"William Tuning - Terro-Human - Fuzzy 04 - Fuzzy Bones" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tuning William)

"It was sort of pretty, too, except there was hell to pay for a couple of
hours."

Another flash of lightning glared through the premature twilight and the
thunderclap rattled the terrace doors.

The Fuzzies peeped bashfully around the door jamb, then decided all the noise
wasn't Pappy Vic and Pappy Ben fighting and went back to their communication
screen.

"That's something else I've been wondering about," Grego said, nodding toward
the Fuzzies.

"Whazzat?" Rainsford said absently.

"For a people of low paleolithic development, the Fuzzies don't seem to have
the slightest fear of natural events. Consider the Thorans, for example. With
all their intelligence and absolute fearless courage, whenever there's a
thunderstorm they drop to the ground like stones and start praying to Great
Ghu the Grandfather God like the end of the world is coming in five minutes."

Rainsford rubbed his chin and nodded agreement.

"That's another thing," Grego said, warming to his subject. "Fuzzies don't
seem to have any primitive nature-gods or religious myths about the creation
of the world and so forth. What do you make of that, Bennett?"

"Hmmmf," Rainsford said. "Next thing, you'll be applying to the Institute of
Xeno-Sciences for a fellowship."

Grego reddened slightly.

"The first thing a xeno-naturalist learns about extrasolar creatures is to
find the yardstick," Rainsford said, "instead of trying to make existing
yardsticks apply. Comparisons, yes. Circular reasoning, no."

"Well, then," Grego said. "There are nine sapient races besides Terrans. They
all react the same to loud noises, don't they? With the exception of Fuzzies,
that is."

"Yes," Rainsford snapped, "and they can all be driven insane. Fuzzies are
totally sane and can't be driven insane. Maybe that's the difference. There is
always some difference. Non-Terran psychology is not all whittled from the
same stick."

Grego raised his eyebrows and pursed his lips. Can't argue with that line of
reasoning, he thought.

"Even the Yggsdrasil Khooghra," Rainsford went on, "with the lowest mentation
of any sapient race, can be driven nuts."