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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
128
"So
I
wanted
to
see
one,"
Ronny
said.
He
was
an
undersized
child
with
a
pinched,
intelligent
face.
"He
wanted
to
see
one,"
the
man
explained.
"I
told
him
it
wasn't
necessary,
since
all
the
facts
and
pictures
are
in
the
encyclopedia.
But
he
wanted
to
see
one."
"It
gives
me
a
good
opening
paragraph,"
Ronny
said.
"Of
course,"
Barrent
said,
nodding
vigorously.
He
was
beginning
to
wonder
about
the
man.
For
a
member
of
the
secret
police,
he
was
certainly
taking
a
devious
route.
"You
work
on
the
ships?"
Ronny
asked.
"That's
right."
"How
fast
do
they
go?"
"In
real
or
subspace?"
Barrent
asked.
This
question
seemed
to
throw
Ronny
off
his
stride.
He
pushed
out
his
lower
lip
and
said,
"Gee,
I
didn't
know
they
went
in
subspace."
He
thought
for
a
moment.
"As
a
matter
of
fact,
I
don't
think
I
know
what
subspace
is."
Barrent
and
the
boy's
father
smiled
understandingly.
"Well,"
Ronny
said,
"how
fast
do
they
go
in
real
space?"
"A
hundred
thousand
miles
an
hour,"
Barrent
said,
naming
the
first
figure
that
came
into
his
head.
The
boy
nodded,
and
his
father
nodded.
"Very
fast,"
the
father
said.
"And
much
faster
in
subspace
of
course,"
Barrent
said.
"Of
course,"
the
man
said.
"Starships
are
very
fast
indeed.
They
have
to
be.
Quite
long
distances
involved.
Isn't
that
right,
sir?"
"Very
long
distances,"
Barrent
said.
"How
is
the
ship
powered?"
Ronny
asked.
"In
the
usual
way,"
Barrent
told
him.
"We
had
triplex
boosters
installed
last
year,
but
that
comes
more
under
the
classification
of
auxiliary
power."
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