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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
41
In
a
few
minutes,
Barrent
was
alone
in
a
tightly
shuttered
city.
He
moved
into
the
center
of
the
street,
loosened
the
needlebeam
in
its
holster,
and
prepared
for
attack
from
any
side.
Perhaps
this
was
some
special
holiday
like
Landing
Day.
Perhaps
Free
Citizens
were
fair
game
tonight.
Anything
seemed
possible
on
a
planet
like
Omega.
He
thought
he
was
ready
for
any
possibility.
But
when
the
attack
came,
it
was
from
an
unexpected
quarter.
A
faint
breeze
stirred
the
stagnant
air.
It
faded
and
returned,
stronger
this
time,
perceptibly
cooling
the
hot
streets.
Wind
rolled
off
the
mountains
of
the
interior
and
swept
through
the
streets
of
Tetrahyde,
and
Barrent
could
feel
the
perspiration
on
his
chest
and
back
begin
to
dry.
For
a
few
minutes,
the
climate
of
Tetrahyde
was
as
pleasant
as
anything
he
could
imagine.
Then
the
temperature
continued
to
fall.
It
dropped
rapidly.
Frigid
air
swept
in
from
the
distant
mountain
slopes,
and
the
temperature
fell
through
the
seventies
into
the
sixties.
This
is
ridiculous,
Barrent
thought
to
himself.
I'd
better
get
to
the
Coven.
He
walked
more
rapidly,
while
the
temperature
plummeted.
It
passed
through
the
forties
into
the
low
thirties.
The
first
glittering
signs
of
frost
appeared
on
the
streets.
It
can't
go
much
lower,
Barrent
thought.
But
it
could.
An
angry
winter
wind
blew
through
the
streets,
and
the
temperature
dropped
into
the
twenties.
Moisture
in
the
air
began
forming
into
sleet.
Chilled
to
the
bone,
Barrent
ran
down
the
empty
streets,
and
the
wind,
rising
to
gale
force,
pulled
and
tugged
at
him.
The
streets
glittered
with
ice,
making
the
footing
dangerous.
He
skidded
and
fell,
and
had
to
run
at
a
slower
pace
to
keep
his
footing.
And
still
the
temperature
dropped,
and
the
wind
growled
and
snapped
like
an
angry
beast.
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