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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
40
Barrent
left
his
store
at
eleven
o'clock
in
the
evening.
He
wanted
time
for
a
stroll
around
Tetrahyde
before
going
to
the
service,
which
began
at
midnight.
He
started
his
walk
with
a
definite
sense
of
well-being.
And
yet,
because
of
the
irrational
and
unexpecting
nature
of
Omega,
he
almost
died
before
reaching
the
Wee
Coven
on
Kirkwood
Drive.
Chapter
Seven
It
had
turned
into
a
hot,
almost
suffocatingly
humid
night
when
Barrent
began
his
walk.
Not
the
faintest
breath
of
air
stirred
along
the
darkened
streets.
Although
he
was
wearing
only
a
black
mesh
shirt,
shorts,
gunbelt,
and
sandals,
Barrent
felt
as
if
he
were
wrapped
in
a
thick
blanket.
Most
of
the
people
of
Tetrahyde,
except
for
those
already
at
the
Covens,
had
retired
to
the
coolness
of
their
cellars.
The
dark
streets
were
nearly
deserted.
Barrent
walked
on,
more
slowly.
The
few
people
he
met
were
running
to
their
homes.
There
was
a
sense
of
panic
in
that
silent,
dogged
sprint
through
heat
which
made
walking
difficult.
Barrent
tried
to
find
out
what
the
matter
was,
but
no
one
would
stop.
One
old
man
shouted
over
his
shoulder,
"Get
off
the
street,
idiot!"
"Why?"
Barrent
asked
him.
The
old
man
snarled
something
unintelligible
and
hurried
on.
Barrent
kept
on
walking,
nervously
fingering
the
butt
of
his
needlebeam.
Something
was
certainly
wrong,
but
he
had
no
idea
what
it
was.
His
nearest
shelter
now
was
the
Wee
Coven,
about
half
a
mile
away.
It
seemed
best
to
keep
on
moving
in
that
direction,
staying
alert,
waiting
to
see
what
was
wrong.
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