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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
86
"The
law,"
he
said,
"is
above
the
criminal
and
the
judge,
and
rules
them
both.
The
law
is
inescapable,
for
an
action
is
either
lawful
or
unlawful.
The
law,
indeed,
may
be
said
to
have
a
life
of
its
own,
an
existence
quite
apart
from
the
finite
lives
of
the
beings
who
administer
it.
The
law
governs
every
aspect
of
human
behavior;
therefore,
to
the
same
extent
that
humans
are
lawful
beings,
the
law
is
human.
And
being
human,
the
law
has
its
idiosyncrasies,
just
as
a
man
has
his.
For
a
citizen
who
abides
by
the
law,
the
law
is
distant
and
difficult
to
find.
For
those
who
reject
and
violate
it,
the
law
emerges
from
its
musty
sepulchers
and
goes
in
search
of
the
transgressor."
"And
that,"
Barrent
said,
"is
why
I
was
chosen
for
the
Hunt?"
"Of
course,"
Jay
said.
"If
you
had
not
been
chosen
in
that
way,
the
zealous
and
never-sleeping
law
would
have
selected
another
means,
using
whatever
instruments
were
at
its
disposal."
"Thanks
for
telling
me,"
Barrent
said.
"How
long
do
I
have
before
the
Hunt
begins?"
"Until
dawn.
The
Hunt
begins
then,
and
ends
at
dawn
of
the
following
day."
"What
happens
if
I'm
not
killed?"
Norins
Jay
smiled
faintly.
"That
doesn't
happen
often,
Citizen
Barrent.
I'm
sure
it
need
not
worry
you."
"It
happens,
doesn't
it?"
"Yes.
Those
who
survive
the
Hunt
are
automatically
enrolled
in
the
Games."
"And
if
I
survive
the
Games?"
"Forget
it,"
Jay
said
in
a
friendly
manner.
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