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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
93
"There
he
is!"
Barrent
wrenched
at
the
shingles
with
both
hands.
The
Hunters
were
almost
within
needlebeam
distance.
By
the
time
he
got
his
leg
out,
he
would
be
an
easy
target.
He
had
ripped
a
three-foot
hole
in
the
roof
by
the
time
the
Hunters
appeared
on
the
next
building.
Barrent
pulled
his
leg
free;
then,
seeing
no
alternative,
he
jumped
into
the
hole.
For
a
second
he
was
in
the
air;
then
he
landed
feet-first
on
a
table
which
collapsed
under
him,
spilling
him
to
the
floor.
He
got
up
and
saw
that
he
was
in
a
Hadji-class
living
room.
An
old
woman
sat
in
a
rocking
chair
less
than
three
feet
away.
Her
jaw
was
slack
with
terror;
she
kept
on
rocking
automatically.
Barrent
heard
the
Hunters
crossing
to
the
roof.
He
went
through
the
kitchen
and
out
the
back
door,
under
a
tangle
of
clotheslines
and
through
a
small
hedge.
Someone
fired
at
him
from
a
second-story
window.
Looking
up,
he
saw
a
young
boy
trying
to
aim
a
heavy
heat
beamer.
His
father
had
probably
forbidden
him
to
hunt
in
the
streets.
Barrent
turned
into
a
street,
and
sprinted
until
he
reached
an
alley.
It
looked
familiar.
He
realized
that
he
was
in
the
Mutant
Quarter,
not
far
from
Myla's
house.
He
could
hear
the
cries
of
the
Hunters
behind
him.
He
reached
Myla's
house,
and
found
the
door
unlocked.
They
were
all
together--the
one-eyed
man,
the
bald
old
woman,
and
Myla.
They
showed
no
surprise
at
his
entrance.
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