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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
116
The
guards
marched
down
the
corridor.
Barrent
could
hear
them
talking
as
they
entered
the
assembly
room.
"What
do
you
think
started
those
explosions?"
"Who
knows?
Those
prisoners
are
crazy,
anyhow."
"They'd
blow
up
the
whole
planet,
if
they
could."
"Good
riddance."
"Well,
it
didn't
cause
any
damage.
There
was
an
explosion
like
that
about
fifteen
years
ago.
Remember?"
"I
wasn't
here
then."
"Well,
it
was
worse
than
this.
Two
guards
were
killed,
and
maybe
a
hundred
prisoners."
"What
started
it?"
"Don't
know.
These
Omegans
just
enjoy
blowing
things
up."
"Next
thing
you
know,
they'll
be
trying
to
blow
us
up."
"Not
a
chance.
Not
with
the
guardships
up
there."
"You
think
so?
Well,
I'll
be
glad
to
get
back
to
the
checkpoint."
"You
said
it.
Be
good
to
get
off
this
ship
and
live
a
little."
"It
isn't
a
bad
life
at
the
checkpoint,
but
I'd
rather
go
back
to
Earth."
"Well,
you
can't
have
everything."
The
last
of
the
guards
entered
the
assembly
room
and
dogged
the
door
shut.
Barrent
waited.
After
a
while,
he
felt
the
ship
vibrate.
It
was
beginning
its
departure.
He
had
learned
some
valuable
information.
Apparently
all
or
most
of
the
guards
got
off
at
the
checkpoint.
Did
that
mean
that
another
detachment
of
guards
got
on?
Probably.
And
a
checkpoint
implied
that
the
ship
was
searched
for
escaped
prisoners.
It
was
probably
only
a
perfunctory
search,
since
no
prisoner
had
escaped
in
the
history
of
Omega.
Still,
he
would
have
to
figure
out
a
way
of
avoiding
it.
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