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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
100
Suddenly
the
pressure
was
gone.
The
machine
had
backed
away
a
few
feet.
Past
it,
Barrent
could
see
the
first
gray
light
of
dawn.
He
had
lived
through
the
Hunt.
The
machine
was
not
programmed
to
kill
him
after
dawn.
But
it
wouldn't
let
him
go.
It
kept
him
captive
in
the
narrow
angle
of
the
cliff
until
the
Hunters
came.
They
brought
Barrent
back
to
Tetrahyde,
where
a
wildly
applauding
crowd
gave
him
a
hero's
welcome.
After
a
two-hour
procession,
Barrent
and
four
other
survivors
were
taken
to
the
office
of
the
Awards
Committee.
The
Chairman
made
a
short
and
moving
speech
about
the
skill
and
courage
each
had
shown
in
surviving
the
Hunt.
He
gave
each
of
them
the
rank
of
Hadji,
and
presented
them
with
the
tiny
golden
earrings
which
showed
their
status.
At
the
end
of
the
ceremony,
the
Chairman
wished
each
of
the
new
Hadjis
an
easy
death
in
the
Games.
Chapter
Eighteen
Guards
led
Barrent
from
the
office
of
the
Awards
Committee.
He
was
brought
past
a
row
of
dungeons
under
the
Arena,
and
locked
into
a
cell.
The
guards
told
him
to
be
patient;
the
Games
had
already
begun,
and
his
turn
would
come
soon.
There
were
nine
men
crammed
into
a
cell
which
had
been
built
to
hold
three.
Most
of
them
sat
or
sprawled
in
complete
and
silent
apathy,
already
resigned
to
their
deaths.
But
one
of
them
was
definitely
not
resigned.
He
pushed
his
way
to
the
front
of
the
cell
as
Barrent
entered.
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