da.thehitchhikersguidetothegalaxy-第21部分

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appeared　to　be　a　crisscross　warren　of　converging　tunnels。　When　they　finally　stopped　it　was　in　a　small　chamber　of　curved　steel。　Several　tunnels　also　had　their　terminus　here；　and　at　the　farther　end　of　the　chamber　Arthur　could　see　a　large　circle　of　dim　irritating　light。　It　was　irritating　because　it　played　tricks　with　the　eyes；　it　was　impossible　to　focus　on　it　properly　or　tell　how　near　or　far　it　was。　Arthur　guessed　（quite　wrongly）　that　it　might　be　ultra　violet。
　　Slartibartfast　turned　and　regarded　Arthur　with　his　solemn　old　eyes。
　　〃Earthman；〃　he　said；　〃we　are　now　deep　in　the　heart　of　Magrathea。〃　〃How　did　you　know　I　was　an　Earthman？〃　demanded　Arthur。　〃These　things　will　bee　clear　to　you；〃　said　the　old　man　gently；　〃at　least；〃　he　added　with　slight　doubt　in　his　voice；　〃clearer　than　they　are　at　the　moment。〃
　　He　continued：　〃I　should　warn　you　that　the　chamber　we　are　about　to　pass　into　does　not　literally　exist　within　our　planet。　It　is　a　little　too。。。　large。　We　are　about　to　pass　through　a　gateway　into　a　vast　tract　of　hyperspace。　It　may　disturb　you。〃
　　Arthur　made　nervous　noises。　Slartibartfast　touched　a　button　and　added；　not　entirely　reassuringly。　〃It　scares　the　willies　out　of　me。　Hold　tight。〃
　　The　car　shot　forward　straight　into　the　circle　of　light；　and　suddenly　Arthur　had　a　fairly　clear　idea　of　what　infinity　looked　like。
　　It　wasn't　infinity　in　fact。　Infinity　itself　looks　flat　and　uninteresting。　Looking　up　into　the　night　sky　is　looking　into　infinity　…　distance　is　inprehensible　and　therefore　meaningless。　The　chamber　into　which　the　aircar　emerged　was　anything　but　infinite；　it　was　just　very　very　big；　so　that　it　gave　the　impression　of　infinity　far　better　than　infinity　itself。
　　Arthur's　senses　bobbed　and　span；　as；　travelling　at　the　immense　speed　he　knew　the　aircar　attained；　they　climbed　slowly　through　the　open　air　leaving　the　gateway　through　which　they　had　passed　an　invisible　pinprick　in　the　shimmering　wall　behind　them。
　　The　wall。　The　wall　defied　the　imagination　…　seduced　it　and　defeated　it。　The　wall　was　so　paralysingly　vast　and　sheer　that　its　top；　bottom　and　sides　passed　away　beyond　the　reach　of　sight。　The　mere　shock　of　vertigo　could　kill　a　man。
　　The　wall　appeared　perfectly　flat。　It　would　take　the　finest　laser　measuring　equipment　to　detect　that　as　it　climbed；　apparently　to　infinity；　as　it　dropped　dizzily　away；　as　it　planed　out　to　either　side；　it　also　curved。　It　met　itself　again　thirteen　light　seconds　away。　In　other　words　the　wall　formed　the　inside　of　a　hollow　sphere；　a　sphere　over　three　million　miles　across　and　flooded　with　unimaginable　light。
　　〃Wele；〃　said　Slartibartfast　as　the　tiny　speck　that　was　the　aircar；　travelling　now　at　three　times　the　speed　of　sound；　crept　imperceptibly　forward　into　the　mindboggling　space；　〃wele；〃　he　said；　〃to　our　factory　floor。〃
　　Arthur　stared　about　him　in　a　kind　of　wonderful　horror。　Ranged　away　before　them；　at　distances　he　could　neither　judge　nor　even　guess　at；　were　a　series　of　curious　suspensions；　delicate　traceries　of　metal　and　light　hung　about　shadowy　spherical　shapes　that　hung　in　the　space。
　　〃This；〃　said　Slartibartfast；　〃is　where　we　make　most　of　our　planets　you　see。〃
　　〃You　mean；〃　said　Arthur；　trying　to　form　the　words；　〃you　mean　you're　starting　it　all　up　again　now？〃
