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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
127
He
took
a
deep
breath
and
marched
out
of
the
ship
and
down
the
landing
stage.
There
were
no
guards,
no
inspection
party,
no
police,
no
army
units
and
no
customs
officials.
There
was
no
one
at
all.
Far
to
one
side
of
the
wide
field
he
could
see
rows
of
starcraft
glistening
in
the
sun.
Straight
ahead
of
him
was
a
fence,
and
in
it
was
an
open
gate.
Barrent
walked
across
the
field,
quickly
but
without
obvious
haste.
He
had
no
idea
why
it
was
all
so
simple.
Perhaps
the
secret
police
on
Earth
had
more
subtle
means
of
checking
on
passengers
from
starships.
He
reached
the
gate.
There
was
no
one
there
except
a
bald,
middle-aged
man
and
a
boy
of
perhaps
ten.
They
seemed
to
be
waiting
for
him.
Barrent
found
it
hard
to
believe
that
these
were
government
officials;
still,
who
knew
the
ways
of
Earth?
He
passed
through
the
gate.
The
bald
man,
holding
the
boy
by
the
hand,
walked
over
to
him.
"I
beg
your
pardon,"
the
man
said.
"Yes?"
"I
saw
you
come
from
the
starship.
Would
you
mind
if
I
ask
you
a
few
questions?"
"Not
at
all,"
Barrent
said,
his
hand
near
the
coverall
zipper
beneath
which
lay
his
needlebeam.
He
was
certain
now
that
the
bald
man
was
a
police
agent.
The
only
thing
that
didn't
make
sense
was
the
presence
of
the
child,
unless
the
boy
was
an
agent-in-training.
"The
fact
of
the
matter
is,"
the
man
said,
"my
boy
Ronny
here
is
doing
a
thesis
for
his
Tenth
Grade
Master's
Degree.
On
starships."
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