K-Pax (88 page)

I
t
wa
s
abou
t
thi
s
tim
e
tha
t
Chuc
k
organize
d
 
a
n
 
essa
y
 
contes
t
 
t
o
 
decid
e
 
wh
o
 
woul
d
 
b
e
 
th
e
 
on
e
 
t
o
 
go
wit
h
pro
t
o
n
Augus
t
seventeenth
.
Th
e
pla
n
calle
d
fo
r
submissio
n
o
f
al
l
entrie
s
b
y
th
e
 
tenth
,
 
a
 
wee
k
 
before

hi
s
"departure,
"
a
dat
e
tha
t
wa
s
rapidl
y
approaching
.
pro
t
ha
d
apparentl
y
agree
d
t
o
rea
d
al
l
th
e
 
essay
s
 
by
th
e
seventeenth.

 
Severa
l
staf
f
member
s
note
d
 
tha
t
 
War
d
 
Tw
o
 
wa
s
 
unusuall
y
 
quie
t
 
durin
g
 
tha
t
 
two-wee
k
 
perio
d
 
with
everyon
e
sittin
g
of
f
b
y
him/herself
,
thinkin
g
hard
,
bendin
g
ove
r
periodicall
y
t
o
 
writ
e
 
somethin
g
 
down
.
 
The
onl
y
patient
s
 
wh
o
 
didn'
t
 
see
m
 
t
o
 
wan
t
 
t
o
 
g
o
 
t
o
 
k-PA
X
 
wer
e
 
Erni
e
 
an
d
 
Bess-Erni
e
 
becaus
e
 
ther
e
 
was wor
k
t
o
b
e
don
e
here
,
an
d
Bes
s
becaus
e
 
sh
e
 
fel
t
 
sh
e
 
didn'
t
 
deserv
e
 
a
 
fre
e
 
trip
.
 
And
,
 
o
f
 
course
,
 
Russell,
wh
o
calle
d
th
e
contes
t
"th
e
wor
k
o
f
th
e
devil."

Sessio
n
Thirteen

EVE
R
 
sinc
e
 
sh
e
 
ra
n
 
of
f
 
t
o
 
Texa
s
 
wit
h
 
a
 
guita
r
 
playe
r
 
a
t
 
th
e
 
ag
e
 
o
f
 
fifteen
,
 
m
y
 
daughte
r
 
Abb
y
 
has bee
n
 
a
 
vegetarian
.
 
Sh
e
 
won'
t
 
wea
r
 
fur
,
 
either
,
 
an
d
 
ha
s
 
lon
g
 
oppose
d
 
th
e
 
us
e
 
o
f
 
animal
s
 
i
n
 
medical
research
.
I
hav
e
trie
d
man
y
time
s
t
o
explai
n
t
o
he
r
th
e
benefit
s
t
o
 
mankin
d
 
o
f
 
th
e
 
latte
r
 
endeavor
,
 
bu
t
 
her
min
d
 
i
s
 
close
d
 
o
n
 
th
e
 
subject
.
 
"Explai
n
 
tha
t
 
t
o
 
al
l
 
th
e
 
dea
d
 
dogs,
"
 
i
s
 
he
r
 
standar
d
 
reply
.
 
W
e
 
haven't
discusse
d
th
e
subjec
t
i
n
years.

Abb
y
 
onc
e
 
gav
e
 
m
e
 
a
 
tape
d
 
recordin
g
 
o
f
 
whal
e
 
songs
.
 
A
t
 
th
e
 
beginnin
g
 
o
f
 
sessio
n
 
thirteen
,
 
while
pro
t
 
wa
s
 
diggin
g
 
int
o
 
a
 
watermelon
,
 
I
 
playe
d
 
i
t
 
fo
r
 
him
.
 
H
e
 
stoppe
d
 
chewin
g
 
an
d
 
tilte
d
 
hi
s
 
hea
d
 
t
o
 
one
side
,
 
muc
h
 
a
s
 
Shast
a
 
ha
d
 
don
e
 
whe
n
 
sh
e
 
ha
d
 
hear
d
 
th
e
 
sam
e
 
tape
.
 
B
y
 
th
e
 
tim
e
 
i
t
 
wa
s
 
ove
r
 
h
e
 
was
grinnin
g
eve
n
mor
e
broadl
y
tha
n
usual
.
A
piec
e
o
f
 
th
e
 
rin
d
 
wa
s
 
stuc
k
 
i
n
hi
s
 
teeth
.
 
I
 
said
,
 
"Ca
n
 
yo
u
 
make
anythin
g
ou
t
o
f
that?"

"O
f
course."

"Wha
t
i
s
it
?
I
s
i
t
som
e
kin
d
o
f
communication?"

"Wha
t
di
d
yo
u
thin
k
i
t
was-stomac
h
gas?"

"Ca
n
yo
u
tel
l
m
e
wha
t
they'r
e
saying?"

"Sure."

"Well?"

"They'r
e
 
passin
g
 
o
n
 
al
l
 
kind
s
 
o
f
 
ver
y
 
comple
x
 
navigationa
l
 
data
,
 
temperatur
e
 
an
d
 
solut
e
 
an
d
 
food
typ
e
 
an
d
 
distributio
n
 
charts
,
 
an
d
 
lot
s
 
o
f
 
othe
r
 
things
,
 
includin
g
 
som
e
 
poetr
y
 
an
d
 
art
.
 
I
t
 
i
s
 
ric
h
 
i
n
 
imagery
an
d
emotion
,
whic
h
yo
u
woul
d
probabl
y
dismis
s
a
s
`sentimental.'"

"Ca
n
yo
u
giv
e
m
e
a
litera
l
translatio
n
o
f
al
l
that?"

"
I
could
,
bu
t
I
won't."