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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
110
"It's
self-evident,"
Eylan
said.
"Consider
the
institutions--all
centered
around
legalized
murder.
The
holidays
are
excuses
for
mass
murders.
Even
the
law,
which
governs
the
rate
of
murder,
is
beginning
to
break
down.
The
population
lives
near
the
edge
of
chaos.
And
rightfully
so.
There's
no
longer
any
security.
The
only
way
to
live
is
to
kill.
The
only
way
to
rise
in
status
is
to
kill.
The
only
safe
thing
is
to
kill--more
and
more,
faster
and
faster."
"You
exaggerate,"
Moera
said.
"I
don't
think
so.
I
realize
that
there
seems
to
be
a
certain
permanence
to
Omegan
institutions,
a
certain
inherent
conservatism
even
to
murder.
But
it's
an
illusion.
I
have
no
doubt
that
all
dying
societies
projected
their
illusion
of
permanence--right
up
to
the
end.
Well,
the
end
of
Omegan
society
is
rapidly
approaching."
"How
soon?"
Barrent
asked.
"An
explosion
point
will
be
reached
in
about
four
months,"
Eylan
said.
"The
only
way
to
change
that
would
be
to
give
the
population
a
new
direction,
a
different
cause."
"Earth,"
Barrent
said.
"Exactly.
That's
why
the
attempt
must
be
made
immediately."
"Well,
I
don't
know
much
about
it,"
Barrent
said.
"But
I'll
go
along
with
you.
I'll
gladly
be
a
part
of
any
expedition."
Eylan
looked
uncomfortable
again.
"I
suppose
I
haven't
made
myself
clear,"
he
said.
"You
are
going
to
be
the
expedition,
Barrent.
You
and
only
you....
Forgive
me
if
I've
startled
you."
Chapter
Twenty
According
to
Eylan,
Group
Two
had
at
least
one
serious
flaw:
the
men
who
composed
it
were,
for
the
most
part,
past
their
physical
prime.
There
were
some
younger
members,
of
course;
but
they
had
had
little
contact
with
violence,
and
little
chance
to
develop
traits
of
self-sufficiency.
Secure
in
the
underground,
most
of
them
had
never
fired
a
beamer
in
anger,
had
never
been
forced
to
run
for
their
lives,
had
never
encountered
the
make-or-break
situations
through
which
Barrent
had
lived.
They
were
brave
but
unproven.
They
would
willingly
undertake
the
expedition
to
Earth;
but
they
would
have
little
chance
of
success.
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