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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
43
But
he
kept
on
crawling,
and
at
last
he
reached
the
door
of
the
Coven.
He
pulled
himself
to
his
feet
and
turned
the
doorknob.
The
door
was
locked.
He
pounded
feebly
on
the
door.
After
a
moment,
a
panel
slid
back.
He
saw
a
man
staring
at
him;
then
the
panel
slid
shut.
He
waited
for
the
door
to
open.
It
didn't
open.
Minutes
passed,
and
still
it
didn't
open.
What
were
they
waiting
for
inside?
What
was
wrong?
Barrent
tried
to
pound
on
the
door
again,
lost
his
balance
and
fell
to
the
ground.
He
rolled
over
and
looked
despairingly
at
the
locked
door.
Then
he
lost
consciousness.
When
he
came
to,
Barrent
found
himself
lying
on
a
couch.
Two
men
were
massaging
his
arms
and
legs,
and
beneath
him
he
could
feel
the
warmth
of
heating
pads.
Peering
anxiously
at
him
was
the
broad,
swarthy
face
of
Uncle
Ingemar.
"Feeling
better
now?"
Uncle
Ingemar
asked.
"I
think
so,"
Barrent
said.
"Why
did
you
take
so
long
opening
the
door?"
"We
almost
didn't
open
it
at
all,"
the
priest
told
him.
"It's
against
the
law
to
aid
strangers
in
distress.
Since
you
hadn't
as
yet
joined
the
Coven,
you
were
technically
still
a
stranger."
"Then
why
did
you
let
me
in?"
"My
assistant
noticed
that
we
had
an
even
number
of
worshipers.
We
require
an
odd
number,
preferably
ending
in
three.
Where
the
sacred
and
the
profane
laws
are
in
conflict,
the
profane
must
yield.
So
we
let
you
in
despite
the
government
ruling."
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