　　〃No　no；　good　heavens　no；〃　exclaimed　the　old　man；　〃no；　the　Galaxy　isn't　nearly　rich　enough　to　support　us　yet。　No；　we've　been　awakened　to　perform　just　one　extraordinary　mission　for　very。。。　special　clients　from　another　dimension。　It　may　interest　you。。。　there　in　the　distance　in　front　of　us。〃
　　Arthur　followed　the　old　man's　finger；　till　he　was　able　to　pick　out　the　floating　structure　he　was　pointing　out。　It　was　indeed　the　only　one　of　the　many　structures　that　betrayed　any　sign　of　activity　about　it；　though　this　was　more　a　sublimal　impression　than　anything　one　could　put　one's　finger　on。
　　At　the　moment　however　a　flash　of　light　arced　through　the　structure　and　revealed　in　stark　relief　the　patterns　that　were　formed　on　the　dark　sphere　within。　Patterns　that　Arthur　knew；　rough　blobby　shapes　that　were　as　familiar　to　him　as　the　shapes　of　words；　part　of　the　furniture　of　his　mind。　For　a　few　seconds　he　sat　in　stunned　silence　as　the　images　rushed　around　his　mind　and　tried　to　find　somewhere　to　settle　down　and　make　sense。　
　　Part　of　his　brain　told　him　that　he　knew　perfectly　well　what　he　was　looking　at　and　what　the　shapes　represented　whilst　another　quite　sensibly　refused　to　countenance　the　idea　and　abdicated　responsibility　for　any　further　thinking　in　that　direction。
　　The　flash　came　again；　and　this　time　there　could　be　no　doubt。　〃The　Earth。。。〃　whispered　Arthur。　〃Well；　the　Earth　Mark　Two　in　fact；〃　said　Slartibartfast　cheerfully。　〃We're　making　a　copy　from　our　original　blueprints。〃
　　There　was　a　pause。　〃Are　you　trying　to　tell　me；〃　said　Arthur；　slowly　and　with　control；　〃that　you　originally。。。　made　the　Earth？〃
　　〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Slartibartfast。　〃Did　you　ever　go　to　a　place。。。　I　think　it　was　called　Norway？〃
　　〃No；〃　said　Arthur；　〃no；　I　didn't。〃　〃Pity；〃　said　Slartibartfast；　〃that　was　one　of　mine。　Won　an　award　you　know。　Lovely　crinkly　edges。　I　was　most　upset　to　hear　about　its　destruction。〃
　　〃You　were　upset！〃
　　〃Yes。　Five　minutes　later　and　it　wouldn't　have　mattered　so　much。　It　was　a　quite　shocking　cock…up。〃　
　　〃Huh？〃　said　Arthur。
　　〃The　mice　were　furious。〃
　　〃The　mice　were　furious？〃
　　〃Oh　yes；〃　said　the　old　man　mildly。
　　〃Yes　well　so　I　expect　were　the　dogs　and　cats　and　duckbilled　platypuses；　but。。。〃
　　　
　　〃Ah；　but　they　hadn't　paid　for　it　you　see；　had　they？〃
　　〃Look；〃　said　Arthur；　〃would　it　save　you　a　lot　of　time　if　I　just　gave　up　and　went　mad　now？〃
　　For　a　while　the　aircar　flew　on　in　awkward　silence。　Then　the　old　man　tried　patiently　to　explain。
　　〃Earthman；　the　planet　you　lived　on　was　missioned；　paid　for；　and　run　by　mice。　It　was　destroyed　five　minutes　before　the　pletion　of　the　purpose　for　which　it　was　built；　and　we've　got　to　build　another　one。〃
　　Only　one　word　registered　with　Arthur。　〃Mice？〃　he　said。
　　〃Indeed　Earthman。〃
　　〃Look；　sorry　…　are　we　talking　about　the　little　white　furry　things　with　the　cheese　fixation　and　women　standing　on　tables　screaming　in　early　sixties　sits？〃
　　Slartibartfast　coughed　politely。　〃Earthman；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　sometimes　hard　to　follow　your　mode　of　speech。　Remember　I　have　been　asleep　inside　this　planet　of　Magrathea　for　five　million　years　and　know　little　of　these　early　sixties　sits　of　which　you　speak。　These　creatures　you　call　mice；　you　see；　they　are　not　quite　as　they　appear。　They　are　merely　the　protrusion　into　our　dimension　of　vast　hyperintelligent　pan…dimensional　beings。　The　whole　business　with　the　cheese　and　the　squeaking　is　just　a　front。〃
　　The　old　man　paused；　and　with　a　sympathetic　frown　continued。　〃They've　been　experimenting　on　you　I'm　afraid。〃　Arthur　thought　about　this　for　a　second；　and　then　his　face　cleared。
