da.therestaurantattheendoftheuniverse-第24章

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　and　having　seen　his　boss　safely　connected　up　to　his　death…support　system；　moved　up　to　the　small　cockpit。　Here　he　operated　the　remote　control　system　which　activated　the　autopilot　in　the　black　ship　lying　next　to　the　limo；　thus　causing　great　relief　to　Zaphod　Beeblebrox　who　had　been　trying　to　start　the　thing　for　over　ten　minutes。
　　The　black　ship　glided　smoothly　forward　out　of　its　bay；　turned；　and　moved　down　the　central　causeway　swiftly　and　quietly。　At　the　end　it　accelerated　rapidly；　flung　itself　into　the　temporal　launch　chamber　and　began　the　long　journey　back　into　the　distant　past。
　　The　Milliways　Lunch　Menu　quotes；　by　permission；　a　passage　from　The　Hitch　Hiker's　Guide　to　the　Galaxy。　The　passage　is　this：
　　The　History　of　every　major　Galactic　Civilization　tends　to　pass　through　three　distinct　and　recognizable　phases；　those　of　Survival；　Inquiry　and　Sophistication；　otherwise　known　as　the　How；　Why　and　Where　phases。
　　For　instance；　the　first　phase　is　characterized　by　the　question　〃How　can　we　eat？〃；　the　second　by　the　question　〃Why　do　we　eat？〃　and　the　third　by　the　question；　〃Where　shall　we　have　lunch？〃
　　The　Menu　goes　on　to　suggest　that　Milliways；　the　Restaurant　at　the　End　of　the　Universe；　would　be　a　very　agreeable　and　sophisticated　answer　to　that　third　question。
　　What　it　doesn't　go　on　to　say　is　that　though　it　will　usually　take　a　large　civilization　many　thousands　of　years　to　pass　through　the　How；　Why　and　Where　phases；　small　social　groupings　under　stressful　conditions　can　pass　through　them　with　extreme　rapidity。
　　〃How　are　we　doing？〃　said　Arthur　Dent。
　　〃Badly；〃　said　Ford　Prefect。
　　〃Where　are　we　going？〃　said　Trillian。
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Zaphod　Beeblebrox。
　　〃Why　not？〃　demanded　Arthur　Dent。
　　〃Shut　up；〃　suggested　Zaphod　Beeblebrox　and　Ford　Prefect。
　　〃Basically；　what　you're　trying　to　say；〃　said　Arthur　Dent；　ignoring　this　suggestion；　〃is　that　we're　out　of　control。〃
　　The　ship　was　rocking　and　swaying　sickeningly　as　Ford　and　Zaphod　tried　to　wrest　control　from　the　autopilot。　The　engines　howled　and　whined　like　tired　children　in　a　supermarket。
　　〃It's　the　wild　colour　scheme　that　freaks　me；〃　said　Zaphod　whose　love　affair　with　this　ship　had　lasted　almost　three　minutes　into　the　flight；　〃Every　time　you　try　to　operate　on　of　these　weird　black　controls　that　are　labelled　in　black　on　a　black　background；　a　little　black　light　lights　up　black　to　let　you　know　you've　done　it。　What　is　this？　Some　kind　of　galactic　hyperhearse？〃
　　The　walls　of　the　swaying　cabin　were　also　black；　the　ceiling　was　black；　the　seats　…　which　were　rudimentary　since　the　only　important　trip　this　ship　was　designed　for　was　supposed　to　be　unmanned　…　were　black；　the　control　panel　was　black；　the　instruments　were　black；　the　little　screws　that　held　them　in　place　were　black；　the　thin　tufted　nylon　floor　covering　was　black；　and　when　they　had　lifted　up　a　corner　of　it　they　had　discovered　that　the　foam　underlay　also　was　black。
　　〃Perhaps　whoever　designed　it　had　eyes　that　responded　to　different　wavelengths；〃　offered　Trillian。
　　〃Or　didn't　have　much　imagination；〃　muttered　Arthur。
　　〃Perhaps；〃　said　Marvin；　〃he　was　feeling　very　depressed。〃
　　In　fact；　though　they　weren't　to　know　it；　the　decor　had　been　chosen　in　honour　of　its　owner's　sad；　lamented；　and　tax…deductible　condition。
　　The　ship　gave　a　particularly　sickening　lurch。
　　〃Take　it　easy；〃　pleaded　Arthur；　〃you're　making　me　space　sick。〃
　　〃Time　sick；〃　said　Ford；　〃we're　plummeting　backwards　through　time。〃
　　〃Thank　you；〃　said　Arthur；　〃now　I　think　I　really　am　going　to　be　ill。〃
　　〃Go　ahead；〃　said　Zaphod；　〃we　could　do　with　a　little　colour　about　this　place。〃
　　〃This　is　meant　to　be　a　polite　after…dinner　conversation　is　it？〃　snapped　Arthur。
　　Zaphod　left　the　controls　for　Ford　to　figure　out；　and　lurched　over　to　Arthur。
　　〃Look；　Earthman；〃　he　said　angrily；　〃you've　got　a　job　to　do；　right？　The　Question　to　the　Ultimate　Answer；　right？〃
　　〃What；　that　thing？〃　said　Arthur；　〃I　thought　we'd　forgotten　about　that。〃
