The Status Civilization (10 page)

One of the women was very old and completely hairless. The other was young and beautiful. As Barrent moved closer to the table, he saw, with a sense of shock, that her legs were joined below the knee by a membrane of scaly skin, and her feet were of a rudimentary fish-tail shape.

“What do you wish us to skren for you, Citizen Barrent?” the young woman asked.

“How did you know my name?” Barrent asked. When he got no answer, he said, “All right. I want to find out about a murder I committed on Earth.”

“Why do you want to find out about it?” the young woman asked. “Won’t the authorities credit it to your record?”

“They credit it. But I want to find out why I did it. Maybe there were extenuating circumstances. Maybe I did it in self-defense.”

“Is it really important?” the young woman asked.

“I think so,” Barrent said. He hesitated a moment, then took the plunge. “The fact of the matter is, I have a neurotic prejudice against murder. I would rather
not
kill. So I want to find out why I committed murder on Earth.”

The mutants looked at each other. Then the old man grinned and said, “Citizen, we’ll help you all we can. We mutants also have a prejudice against killing, since it’s always someone else killing us. We’re all in favor of citizens with a neurosis against murder.”

“Then you’ll skren my past?”

“It’s not as easy as that,” the young woman said. “The skrenning ability, which is one of a cluster of psi talents, is difficult to use. It doesn’t always function. And when it does function, it often doesn’t reveal what it’s supposed to.”

“I thought all mutants could look into the past whenever they wanted to,” Barrent said.

“No,” the old man told him, “that isn’t true. For one thing, not all of us who are classified mutants are true mutants. Almost any deformity or abnormality these days is called mutantism. It’s a handy term to cover anyone who doesn’t conform to the Terran standard of appearance.”

“But some of you are true mutants?”

“Certainly. But even then, there are different types of mutantism. Some just show radiation abnormalities—giantism, microcephaly, and the like. Only a few of us possess the slightest psi abilities—although all mutants claim them.”

“Are you able to skren?” Barrent asked him.

“No. But Myla can,” he said, pointing to the young woman. “Sometimes she can.”

The young woman was staring into the pan of water, into the faceted glass. Her pale eyes were open very wide, showing almost all pupil, and her fish-tailed body was rigidly upright, supported by the old woman.

“She’s beginning to see something,” the man said. “The water and the glass are just devices to focus her attention. Myla’s good at skrenning, though sometimes she gets the future confused with the past. That sort of thing is embarrassing, and it gives skrenning a bad name. It can’t be helped, though. Every once in a while the future is there in the water, and Myla has to tell what she sees. Last week she told a Hadji he was going to die in four days.” The old man chuckled. “You should have seen the expression on his face.”

“Did she see how he would die?” Barrent asked.

“Yes. By a knife-thrust. The poor man stayed in his house for the entire four days.”

“Was he killed?”

“Of course. His wife killed him. She was a strong-minded woman, I’m told.”

Barrent hoped that Myla wouldn’t skren any future for him. Life was difficult enough without a mutant’s predictions to make it worse.

She was looking up from the faceted glass now, shaking her head sadly. “There’s very little I can tell you. I was not able to see the murder performed. But I skrenned a graveyard, and in it I saw your parents’ tombstone. It was an old tombstone, perhaps twenty years old. The graveyard was on the outskirts of a place on Earth called Youngerstun.”

Barrent reflected a moment, but the name meant nothing to him.

“Also,” Myla said, “I skrenned a man who knows about the murder. He can tell you about it, if he will.”

“This man saw the murder?”

“Yes.”

“Is he the man who informed on me?”

“I don’t know,” Myla said. “I skrenned the corpse, whose name was Therkaler, and there was a man standing near it. That man’s name was Illiardi.”

“Is he here on Omega?”

“Yes. You can find him right now in the Euphoriatorium on Little Axe Street. Do you know where that is?”

“I can find it,” Barrent said. He thanked the girl and offered payment, which she refused to take. She looked very unhappy. As Barrent was leaving, she called out, “Be careful.”

Barrent stopped at the door, and felt an icy chill settle across his chest. “Did you skren my future?” he asked.

“Only a little,” Myla said. “Only a few months ahead.”

“What did you see?”

“I can’t explain it,” she said. “What I saw is impossible.”

“Tell me what it was.”

“I saw you dead. And yet, you weren’t dead at all. You were looking at a corpse, which was shattered into shiny fragments. But the corpse was also you.”

“What does it mean?”

“I don’t know,” Myla said.

The Euphoriatorium was a large, garish place which specialized in cut-rate drugs and aphrodisiacs. It catered mostly to a peon and resident clientele. Barrent felt out of status as he shouldered his way through the crowd and asked a waiter where he could find a man named Illiardi.

The waiter pointed. In a corner booth, Barrent saw a bald, thick-shouldered man sitting over a tiny glass of thanapiquita. Barrent went over and introduced himself.

“Pleased to meet you, sir,” Illiardi said, showing the obligatory respect of a Second Class Resident for a Privileged Citizen. “How can I be of service?”

“I want to ask you a few questions about Earth,” Barrent said.

“I can’t remember much about the place,” Illiardi said. “But you’re welcome to anything I know.”

“Do you remember a man named Therkaler?”

“Certainly,” Illiardi said. “Thin fellow. Crosseyed. As mean a man as you could find.”

“Were you present when he was killed?”

“I was there. It was the first thing I remembered when I got off the ship.”

“Did you see who killed him?”

Illiardi looked puzzled. “I didn’t have to see.
I
killed him.”

Barrent forced himself to speak in a calm, steady voice. “Are you sure of that? Are you absolutely certain?”

