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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
156
"If
you
knew
all
this,"
Barrent
asked,
"why
didn't
your
leaders
do
something
about
it?"
"That
was
our
original
intention.
But
there
was
no
real
drive
behind
the
intention.
We
preferred
not
to
think
about
it.
We
assumed
the
status
quo
would
remain
indefinitely.
We
didn't
want
to
think
about
the
day
when
the
Omegans
returned
to
Earth."
"What
are
you
and
your
police
going
to
do
about
it?"
Barrent
asked.
"I
am
façade,
too,"
Dravivian
told
him.
"I
have
no
police.
The
position
of
Chief
is
entirely
honorary.
There
has
been
no
need
of
a
police
force
on
Earth
for
close
to
a
century."
"You're
going
to
need
one
when
the
Omegans
come
home,"
Barrent
said.
"Yes.
There's
going
to
be
crime
again,
and
serious
trouble.
But
I
think
the
final
amalgamation
will
be
successful.
You
on
Omega
have
the
drive,
the
ambition
to
reach
the
stars.
I
believe
you
need
a
certain
stability
and
creativeness
which
Earth
can
provide.
Whatever
the
results,
the
union
is
inevitable.
We've
lived
in
a
dream
here
for
too
long.
It's
going
to
take
violent
measures
to
awaken
us."
Dravivian
rose
to
his
feet.
"And
now,"
he
said,
"since
the
fate
of
Earth
and
Omega
seem
to
be
decided,
could
I
offer
you
some
refreshment?"
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
With
the
help
of
the
Chief
of
Police,
Barrent
put
a
message
aboard
the
next
ship
to
leave
for
Omega.
The
message
told
about
conditions
on
Earth
and
urged
immediate
action.
When
that
was
finished,
Barrent
was
ready
for
his
final
job--to
find
the
judge
who
had
sentenced
him
for
a
crime
he
hadn't
committed,
and
the
lying
informer
who
had
turned
him
in
to
the
judge.
When
he
found
those
two,
Barrent
knew
he
would
regain
the
missing
portions
of
his
memory.
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