　　〃Ah　no；〃　he　said；　〃I　see　the　source　of　the　misunderstanding　now。　No；　look　you　see；　what　happened　was　that　we　used　to　do　experiments　on　them。　They　were　often　used　in　behavioural　research；　Pavlov　and　all　that　sort　of　stuff。　So　what　happened　was　that　the　mice　would　be　set　all　sorts　of　tests；　learning　to　ring　bells；　run　around　mazes　and　things　so　that　the　whole　nature　of　the　learning　process　could　be　examined。　From　our　observations　of　their　behaviour　we　were　able　to　learn　all　sorts　of　things　about　our　own。。。〃
　　Arthur's　voice　tailed　off。
　　〃Such　subtlety。。。〃　said　Slartibartfast；　〃one　has　to　admire　it。〃
　　〃What？〃　said　Arthur。
　　〃How　better　to　disguise　their　real　natures；　and　how　better　to　guide　your　thinking。　Suddenly　running　down　a　maze　the　wrong　way；　eating　the　wrong　bit　of　cheese；　unexpectedly　dropping　dead　of　myxomatosis；　…　if　it's　finely　calculated　the　cumulative　effect　is　enormous。〃
　　He　paused　for　effect。　〃You　see；　Earthman；　they　really　are　particularly　clever　hyperintelligent　pan…dimensional　beings。　Your　planet　and　people　have　formed　the　matrix　of　an　organic　puter　running　a　ten…million…year　research　programme。。。
　　〃Let　me　tell　you　the　whole　story。　It'll　take　a　little　time。〃
　　〃Time；〃　said　Arthur　weakly；　〃is　not　currently　one　of　my　problems。〃
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　25
　　
　　There　are　of　course　many　problems　connected　with　life；　of　which　some　of　the　most　popular　are　Why　are　people　born？　Why　do　they　die？　Why　do　they　want　to　spend　so　much　of　the　intervening　time　wearing　digital　watches？
　　Many　many　millions　of　years　ago　a　race　of　hyperintelligent　pan…dimensional　beings　（whose　physical　manifestation　in　their　own　pan…dimensional　universe　is　not　dissimilar　to　our　own）　got　so　fed　up　with　the　constant　bickering　about　the　meaning　of　life　which　used　to　interrupt　their　favourite　pastime　of　Brockian　Ultra　Cricket　（a　curious　game　which　involved　suddenly　hitting　people　for　no　readily　apparent　reason　and　then　running　away）　that　they　decided　to　sit　down　and　solve　their　problems　once　and　for　all。
　　And　to　this　end　they　built　themselves　a　stupendous　super　puter　which　was　so　amazingly　intelligent　that　even　before　the　data　banks　had　been　connected　up　it　had　started　from　I　think　therefore　I　am　and　got　as　far　as　the　existence　of　rice　pudding　and　ine　tax　before　anyone　managed　to　turn　it　off。
　　It　was　the　size　of　a　small　city。
　　Its　main　console　was　installed　in　a　specially　designed　executive　office；　mounted　on　an　enormous　executive　desk　of　finest　ultra…mahagony　topped　with　rich　ultrared　leather。　The　dark　carpeting　was　discreetly　sumptuous；　exotic　pot　plants　and　tastefully　engraved　prints　of　the　principal　puter　programmers　and　their　families　were　deployed　liberally　about　the　room；　and　stately　windows　looked　out　upon　a　tree…lined　public　square。
　　On　the　day　of　the　Great　On…Turning　two　soberly　dressed　programmers　with　brief　cases　arrived　and　were　shown　discreetly　into　the　office。　They　were　aware　that　this　day　they　would　represent　their　entire　race　in　its　greatest　moment；　but　they　conducted　themselves　calmly　and　quietly　as　they　seated　themselves　deferentially　before　the　desk；　opened　their　brief　cases　and　took　out　their　leather…bound　notebooks。
　　Their　names　were　Lunkwill　and　Fook。
　　For　a　few　moments　they　sat　in　respectful　silence；　then；　after　exchanging　a　quiet　glance　with　Fook；　Lunkwill　leaned　forward　and　touched　a