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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
33
He
became
friendly
with
the
shopkeepers
on
either
side
of
him.
One
of
them,
Demond
Harrisbourg,
was
a
jaunty,
moustached
young
man
who
operated
a
food
store.
It
was
a
mundane
and
slightly
ridiculous
line
of
work;
but,
as
Harrisbourg
explained,
even
criminals
must
eat.
And
this
necessitated
farmers,
processors,
packagers,
and
food
stores.
Harrisbourg
contended
that
his
business
was
in
no
way
inferior
to
the
more
indigenous
Omegan
industries
centered
around
violent
death.
Besides,
Harrisbourg's
wife's
uncle
was
a
Minister
of
Public
Works.
Through
him,
Harrisbourg
expected
to
receive
a
murder
certificate.
With
this
all-important
document,
he
could
make
his
six-months
kill
and
move
upward
to
the
status
of
Privileged
Citizen.
Barrent
nodded
his
agreement.
But
he
wondered
if
Harrisbourg's
wife,
a
thin,
restless
woman,
wouldn't
decide
to
poison
him
first.
She
appeared
to
be
dissatisfied
with
her
husband;
and
divorce
was
forbidden
on
Omega.
His
other
neighbor,
Tem
Rend,
was
a
lanky,
cheerful
man
in
his
early
forties.
He
had
a
heat
scar
which
ran
from
just
beneath
his
left
ear
down
almost
to
the
corner
of
his
mouth,
a
souvenir
given
him
by
a
status-seeking
hopeful.
The
hopeful
had
picked
on
the
wrong
man.
Tem
Rend
owned
a
weapon
shop,
practiced
constantly,
and
always
carried
the
articles
of
his
trade
with
him.
According
to
witnesses,
he
had
performed
the
counterkill
in
exemplary
fashion.
Tem's
dream
was
to
become
a
member
of
the
Assassin's
Guild.
His
application
was
on
file
with
that
ancient
and
austere
organization,
and
he
had
a
chance
of
being
accepted
within
the
month.
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