K-Pax (118 page)
thousand.
I
t
ha
d
t
o
b
e
a
worl
d
withou
t
sex
,
o
r
eve
n
love
,
thos
e
ver
y
huma
n
need
s
whic
h
ca
n
destro
y
promising
youn
g
live
s
an
d
rewardin
g
careers
.
Mor
e
importantly
:
Withou
t
lov
e
ther
e
ca
n
b
e
n
o
loss
;
withou
t
sex
,
no
se
x
crimes
.
A
worl
d
withou
t
eve
n
water
,
whic
h
migh
t
b
e
use
d
fo
r
sprinklin
g
lawns!
Ther
e
woul
d
b
e
n
o
currenc
y
o
f
an
y
kin
d
i
n
thi
s
idealize
d
place
,
th
e
nee
d
fo
r
whic
h
kep
t
Rober
t
ou
t
of colleg
e
an
d
force
d
hi
m
t
o
spen
d
hi
s
lif
e
destroyin
g
th
e
creature
s
h
e
loved
,
th
e
sam
e
kin
d
o
f
wor
k
tha
t
had
kille
d
hi
s
father
.
A
s
a
corollary
,
n
o
animal
s
woul
d
b
e
slaughtere
d
o
r
otherwis
e
exploite
d
o
n
hi
s
idyllic
planet.
Hi
s
worl
d
woul
d
b
e
on
e
withou
t
Go
d
o
r
an
y
for
m
o
f
religion
.
Suc
h
belief
s
ha
d
prevente
d
Sara
h
from
usin
g
birth-contro
l
devices
,
an
d
the
n
ha
d
stigmatize
d
th
e
"mixe
d
marriage
"
i
n
th
e
eye
s
o
f
th
e
community.
Withou
t
religio
n
suc
h
difficultie
s
coul
d
neve
r
arise
.
H
e
ma
y
als
o
hav
e
reasone
d
tha
t
wha
t
happene
d
to
Robert'
s
wif
e
an
d
child
,
an
d
hi
s
fathe
r
a
s
well
,
argue
d
agains
t
th
e
existenc
e
o
f
God.
Finally
,
i
t
ha
d
t
o
b
e
a
worl
d
withou
t
schools
,
withou
t
countries
,
withou
t
government
s
o
r
laws
,
al
l
of
whic
h
pro
t
sa
w
a
s
doin
g
little
,
i
f
anything
,
t
o
solv
e
Robert'
s
persona
l
an
d
socia
l
problems
.
Non
e
o
f
the
being
s
o
n
hi
s
idealize
d
plane
t
wer
e
drive
n
b
y
th
e
force
s
o
f
ignoranc
e
an
d
gree
d
that
,
i
n
hi
s
eyes
,
motivate
huma
n
being
s
her
e
o
n
Earth.
I
wa
s
puzzle
d
a
t
firs
t
b
y
th
e
question
:
Give
n
hi
s
intolerabl
e
situation
,
wh
y
didn'
t
Rober
t
mov
e
wit
h
his
pregnan
t
wif
e
t
o
anothe
r
par
t
o
f
th
e
stat
e
o
r
country
,
bot
h
fo
r
wor
k
an
d
t
o
escap
e
th
e
loca
l
bigotry
?
It
wa
s
Giselle
,
a
small-tow
n
gir
l
herself
,
wh
o
reminde
d
m
e
tha
t
youn
g
peopl
e
al
l
ove
r
America
,
trappe
d
by
famil
y
tie
s
an
d
economi
c
need
,
accep
t
job
s
the
y
abho
r
an
d
sta
y
pu
t
fo
r
th
e
res
t
o
f
thei
r
lives
,
benumbing
themselve
s
o
n
thei
r
of
f
hour
s
wit
h
bee
r
an
d
sport
s
an
d
soa
p
operas
.
But
,
despit
e
thi
s
drear
y
prospect
,
it
i
s
possibl
e
tha
t
withou
t
th
e
terribl
e
event
s
o
f
Augus
t
sixteent
h
throug
h
seventeenth
,
1985
,
Rober
t
an
d
his
wif
e
an
d
daughte
r
migh
t
hav
e
enjoye
d
a
reasonabl
y
happ
y
lif
e
together
.
The
y
certainl
y
maintaine
d
strong
famil
y
ties
,
bot
h
wit
h
on
e
anothe
r
an
d
wit
h
thei
r
respectiv
e
kin
.
Bu
t
somethin
g
di
d
happe
n
tha
t
day,
somethin
g
s
o
devastatin
g
a
s
t
o
dea
l
th
e
fina
l
blo
w
t
o
Robert'
s
psyche
.
H
e
calle
d
o
n
hi
s
alte
r
eg
o
on
e
last
tim
e
t
o
hel
p
hi
m
dea
l
wit
h
tha
t
unspeakabl
e
horror.