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1
167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
55
"Come
out
of
it,
Barrent.
You're
overdoing
it.
Come
out
of
the
dream."
Barrent
had
no
time
to
listen.
The
window
turned
into
a
chute,
and
he
slid
down
its
polished
sides
into
an
amphitheatre.
There,
across
gray
sand,
the
corpse
crept
toward
him
on
the
stubs
of
arms
and
legs.
The
enormous
grandstand
was
empty
except
for
the
judge
and
the
informer,
who
sat
side
by
side,
watching.
"He's
stuck."
"Well,
I
warned
him...."
"Come
out
of
the
dream,
Barrent.
This
is
Doctor
Wayn.
You're
on
Omega,
in
the
Dream
Shop.
Come
out
of
the
dream.
There's
still
time
if
you
pull
yourself
out
immediately."
Omega?
Dream?
There
was
no
time
to
think
about
it.
Barrent
was
swimming
across
a
dark,
evil-smelling
lake.
The
judge
and
the
informer
were
swimming
just
behind
him,
flanking
the
corpse,
whose
skin
was
slowly
peeling
away.
"Barrent!"
And
now
the
lake
was
turning
into
a
thick
jelly
which
clung
to
his
arms
and
legs
and
filled
his
mouth,
while
the
judge
and
the
informer--
"Barrent!"
Barrent
opened
his
eyes
and
found
himself
on
the
adjustable
bed
in
the
Dream
Shop.
Doctor
Wayn,
looking
somewhat
shaken,
was
standing
over
him.
A
nurse
was
near
by
with
a
tray
of
hypodermics
and
an
oxygen
mask.
Behind
her
was
Arkdragen,
wiping
perspiration
from
his
forehead.
"I
didn't
think
you
were
going
to
make
it,"
Doctor
Wayn
said.
"I
really
didn't."
"He
pulled
out
just
in
time,"
the
nurse
said.
"I
warned
him,"
Arkdragen
said,
and
left
the
room.
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