da.therestaurantattheendoftheuniverse-第5节

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　　They　turned　off　the　light　music。
　　They　searched　every　corner　of　the　ship　in　increasing　bewilderment　and　alarm。　Everywhere　was　dead　and　silent。　Nowhere　was　there　any　trace　of　Zaphod　or　of　Marvin。
　　One　of　the　last　areas　they　checked　was　the　small　bay　in　which　the　Nutri…Matic　machine　was　located。
　　On　the　delivery　plate　of　the　Nutri…Matic　Drink　Synthesizer　was　a　small　tray；　on　which　sat　three　bone　china　cups　and　saucers；　a　bone　china　jug　of　milk；　a　silver　teapot　full　of　the　best　tea　Arthur　had　ever　tasted；　and　a　small　printed　note　saying　〃Wait〃。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　5
　　
　　Ursa　Minor　Beta　is；　some　say；　one　of　the　most　appalling　places　in　the　known　Universe。
　　Although　it　is　excruciatingly　rich；　horrifyingly　sunny　and　more　full　of　wonderfully　exciting　people　than　a　pomegranate　is　of　pips；　it　can　hardly　be　insignificant　that　when　a　recent　edition　of　Playbeing　magazine　headlined　an　article　with　the　words　〃When　you　are　tired　of　Ursa　Minor　Beta　you　are　tired　of　life〃；　the　suicide　rate　quadrupled　overnight。
　　Not　that　there　are　any　nights　on　Ursa　Minor　Beta。
　　It　is　a　West　Zone　planet　which　by　an　inexplicable　and　somewhat　suspicious　freak　of　topography　consists　almost　entirely　of　sub…tropical　coastline。　By　an　equally　suspicious　freak　of　temporal　relastatics；　it　is　nearly　always　Saturday　afternoon　just　before　the　beach　bars　close。
　　No　adequate　explanation　for　this　has　been　forthing　from　the　dominant　lifeforms　on　Ursa　Minor　Beta；　who　spend　most　of　their　time　attempting　to　achieve　spiritual　enlightenment　by　running　round　swimming　pools；　and　inviting　Investigation　Officials　form　the　Galactic　Geo…Temporal　Control　Board　to　〃have　a　nice　diurnal　anomaly〃。
　　There　is　only　one　city　on　Ursa　Minor　Beta；　and　that　is　only　called　a　city　because　the　swimming　pools　are　slightly　thicker　on　the　ground　there　than　elsewhere。
　　If　you　approach　Light　City　by　air　…　and　there　is　no　other　way　of　approaching　it；　no　roads；　no　port　facilities　…　if　you　don't　fly　they　don't　want　to　see　you　in　Light　City　…　you　will　see　why　it　has　this　name。　Here　the　sun　shines　brightest　of　all；　glittering　on　the　swimming　pools；　shimmering　on　the　white；　palm…lined　boulevards；　glistening　on　the　healthy　bronzed　specks　moving　up　and　down　them；　gleaming　off　the　villas；　the　hazy　airpads；　the　beach　bars　and　so　on。
　　Most　particularly　it　shines　on　a　building；　a　tall　beautiful　building　consisting　of　two　thirty…storey　white　towers　connected　by　a　bridge　half…way　up　their　length。
　　The　building　is　the　home　of　a　book；　and　was　built　here　on　the　proceeds　of　an　extraordinary　copyright　law　suit　fought　between　the　book's　editors　and　a　breakfast　cereal　pany。
　　The　book　is　a　guide　book；　a　travel　book。
　　It　is　one　of　the　most　remarkable；　certainly　the　most　successful；　books　ever　to　e　out　of　the　great　publishing　corporations　of　Ursa　Minor　…　more　popular　than　Life　Begins　at　Five　Hundred　and　Fifty；　better　selling　than　The　Big　Bang　Theory　…　A　Personal　View　by　Eccentrica　Gallumbits　（the　triple　breasted　whore　of　Eroticon　Six）　and　more　controversial　than　Oolon　Colluphid's　latest　blockbusting　title　Everything　You　Never　Wanted　To　Know　About　Sex　But　Have　Been　Forced　To　Find　Out。
