da.thehitchhikersguidetothegalaxy-第2部分

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ally　telling　anybody　or　anything。〃
　　〃But　the　plans　were　on　display。。。〃
　　〃On　display？　I　eventually　had　to　go　down　to　the　cellar　to　find　them。〃
　　〃That's　the　display　department。〃
　　〃With　a　torch。〃
　　〃Ah；　well　the　lights　had　probably　gone。〃
　　〃So　had　the　stairs。〃
　　〃But　look；　you　found　the　notice　didn't　you？〃
　　〃Yes；〃　said　Arthur；　〃yes　I　did。　It　was　on　display　in　the　bottom　of　a　locked　filing　cabinet　stuck　in　a　disused　lavatory　with　a　sign　on　the　door　saying　Beware　of　the　Leopard。〃
　　A　cloud　passed　overhead。　It　cast　a　shadow　over　Arthur　Dent　as　he　lay　propped　up　on　his　elbow　in　the　cold　mud。　It　cast　a　shadow　over　Arthur　Dent's　house。　Mr。　Prosser　frowned　at　it。
　　〃It's　not　as　if　it's　a　particularly　nice　house；〃　he　said。
　　〃I'm　sorry；　but　I　happen　to　like　it。〃
　　〃You'll　like　the　bypass。〃
　　〃Oh　shut　up；〃　said　Arthur　Dent。　〃Shut　up　and　go　away；　and　take　your　bloody　bypass　with　you。　You　haven't　got　a　leg　to　stand　on　and　you　know　it。〃
　　Mr。　Prosser's　mouth　opened　and　closed　a　couple　of　times　while　his　mind　was　for　a　moment　filled　with　inexplicable　but　terribly　attractive　visions　of　Arthur　Dent's　house　being　consumed　with　fire　and　Arthur　himself　running　screaming　from　the　blazing　ruin　with　at　least　three　hefty　spears　protruding　from　his　back。　Mr。　Prosser　was　often　bothered　with　visions　like　these　and　they　made　him　feel　very　nervous。　He　stuttered　for　a　moment　and　then　pulled　himself　together。
　　〃Mr。　Dent；〃　he　said。
　　〃Hello？　Yes？〃　said　Arthur。
　　〃Some　factual　information　for　you。　Have　you　any　idea　how　much　damage　that　bulldozer　would　suffer　if　I　just　let　it　roll　straight　over　you？〃
　　〃How　much？〃　said　Arthur。
　　〃None　at　all；〃　said　Mr。　Prosser；　and　stormed　nervously　off　wondering　why　his　brain　was　filled　with　a　thousand　hairy　horsemen　all　shouting　at　him。
　　By　a　curious　coincidence；　None　at　all　is　exactly　how　much　suspicion　the　ape…descendant　Arthur　Dent　had　that　one　of　his　closest　friends　was　not　descended　from　an　ape；　but　was　in　fact　from　a　small　planet　in　the　vicinity　of　Betelgeuse　and　not　from　Guildford　as　he　usually　claimed。
　　Arthur　Dent　had　never；　ever　suspected　this。
　　This　friend　of　his　had　first　arrived　on　the　planet　some　fifteen　Earth　years　previously；　and　he　had　worked　hard　to　blend　himself　into　Earth　society　…　with；　it　must　be　said；　some　success。　For　instance　he　had　spent　those　fifteen　years　pretending　to　be　an　out　of　work　actor；　which　was　plausible　enough。
　　He　had　made　one　careless　blunder　though；　because　he　had　skimped　a　bit　on　his　preparatory　research。　The　information　he　had　gathered　had　led　him　to　choose　the　name　〃Ford　Prefect〃　as　being　nicely　inconspicuous。
　　He　was　not　conspicuously　tall；　his　features　were　striking　but　not　conspicuously　handsome。　His　hair　was　wiry　and　gingerish　and　brushed　backwards　from　the　temples。　His　skin　seemed　to　be　pulled　backwards　from　the　nose。　There　was　something　very　slightly　odd　about　him；　but　it　was　difficult　to　say　what　it　was。　Perhaps　it　was　that　his　eyes　didn't　blink　often　enough　and　when　you　talked　to　him　for　any　length　of　time　your　eyes　began　involuntarily　to　water　on　his　behalf。　Perhaps　it　was　that　he　smiled　slightly　too　broadly　and　gave　people　the　unnerving　impression　that　he　was　about　to　go　for　their　neck。