“Of course I’m sure,” Illiardi said. “And I’ll fight any man who tries to take credit for it. I killed Therkaler, and he deserved worse than that.”

“When you killed him,” Barrent asked, “did you see
me
anywhere around?”

Illiardi looked at him carefully, then shook his head. “No, I don’t think I saw you. But I can’t be sure. Right after I killed Therkaler, everything goes sort of blank.”

“Thank you,” Barrent said. He left the Euphoriatorium.

Chapter Fourteen

Barrent had much to think about, but the more he thought, the more he became confused. If Illiardi had killed Therkaler, why had Barrent been deported to Omega? If an honest mistake had been made, why hadn’t he been released when the true murderer was discovered? Why had someone on Earth accused him of a crime he hadn’t committed? And why had a false memory of that crime been superimposed on his mind just beneath the conscious level?

Barrent had no answers for his questions. But he knew that he had never felt like a murderer. Now he had proof, of sorts, that he wasn’t a murderer.

The sensation of innocence changed everything for him. He had less tolerance for Omegan ways, and no interest at all in conforming to a criminal mode of life. The only thing he wanted was to escape from Omega and return to his rightful heritage on Earth.

But that was impossible. Day and night, the guardships circled overhead. Even if there had been some way of evading them, escape would still have been impossible. Omegan technology had progressed only as far as the internal combustion engine; the only starships were commanded by Earth forces.

Barrent continued to work in the Antidote Shop, but his lack of public spirit was growing apparent. He ignored invitations from the Dream Shop, and never attended any of the popular public executions. When roving mobs were formed to have a little fun in the Mutant Quarter, Barrent usually pleaded a headache. He never joined the Landing Day Hunts, and he was rude to an accredited salesman from the Torture of the Month Club. Not even visits from Uncle Ingemar could make him change his antireligious ways.

He knew he was asking for trouble. He expected trouble, and the knowledge was strangely exhilarating. After all, there was nothing wrong in breaking the law on Omega—as long as you could get away with it.

Within a month, he had a chance to test his decision. Walking to his shop one day, a man shoved against him in a crowd. Barrent moved away, and the man grabbed him by a shoulder and pulled him around.

“Who do you think you’re pushing?” the man asked. He was short and stocky. His clothes indicated Privileged Citizen’s rank. Five silver stars on his gunbelt showed his number of authorized kills.

“I didn’t push you,” Barrent said.

“You lie, you
mutant-lover.
”

The crowd became silent when they heard the deadly insult. Barrent backed away, waiting. The man went for his sidearm in a quick, artistic draw. But Barrent’s needlebeam was out a full half-second before the man’s weapon had cleared his holster.

He drilled the man neatly between the eyes; then, sensing movement behind him, he swung around.

Two Privileged Citizens were drawing heat guns. Barrent fired, aiming automatically, dodging behind the protection of a shop front. The men crumpled. The wooden front buckled under the impact of a projectile weapon and splinters slashed his hand. Barrent saw a fourth man firing at him from an alley. He brought the man down with two shots.

And that was that. In the space of a few seconds, he had killed four men.

Although he didn’t think of himself as having a murderer’s mentality, Barrent was pleased and elated. He had fired only in self-defense. He had given the status-seekers something to think about; they wouldn’t be so quick to gun for him next time. Quite possibly they would concentrate on easier targets and leave him alone.

When he returned to his shop, he found Joe waiting for him. The little credit thief had a sour look on his face. He said, “I saw your fancy gun-work today. Very pretty.”

“Thank you,” Barrent said.

“Do you think that sort of thing will help you? Do you think you can just go on breaking the law?”

“I’m getting away with it,” Barrent said.

“Sure. But how long do you think you can keep it up?”

“As long as I have to.”

“Not a chance,” Joe said. “
Nobody
keeps on breaking the law and getting away with it. Only suckers believe that.”

“They’d better send some good men after me,” Barrent said, reloading his needlebeam.

“That’s not how it’ll happen,” Joe said. “Believe me, Will, there’s no counting the ways they have of getting you. Once the law decides to move, there’ll be nothing you can do to stop it. And don’t expect any help from that girl friend of yours, either.”

“Do you know her?” Barrent asked.

“I know everybody,” Joe said moodily. “I’ve got friends in the government. I know that people have had about enough of you. Listen to me, Will. Do you want to end up dead?”

Barrent shook his head. “Joe, can you visit Moera? Do you know how to reach her?”

“Maybe,” Joe said. “What for?”

“I want you to tell her something,” Barrent said. “I want you to tell her that I didn’t commit the murder I was accused of on Earth.”

Joe stared at him. “Are you out of your mind?”

“No. I found the man who actually did it. He’s a Second Class Resident named Illiardi.”

“Why spread it around?” Joe asked. “No sense in losing credit for the kill.”

“I didn’t murder the man,” Barrent said. “I want you to tell Moera. Will you?”

“I’ll tell her,” Joe said. “If I can locate her. Look, will you remember what I’ve said? Maybe you still have time to do something about it. Go to Black Mass or something. It might help.”

“Maybe I’ll do that,” Barrent said. “You’ll be sure to tell her?”

“I’ll tell her,” Joe said. He left the Antidote Shop shaking his head sadly.

Chapter Fifteen

Three days later, Barrent received a visit from a tall, dignified man who stood as rigidly erect as the ceremonial sword that hung by his side. The old man wore a high-collared coat, black pants, and gleaming black boots. From his clothing, Barrent knew he was a high government official.

“The government of Omega sends you greetings,” said the official. “I am Norins Jay, Sub-Minister of Games. I am here, as required by law, to inform you personally of your good fortune.”