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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
141
He
would
have
to
find
out
the
answers
himself.
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Early
the
next
morning,
Barrent
began
his
exploration.
His
technique
was
simple.
He
rang
doorbells
and
asked
questions.
He
warned
all
his
subjects
that
his
real
questions
might
be
interspersed
with
tricks
or
nonsense
questions,
whose
purpose
was
to
test
the
general
awareness
level.
In
that
way,
Barrent
found
he
could
ask
anything
at
all
about
Earth,
could
explore
controversial
or
even
nonexistent
areas,
and
do
so
without
revealing
his
own
ignorance.
There
was
still
the
danger
that
some
official
would
ask
for
his
credentials,
or
that
the
police
would
mysteriously
spring
up
when
least
expected.
But
he
had
to
take
those
risks.
Starting
at
the
beginning
of
Orange
Esplanade,
Barrent
worked
his
way
northward,
calling
at
each
house
as
he
went.
His
results
were
uneven,
as
a
selective
sampling
of
his
work
shows:
(Citizen
A.
L.
Gotthreid,
age
55,
occupation
home-tender.
A
strong,
erect
woman,
imperious
but
polite,
with
a
no-nonsense
air
about
her.)
"You
want
to
ask
me
about
class
and
status?
Is
that
it?"
"Yes,
ma'am."
"You
Opinioners
are
always
asking
about
class
and
status.
One
would
think
you'd
know
all
about
it
by
now.
But
very
well.
Today,
since
everyone
is
equal,
there
is
only
one
class.
The
middle
class.
The
only
question
then
is--to
what
portion
of
the
middle
class
does
one
belong?
High,
low,
or
middle?"
"And
how
is
that
determined?"
"Why,
by
all
sorts
of
things.
The
way
a
person
speaks,
eats,
dresses,
the
way
he
acts
in
public.
His
manners.
His
clothing.
You
can
always
tell
your
upper
middle
class
man
by
his
clothes.
It's
quite
unmistakable."
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