da.solongandthanksforallthefish-第17部分

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　　He　stood　up　quickly；　put　his　arms　around　her　and　gave　her　a　single　kiss。
　　…　Perhaps　you　can　do　what　I　can　do；　…　he　said；　and　walked　straight　out　of　her　upstairs　front　door。
　　The　record　got　to　the　good　bit。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　23
　　
　　The　battle　raged　on　about　the　star　of　Xaxis。　Hundreds　of　the　fierce　and　horribly　beweaponed　Zirzla　ships　had　now　been　smashed　and　wrenched　to　atoms　by　the　withering　forces　the　huge　silver　Xaxisian　ship　was　able　to　deploy。
　　Part　of　the　moon　had　gone　too；　blasted　away　by　those　same　blazing　force　guns　that　ripped　the　very　fabric　of　space　as　they　passed　through　it。
　　The　Zirzla　ships　that　remained；　horribly　beweaponed　though　they　were；　were　now　hopelessly　outclassed　by　the　devastating　power　of　the　Xaxisian　ship；　and　were　fleeing　for　cover　behind　the　rapidly　disintegrating　moon；　when　the　Xaxisian　ship；　in　hurtling　pursuit　behind　them；　suddenly　announced　that　it　needed　a　holiday　and　left　the　field　of　battle。
　　All　was　redoubled　fear　and　consternation　for　a　moment；　but　the　ship　was　gone。
　　With　the　stupendous　powers　at　its　mand　it　flitted　across　vast　tracts　of　irrationally　shaped　space；　quickly；　effortlessly；　and　above　all；　quietly。
　　Deep　in　his　greasy；　smelly　bunk；　fashioned　out　of　a　maintenance　hatchway；　Ford　Prefect　slept　among　his　towels；　dreaming　of　old　haunts。　He　dreamed　at　one　point　in　his　slumbers　of　New　York。
　　In　his　dream　he　was　walking　late　at　night　along　the　East　Side；　beside　the　river　which　had　bee　so　extravagantly　polluted　that　new　lifeforms　were　now　emerging　from　it　spontaneously；　demanding　welfare　and　voting　rights。
　　One　of　those　now　floated　past；　waving。　Ford　waved　back。
　　The　thing　thrashed　to　the　shore　and　struggled　up　the　bank。
　　…　Hi；　…　it　said；　…　I've　just　been　created。　I'm　pletely　new　to　the　Universe　in　all　respects。　Is　there　anything　you　can　tell　me？
　　…　Phew；　…　said　Ford；　a　little　nonplussed；　…　I　can　tell　you　where　some　bars　are；　I　guess。
　　…　What　about　love　and　happiness。　I　sense　deep　needs　for　things　like　that；　…　it　said；　waving　its　tentacles。　…　Got　any　leads　there？
　　…　You　can　get　some　like　what　you　require；　…　said　Ford；　…　on　Seventh　Avenue。
　　…　I　instinctively　feel；　…　said　the　creature；　urgently；　…　that　I　need　to　be　beautiful。　Am　I？
　　…　You're　pretty　direct；　aren't　you？
　　…　No　point　in　mucking　about。　Am　I？
　　…　To　me？　…　said　Ford。　…　No。　But　listen；　…　he　added　after　a　moment；　…　most　people　make　out；　you　know。　Are　there　and　like　you　down　there？
　　…　Search　me；　buster；　…　said　the　creature；　…　as　I　said；　I'm　new　here。　Life　is　entirely　strange　to　me。　What's　it　like？
　　Here　was　something　that　Ford　felt　he　could　speak　about　with　authority。
　　…　Life；　…　he　said；　…　is　like　a　grapefruit。
　　…　Er；　how　so？
　　…　Well；　it's　sort　of　orangey…yellow　and　dimpled　on　the　outside；　wet　and　squidgy　in　the　middle。　It's　got　pips　inside；　too。　Oh；　and　some　people　have　half　a　one　for　breakfast。
　　…　Is　there　anyone　else　out　there　I　can　talk　to？
　　…　I　expect　so；　…　said　Ford。　…　Ask　a　policeman。
　　Deep　in　his　bunk；　Ford　Prefect　wriggled　and　turned　on　to　his　other　side。　It　wasn't　his　favourite　type　of　dream　because　it　didn't　have　Eccentrica　Gallumbits；　the　Triple…Breasted　Whore　of　Eroticon　VI　in　it；　whom　many　of　his　dreams　did　feature。　But　at　least　it　was　a　dream。　At　least　he　was　asleep。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　24
