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167
The Status Civilization
·
Robert Sheckley
99
It
was
a
machine
similar
to
the
one
Barrent
had
fought
in
the
cellars
of
the
Department
of
Justice.
Now
he
knew
what
Rend
had
wanted
to
warn
him
about.
And
he
could
see
why
few
of
the
Hunted
escaped,
even
if
they
got
beyond
the
city
itself.
This
time,
Max
would
not
be
operating
at
random
to
make
a
more
equal
contest
out
of
it.
And
there
would
be
no
exposed
fuse
box.
As
Max
came
within
range,
Barrent
fired.
The
blast
bounced
harmlessly
off
the
machine's
armored
hide.
Barrent
left
the
shelter
of
his
cave
and
began
to
climb.
The
machine
came
steadily
behind
him,
up
the
treacherous
wet
face
of
the
mountain.
Barrent
tried
to
lose
it
on
a
plateau
of
jagged
boulders,
but
Max
couldn't
be
shaken.
Barrent
realized
that
the
machine
must
be
following
a
scent
of
some
kind;
probably
it
was
keyed
to
follow
the
indelible
paint
on
Barrent's
face.
On
a
steep
face
of
the
mountain,
Barrent
rolled
boulders
onto
the
machine,
hoping
he
could
start
an
avalanche.
Max
dodged
most
of
the
flying
rocks,
and
let
the
rest
bounce
off
him,
with
no
visible
effect.
At
last
Barrent
was
backed
into
a
narrow,
steep-sided
angle
of
cliff.
He
was
unable
to
climb
any
higher.
He
waited.
When
the
machine
loomed
over
him,
he
held
the
needlebeam
against
its
metal
hide
and
held
down
the
trigger.
Max
shuddered
for
a
moment
under
the
impact
of
the
needlebeam's
full
charge.
Then
it
brushed
the
weapon
away
and
wrapped
a
tentacle
around
Barrent's
neck.
The
metal
coils
tightened.
Barrent
felt
himself
losing
consciousness.
He
had
time
to
wonder
whether
the
coils
would
strangle
him
or
break
his
neck.
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