　　（And　in　many　of　the　more　relaxed　civilizations　on　the　Outer　Eastern　Rim　of　the　Galaxy；　it　has　long　surplanted　the　great　Encyclopaedia　Galactica　as　the　standard　repository　of　all　knowledge　and　wisdom；　for　though　it　has　many　omissions　and　contains　much　that　is　apocryphal；　or　at　least　wildly　inaccurate；　it　scores　over　the　older　and　more　pedestrian　work　in　two　important　respects。　First；　it　is　slightly　cheaper；　and　secondly　it　has　the　words　Don't　Panic　printed　in　large　friendly　letters　on　its　cover。）
　　It　is　of　course　that　invaluable　panion　for　all　those　who　want　to　see　the　marvels　of　the　known　Universe　for　less　than　thirty　Altairan　Dollars　a　day　…　The　Hitch　Hiker's　Guide　to　the　Galaxy。
　　If　you　stood　with　your　back　to　the　main　entrance　lobby　of　the　Guide　offices　（assuming　you　had　landed　by　now　and　freshened　up　with　a　quick　dip　and　shower）　and　then　walked　east；　you　would　pass　along　the　leafy　shade　of　Life　Boulevard；　be　amazed　by　the　pale　golden　colour　of　the　beaches　stretching　away　to　your　left；　astounded　by　the　mind…surfers　floating　carelessly　along　two　feet　above　the　waves　as　if　it　was　nothing　special；　surprised　and　eventually　slightly　irritated　by　the　giant　palm　trees　that　hum　toneless　nothings　throughout　the　daylight　hours；　in　other　words　continuously。
　　If　you　then　walked　to　the　end　of　Life　Boulevard　you　would　enter　the　Lalamatine　district　of　shops；　bolonut　trees　and　pavement　cafes　where　the　UM…Betans　e　to　relax　after　a　hard　afternoon's　relaxation　on　the　beach。　The　Lalamatine　district　is　one　of　those　very　few　areas　which　doesn't　enjoy　a　perpetual　Saturday　afternoon　…　it　enjoys　instead　the　cool　of　a　perpetual　early　Saturday　evening。　Behind　it　lie　the　night　clubs。
　　If；　on　this　particular　day；　afternoon；　stretch　of　eveningtime　…　call　it　what　you　will　…　you　had　approached　the　second　pavement　cafe　on　the　right　you　would　have　seen　the　usual　crowd　of　UM…Betans　chatting；　drinking；　looking　very　relaxed；　and　casually　glancing　at　each　other's　watches　to　see　how　expensive　they　were。
　　You　would　also　have　seen　a　couple　of　rather　dishevelled　looking　hitch…hikers　from　Algol　who　had　recently　arrived　on　an　Arcturan　Megafreighter　aboard　which　they　had　been　roughing　it　for　a　few　days。　They　were　angry　and　bewildered　to　discover　that　here；　within　sight　of　the　Hitch　Hiker's　Guide　building　itself；　a　simple　glass　of　fruit　juice　cost　the　equivalent　of　over　sixty　Altairan　dollars。
　　〃Sell　out；〃　one　of　them　said；　bitterly。
　　If　at　that　moment　you　had　then　looked　at　the　next　table　but　one　you　would　have　seen　Zaphod　Beeblebrox　sitting　and　looking　very　startled　and　confused。
　　The　reason　for　his　confusion　was　that　five　seconds　earlier　he　had　been　sitting　on　the　bridge　of　the　starship　Heart　of　Gold。
　　〃Absolute　sell　out；〃　said　the　voice　again。
　　Zaphod　looked　nervously　out　of　the　corners　of　his　eyes　at　the　two　dishevelled　hitch…hikers　at　the　next　table。　Where　the　hell　was　he？　How　had　he　got　there？　Where　was　his　ship？　His　hand　felt　the　arm　of　the　chair　on　which　he　was　sitting；　and　then　the　table　in　front　of　him。　They　seemed　solid　enough。　He　sat　very　still。