　　
　　Luckily　there　was　a　strong　updraft　in　the　alley　because　Arthur　hadn't　done　this　sort　of　thing　for　a　while；　at　least；　not　deliberately；　and　deliberately　is　exactly　the　way　you　are　not　meant　to　do　it。
　　He　swung　down　sharply；　nearly　catching　himself　a　nasty　crack　on　the　jaw　with　the　doorstep　and　tumbled　through　the　air；　so　suddenly　stunned　with　what　a　profoundly　stupid　thing　he　had　just　done　that　he　pletely　forgot　the　bit　about　hitting　the　ground　and　didn't。
　　A　nice　trick；　he　thought　to　himself；　if　you　can　do　it。
　　The　ground　was　hanging　menacingly　above　his　head。
　　He　tried　not　to　think　about　the　ground；　what　an　extraordinarily　big　thing　it　was　and　how　much　it　would　hurt　him　if　it　decided　to　stop　hanging　there　and　suddenly　fell　on　him。　He　tried　to　think　nice　thoughts　about　lemurs　instead；　which　was　exactly　the　right　thing　to　do　because　he　couldn't　at　that　moment　remember　precisely　what　a　lemur　was；　if　it　was　one　of　those　things　that　sweep　in　great　majestic　herds　across　the　plains　of　wherever　it　was　or　if　that　was　wildebeests；　so　it　was　a　tricky　kind　of　thing　to　think　nice　thoughts　about　without　simply　resorting　to　an　icky　sort　of　general　well…disposedness　towards　things；　and　all　this　kept　his　mind　well　occupied　while　his　body　tried　to　adjust　to　the　fact　that　it　wasn't　touching　anything。
　　A　Mars　bar　wrapper　fluttered　down　the　alleyway。
　　After　a　seeming　moment　of　doubt　and　indecision　it　eventually　allowed　the　wind　to　ease　it；　fluttering；　between　him　and　the　ground。
　　…　Arthur。。。
　　The　ground　was　still　hanging　menacingly　above　his　head；　and　he　thought　it　was　probably　time　to　do　something　about　that；　such　as　fall　away　from　it；　which　is　what　he　did。　Slowly。　Very；　very　slowly。
　　As　he　fell　slowly；　very；　very　slowly；　he　closed　his　eyes　…　carefully；　so　as　not　to　jolt　anything。
　　The　feel　of　his　eyes　closing　ran　down　his　whole　body。　Once　it　had　reached　his　feet；　and　the　whole　of　his　body　was　alerted　to　the　fact　that　his　eyes　were　now　closed　and　was　not　panicked　by　it；　he　slowly；　very；　very　slowly；　revolved　his　body　one　way　and　his　mind　the　other。
　　That　should　sort　the　ground　out。
　　He　could　feel　the　air　clear　about　him　now；　breezing　around　him　quite　cheerfully；　untroubled　by　his　being　there；　and　slowly；　very；　very　slowly；　as　from　a　deep　and　distant　sleep；　he　opened　his　eyes。
　　He　had　flown　before；　of　course；　flown　many　times　on　Krikkit　until　all　the　birdtalk　had　driven　him　scatty；　but　this　was　different。
　　Here　he　was　on　his　own　world；　quietly；　and　without　fuss；　beyond　a　slight　trembling　which　could　have　been　attributable　to　a　number　of　things；　being　in　the　air。
　　Ten　or　fifteen　feet　below　him　was　the　hard　tarmac　and　a　few　yards　off　to　the　right　the　yellow　street　lights　of　Upper　Street。
　　Luckily　the　alleyway　was　dark　since　the　light　which　was　supposed　to　see　it　through　the　night　was　on　an　ingenious　timeswitch　which　meant　it　came　on　just　before　lunchtime　and　went　off　again　as　the　evening　was　beginning　to　draw　in。　He　was；　therefore；　safely　shrouded　in　a　blanket　of　dark　obscurity。
　　He　slowly；　very；　very　slowly；　lifted　his　head　to　Fenchurch；　who　was　standing　in　silent　breathless　amazement；　silhouetted　in　her　upstairs　doorway。
　　Her　face　was　inches　from　his。
　　…　I　was　about　to　ask　you；　…　she　said　in　a　low　trembly　voice；　…　what　you　were　doing。　But　then　I　realized　that　I　could　see　what　you　were　doing。　You　were　flying。　So　it　seemed；　…　she　went　on　after　a　slight　wondering　pause；　…　like　a　bit　of　a　silly　question。
