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done ,   yo u   d o   it .   I f   someon e   need s   somethin g   yo u   have ,   yo u   giv e   i t   t o   him .   This avoid sa multitud e o f problem s an d ha s worke d prett y wel l o n ou r PLANE T fo r severa l billio n years."
    "Al l right . Ho w bi g i s you r planet?"
    "Abou t   th e   siz e   o f   you r     NEPTUNE .     You'l l     fin d     thi s     als o     o n     th e     transcrip t     o f     las t     week's conversation."
    "Than k you . An d wha t i s th e population?"
    "Ther e   ar e   abou t   fiftee n   millio n   o f   m y   species ,   i f   tha t   i s   wha t   yo u   mean .   Bu t   ther e   ar e   man y   other being s beside s ourselves."
    "Wha t kind s o f beings?"
    " A variet y o f creatures , som e o f who m resembl e th e animal s o f EARTH , som e not."
    "Ar e thes e wil d o r domesticate d animals?"
    "W e don' t 'domesticate ' an y o f ou r beings."
    "Yo u don' t rais e an y animal s fo r food?"
    "N o   on e   'raises '   anothe r   bein g   fo r   an y   purpos e   o n   K-PAX ,   an d   certainl y   no t   fo r   food .   W e   ar e   not cannibals. "I detecte da sudde n an d unexpecte d not e o f ange r i n thi s response-why?
    "Le t m e jus t fil l i n on e o r tw o blank s i n you r childhood . A sI understan d it , yo u   wer e   brough t   u p   b y   a numbe r o f surrogat e parents , i s tha t right?"
    "No t exactly."
    "Well , wh o too k car e o f you ? Tucke d yo u int o be d a t night?"
    Utterl y exasperated : "N o on e 'tuck s yo u int o bed ' o n KPAX . Whe n yo u ar e sleepy , yo u sleep . When yo u ar e hungry , yo u eat."
    "Wh o feed s you?"
    "N o one . Foo d i s alway s around."
    "A t wha t ag e di d yo u begi n school?"
    "Ther e ar e n o school s o n K-PAX."
    "I' m no t surprised . Bu t yo u ar e obviousl y a n educate d person."
    " I a m no ta 'person. 'I a ma being . Al l K-PAXian s   ar e   educated .   Bu t   educatio n   doe s   no t   com e   from schools .   Educatio n   stem s   fro m   th e   desir e   t o   learn .   Wit h   that ,   yo u   don' t   nee d   schools .   Withou t   it ,   al l   the school s i n th e UNIVERS E ar e useless."
    "Bu t ho w di d yo u learn ? Ar e ther e teachers?"
    "O n K-PAX , everyon e i sa teacher . I f yo u hav e   a   question ,   yo u   jus t   as k   whoeve r   i s   around .   An d   of cours e ther e ar e th e libraries."
    "Libraries ? Wh o run s th e libraries?"
    "Gene , gene , gene . N o on e does . Everyon e does."
    "Ar e thes e librarie s structure s w e Eart h peopl e woul d recognize?"
    "Probably . Ther e ar e book s there . Bu t man y othe r thing s a s   well .   Thing s   yo u   woul d   no t   recogniz e   or understand."
    "Wher e ar e thes e libraries ? Doe s eac h cit y hav e one?"
    "Yes , bu t ou r `cities ' ar e mor e lik e wha t yo u woul d cal l `villages. ' W e hav e n o   vas t   metropolise s   such a s th e on e i n whic h w e ar e presentl y located."
    "Doe s K-PA X hav ea capital?"
    "No"
    "Ho w d o yo u ge t fro m on e villag e t o another ? Ar e ther e trains ? Cars ? Airplanes?"
    A dee p   sig h   wa s   followe d   b y   som e   incoheren t   mumblin g   i n   a   languag e   I   couldn' t   understan d   (later identifie d a s "pax-o") . H e mad e anothe r   entr y   i n hi s   notebook :   "I'v e   alread y   explaine d   this ,   gino .   W e   get fro m plac e t o plac e o n th e energ y o f light . Wh y d o yo u fin d   thi s   concep t   s o   har d   t o   understand ?   I s   i t   too simpl e fo r you?
    W e   ha d   bee n   ove r   thi s   befor e   and ,   wit h   tim e   runnin g   out ,   I   di d   no t   inten d   t o   b e   sidetracke d   again.
    "On e fina l question . Yo u hav e sai d tha t you r childhoo d wa sa   happ y   one .   Di d   yo u   hav e   othe r   childre n   to pla y with?"
    "Hardl