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Cost of Living, by Robert Sheckley
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Title: Cost of Living
Author: Robert Sheckley
Illustrator: Ed Emshwiller
Release Date: July 19, 2009 [EBook #29458]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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[Illustration: Illustrated by EMSH]
Cost of Living
If easy payment plans were to be really efficient, patrons' lifetimes had to be extended!
By ROBERT SHECKLEY
Carrin decided that he could trace his present mood to Miller's suicide last week. But the knowledge didn't help him get rid of the vague, formless fear in the back of his mind. It was foolish. Miller's suicide didn't concern him.
But why had that fat, jovial man killed himself? Miller had had everything to live for--wife, kids, good job, and all the marvelous luxuries of the age. Why had he done it?
"Good morning, dear," Carrin's wife said as he sat down at the breakfast table.
"Morning, honey. Morning, Billy."
His son grunted something.
You just couldn't tell about people, Carrin decided, and dialed his breakfast. The meal was gracefully prepared and served by the new Avignon Electric Auto-cook.
His mood persisted, annoyingly enou