"Landing Day!" the shopkeeper said. "The day the prison ship landed. Get back to your barracks, you idiot!"
He slammed the last steel shutter into place and locked it. Barrent felt a sudden cold touch of fear. Something was very wrong. He had better get back in a hurry. It had been stupid of him not to find out more about Omegan customs before....
Three men were walking down the street toward him. They were well dressed, and each wore the small golden Hadji earring in his left ear. All three men carried sidearms.
Barrent started to walk away from them. One of the men shouted, "Stop, peon!"
Barrent saw that the man's hand was dangling near his gun. He stopped and said, "What's the matter?"
"It's Landing Day," the man said. He looked at his friends. "Well, who gets him first?"
"We'll choose."
"Here's a coin."
"No, a show of fingers."
"Ready? One, two, three!"