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."

"