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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
96
He
saw
another
group
of
Hunters
coming
toward
him.
There
were
five
in
the
group,
and
with
them
was
Tem
Rend,
looking
somber
and
proud
in
his
new
Assassin's
uniform.
"You!"
one
of
the
Hunters
shouted.
"Have
you
seen
a
Quarry
pass
this
way?"
"No,
Citizen,"
Barrent
said,
bowing
his
head
respectfully,
his
needlebeam
ready
under
his
rags.
"Don't
believe
him,"
a
man
said.
"These
damned
mutants
never
tell
us
a
thing."
"Come
on,
we'll
find
him,"
another
man
said.
The
group
moved
away,
but
Tem
Rend
stayed
behind.
"You
sure
you
haven't
seen
one
of
the
Hunted
go
by
here?"
Rend
asked.
"Positive,
Citizen,"
Barrent
said,
wondering
if
Rend
had
recognized
him.
He
didn't
want
to
kill
him;
in
fact,
he
wasn't
sure
he
could,
for
Rend's
reflexes
were
uncannily
fast.
Right
now,
Rend's
needlebeam
was
hanging
loosely
from
his
hand,
while
Barrent's
was
already
aimed.
That
split-second
advantage
might
cancel
out
Rend's
superior
speed
and
accuracy.
But
if
it
came
to
conclusions,
Barrent
thought,
it
would
probably
be
a
tie;
in
which
case,
they
would
more
than
likely
kill
each
other.
"Well,"
Rend
said,
"if
you
do
see
any
of
the
Hunted,
tell
them
not
to
disguise
themselves
as
mutants."
"Why
not?"
"That
trick
never
works
for
long,"
Rend
said
evenly.
"It
gives
a
man
about
an
hour's
grace.
Then
the
informers
spot
him.
Now
if
I
were
being
hunted,
I
might
use
mutant's
disguise.
But
I
wouldn't
just
sit
on
a
curbstone
with
it.
I'd
make
a
break
out
of
Tetrahyde."
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