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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
102
"Well,
that's
how
it
goes,"
Joe
said.
They
were
marched
out
under
heavy
guard
and
lined
up
at
the
iron
door
that
separated
the
cell
block
from
the
main
Arena.
Just
before
the
captain
of
the
guards
opened
the
door,
a
fat,
well-dressed
man
came
hurrying
down
a
side
corridor
waving
a
paper.
"What's
this?"
the
captain
of
the
guards
asked.
"A
writ
of
recognizance,"
the
fat
man
said,
handing
his
paper
to
the
captain.
"On
the
other
side,
you'll
find
a
cease-and-desist
order."
He
pulled
more
papers
out
of
his
pockets.
"And
here
is
a
bankruptcy-transferral
notice,
a
chattel
mortgage,
a
writ
of
habeas
corpus,
and
a
salary
attachment."
The
captain
pushed
back
his
helmet
and
scratched
his
narrow
forehead.
"I
can
never
understand
what
you
lawyers
are
talking
about.
What
does
it
mean?"
"It
releases
him,"
the
fat
man
said,
pointing
to
Joe.
The
captain
took
the
papers,
gave
them
a
single
puzzled
glance,
and
handed
them
to
an
aide.
"All
right,"
he
said,
"take
him
with
you.
But
it
wasn't
like
this
in
the
old
days.
Nothing
stopped
the
orderly
progression
of
the
Games."
Grinning
triumphantly,
Joe
stepped
through
the
ranks
of
guards
and
joined
the
fat
lawyer.
He
asked
him,
"Do
you
have
any
papers
for
Will
Barrent?"
"None,"
the
lawyer
said.
"His
case
is
in
different
hands.
I'm
afraid
it
might
not
be
completely
processed
until
after
the
Games
are
over."
"But
I'll
probably
be
dead
then,"
Barrent
said.
"That,
I
can
assure
you,
won't
stop
the
papers
from
being
properly
served,"
the
fat
lawyer
said
proudly.
"Dead
or
alive,
you
will
retain
all
your
rights."
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