K-Pax (7 page)
"Everywhere."
"Everywhere?"
"
I
hav
e
travele
d
al
l
ove
r
you
r
WORLD."
"
I
see
.
An
d
wher
e
di
d
yo
u
begi
n
you
r
travels?"
"I
n
Zaire"
"Wh
y
Zaire
?
That'
s
i
n
Africa
,
isn'
t
it?"
"I
t
happene
d
t
o
b
e
pointin
g
towar
d
K-PA
X
a
t
th
e
time."
"Ah
.
An
d
ho
w
lon
g
wer
e
yo
u
there?"
"
A
coupl
e
o
f
you
r
week
s
altogether
.
Lon
g
enoug
h
t
o
becom
e
familia
r
wit
h
th
e
land
.
Mee
t
th
e
beings
there
.
Al
l
beautiful
,
especiall
y
th
e
birds."
"Mm
.
Uh-wha
t
language
s
d
o
the
y
spea
k
i
n
Zaire?"
"Yo
u
mea
n
th
e
humans
,
I
presume."
"Yes."
"Beside
s
th
e
fou
r
officia
l
language
s
an
d
french
,
ther
e
ar
e
a
n
amazin
g
numbe
r
o
f
nativ
e
dialects."
"Ca
n
yo
u
sa
y
somethin
g
i
n
Zairese
?
An
y
dialec
t
wil
l
do."
"Certainly
.
Ma-m
a
kon
a
rampoon."
"Wha
t
doe
s
tha
t
mean?"
"I
t
means
:
You
r
mothe
r
i
s
a
gorilla."
"Than
k
you."
"N
o
problem."
"An
d
the
n
wher
e
di
d
yo
u
go
?
Afte
r
Zaire."
"Al
l ove
r
africa
.
The
n
t
o
europe
,
asia
,
australia
,
antarctica
,
an
d
finall
y
t
o
th
e
americas."
"An
d
ho
w
man
y
countrie
s
hav
e
yo
u
visited?"
"Al
l
o
f
the
m
excep
t
easter
n
canada
,
greenland
,
an
d
iceland
.
Thos
e
ar
e
m
y
las
t
stops."
"All-what-hundre
d
o
f
them?"
"Mor
e
lik
e
tw
o
hundre
d
a
t
present
,
bu
t
i
t
seem
s
t
o
chang
e
b
y
th
e
minute."
"An
d
yo
u
spea
k
al
l
th
e
languages
.
'
"Onl
y
enoug
h
t
o
ge
t
by."
"Ho
w
di
d
yo
u
travel
?
Weren'
t
yo
u
stoppe
d
a
t
variou
s
borders?"
"
I
tol
d
you
:
It'
s
difficul
t
t
o
explain...
.
"Yo
u
mea
n
yo
u
di
d
i
t
wit
h
mirrors."
"Exactly."
"Ho
w
lon
g
doe
s
i
t
tak
e
t
o
g
o
fro
m
countr
y
t
o
countr
y
a
t
th
e
spee
d
o
f
ligh
t
o
r
whateve
r
multiple
s
o
f
it
yo
u
use?"
"N
o
tim
e
a
t
all."
"Doe
s
you
r
fathe
r
lik
e
t
o
travel?
"
I
detecte
d
a
brie
f
hesitation
,
bu
t
n
o
stron
g
reactio
n
t
o
th
e
sudden
mentio
n
o
f
prot'
s
father.
"
I
imagine
.
Mos
t
K-PAXian
s
do."
"Well
,
doe
s
h
e
travel
?
Wha
t
kin
d
o
f
wor
k
doe
s
h
e
do?"
"H
e
doe
s
n
o
work."
"Wha
t
abou
t
you
r
mother?"
"Wha
t
abou
t
her?"
"Doe
s
sh
e
work?"
"Wh
y
shoul
d
she?"
"The
y
ar
e
bot
h
retired
,
then?"
"Retire
d
fro
m
what?
"Fro
m
whateve
r
the
y
di
d
fo
r
a
living
.
Ho
w
ol
d
ar
e
they?"
"Probabl
y
i
n
thei
r
lat
e
si
x
hundreds."
"Obviousl
y
the
y
n
o
longe
r
work."
"Neithe
r
o
f
the
m
ha
s
eve
r
worked.
"
Apparentl
y
th
e
patien
t
considere
d
hi
s
parent
s
t
o
be
ne'er-do-wells
,
an
d
th
e
wa
y
h
e
phrase
d
hi
s
answe
r
le
d
m
e
t
o
believ
e
tha
t
h
e
harbore
d
a
deep-seated
resentmen
t
o
r
eve
n
hatre
d
no
t
onl
y
o
f
hi
s
fathe
r
(no
t
uncommon
)
bu
t
o
f
hi
s
mothe
r
(relativel
y
rar
e
fo
r
a
man
)
a
s
well
.
H
e
continued
:
"N
o
on
e
`works
'
o
n
KPAX
.
Tha
t
i
s
a
huma
n
concept."
"N
o
on
e
doe
s
anything?"
"O
f
cours
e
not
.
Bu
t
whe
n
yo
u
d
o
somethin
g
yo
u
wan
t
t
o
do
,
it'
s
no
t
work
,
i
s
it?
"
Hi
s
gri
n
widened.
"Yo
u
don'
t
conside
r
wha
t
yo
u
d
o
t
o
b
e
work
,
d
o
you?"
I
ignore
d
thi
s
smu
g
comment
.
"We'l
l
tal
k
mor
e
abou
t
you
r
parent
s
later
,
al
l
right?"
"I
f
yo
u
like."
"Fine
.
Ther
e
ar
e
a
coupl
e
o
f
othe
r
thing
s
I'
d
lik
e
t
o
clea
r
u
p
befor
e
w
e
g
o
on."
"Anythin
g
yo
u
say."
"Good
.
First
,
ho
w
d
o
yo
u
accoun
t
fo
r
th
e
fac
t
that
,
a
s
a
visito
r
fro
m
space
,
yo
u
loo
k
s
o
muc
h
lik
e
an
Eart
h
person?"
"Wh
y
i
s
a
soa
p
bubbl
e
round?"
"
I
don'
t
know-why?"
"Fo
r
a
n
educate
d
person
,
yo
u
don'
t
kno
w
much
,
d
o
you
,
gene
?
A
soa
p
bubbl
e
i
s
roun
d
becaus
e
that
i
s
th
e
mos
t
energy-efficien
t
configuration
.
Similarly
,
man
y
being
s
aroun
d
th
e
UNIVERS
E
loo
k
pretty
muc
h
lik
e
w
e
do."
"
I
see
.
Okay-yo
u
mentione
d
earlie
r
that-mm'EART
H
i
s
a
particularl
y
livel
y
plac
e
a
s
see
n
an
d
heard
fro
m
space.
'
Wha
t
di
d
yo
u
mea
n
b
y
that?"
"You
r
televisio
n
an
d
radi
o
wave
s
g
o
ou
t
fro
m
EART
H
i
n
al
l
directions
.
Th
e
whol
e
GALAX
Y
is
watchin
g
an
d
listenin
g
t
o
everythin
g
yo
u
sa
y
an
d
do."