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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
157
He
took
the
night
expressway
to
Youngerstun.
His
suspicions,
sharply
keyed
from
life
on
Omega,
would
not
let
him
rest.
There
had
to
be
a
catch
to
all
this
splendid
simplicity.
Perhaps
he
would
find
it
in
Youngerstun.
By
early
morning
he
was
there.
Superficially,
the
neat
rows
of
houses
looked
the
same
as
in
any
other
town.
But
for
Barrent
they
were
different,
and
achingly
familiar.
He
remembered
this
town,
and
the
monotonous
houses
had
individuality
and
meaning
for
him.
He
had
been
born
and
raised
in
this
town.
There
was
Grothmeir's
store,
and
across
the
street
was
the
home
of
Havening,
the
local
interior
decorating
champion.
Here
was
Billy
Havelock's
house.
Billy
had
been
his
best
friend.
They
had
planned
on
being
starmen
together,
and
had
remained
good
friends
after
school--until
Barrent
had
been
sentenced
to
Omega.
Here
was
Andrew
Therkaler's
house.
And
down
the
block
was
the
school
he
had
attended.
He
could
remember
the
classes.
He
could
remember
how,
every
day,
they
had
gone
through
the
door
that
led
to
the
closed
class.
But
he
still
could
not
remember
what
he
had
learned
there.
Right
here,
near
two
huge
elms,
the
murder
had
taken
place.
Barrent
walked
to
the
spot
and
remembered
how
it
had
happened.
He
had
been
on
his
way
home.
From
somewhere
down
the
street
he
had
heard
a
scream.
He
had
turned,
and
a
man--Illiardi--had
run
down
the
street
and
thrown
something
at
him.
Barrent
had
caught
it
instinctively
and
found
himself
holding
an
illegal
handgun.
A
few
steps
further,
he
had
looked
into
the
twisted
dead
face
of
Andrew
Therkaler.
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