
wa
s
obliviou
s
t
o
al
l
this.
Indeed
,
h
e
wa
s
a
s
single-minde
d
a
s
eve
r
towar
d
hi
s
illusiv
e
goal
.
Nevertheless
,
I
wa
s
struc
k
b
y
the
placidit
y
wit
h
whic
h
h
e
ha
d
take
n
u
p
hi
s
stin
t
b
y
th
e
window
.
Gon
e
wer
e
th
e
fitfu
l
checkin
g
and
rechecking
,
th
e
rushin
g
fro
m
boo
k
t
o
book
,
th
e
feveris
h
scratchin
g
o
f
pe
n
o
n
ream
s
an
d
ream
s
o
f
paper.
I
n
fact
,
hi
s
tablet
s
an
d
ledger
s
wer
e
stil
l
sprea
d
ou
t
al
l
ove
r
hi
s
des
k
an
d
th
e
littl
e
tabl
e
h
e
share
d
with
Ernie
;
apparentl
y
h
e
ha
d
droppe
d
wha
t
h
e
wa
s
doin
g
an
d
didn'
t
eve
n
car
e
enoug
h
abou
t
hi
s
lifetim
e
of
record
s
an
d
note
s
t
o
fil
e
the
m
away
.
I
t
wa
s
suc
h
a
refreshin
g
sigh
t
t
o
se
e
hi
m
calml
y
sittin
g
a
t
th
e
window
tha
t
I
couldn'
t
hel
p
bu
t
breath
e
a
sig
h
o
f
relie
f
myself
,
a
s
i
f
th
e
weigh
t
o
f
th
e
worl
d
ha
d
bee
n
lifte
d
from
m
y
ow
n
shoulders
,
a
s
wel
l
a
s
Howie's.
Jus
t
befor
e
I
lef
t
hi
m
th
e
su
n
cam
e
out
,
illuminatin
g
th
e
flower
s
an
d
bathin
g
th
e
law
n
i
n
gold
.
Howie
smiled
.
"
I
neve
r
notice
d
ho
w
beautifu
l
tha
t
is,
"
h
e
said.
Thinkin
g
tha
t
hel
l
woul
d
freez
e
ove
r
befor
e
h
e
spotte
d
a
bluebir
d
i
n
uppe
r
Manhatta
n
I
didn'
t
bother
t
o
chang
e
hi
s
semiannua
l
interview
,
schedule
d
fo
r
September
,
t
o
a
n
earlie
r
date
.
Bu
t
i
t
wa
s
onl
y
a
few
day
s
later
,
o
n
a
warm
,
drizzl
y
mornin
g
tha
t
th
e
ward
s
wer
e
fille
d
wit
h
th
e
rar
e
an
d
delightfu
l
soun
d
o
f
a
happ
y
voic
e
crying
,
"Bluebird
!
Bluebird!
"
Howi
e
wa
s
runnin
g
dow
n
th
e
corridor
s
(
I
didn'
t
witnes
s
this
personally
,
bu
t
Bett
y
tol
d
m
e
abou
t
i
t
later)
,
burstin
g
int
o
th
e
exercis
e
roo
m
an
d
th
e
quie
t
room,
interruptin
g
car
d
game
s
an
d
meditation
,
finall
y
grabbin
g
a
smilin
g
pro
t
b
y
th
e
han
d
an
d
tuggin
g
hi
m
back
t
o
th
e
lounge
,
shouting
,
"Bluebird
!
Bluebird!
"
B
y
thi
s
time
,
o
f
course
,
al
l
th
e
patients-an
d
staff
,
too-were
rushin
g
t
o
se
e
th
e
bluebir
d
fo
r
themselves
,
an
d
th
e
window
s
wer
e
ful
l
o
f
face
s
peerin
g
ou
t
a
t
th
e
wet
lawn
,
shoutin
g
"Bluebird!
"
a
s
the
y
spotte
d
it
,
unti
l
everyon
e
wa
s
shoutin
g
"Bluebird
!
Bluebird
!
Bluebird!"
Erni
e
an
d
Russel
l
an
d
eve
n
th
e
Duches
s
wer
e
caugh
t
u
p
i
n
th
e
excitement
.
Bett
y
sai
d
sh
e
coul
d
almost
hea
r
movi
e
musi
c
playing
.
Onl
y
Bes
s
seeme
d
unmove
d
b
y
th
e
event
,
recallin
g
al
l
th
e
dea
d
an
d
injured
bird
s
sh
e
ha
d
encountere
d
i
n
he
r
joyles
s
lifetime.