This is a rather quirky story which really made me ponder and wonder, even though the context seems a bit artificial. It reminded me a little of several books which have a psychologically different protagonist, and the challenges of communication and understanding in such a setting, where the perpectives are so alien to each other. In this story it is a matter of life and death… It’s a rather long read: http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/originals/originals_archive/murphy/murphy1.html