da.solongandthanksforallthefish-第23部分

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　　…　I　see；　…　said　Arthur；　casting　a　placid　eye　over　the　trussed　up　wreckage；　…　and；　er；　what　are　all　the　ice　cubes　for？
　　…　What？　…　screamed　Ford。　…　What？　You　missed　that　bit　too？　That's　the　suspended　animation　facility！　I　put　the　guy　in　the　suspended　animation　facility。　Well　I　had　to　didn't　I？
　　…　So　it　would　seem；　…　said　Arthur；　in　his　placid　voice。
　　…　Don't　touch　that！！！　…　yelled　Ford。
　　Arthur；　who　was　about　to　replace　the　phone；　which　was　for　some　mysterious　reason　lying　on　the　table；　off　the　hook；　paused；　placidly。
　　…　OK；　…　said　Ford；　calming　down；　…　listen　to　it。
　　Arthur　put　the　phone　to　his　ear。
　　…　It's　the　speaking　clock；　…　he　said。
　　…　Beep；　beep；　beep；　…　said　Ford；　…　is　exactly　what　is　being　heard　all　over　that　guy's　ship；　while　he　sleeps；　in　the　ice；　going　slowly　round　a　little…known　moon　of　Sesefras　Magna。　The　London　Speaking　Clock！
　　…　I　see；　…　said　Arthur　again；　and　decided　that　now　was　the　time　to　ask　the　big　one。
　　…　Why？　…　he　said；　placidly。
　　…　With　a　bit　of　luck；　…　said　Ford；　…　the　phone　bill　will　bankrupt　the　buggers。
　　He　threw　himself；　sweating；　on　to　the　sofa。
　　…　Anyway；　…　he　said；　…　dramatic　arrival　don't　you　think？
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　36
　　
　　The　flying　saucer　in　which　Ford　Prefect　had　stowed　away　had　stunned　the　world。
　　Finally　there　was　no　doubt；　no　possibility　of　mistake；　no　hallucinations；　no　mysterious　CIA　agents　found　floating　in　reservoirs。
　　This　time　it　was　real；　it　was　definite。　It　was　quite　definitely　definite。
　　It　had　e　down　with　a　wonderful　disregard　for　anything　beneath　it　and　crushed　a　large　area　of　some　of　the　most　expensive　real　estate　in　the　world；　including　much　of　Harrods。
　　The　thing　was　massive；　nearly　a　mile　across；　some　said；　dull　silver　in　colour；　pitted；　scorched　and　disfigured　with　the　scars　of　unnumbered　vicious　space　battles　fought　with　savage　forces　by　the　light　of　suns　unknown　to　man。
　　A　hatchway　opened；　crashed　down　through　the　Harrods　Food　Halls；　demolished　Harvey　Nicholls；　and　with　a　final　grinding　scream　of　tortured　architecture；　toppled　the　Sheraton　Park　Tower。
　　After　a　long；　heart…stopping　moment　of　internal　crashes　and　grumbles　of　rending　machinery；　there　marched　from　it；　down　the　ramp；　an　immense　silver　robot；　a　hundred　feet　tall。
　　It　held　up　a　hand。
　　…　I　e　in　peace；　…　it　said；　adding　after　a　long　moment　of　further　grinding；　…　take　me　to　your　Lizard。
　　Ford　Prefect；　of　course；　had　an　explanation　for　this；　as　he　sat　with　Arthur　and　watched　the　non…stop　frenetic　news　reports　on　the　television；　none　of　which　had　anything　to　say　other　than　to　record　that　the　thing　had　done　this　amount　of　damage　which　was　valued　at　that　amount　of　billions　of　pounds　and　had　killed　this　totally　other　number　of　people；　and　then　say　it　again；　because　the　robot　was　doing　nothing　more　than　standing　there；　swaying　very　slightly；　and　emitting　short　inprehensible　error　messages。
　　…　It　es　from　a　very　ancient　democracy；　you　see。。。
　　…　You　mean；　it　es　from　a　world　of　lizards？
　　…　No；　…　said　Ford；　who　by　this　time　was　a　little　more　rational　and　coherent　than　he　had　been；　having　finally　had　the　coffee　forced　down　him；　…　nothing　so　simple。　Nothing　anything　like　so　straightforward。　On　its　world；　the　people　are　people。　The　leaders　are　lizards。　The　people　hate　the　lizards　and　the　lizards　role　the　people。
