pter 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."

"I see. And the lower middle classes?"

"Well, for one thing they lack creative energy. They wear ready-made
clothing, for example, without taking the trouble to improve upon it.
The same goes for their homes. Mere uninspired adornment won't do, let
me add. That's simply the mark of the _nouveau_ upper middle class. One
doesn't receive such persons in the home."

"Thank you, Citizen Gotthreid. And where would you classify yourself
statuswise?"

(With the very faintest hesitation). "Oh, I've never thought much about
it--upper middle, I suppose."

* * * * *

(_Citizen Dreister, age 43, occupation shoe vendor. A slender, mild man,
young-looking for his years._)

"Yes, sir. Myra and I have three children of school age. All boys."

"Could you give me some idea