　　〃Not　me；　baby。　Like　the　mice　said；　it's　worth　a　lot　of　money　in　the　right　quarters。　And　it's　all　locked　up　in　that　head　thing　of　yours。〃
　　〃Yes　but。。。〃
　　〃But　nothing！　Think　about　it。　The　Meaning　of　Life！　We　get　our　fingers　on　that　we　can　hold　every　shrink　in　the　Galaxy　up　to　ransom；　and　that's　worth　a　bundle。　I　owe　mine　a　mint。〃
　　Arthur　took　a　deep　breath　without　much　enthusiasm。
　　〃Alright；〃　he　said；　〃but　where　do　we　start？　How　should　I　know？　They　say　the　Ultimate　Answer　or　whatever　is　Forty…two；　how　am　I　supposed　to　know　what　the　question　is？　It　could　be　anything。　I　mean；　what's　six　times　seven？〃
　　Zaphod　looked　at　him　hard　for　a　moment。　Then　his　eyes　blazed　with　excitement。
　　〃Forty…two！〃　he　cried。
　　Arthur　wiped　his　palm　across　his　forehead。
　　〃Yes；〃　he　said　patiently；〃　I　know　that。〃
　　Zaphod's　faces　fell。
　　〃I'm　just　saying　that　the　question　could　be　anything　at　all；〃　said　Arthur；　〃and　I　don't　see　how　I　am　meant　to　know。〃
　　〃Because；〃　hissed　Zaphod；　〃you　were　there　when　your　planet　did　the　big　firework。〃
　　〃We　have　a　thing　on　Earth。。。〃　began　Arthur。
　　〃Had；〃　corrected　Zaphod。
　　〃。。。　called　tact。　Oh　never　mind。　Look；　I　just　don't　know。〃
　　A　low　voice　echoed　dully　round　the　cabin。
　　〃I　know；〃　said　Marvin。
　　Ford　called　out　from　the　controls　he　was　still　fighting　a　losing　battle　with。
　　〃Stay　out　of　this　Marvin；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　organism　talk。〃
　　〃It's　printed　in　the　Earthman's　brainwave　patterns；〃　continued　Marvin；　〃but　I　don't　suppose　you'll　be　very　interested　in　knowing　that。〃
　　〃You　mean；〃　said　Arthur；　〃you　mean　you　can　see　into　my　mind？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Marvin。
　　Arthur　stared　in　astonishment。
　　〃And。。。？〃　he　said。
　　〃It　amazes　me　how　you　can　manage　to　live　in　anything　that　small。〃
　　〃Ah；〃　said　Arthur；　〃abuse。〃
　　〃Yes；〃　confirmed　Marvin。
　　〃Ah；　ignore　him；〃　said　Zaphod；　〃he's　only　making　it　up。〃
　　〃Making　it　up？〃　said　Marvin；　swivelling　his　head　in　a　parody　of　astonishment；　〃Why　should　I　want　to　make　anything　up？　Life's　bad　enough　as　it　is　without　wanting　to　invent　any　more　of　it。〃
　　〃Marvin；〃　said　Trillian　in　the　gentle；　kindly　voice　that　only　she　was　still　capable　of　assuming　in　talking　to　this　misbegotten　creature；　〃if　you　knew　all　along；　why　then　didn't　you　tell　us？〃
　　Marvin's　head　swivelled　back　to　her。
　　〃You　didn't　ask；〃　he　said　simply。
　　〃Well；　we're　asking　you　now；　metal　man；〃　said　Ford；　turning　round　to　look　at　him。
　　At　that　moment　the　ship　suddenly　stopped　rocking　and　swaying；　the　engine　pitch　settled　down　to　a　gentle　hum。
　　〃Hey；　Ford；〃　said　Zaphod；　〃that　sounds　good。　Have　you　worked　out　the　controls　of　this　boat？〃
　　〃No；〃　said　Ford；　〃I　just　stopped　fiddling　with　them。　I　reckon　we　just　go　to　wherever　this　ship　is　going　and　get　off　it　fast。〃
　　〃Yeah；　right；〃　said　Zaphod。
　　〃I　could　tell　you　weren't　really　interested；〃　murmured　Marvin　to　himself　and　slumped　into　a　corner　and　switched　himself　off。
　　〃Trouble　is；〃　said　Ford；　〃that　the　one　instrument　in　this　while　ship　that　is　giving　any　reading　is　worrying　me。　If　it　is　what　I　think　it　is；　and　if　it's　saying　what　I　think　it's　saying；　then　we've　already　gone　too　far　back　into　the　past。　Maybe　as　much　as　two　million　years　before　our　own　time。〃
　　Zaphod　shrugged。
　　〃Time　is　bunk；〃　he　said。
　　〃I　wonder　who　this　ship　belongs　to　anyway；〃　said　Arthur。
　　〃Me；〃　said　Zaphod。
　　〃No。　Who　it　really　belongs　to。〃
　　〃Really　me；〃　insisted　Zaphod；　〃look；　property　is　theft；　right？　Therefore　theft　is　property。　Therefore　this　ship　is　mine；　OK？〃
　　〃Tell　the　ship　that；〃　said　Arthur。
　　Zaphod　strode　over　to　the　console。
　　〃Ship；〃　he　said；　banging　on　the　panels；　〃this　is　your　new　owner　speaking　to。。。〃
　　He　got　no　further。　Several　things　happened　at　once。
　　The　ship　dropped　out　of　time　travel　mode　and　re…emerged　into　real　space。
　　All　the　controls　on　the　console；　which　had　been　shut　down　for　the　time　trip　now　lit　up。
　　A　large　vision　screen　above　the　console　winked　into　life　revealing　a　wide　starscape　and　a　single　very　large　sun　dead　ahead　of　them。
　　None　of　these　things；　however；　were　responsible　for　the　fact　that　Zaphod　was　at　the　same　moment　hurled　bodily　backwards　against　the　rea