I'm a Stranger Here Myself

In the shadowy cosmopolitan bustle of Tangier, Rupert watches smugglers, exiles, adventurers, and drifters drift through the Cafe de Paris, where every conversation feels half-overheard and every identity seems provisional. When Paul joins him over beer and newspapers, their dry, guarded banter opens into a sly speculation about flying saucers, secret visitors, and what might really be observing humanity from above. As tapas and more drinks fuel the exchange, the two men range from pulp-style theories of Martian civilizations and hidden galactic leagues to sharper reflections on Cold War anxiety, technological acceleration, and the instability of modern life. The wit stays cool and skeptical, even as the idea grows that Earth's turmoil could be exactly the kind of spectacle an advanced intelligence would find irresistible. Paul questions how aliens could remain hidden in a world full of police and spies, while Rupert insists Tangier would be the ideal place to disappear. Then comes the story's comic reversal: both men are aliens in human disguise, each on a different mission, turning their conversation into a satirical revelation about surveillance, secrecy, and the absurd theater of civilization. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.