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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
134
"Citizen,
do
you
feel
all
right?"
the
man
asked,
his
face
hardening.
"As
I
said,
I'm
a
foreigner,
and
I'm
looking--"
"Now
look,"
the
man
said,
"you
know
as
well
as
I
do
that
there
aren't
any
outlanders
any
more."
"There
aren't?"
"Of
course
not.
I've
been
in
Rome.
It's
just
like
here
in
Wilmington.
Same
sort
of
houses
and
stores.
No
one's
an
outlander
any
more."
Barrent
couldn't
think
of
anything
to
say.
He
smiled
nervously.
"Furthermore,"
the
man
said,
"there
are
no
cheap
lodgings
anywhere
on
Earth.
Why
should
there
be?
Who
would
stay
in
them?"
"Who
indeed?"
Barrent
said.
"I
guess
I've
had
a
little
too
much
to
drink."
"No
one
drinks
any
more,"
the
man
said.
"I
don't
understand.
What
sort
of
a
game
is
this?"
"What
sort
of
a
game
do
you
think
it
is?"
Barrent
asked,
falling
back
on
a
technique
which
the
Group
had
recommended.
The
man
stared
at
him,
frowning.
"I
think
I
get
it,"
he
said.
"You
must
be
an
Opinioner."
"Mmm,"
Barrent
said,
noncommittally.
"Sure,
that's
it,"
the
man
said.
"You're
one
of
those
citizens
goes
around
asking
people's
opinions.
For
surveys
and
that
sort
of
thing.
Right?"
"You've
made
a
very
intelligent
guess,"
Barrent
said.
"Well,
I
don't
suppose
it
was
too
hard.
Opinioners
are
always
walking
around
trying
to
get
people's
attitudes
on
things.
I
would
have
spotted
you
right
away
if
you'd
been
wearing
Opinioners'
clothing."
The
man
started
to
frown
again.
"How
come
you
aren't
dressed
like
an
Opinioner?"
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