　　Arthur　said：
　　…　Can　you　do　it？
　　…　No。
　　…　Would　you　like　to　try？
　　She　bit　her　lip　and　shook　her　head；　not　so　much　to　say　no；　but　just　in　sheer　bewilderment。　She　was　shaking　like　a　leaf。
　　…　It's　quite　easy；　…　urged　Arthur；　…　if　you　don't　know　how。　That's　the　important　bit。　Be　not　at　all　sure　how　you're　doing　it。
　　Just　to　demonstrate　how　easy　it　was　he　floated　away　down　the　alley；　fell　upwards　quite　dramatically　and　bobbed　back　down　to　her　like　a　banknote　on　a　breath　of　wind。
　　…　Ask　me　how　I　did　that。
　　…　How。。。　did　you　do　that？
　　…　No　idea。　Not　a　clue。
　　She　shrugged　in　bewilderment。
　　…　So　how　can　I？。。。
　　Arthur　bobbed　down　a　little　lower　and　held　out　his　hand。
　　…　I　want　you　to　try；　…　he　said；　…　to　step　on　my　hand。　Just　one　foot。
　　…　What？
　　…　Try　it。
　　Nervously；　hesitantly；　almost；　she　told　herself；　as　if　she　was　trying　to　step　on　the　hand　of　someone　who　was　floating　in　front　of　her　in　midair；　she　stepped　on　to　his　hand。
　　…　Now　the　other。
　　…　What？
　　…　Take　the　weight　off　your　back　foot。
　　…　I　can't。
　　…　Try　it。
　　…　Like　this？
　　…　Like　that。
　　Nervously；　hesitantly；　almost；　she　told　herself；　as　if　…　She　stopped　telling　herself　what　what　she　was　doing　was　like　because　she　had　a　feeling　she　didn't　altogether　want　to　know。
　　She　fixed　her　eyes　very　very　firmly　on　the　guttering　of　the　roof　of　the　decrepit　warehouse　opposite　which　had　been　annoying　her　for　weeks　because　it　was　clearly　going　to　fall　off　and　she　wondered　if　anyone　was　going　to　do　anything　about　it　or　whether　she　ought　to　say　something　to　somebody；　and　didn't　think　for　a　moment　about　the　fact　that　she　was　standing　on　the　hands　of　someone　who　wasn't　standing　on　anything　at　all。
　　…　Now；　…　said　Arthur；　…　take　your　weight　off　your　left　foot。
　　She　thought　that　the　warehouse　belonged　to　the　carpet　pany　who　had　their　offices　round　the　corner；　and　took　the　weight　off　her　left　foot；　so　she　should　probably　go　and　see　them　about　the　gutter。
　　…　Now；　…　said　Arthur；　…　take　the　weight　off　your　right　foot。
　　…　I　can't。
　　…　Try。
　　She　hadn't　seen　the　guttering　from　quite　this　angle　before；　and　it　looked　to　her　now　as　if　as　well　as　the　mud　and　gunge　up　there　there　might　also　be　a　bird's　nest。　If　she　leaned　forward　just　a　little　and　took　her　weight　off　her　right　foot；　she　could　probably　see　it　more　clearly。
　　Arthur　was　alarmed　to　see　that　someone　down　in　the　alley　was　trying　to　steal　her　bicycle。　He　particularly　didn't　want　to　get　involved　in　an　argument　at　the　moment　and　hoped　that　the　guy　would　do　it　quietly　and　not　look　up。
　　He　had　the　quiet　shifty　look　of　someone　who　habitually　stole　bicycles　in　alleys　and　habitually　didn't　expect　to　find　their　owners　hovering　several　feet　above　them。　He　was　relaxed　by　both　these　habits；　and　went　about　his　job　with　purpose　and　concentration；　and　when　he　found　that　the　bike　was　unarguably　bound　by　hoops　of　tungsten　carbide　to　an　iron　bar　embedded　in　concrete；　he　peacefully　bent　both　its　wheels　and　went　on　his　way。
　　Arthur　let　out　a　long…held　breath。
　　…　See　what　a　piece　of　eggshell　I　have　found　you；　…　said　Fenchurch　in　his　ear。

　　　Chapter　25
　　
　　Those　who　are　regular　followers　of　the　doings　of　Arthur　Dent　may　have　received　an　impression　of　his　character　and　habits　which；　while　it　includes　the　truth　and；　of　course；　nothing　but　the　truth；　falls　somewhat