da.therestaurantattheendoftheuniverse-第22节

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　　〃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　rear　of　the　cabin；　as　were　all　the　others。
　　They　were　hurled　back　by　a　single　thunderous　clap　of　noise　that　thuddered　out　of　the　monitor　speakers　surrounding　the　vision　screen。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　21
　　
　　Down　on　the　dry；　red　world　of　Kakrafoon；　in　the　middle　of　the　vast　Rudlit　Desert；　the　stage　technicians　were　testing　the　sound　system。
　　That　is　to　say；　the　sound　system　was　in　the　desert；　not　the　stage　technicians。　They　had　retreated　to　the　safety　of　Disaster　Area's　giant　control　ship　which　hung　in　orbit　some　four　hundred　miles　above　the　surface　of　the　planet；　and　they　were　testing　the　sound　system　from　there。　Anyone　within　five　miles　of　the　speaker　silos　wouldn't　have　survived　the　tuning　up。
　　If　Arthur　Dent　had　been　within　five　miles　of　the　speaker　silos　then　his　expiring　thought　would　have　been　that　in　both　size　and　shape　the　sound　rig　closely　resembled　Manhattan。　Risen　out　of　the　silos；　the　neutron　phase　speaker　stacks　towered　monstrously　against　the　sky；　obscuring　the　banks　of　plutonium　reactors　and　seismic　amps　behind　them。
　　Buried　deep　in　concrete　bunkers　beneath　the　city　of　speakers　lay　the　instruments　that　the　musicians　would　control　from　their　ship；　the　massive　photon…ajuitar；　the　bass　detonator　and　the　Megabang　drum　plex。
　　It　was　going　to　be　a　noisy　show。
　　Aboard　the　giant　control　ship；　all　was　activity　and　bustle。　Hotblack　Desiato's　limoship；　a　mere　tadpole　beside　it；　had　arrived　and　docked；　and　the　lamented　gentleman　was　being　transported　down　the　high　vaulted　corridors　to　meet　the　medium　who　was　going　to　interpret　his　psychic　impulses　on　to　the　ajuitar　keyboard。
　　A　doctor；　a　logician　and　a　marine　biologist　had　also　just　arrived；　flown　in　at　phenomenal　expense　from　Maximegalon　to　try　to　reason　with　the　lead　singer　who　had　locked　himself　in　the　bathroom　with　a　bottle　of　pills　and　was　refusing　to　e　out　till　it　could　be　proved　conclusively　to　him　that　he　wasn't　a　fish。　The　bass　player　was　busy　machine…gunning　his　bedroom　and　the　drummer　was　nowhere　on　board。
　　Frantic　inquiries　led　to　the　discovery　that　he　was　standing　on　a　beach　on　Santraginus　V　over　a　hundred　light　years　away　where；　he　claimed；　he　had　been　happy　over　half　an　hour　now　and　had　found　a　small　stone　that　would　be　his　friend。
　　The　band's　manager　was　profoundly　relieved。　It　meant　that　for　the　seventeenth　time　on　this　tour　the　drums　would　be　played　by　a　robot　and　that　therefore　the　timing　of　the　cymbalistics　would　be　right。
　　The　sub…ether　was　buzzing　with　the　munications　of　the　stage　technicians　testing　the　speaker　channels；　and　this　it　was　that　was　being　relayed　to　the　interior　of　the　black　ship。
　　Its　dazed　occupants　lay　against　the　back　wall　of　the　cabin；　and　listened　to　the　voices　on　the　monitor　speakers。
　　〃OK；　channel　nine　on　power；〃　said　a　voice；　〃testing　channel　fifteen。。。〃
　　Another　thumping　crack　of　noise　walloped　through　the　ship。
