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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
53
"One
does
not
change
one's
mind,"
he
told
Barrent,
"inside
a
Dream
Shop.
Try
to
relax...."
Barrent
relaxed.
He
lay
back
on
the
bed,
and
heard
a
shrill
singing
in
his
ears.
He
tried
to
focus
on
the
doctor's
face.
But
the
face
had
changed.
The
face
was
old,
round,
and
fleshy.
Ridges
of
fat
stood
out
on
the
chin
and
neck.
The
face
was
perspiring,
friendly,
worried.
It
was
Barrent's
5th
Term
Advisor.
"Now,
Will,"
the
Advisor
said,
"you
must
be
careful.
You
must
learn
to
restrain
that
temper
of
yours.
Will,
you
must!"
"I
know,
sir,"
Barrent
said.
"It's
just
that
I
get
so
mad
at
that--"
"Will!"
"All
right,"
Barrent
said.
"I'll
watch
myself."
He
left
the
university
office
and
walked
into
the
city.
It
was
a
fantastic
city
of
skyscrapers
and
multi-level
streets,
a
brilliant
city
of
silver
and
diamond
hues,
an
ambitious
city
which
administered
a
far-flung
network
of
countries
and
planets.
Barrent
walked
along
the
third
pedestrian
level,
still
angry,
thinking
about
Andrew
Therkaler.
Because
of
Therkaler
and
his
ridiculous
jealousy,
Barrent's
application
for
the
Space
Exploration
Corps
had
been
turned
down.
There
was
nothing
his
Advisor
could
do
about
the
matter;
Therkaler
had
too
much
influence
on
the
Selection
Board.
It
would
be
a
full
three
years
before
Barrent
could
apply
again.
In
the
meantime
he
was
Earth-bound
and
unemployable.
All
his
studies
had
been
for
extraterrestrial
exploration.
There
was
no
place
for
him
on
Earth;
and
now
he
was
barred
from
space.
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