K-Pax by Gene Brewer Read Free Book Online Page B

h   wa s   restored ,   however ,   h e   wa s   of f   an d   runnin g   again ,   an d   no tranquilizin g dru g ha s prove n powerfu l enoug h t o slo w dow n hi s endles s ques t fo r perfection.
    Th e   strai n   o n   Howi e   i s   terrible .   Th e   circle s   an d   bag s   unde r   hi s   eye s   attes t   t o   hi s   chroni c   battl e   with fatigue , an d h e suffer s constantl y fro m cold s an d othe r mino r afflictions.
    Wha t   happene d   t o   him ?   Wh y   doe s   on e   artis t   en d   u p   a t   Carnegi e   Hal l   an d   anothe r   i n   a   mental hospital ?   Howie' s fathe r wa sa ver y demandin g man ,   intoleran t   o f   mistakes .   Whe n   littl e   Howi e   stoo d   up t o   pla y   th e   violi n   h e   wa s   terrifie d   o f   makin g   th e   slightes t   fals e   not e   an d   offendin g   hi s   father ,   who m   he love d deeply . Bu t th e bette r h e becam e th e mor e h e realize d ho w muc h h e   di d   no t   know ,   an d   ho w   much mor e   roo m   fo r   erro r   ther e   wa s   tha n   h e   ha d   imagined .   I n   orde r   t o   b e   certai n   o f   playin g   hi s   instrument perfectl y h e thre w himsel f int o musi c i n al l it s   aspects ,   tryin g   t o   lear n   everythin g   abou t   th e   subject .   When h e realize d tha t eve n thi s woul d no t b e sufficient , h e too k u p othe r field s o f stud y   wit h   th e   impossibl e   goal o f learnin g everythin g ther e wa s t o kno w abou t everything.
    Bu t eve n tha t isn' t enoug h fo r Howie ,   wh o   spend s   eac h   summe r   catalogin g   th e   bird s   an d   insect s   and countin g   th e   blade s   o f   gras s   o n   th e   law n   outside .   I n   th e   winte r   h e   catche s   snowflakes ,   systematically recordin g   an d   comparin g   thei r   structures .   O n   clea r   night s   h e   scan s   th e   skie s   lookin g   fo r   anomalies, somethin g tha t wasn' t ther e before . Ye t thes e ar e mer e   avocation s   fo r   Howie .   Mos t   o f   th e   tim e   h e   reads dictionarie s an d encyclopedia s whil e listenin g t o musi c   o r   languag e   tapes .   Afrai d   h e   wil l forge t   something importan t h e i s constantl y takin g note s   an d   makin g   lists ,   the n   organizin g   an d   reorganizin g   them .   Unti l   that da y   i n   th e   recreatio n   roo m   I   ha d   neve r   see n   hi m   whe n   h e   wa s   no t   franticall y   counting ,   recording ,   or studying . I t wa sa struggl e t o ge t hi m t o tak e tim e t o eat.
    I edge d u p t o th e tabl e wit h m y guest , tryin g t o catc ha bi t o f th e conversatio n   withou t   scarin g   anyone off .   Fro m   wha t   I   coul d   gather ,   the y   wer e   queryin g   pro t   abou t   lif e o n   K-PAX .   The y   clamme d   u p   when the y finall y notice d us , however , an d bot h Erni e an d Howi e scuttle d away.
    I   introduce d   pro t   t o   ou r   visitor ,   an d   too k   th e   opportunit y   t o   as k   hi m   whethe r   h e   woul d   mind submittin g t oa fe w additiona l test s o n   Wednesday ,   ou r   regula r   meetin g   day .   H e   no t   onl y   didn' t   mind ,   he said , bu t h e looke d forwar d t o it . W e lef t hi m smilin g broadly , apparentl y i n eage r anticipation.
    ALTHOUG H   w e   woul d   no t   receiv e   th e   officia l   repor t   fro m   th e   Stat e   Boar d   o f   Healt h   fo r   several months , th e representativ e di d poin t ou t tw o o r thre e mino r deficiencie s tha t neede d   t o   b e   corrected ,   and I brough t thes e u p a t th e regula r Monda y mornin g staf f meeting .   Amon g   th e   othe r   item s   discusse d   a t   that meetin g wa s