K-Pax (61 page)
Al
l
bu
t
Russell
,
wh
o
ha
d
n
o
intentio
n
o
f
goin
g
t
o
K-PAX
:
Hi
s
plac
e
wa
s
o
n
Earth
.
Indeed
,
with
everyon
e
i
n
Ward
s
On
e
an
d
Tw
o
enjoyin
g
a
picni
c
o
n
th
e
hospita
l
lawn
,
excep
t
fo
r
Bess
,
wh
o
stayed
insid
e
ou
t
o
f
a
n
imaginar
y
rainstorm
,
Rus
s
spen
t
al
l
o
f
th
e
Fourt
h
i
n
th
e
catatoni
c
ward
,
preachin
g
the
gospels
.
Unfortunately
,
non
e
o
f
thos
e
patheti
c
creature
s
jumpe
d
u
p
an
d
followe
d
hi
m
out.
Tha
t
sam
e
Monda
y
mornin
g
Gisell
e
wa
s
waitin
g
fo
r
m
e
agai
n
i
n
he
r
usua
l
outfit
,
sam
e
pine
y
bouquet.
I
aske
d
he
r
a
s
politel
y
a
s
possibl
e
t
o
pleas
e
cal
l
Mrs
.
Trexle
r
fo
r
a
n
appointmen
t
wheneve
r
sh
e
wante
d
to se
e
me
.
I
starte
d
t
o
tel
l
he
r
tha
t
I
ha
d
patient
s
t
o
see
,
a
lo
t
o
f
administrativ
e
work
,
paper
s
t
o
referee,
letter
s
t
o
dictat
e
an
d
s
o
on
,
bu
t
I
ha
d
barel
y
begu
n
whe
n
sh
e
said
,
"
I
thin
k
I
kno
w
ho
w
t
o
trac
k
down
you
r
guy."
I
said
,
"Com
e
in."
He
r
ide
a
wa
s
this
:
Sh
e
wante
d
t
o
hav
e
a
linguis
t
sh
e
kne
w
liste
n
t
o
on
e
o
f
th
e
intervie
w
tapes
.
This
wa
s
on
e
o
f
thos
e
peopl
e
wh
o
ca
n
pinpoin
t
th
e
are
a
o
f
th
e
countr
y
wher
e
a
perso
n
wa
s
bor
n
and/o
r
grew up
,
sometime
s
wit
h
uncann
y
accuracy
.
I
t
i
s
no
t
base
d
o
n
dialec
t
s
o
muc
h
a
s
phrasing-whethe
r
yo
u
say
"wate
r
fountain
"
o
r
"bubbler,
"
fo
r
example
.
I
t
wa
s
a
goo
d
suggestion
,
bu
t
impossible
,
o
f
course
,
owin
g
to
patient/clien
t
privilege
.
Sh
e
wa
s
read
y
fo
r
this
.
"The
n
ca
n
I
tap
e
a
conversatio
n
wit
h
hi
m
myself?
"
I
saw
n
o
compellin
g
reaso
n
sh
e
shoul
d
not
,
an
d
tol
d
he
r
I
woul
d
as
k
Bett
y
t
o
arrang
e
a
tim
e
convenien
t
fo
r
her
an
d
prot
.
"Neve
r
mind.
"
Sh
e
grinne
d
slyly
.
"I'v
e
alread
y
don
e
it.
"
An
d
sh
e
literall
y
skippe
d
awa
y
lik
e
a
schoolgir
l
t
o
ge
t
i
n
touc
h
wit
h
he
r
expert
.
He
r
pine
y
aura
,
however
,
staye
d
wit
h
m
e
fo
r
th
e
res
t
o
f
the
day.
Sessio
n
Nine
I
T
wa
s
a
beautifu
l
Fourt
h
o
f
July
:
partl
y
cloud
y
skie
s
(
I
wonde
r
wh
y
it'
s
alway
s
i
n
th
e
plural-how
man
y
"skies
"
ar
e
there?)
,
no
t
to
o
ho
t
o
r
humid
,
th
e
ai
r
redolen
t
o
f
charcoa
l
grill
s
an
d
freshl
y
cu
t
grass.
A
holida
y
seem
s
t
o
generat
e
a
feelin
g
o
f
timelessness
,
bringing
,
a
s
i
t
does
,
blende
d
memorie
s
o
f
all
thos
e
tha
t
cam
e
before
.
Eve
n
m
y
fathe
r
too
k
th
e
Fourt
h
of
f
an
d
w
e
alway
s
spen
t
th
e
da
y
aroun
d
the
bric
k
barbecu
e
pi
t
an
d
th
e
evenin
g
a
t
th
e
rive
r
watchin
g
th
e
fireworks
.
I
stil
l
liv
e
i
n
m
y
father'
s
house
,
the hous
e
I
gre
w
u
p
in
,
bu
t
w
e
don'
t
hav
e
t
o
g
o
anywher
e
now
;
w
e
ca
n
se
e
th
e
nearb
y
countr
y
clu
b
display
righ
t
fro
m
ou
r
screened-i
n
terrace
.
Eve
n
so
,
whe
n
th
e
firs
t
Roma
n
candl
e
light
s
u
p
th
e
sk
y
I
invariably
smel
l
th
e
rive
r
an
d
th
e
gunpowde
r
an
d
m
y
father'
s
Independenc
e
Da
y
cigar.