Чужак в чужой стране

           "Duke,howcouldyoulearnsomuchaboutmachineryandneverlearnanythingabouthowyouyourselftick?Thatnauseayoufeel–that’snotaninstinct;that’saconditionedreflex.Yourmotherdidn’thavetosaytoyou,‘Mustn’teatyourplaymates,dear;that’snotnice,’becauseyousoakeditupfromourwholeculture–andsodidI.Jokesaboutcannibalsandmissionaries,cartoons,fairytales,horrorstories,endlesslittlethings.Butithasnothingtodowithinstinct.Shucks,son,itcouldn’tpossiblybeinstinct?becausecannibalismishistoricallyoneofthemostwidespreadofhumancustoms,extendingthrougheverybranchofthehumanrace.Yourancestors,myancestors,everybody."

           "Yourancestors,maybe.Don’tbringmineintoit."

           "Um.Duke,didn’tyoutellmeyouhadsomeIndianblood?"

           "Huh?Yeah,aneighth.IntheArmytheyusedtocallme‘Chief.’Whatofit?I’mnotashamedofit.I’mproudofit,"

           "Noreasontobeashamed–norproud,either,forthatmatter,But,whilebothofuscertainlyhavecannibalsinourfamilytrees,chancesarethatyouareagoodmanygenerationsclosertocannibalsthanIam,because-"

           "Why,youbald-headedold-"

           "Simmerdown!Youweregoingtolisten;remember?RitualcannibalismwasawidespreadcustomamongaboriginalAmericancultures.Butdon’ttakemywordforit;lookitup.Besidesthat,bothofus,simplyasNorthAmericans,standabetterthanevenchanceofhavingatouchoftheCongoinuswithoutknowingit?andthereyouareagain.