da.therestaurantattheendoftheuniverse-第39章

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　　〃E；　T；　doyouget。。。　Do　you　get！〃　shouted　Ford；　〃it　is　working！　This　is　amazing；　it　really　is　working！〃
　　〃More　here。〃　Arthur　was　throwing　them　out　feverishly　as　fast　as　he　could　go。
　　〃I；　F；〃　said　Ford；　〃Y；　O；　U；。。。　M；　U；　L；　T；　I；　P；　L；　Y；。。。　What　do　you　get　if　you　multiply；。。。　S；　I；　X；。。。　six；　B；　Y；　by；　six　by。。。　what　do　you　get　if　you　multiply　six　by。。。　N；　I；　N；　E；。。。　six　by　nine。。。〃　He　paused。　〃e　on；　where's　the　next　one？〃
　　〃Er；　that's　the　lot；〃　said　Arthur；　〃that's　all　there　were。〃
　　He　sat　back；　nonplussed。
　　He　rooted　around　again　in　the　knotted　up　towel　but　there　were　no　more　letters。
　　〃You　mean　that's　it？〃　said　Ford。
　　〃That's　it。〃
　　〃Six　by　nine。　Forty…two。〃
　　〃That's　it。　That's　all　there　is。〃
　　
　　
　　　
　　　Chapter　34
　　
　　The　sun　came　out　and　beamed　cheerfully　at　them。　A　bird　sang。　A　warm　breeze　wafted　through　the　trees　and　lifted　the　heads　of　the　flowers；　carrying　their　scent　away　through　the　woods。　An　insect　droned　past　on　its　way　to　do　whatever　it　is　that　insects　do　in　the　late　afternoon。　The　sound　of　voices　lilted　through　the　trees　followed　a　moment　later　by　two　girls　who　stopped　in　surprise　at　the　sight　of　Ford　Prefect　and　Arthur　Dent　apparently　lying　on　the　ground　in　agony；　but　in　fact　rocking　with　noiseless　laughter。
　　〃No；　don't　go；〃　called　Ford　Prefect　between　gasps；　〃we'll　be　with　you　in　a　moment。〃
　　〃What's　the　matter？〃　asked　one　of　the　girls。　She　was　the　taller　and　slimmer　of　the　two。　On　Golgafrincham　she　had　been　a　junior　personnel　officer；　but　hadn't　liked　it　much。
　　Ford　pulled　himself　together。
　　〃Excuse　me；〃　he　said；　〃hello。　My　friend　and　I　were　just　contemplating　the　meaning　of　life。　Frivolous　exercise。〃
　　〃Oh　it's　you；〃　said　the　girl；　〃you　made　a　bit　of　a　spectacle　of　yourself　this　afternoon。　You　were　quite　funny　to　begin　with　but　you　did　bang　on　a　bit。〃
　　〃Did　I？　Oh　yes。〃
　　〃Yes；　what　was　all　that　for？〃　asked　the　other　girl；　a　shorter　round…faced　girl　who　had　been　an　art　director　for　a　small　advertising　pany　on　Golgafrincham。　Whatever　the　privations　of　this　world　were；　she　went　to　sleep　every　night　profoundly　grateful　for　the　fact　that　whatever　she　had　to　face　in　the　morning　it　wouldn't　be　a　hundred　almost　identical　photographs　of　moodily　lit　tubes　of　toothpaste。
　　〃For？　For　nothing。　Nothing's　for　anything；〃　said　Ford　Prefect　happily。　〃e　and　join　us。　I'm　Ford；　this　is　Arthur。　We　were　just　about　to　do　nothing　at　all　for　a　while　but　it　can　wait。〃
　　The　girls　looked　at　them　doubtfully。
　　〃I'm　Agda；〃　said　the　tall　one；　〃this　is　Mella。〃
　　〃Hello　Agda；　hello　Mella；〃　said　Ford。
　　〃Do　you　talk　at　all？〃　said　Mella　to　Arthur。
　　〃Oh；　eventually；〃　said　Arthur　with　a　smile；　〃but　not　as　much　as　Ford。〃
　　〃Good。〃
　　There　was　a　slight　pause。
　　〃What　did　you　mean；〃　asked　Agda；　〃about　only　having　two　million　years？　I　couldn't　make　sense　of　what　you　were　saying。〃
　　〃Oh　that；〃　said　Ford；　〃it　doesn't　matter。〃
　　〃It's　just　that　the　world　gets　demolished　to　make　way　for　a　hyperspace　bypass；〃　said　Arthur　with　a　shrug；　〃but　that's　two　million　years　away；　and　anyway　it's　just　Vogons　doing　what　Vogons　do。〃
　　〃Vogons？〃　said　Mella。
　　〃Yes；　you　wouldn't　know　them。〃
　　〃Where'd　you　get　this　idea　from？〃
　　〃It　really　doesn't　matter。　It's　just　like　a　dream　from　the　past；　or　the　future。〃　Arthur　smiled　and　looked　away。
　　〃Does　it　worry　you　that　you　don't　talk　any　kind　of　sense？〃　asked　Agda。
　　〃Listen；　forget　it；〃　said　Ford；　〃forget　all　of　it。　Nothing　matters。　Look；　it's　a　beautiful　day；　enjoy　it。　The　sun；　the　green　of　the　hills；　the　river　down　in　the　valley；　the　burning　trees。〃
　　〃Even　if　it's　only　a　dream；　it's　a　pretty　horrible　idea；〃　said　Mella；　〃destroying　a　world　just　to　make　a　bypass。〃
　　〃Oh；　I've　heard　of　worse；〃　said　Ford；　〃I　read　of　one　planet　off　in　the　seventh　dimension　that　got　used　as　a　ball　in　a　game　of　intergalactic　bar　billiards。　Got　potted　straight　into　a　black　hole。　Killed　ten　billion　people。〃
　　〃That's　mad；〃　said　Mella。
　　〃Yes；　only　scored　thirty　points　too。〃
　　Agda　and　Mella　exchanged　glances。
　　〃Look；〃　said　Agda；　〃there's　a　party　after　the　mittee　meeting　tonight。　You　can　e　along　if　you　like。〃
　　〃Yeah；　OK；〃　said　Ford。
　　〃I'd　like　to；〃　said　Arthur。
　　Many　hours　later　Arthur　and　Mella　sat　and　watched　the　moon　rise　over　the　dull　red　glow　of　the　trees。
　　〃That　story　about　the　world　being　destroyed。。。〃　began　Mella。
　　〃In　two　million　years；　yes。〃
　　〃You　say　it　as　if　you　really　think　it's　true。〃
　　〃Yes；　I　think　it　is。　I　think　I　was　there。〃
　　She　shook　her　head　in　puzzlement。
　　〃You're　very　strange；〃　she　said。
　　〃No；　I'm　very　ordinary；〃　said　Arthur；　〃but　some　very　strange　things　have　happened　to　me。　You　could　say　I'm　more　differed　from　than　differing。〃
　　〃And　that　other　world　your　friend　talked　about；　the　one　that　got　pushed　into　a　black　hole。〃
　　〃Ah；　that　I　don't　know　about。　It　sounds　like　something　from　the　book。〃
　　〃What　book？〃
　　Arthur　paused。
　　〃The　Hitch　Hiker's　Guide　to　the　Galaxy；〃　he　said　at　last。
　　〃What's　that？〃
　　〃Oh；　just　something　I　threw　into　the　river　this　evening。　I　don't　think　I'll　be　wanting　it　any　more；〃　said　Arthur　Dent。



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