　　He　struck　most　of　the　friends　he　had　made　on　Earth　as　an　eccentric；　but　a　harmless　one　…　an　unruly　boozer　with　some　oddish　habits。　For　instance　he　would　often　gatecrash　university　parties；　get　badly　drunk　and　start　making　fun　of　any　astrophysicist　he　could　find　till　he　got　thrown　out。
　　Sometimes　he　would　get　seized　with　oddly　distracted　moods　and　stare　into　the　sky　as　if　hypnotized　until　someone　asked　him　what　he　was　doing。　Then　he　would　start　guiltily　for　a　moment；　relax　and　grin。
　　〃Oh；　just　looking　for　flying　saucers；〃　he　would　joke　and　everyone　would　laugh　and　ask　him　what　sort　of　flying　saucers　he　was　looking　for。
　　〃Green　ones！〃　he　would　reply　with　a　wicked　grin；　laugh　wildly　for　a　moment　and　then　suddenly　lunge　for　the　nearest　bar　and　buy　an　enormous　round　of　drinks。
　　Evenings　like　this　usually　ended　badly。　Ford　would　get　out　of　his　skull　on　whisky；　huddle　into　a　corner　with　some　girl　and　explain　to　her　in　slurred　phrases　that　honestly　the　colour　of　the　flying　saucers　didn't　matter　that　much　really。
　　Thereafter；　staggering　semi…paralytic　down　the　night　streets　he　would　often　ask　passing　policemen　if　they　knew　the　way　to　Betelgeuse。　The　policemen　would　usually　say　something　like；　〃Don't　you　think　it's　about　time　you　went　off　home　sir？〃
　　〃I'm　trying　to　baby；　I'm　trying　to；〃　is　what　Ford　invariably　replied　on　these　occasions。
　　In　fact　what　he　was　really　looking　out　for　when　he　stared　distractedly　into　the　night　sky　was　any　kind　of　flying　saucer　at　all。　The　reason　he　said　green　was　that　green　was　the　traditional　space　livery　of　the　Betelgeuse　trading　scouts。
　　Ford　Prefect　was　desperate　that　any　flying　saucer　at　all　would　arrive　soon　because　fifteen　years　was　a　long　time　to　get　stranded　anywhere；　particularly　somewhere　as　mindboggingly　dull　as　the　Earth。
　　Ford　wished　that　a　flying　saucer　would　arrive　soon　because　he　knew　how　to　flag　flying　saucers　down　and　get　lifts　from　them。　He　knew　how　to　see　the　Marvels　of　the　Universe　for　less　than　thirty　Altairan　dollars　a　day。
　　In　fact；　Ford　Prefect　was　a　roving　researcher　for　that　wholly　remarkable　book　The　Hitch　Hiker's　Guide　to　the　Galaxy。。
　　Human　beings　are　great　adaptors；　and　by　lunchtime　life　in　the　environs　of　Arthur's　house　had　settled　into　a　steady　routine。　It　was　Arthur's　accepted　role　to　lie　squelching　in　the　mud　making　occasional　demands　to　see　his　lawyer；　his　mother　or　a　good　book；　it　was　Mr。　Prosser's　accepted　role　to　tackle　Arthur　with　the　occasional　new　ploy　such　as　the　For　the　Public　Good　talk；　the　March　of　Progress　talk；　the　They　Knocked　My　House　Down　Once　You　Know；　Never　Looked　Back　talk　and　various　other　cajoleries　and　threats；　and　it　was　the　bulldozer　drivers'　accepted　role　to　sit　around　drinking　coffee　and　experimenting　with　union　regulations　to　see　how　they　could　turn　the　situation　to　their　financial　advantage。
　　The　Earth　moved　slowly　in　its　diurnal　course。
　　The　sun　was　beginning　to　dry　out　the　mud　Arthur　lay　in。
　　A　shadow　moved　across　him　again。
　　〃Hello　Arthur；〃　said　the　shadow。
　　Arthur　looked　up　and　squinting　into　the　sun　was　startled　to　see　Ford　Prefect　standing　above　him。
　　〃Ford！　Hello；　how　are　you？〃
　　〃Fine；〃　said　Ford；　〃look；　are　you　busy？〃
　　〃Am　I　busy？〃　exclaimed　Arthur。　〃Well；　I've　just　got　all　these　bulldozers　and　things　to　lie　in　front　of　because　they'll　knock　my　house　down　if　I　don't；　but　other　than　that。。。　well；　no　not　especially；　why？〃
　　They　don't　have　sarcasm　on　Betelgeuse；　and　Ford　Prefect　often　failed　to　notice　it　unless　he　was　concentrating。　He　said；　〃Good；　is　there　anywhere　we　can　talk？〃
