“No.”
“Would you delve into the realm of subatomic particles?”
“No.”
“Would you study the properties of wood?”
“No.”
“Take a wild guess.”
“Anthropology?”
“Anthropology is a field of study, like physics. Did Newton discover the law of gravity by reading a book on physics? Is that where the law was written?”
“No.”
“Where was it written?”
“In matter. In the universe of matter.”
“So, again: If there is a law pertaining to life, where will we find it written?”
“I suppose in human behavior.”
“I have amazing news for you. Man is not alone on this planet. He is part of a community, upon which he depends absolutely. Have you ever had any suspicions to that effect?”
It was the first time I’d seen him raise a single eyebrow.
“You don’t have to be sarcastic,” I told him.
“What’s the name of this community, of which man is only one member?”
“The community of life.”
“Bravo. Does it seem at all plausible to you that the law we’re looking for could be written in this community?”
“I don’t know.”
“What does Mother Culture say?”
I closed my eyes and listened for a while. “Mother Culture says that if there were such a law it wouldn’t apply to us.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re so far above all the rest of that community.”
“I see. And can you think of any other laws from which you are exempt because you’re humans?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that cows and cockroaches are subject to the law of gravity. Are you exempt?”
“No.”
“Are you exempt from the laws of aerodynamics?”
“No.”