Чужак в чужой стране

           "But–Mike,itisnotagoodnesstolaughatpeople."

           "No.ButIwasnotlaughingatthelittlemonkey.Iwaslaughingatyoupeople.AndIsuddenlyknewthatIwaspeopleandcouldnotstoplaughing."Hepaused."Thisishardtoexplain,becauseyouhaveneverlivedasaMartian,forallthatI’vetoldyouaboutit.OnMarsthereisneveranythingtolaughat.AllthethingsthatarefunnytoushumanseitherphysicallycannothappenonMarsorarenotpermittedtohappen–sweetheart,whatyoucall‘freedom’doesn’texistonMars;everythingisplannedbytheOldOnes–orthethingsthatdohappenonMarswhichwelaughathereonEartharen’tfunnybecausethereisnowrongnessaboutthem.Death,forexample."

           "Deathisn’tfunny."

           "Thenwhyaretheresomanyjokesaboutdeath?Jill,withus–ushumans–deathissosadthatwemustlaughatit.Allthosereligions–theycontradicteachotheroneveryotherpointbuteveryoneofthemisfilledwithwaystohelppeoplebebraveenoughtolaugheventhoughtheyknowtheyaredying."HestoppedandJillcouldfeelthathehadalmostgoneintohistrancestate."Jill?IsitpossiblethatIwassearchingthemthewrongway?Coulditbethateveryoneofallthosereligionsistrue?"

           "Huh?Howcouldthatpossiblybe?Mike,ifoneofthemistrue,thentheothersarewrong.Logic."

           "So?Pointtotheshortestdirectionaroundtheuniverse.Itdoesn’tmatterwhichwayyoupoint,it’stheshortest?andyou’repointingrightbackatyourself."