　　〃How　can　they　sit　and　write　a　guide　for　hitch…hikers　in　a　place　like　this？〃　continued　the　voice。　〃I　mean　look　at　it。　Look　at　it！〃
　　Zaphod　was　looking　at　it。　Nice　place；　he　thought。　But　where？　And　why？
　　He　fished　in　his　pocket　for　his　two　pairs　of　sunglasses。　In　the　same　pocket　he　felt　a　hard　smooth；　unidentified　lump　of　very　heavy　metal。　He　pulled　it　out　and　looked　at　it。　He　blinked　at　it　in　surprise。　Where　had　he　got　that？　He　returned　it　to　his　pocket　and　put　on　the　sunglasses；　annoyed　to　discover　that　the　metal　object　had　scratched　one　of　the　lenses。　Nevertheless；　he　felt　much　more　fortable　with　them　on。　They　were　a　double　pair　of　Joo　Janta　200　Super…Chromatic　Peril　Sensitive　Sunglasses；　which　had　been　specially　designed　to　help　people　develop　a　relaxed　attitude　to　danger。　At　the　first　hint　of　trouble　they　turn　totally　black　and　thus　prevent　you　from　seeing　anything　that　might　alarm　you。
　　Apart　from　the　scratch　the　lenses　were　clear。　He　relaxed；　but　only　a　little　bit。
　　The　angry　hitch…hiker　continued　to　glare　at　his　monstrously　expensive　fruit　juice。
　　〃Worst　thing　that　ever　happened　to　the　Guide；　moving　to　Ursa　Minor　Beta；〃　he　grumbled；　〃they've　all　gone　soft。　You　know；　I've　even　heard　that　they've　created　a　whole　electronically　synthesized　Universe　in　one　of　their　offices　so　they　can　go　and　research　stories　during　the　day　and　still　go　to　parties　in　the　evening。　Not　that　day　and　evening　mean　much　in　this　place。〃
　　Ursa　Minor　Beta；　thought　Zaphod。　At　least　he　knew　where　he　was　now。　He　assumed　that　this　must　be　his　great　grandfather's　doing；　but　why？
　　Much　to　his　annoyance；　a　thought　popped　into　his　mind。　It　was　very　clear　and　very　distinct；　and　he　had　now　e　to　recognize　these　thoughts　for　what　they　were。　His　instinct　was　to　resist　them。　They　were　the　pre…ordained　promptings　from　the　dark　and　locked　off　parts　of　his　mind。
　　He　sat　still　and　ignored　the　thought　furiously。　It　nagged　at　him。　He　ignored　it。　It　nagged　at　him。　He　ignored　it。　It　nagged　at　him。　He　gave　in　to　it。
　　What　the　hell；　he　thought；　go　with　the　flow。　He　was　too　tired；　confused　and　hungry　to　resist。　He　didn't　even　know　what　the　thought　meant。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　6
　　
　　〃Hello？　Yes？　Megadodo　Publications；　home　of　The　Hitch　Hiker's　Guide　to　the　Galaxy；　the　most　totally　remarkable　book　in　the　whole　of　the　known　Universe；　can　I　help　you？〃　said　the　large　pink…winged　insect　into　one　of　the　seventy　phones　lined　up　along　the　vast　chrome　expanse　of　the　reception　desk　in　the　foyer　of　The　Hitch　Hiker's　Guide　to　the　Galaxy　offices。　It　fluttered　its　wings　and　rolled　its　eyes。　It　glared　at　all　the　grubby　people　cluttering　up　the　foyer；　soiling　the　carpets　and　leaving　dirty　handmarks　on　the　upholstery。　It　adored　working　for　The　Hitch　Hiker's　Guide　to　the　Galaxy；　it　just　wished　there　was　some　way　of　keeping　all　the　hitch…hikers　away。　Weren't　they　meant　to　be　hanging　round　dirty　spaceports　or　something？　It　was　certain　that　it　had　read　something