K-Pax Read Free Page A

  K-PA X   it' s   somethin g   like you r twilight . On e o f th e thing sa visito r t o you r WORL D firs t notice s i s ho w brigh t i t i s here."
    "I s tha t wh y yo u ar e wearin g dar k glasses?"
    'Naturally.
    "I' d lik e t o clarif y somethin g yo u sai d earlier."
    "Certainly."
    " I believ e yo u state d tha t yo u hav e bee n o n Eart h fo r fou r year s and-uh-som e od d months."
    "Nine."
    "Yes , nine . Wha t I' d lik e ver y muc h t o kno w is : Wher e wer e yo u livin g fo r thos e fou r o r fiv e years?"
    "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 sa 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 ra 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 sa 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 ea coupl e o f othe r thing s I' d lik e t o clea r u p befor e w e g o