　　〃Channel　fifteen　AOK；〃　said　another　voice。
　　A　third　voice　cut　in。
　　〃The　black　stunt　ship　is　now　in　position；〃　it　said；　〃it's　looking　good。　Gonna　be　a　great　sundive。　Stage　puter　on　line？〃
　　A　puter　voice　answered。
　　〃On　line；〃　it　said。
　　〃Take　control　of　the　black　ship。〃
　　〃Black　ship　locked　into　trajectory　programme；　on　standby。〃
　　〃Testing　channel　twenty。〃
　　Zaphod　leaped　across　the　cabin　and　switched　frequencies　on　the　sub…ether　receiver　before　the　next　mind…pulverizing　noise　hit　them。　He　stood　there　quivering。
　　〃What；〃　said　Trillian　in　a　small　quiet　voice；　〃does　sundive　mean？〃
　　〃It　means；〃　said　Marvin；　〃that　the　ship　is　going　to　dive　into　the　sun。　Sun。。。　Dive。　It's　very　simple　to　understand。　What　do　you　expect　if　you　steal　Hotblack　Desiato's　stunt　ship？〃
　　〃How　do　you　know。。。〃　said　Zaphod　in　a　voice　that　would　make　a　Vegan　snow　lizard　feel　chilly；　〃that　this　is　Hotblack　Desiato's　stuntship？〃
　　〃Simple；〃　said　Marvin；　〃I　parked　it　for　him。〃
　　〃The　why。。。　didn't。。。　you。。。　tell　us！〃
　　〃You　said　you　wanted　excitement　and　adventure　and　really　wild　things。〃
　　〃This　is　awful；〃　said　Arthur　unnecessarily　in　the　pause　which　followed。
　　〃That's　what　I　said；〃　confirmed　Marvin。
　　On　a　different　frequency；　the　sub…ether　receiver　had　picked　up　a　public　broadcast；　which　now　echoed　round　the　cabin。
　　〃。。。　fine　weather　for　the　concert　here　this　afternoon。　I'm　standing　here　in　front　of　the　stage；〃　the　reporter　lied；　〃in　the　middle　of　the　Rudlit　Desert；　and　with　the　aid　of　hyperbinoptic　glasses　I　can　just　about　make　out　the　huge　audience　cowering　there　on　the　horizon　all　around　me。　Behind　me　the　speaker　stacks　rise　like　a　sheer　cliff　face；　and　high　above　me　the　sun　is　shining　away　and　doesn't　know　what's　going　to　hit　it。　The　environmentalist　lobby　do　know　what's　going　to　hit　it；　and　they　claim　that　the　concert　will　cause　earthquakes；　tidal　waves；　hurricanes；　irreparable　damage　to　the　atmosphere；　and　all　the　usual　things　that　environmentalists　usually　go　on　about。
　　〃But　I've　just　had　a　report　that　a　representative　of　Disaster　Area　met　with　the　environmentalists　at　lunchtime；　and　had　them　all　shot；　so　nothing　now　lies　in　the　way　of。。。〃
　　Zaphod　switched　it　off。　He　turned　to　Ford。
　　〃You　know　what　I'm　thinking？〃　he　said。
　　〃I　think　so；〃　said　Ford。
　　〃Tell　me　what　you　think　I'm　thinking。〃
　　〃I　think　you're　thinking　it's　time　we　get　off　this　ship。〃
　　〃I　think　you're　right；〃　said　Zaphod。
　　〃I　think　you're　right；〃　said　Ford。
　　〃How？〃　said　Arthur。
　　〃Quiet；〃　said　Ford　and　Zaphod；　〃we're　thinking。〃
　　〃So　this　is　it；〃　said　Arthur；　〃we're　going　to　die。〃
　　〃I　wish　you'd　stop　saying　that；〃　said　Ford。
　　It　is　worth　repeating　at　this　point　the　theories　that　Ford　had　e　up　with；　on　his　first　encounter　with　human　beings；　to　account　for　their　peculiar　habit　of　continually　stating　and　restating　the　very　very　obvious；　as　it　'It's　a　nice　day；〃　or　〃You're　very　tall；〃　or　〃So　this　is　it；　we're　going　to　die。〃
　　His　first　theory　was　that　if　human　beings　didn't　keep　exercising　their　lips；　their　mouths　probably　seized　up。
　　After　a　few　months　of　observation　he　had　e　up　with　a　second　t