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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
15
He
stopped
abruptly.
The
barracks'
door
had
opened
and
a
man
walked
in.
He
was
evidently
an
older
resident
of
Omega
since
he
lacked
the
gray
prison
uniform.
He
was
fat,
and
dressed
in
garish
yellow
and
blue
clothing.
On
a
belt
around
his
ample
waist
he
carried
a
holstered
pistol
and
a
knife.
He
stood
just
inside
the
doorway,
his
hands
on
his
hips,
glaring
at
the
new
arrivals.
"Well?"
he
said.
"Don't
you
new
men
recognize
a
Quaestor?
Stand
up!"
None
of
the
men
moved.
The
Quaestor's
face
went
scarlet.
"I
guess
I'll
have
to
teach
you
a
little
respect."
Even
before
he
had
taken
his
weapon
from
its
holster,
the
new
arrivals
had
scrambled
to
their
feet.
The
Quaestor
looked
at
them
with
a
faintly
regretful
air
and
pushed
the
weapon
back
in
its
holster.
"The
first
thing
you
men
better
learn,"
the
Quaestor
said,
"is
your
status
on
Omega.
Your
status
is
nowhere.
You're
peons,
and
that
means
you're
nothing."
He
waited
a
moment
and
then
said,
"Now
pay
attention,
peons.
You
are
about
to
be
instructed
in
your
duties."
Chapter
Three
"The
first
thing
you
new
men
should
understand,"
the
Quaestor
said,
"is
just
exactly
what
you
are.
That's
very
important.
And
I'll
tell
you
what
you
are.
You're
peons.
You're
the
lowest
of
the
low.
You're
statusless.
There's
nothing
lower
except
mutants,
and
they
aren't
really
human.
Any
questions?"
The
Quaestor
waited.
When
there
were
no
questions,
he
said,
"I've
defined
what
you
are.
From
that,
we'll
proceed
to
a
basic
understanding
of
what
everybody
else
on
Omega
is.
First
of
all,
everybody
is
more
important
than
you;
but
some
are
more
important
than
others.
Next
above
you
in
rank
is
the
Resident,
who
hardly
counts
for
more
than
any
of
you,
and
then
there's
the
Free
Citizen.
He
wears
a
gray
finger
ring
of
status,
and
his
clothes
are
black.
He
isn't
important
either,
but
he's
much
more
important
than
you.
With
luck,
some
of
you
may
become
Free
Citizens.
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