　　〃What？〃　said　Arthur　Dent。
　　For　a　few　seconds　Ford　seemed　to　ignore　him；　and　stared　fixedly　into　the　sky　like　a　rabbit　trying　to　get　run　over　by　a　car。　Then　suddenly　he　squatted　down　beside　Arthur。
　　〃We've　got　to　talk；〃　he　said　urgently。
　　〃Fine；〃　said　Arthur；　〃talk。〃
　　〃And　drink；〃　said　Ford。　〃It's　vitally　important　that　we　talk　and　drink。　Now。　We'll　go　to　the　pub　in　the　village。〃
　　He　looked　into　the　sky　again；　nervous；　expectant。
　　〃Look；　don't　you　understand？〃　shouted　Arthur。　He　pointed　at　Prosser。　〃That　man　wants　to　knock　my　house　down！〃
　　Ford　glanced　at　him；　puzzled。
　　〃Well　he　can　do　it　while　you're　away　can't　he？〃　he　asked。
　　〃But　I　don't　want　him　to！〃
　　〃Ah。〃
　　〃Look；　what's　the　matter　with　you　Ford？〃　said　Arthur。
　　〃Nothing。　Nothing's　the　matter。　Listen　to　me　…　I've　got　to　tell　you　the　most　important　thing　you've　ever　heard。　I've　got　to　tell　you　now；　and　I've　got　to　tell　you　in　the　saloon　bar　of　the　Horse　and　Groom。〃
　　〃But　why？〃
　　〃Because　you　are　going　to　need　a　very　stiff　drink。〃
　　Ford　stared　at　Arthur；　and　Arthur　was　astonished　to　find　that　his　will　was　beginning　to　weaken。　He　didn't　realize　that　this　was　because　of　an　old　drinking　game　that　Ford　learned　to　play　in　the　hyperspace　ports　that　served　the　madranite　mining　belts　in　the　star　system　of　Orion　Beta。
　　The　game　was　not　unlike　the　Earth　game　called　Indian　Wrestling；　and　was　played　like　this：
　　Two　contestants　would　sit　either　side　of　a　table；　with　a　glass　in　front　of　each　of　them。
　　Between　them　would　be　placed　a　bottle　of　Janx　Spirit　（as　immortalized　in　that　ancient　Orion　mining　song　〃Oh　don't　give　me　none　more　of　that　Old　Janx　Spirit/　No；　don't　you　give　me　none　more　of　that　Old　Janx　Spirit/　For　my　head　will　fly；　my　tongue　will　lie；　my　eyes　will　fry　and　I　may　die/　Won't　you　pour　me　one　more　of　that　sinful　Old　Janx　Spirit〃）。
　　Each　of　the　two　contestants　would　then　concentrate　their　will　on　the　bottle　and　attempt　to　tip　it　and　pour　spirit　into　the　glass　of　his　opponent　…　who　would　then　have　to　drink　it。
　　The　bottle　would　then　be　refilled。　The　game　would　be　played　again。　And　again。
　　Once　you　started　to　lose　you　would　probably　keep　losing；　because　one　of　the　effects　of　Janx　spirit　is　to　depress　telepsychic　power。
　　As　soon　as　a　predetermined　quantity　had　been　consumed；　the　final　loser　would　have　to　perform　a　forfeit；　which　was　usually　obscenely　biological。
　　Ford　Prefect　usually　played　to　lose。
　　Ford　stared　at　Arthur；　who　began　to　think　that　perhaps　he　did　want　to　go　to　the　Horse　and　Groom　after　all。
　　〃But　what　about　my　house。。。？〃　he　asked　plaintively。
　　Ford　looked　across　to　Mr。　Prosser；　and　suddenly　a　wicked　thought　struck　him。
　　〃He　wants　to　knock　your　house　down？〃
　　〃Yes；　he　wants　to　build。。。〃
　　〃And　he　can't　because　you're　lying　in　front　of　the　bulldozers？〃
　　〃Yes；　and。。。〃
　　〃I'm　sure　we　can　e　to　some　arrangement；〃　said　Ford。　〃Excuse　me！〃　he　shouted。
　　Mr。　Prosser　（who　was　arguing　with　a　spokesman　for　the　bulldozer　drivers　about　whether　or　not　Arthur　Dent　constituted　a　mental　health　hazard；　and　how　much　they　should　get　paid　if　he　did）　looked　around。　He　was　surprised　and　slightly　alarmed　to　find　that　Arthur　had　pany。
　　〃Yes？　Hello？〃　he　called。　〃Has　Mr。　Dent　e　to　his　senses　yet？〃
　　〃Can　we　for　the　moment；〃　called　Ford；　〃assume　that　he　hasn't？〃
　　〃Well？〃　sighed　Mr。　Prosser。
　　〃And　can　we　al