　　…　Odd；　…　said　Arthur；　…　I　thought　you　said　it　was　a　democracy。
　　…　I　did；　…　said　Ford。　…　It　is。
　　…　So；　…　said　Arthur；　hoping　he　wasn't　sounding　ridiculously　obtuse；　…　why　don't　people　get　rid　of　the　lizards？
　　…　It　honestly　doesn't　occur　to　them；　…　said　Ford。　…　They've　all　got　the　vote；　so　they　all　pretty　much　assume　that　the　government　they've　voted　in　more　or　less　approximates　to　the　government　they　want。
　　…　You　mean　they　actually　vote　for　the　lizards？
　　…　Oh　yes；　…　said　Ford　with　a　shrug；　…　of　course。
　　…　But；　…　said　Arthur；　going　for　the　big　one　again；　…　why？
　　…　Because　if　they　didn't　vote　for　a　lizard；　…　said　Ford；　…　the　wrong　lizard　might　get　in。　Got　any　gin？
　　…　What？
　　…　I　said；　…　said　Ford；　with　an　increasing　air　of　urgency　creeping　into　his　voice；　…　have　you　got　any　gin？
　　…　I'll　look。　Tell　me　about　the　lizards。
　　Ford　shrugged　again。
　　…　Some　people　say　that　the　lizards　are　the　best　thing　that　ever　happened　to　them；　…　he　said。　…　They're　pletely　wrong　of　course；　pletely　and　utterly　wrong；　but　someone's　got　to　say　it。
　　…　But　that's　terrible；　…　said　Arthur。
　　…　Listen；　bud；　…　said　Ford；　…　if　I　had　one　Altairan　dollar　for　every　time　I　heard　one　bit　of　the　Universe　look　at　another　bit　of　the　Universe　and　say　〃That's　terrible〃　I　wouldn't　be　sitting　here　like　a　lemon　looking　for　a　gin。　But　I　haven't　and　I　am。　Anyway；　what　are　you　looking　so　placid　and　moon…eyed　for？　Are　you　in　love？
　　Arthur　said　yes；　he　was；　and　said　it　placidly。
　　…　With　someone　who　knows　where　the　gin　bottle　is？　Do　I　get　to　meet　her？
　　He　did　because　Fenchurch　came　in　at　that　moment　with　a　pile　of　newspapers　she'd　been　into　the　village　to　buy。　She　stopped　in　astonishment　at　the　wreckage　on　the　table　and　the　wreckage　from　Betelgeuse　on　the　sofa。
　　…　Where's　the　gin？　…　said　Ford　to　Fenchurch。　And　to　Arthur；　…　What　happened　to　Trillian　by　the　way？
　　…　Er；　this　is　Fenchurch；　…　said　Arthur；　awkwardly。　…　There　was　nothing　with　Trillian；　you　must　have　seen　her　last。
　　…　Oh；　yeah；　…　said　Ford；　…　she　went　off　with　Zaphod　somewhere。　They　had　some　kids　or　something。　At　least；　…　he　added；　…　I　think　that's　what　they　were。　Zaphod's　calmed　down　a　lot　you　know。
　　…　Really？　…　said　Arthur；　clustering　hurriedly　round　Fenchurch　to　relieve　her　of　the　shopping。
　　…　Yeah；　…　said　Ford；　…　at　least　one　of　his　heads　is　now　saner　than　an　emu　on　acid。
　　…　Arthur；　who　is　this？　…　said　Fenchurch。
　　…　Ford　Prefect；　…　said　Arthur。　…　I　may　have　mentioned　him　in　passing。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　37
　　
　　For　a　total　of　three　days　and　nights　the　giant　silver　robot　stood　in　stunned　amazement　straddling　the　remains　of　Knightsbridge；　swaying　slightly　and　trying　to　work　out　a　number　of　things。
　　Government　deputations　came　to　see　it；　ranting　journalists　by　the　truckload　asked　each　other　questions　on　the　air　about　what　they　thought　of　it；　flights　of　fighter　bombers　tried　pathetically　to　attack　it　…　but　no　lizards　appeared。　It　scanned　the　horizon　slowly。
　　At　night　it　was　at　its　most　spectacular；　floodlit　by　the　teams　of　television　crews　who　covered　it　continuously　as　it　continuously　did　nothing。
　　It　thought　and　thought　and　eventually　reached　a　conclusion。
　　It　would　have　to　send　out　its　service　robots。
　　It　should　have　thought　of　that　before；　but　it　was　having　a　number　of　problems。
　　The　tiny　flying　robots　came　screeching　out　of　the　hatchway　one　afternoon　in　a　terrifying　cloud　of　metal。　They　roamed　the　surrounding　terrain；　frantically　attacking　some　things　and　defending　others。
