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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
20
Barrent
saw
that
the
man's
hand
was
dangling
near
his
gun.
He
stopped
and
said,
"What's
the
matter?"
"It's
Landing
Day,"
the
man
said.
He
looked
at
his
friends.
"Well,
who
gets
him
first?"
"We'll
choose."
"Here's
a
coin."
"No,
a
show
of
fingers."
"Ready?
One,
two,
three!"
"He's
mine,"
said
the
Hadji
on
the
left.
His
friends
moved
back
as
he
drew
his
sidearm.
"Wait!"
Barrent
called
out.
"What
are
you
doing?"
"I'm
going
to
shoot
you,"
the
man
said.
"But
why?"
The
man
smiled.
"Because
it's
a
Hadji
privilege.
On
every
Landing
Day,
we
have
the
right
to
shoot
down
any
new
peon
who
leaves
his
barracks
area."
"But
I
wasn't
told!"
"Of
course
not,"
the
man
said.
"If
you
new
men
were
told,
none
of
you
would
leave
your
barracks
on
Landing
Day.
And
that
would
spoil
all
the
fun."
He
took
aim.
Barrent
reacted
instantaneously.
He
threw
himself
to
the
ground
as
the
Hadji
fired,
heard
a
hiss,
and
saw
a
jagged
heatburn
score
the
brick
building
next
to
which
he
had
been
standing.
"My
turn
now,"
one
of
the
men
said.
"Sorry,
old
man,
I
believe
it's
mine."
"Seniority,
dear
friend,
has
its
privileges.
Stand
clear."
Before
the
next
man
could
take
aim,
Barrent
was
on
his
feet
and
running.
The
sharply
winding
street
protected
him
for
the
moment,
but
he
could
hear
the
sounds
of
his
pursuers
behind
him.
They
were
running
at
an
easy
stride,
almost
a
fast
walk,
as
if
they
were
completely
sure
of
their
prey.
Barrent
put
on
a
burst
of
speed,
turned
down
a
side
street,
and
knew
immediately
he
had
made
a
mistake.
He
was
facing
a
dead
end.
The
Hadjis,
moving
at
an
easy
pace,
were
coming
up
behind
him.
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