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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
39
On
Monday,
returning
to
his
shop
after
lunch,
Barrent
thought
he
saw
the
girl.
He
hurried
after
her,
but
lost
her
in
the
crowd.
When
he
got
back
to
his
store,
Barrent
found
that
a
letter
had
been
slipped
under
his
door.
It
was
an
invitation
from
his
neighborhood
Dream
Shop.
The
letter
read:
Dear
Citizen,
We
take
this
opportunity
of
welcoming
you
into
the
neighborhood
and
extending
to
you
the
services
of
what
we
believe
to
be
the
finest
Dream
on
Omega.
All
manner
and
type
of
dreams
are
available
to
you--and
at
a
surprisingly
low
cost.
We
specialize
in
memory-resurrecting
dreams
of
Earth.
You
can
be
assured
that
your
neighborhood
Dream
Shop
offers
you
only
the
finest
in
vicarious
living.
As
a
Free
Citizen,
you
will
surely
wish
to
avail
yourself
of
these
services.
May
we
hope
that
you
do
so
within
the
week?
The
Proprietors.
Barrent
put
down
the
letter.
He
had
no
idea
what
a
Dream
Shop
was,
or
how
the
dreams
were
produced.
He
would
have
to
find
out.
Even
though
the
invitation
was
graciously
worded,
it
had
a
peremptory
tone
to
it.
Past
a
doubt,
a
visit
to
a
Dream
Shop
was
one
of
the
obligations
of
a
Free
Citizen.
But
of
course,
an
obligation
could
be
a
pleasure,
too.
The
Dream
Shop
sounded
interesting.
And
a
genuine
memory-resurrection
dream
of
Earth
would
be
worth
almost
any
price
the
proprietors
wished
to
ask.
But
that
would
have
to
wait.
Tonight
was
Black
Mass,
and
his
attendance
there
was
definitely
required.
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