　　One　of　them　at　last　found　a　pet　shop　with　some　lizards；　but　it　instantly　defended　the　pet　shop　for　democracy　so　savagely　that　little　in　the　area　survived。
　　A　turning　point　came　when　a　crack　team　of　flying　screechers　discovered　the　Zoo　in　Regent's　Park；　and　most　particularly　the　reptile　house。
　　Learning　a　little　caution　from　their　previous　mistakes　in　the　petshop；　the　flying　drills　and　fretsaws　brought　some　of　the　larger　and　fatter　iguanas　to　the　giant　silver　robot；　who　tried　to　conduct　high…level　talks　with　them。
　　Eventually　the　robot　announced　to　the　world　that　despite　the　full；　frank　and　wide…ranging　exchange　of　views　the　high　level　talks　had　broken　down；　the　lizards　had　been　retired；　and　that　it；　the　robot　would　take　a　short　holiday　somewhere；　and　for　some　reason　selected　Bournemouth。
　　Ford　Prefect；　watching　it　on　TV；　nodded；　laughed；　and　had　another　beer。
　　Immediate　preparations　were　made　for　its　departure。
　　The　flying　toolkits　screeched　and　sawed　and　drilled　and　fried　things　with　light　throughout　that　day　and　all　through　the　night　time；　and　in　the　morning；　stunningly；　a　giant　mobile　gantry　started　to　roll　westwards　on　several　roads　simultaneously　with　the　robot　standing　on　it；　supported　within　the　gantry。
　　Westward　it　crawled；　like　a　strange　carnival　buzzed　around　by　its　servants　and　helicopters　and　news　coaches；　scything　through　the　land　until　at　last　it　came　to　Bournemouth；　where　the　robot　slowly　freed　itself　from　it　transport　system's　embraces　and　went　and　lay　for　ten　days　on　the　beach。
　　It　was；　of　course；　by　far　the　most　exciting　thing　that　had　ever　happened　to　Bournemouth。
　　Crowds　gathered　daily　along　the　perimeter　which　was　staked　out　and　guarded　as　the　robot's　recreation　area；　and　tried　to　see　what　it　was　doing。
　　It　was　doing　nothing。　It　was　lying　on　the　beach。　It　was　lying　a　little　awkwardly　on　its　face。
　　It　was　a　journalist　from　a　local　paper　who；　late　one　night；　managed　to　do　what　no　one　else　in　the　world　had　so　far　managed；　which　was　to　strike　up　a　brief　intelligible　conversation　with　one　of　the　service　robots　guarding　the　perimeter。
　　It　was　an　extraordinary　breakthrough。
　　…　I　think　there's　a　story　in　it；　…　confided　the　journalist　over　a　cigarette　shared　through　the　steel　link　fence；　…　but　it　needs　a　good　local　angle。　I've　got　a　little　list　of　questions　here；　…　he　went　on；　rummaging　awkwardly　in　an　inner　pocket；　…　perhaps　you　could　get　him；　it；　whatever　you　call　him；　to　run　through　them　quickly。
　　The　little　flying　ratchet　screwdriver　said　it　would　see　what　it　cold　do　and　screeched　off。
　　A　reply　was　never　forthing。
　　Curiously；　however；　the　questions　on　the　piece　of　paper　more　or　less　exactly　matched　the　questions　that　were　going　through　the　massive　battle…scarred　industrial　quality　circuits　of　the　robot's　mind。　They　were　these：
　　…　How　do　you　feel　about　being　a　robot？
　　…　How　does　it　feel　to　be　from　outer　space？　…　and
　　…　How　do　you　like　Bournemouth？
　　Early　the　following　day　things　started　to　be　packed　up　and　within　a　few　days　it　became　apparent　that　the　robot　was　preparing　to　leave　for　good。
　　…　The　point　is；　…　said　Fenchurch　to　Ford；　…　can　you　get　us　on　board？
　　Ford　looked　wildly　at　his　watch。
　　…　I　have　some　serious　unfinished　business　to　attend　to；　…　he　exclaimed。
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　38
　　
　　Cr