da.solongandthanksforallthefish-第5部分

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　　They　led　back　to　the　village　that　had　been　his　home；　though　what　he　would　find　there　he　hesitated　to　imagine。　Familiar　landmarks　had　been　flitting　by；　ghostlike；　in　the　dark；　giving　rise　to　the　shudders　that　only　very　very　normal　things　can　create；　when　seen　where　the　mind　is　unprepared　for　them；　and　in　an　unfamiliar　light。
　　By　his　own　personal　time　scale；　so　far　as　he　could　estimate　it；　living　as　he　had　been　under　the　alien　rotations　of　distant　suns；　it　was　eight　years　since　he　had　left；　but　what　time　had　passed　here　he　could　hardly　guess。　Indeed；　what　events　had　passed　were　beyond　his　exhausted　prehension　because　this　planet；　his　home；　should　not　be　here。
　　Eight　years　ago；　at　lunchtime；　this　planet　had　been　demolished；　utterly　destroyed；　by　the　huge　yellow　Vogon　ships　which　had　hung　in　the　lunchtime　sky　as　if　the　law　of　gravity　was　no　more　than　a　local　regulation；　and　breaking　it　no　more　than　a　parking　offence。
　　…　Delusions；　…　said　Russell。
　　…　What？　…　said　Arthur；　started　out　of　his　train　of　thought。
　　…　She　says　she　suffers　from　strange　delusions　that　she's　living　in　the　real　world。　It's　no　good　telling　her　that　she　is　living　in　the　real　world　because　she　just　says　that's　why　the　delusions　are　so　strange。　Don't　know　about　you；　but　I　find　that　kind　of　conversation　pretty　exhausting。　Give　her　the　tablets　and　piss　off　for　a　beer　is　my　answer。　I　mean　you　can　only　muck　about　so　much　can't　you？
　　Arthur　frowned；　not　for　the　first　time。
　　…　Well。。。
　　…　And　all　this　dreams　and　nightmare　stuff。　And　the　doctors　going　on　about　strange　jumps　in　her　brainwave　patterns。
　　…　Jumps？
　　…　This；　…　said　Fenny。
　　Arthur　whirled　round　in　his　seat　and　stared　into　her　suddenly　open　but　utterly　vacant　eyes。　Whatever　she　was　looking　at　wasn't　in　the　car。　Her　eyes　fluttered；　her　head　jerked　once；　and　then　she　was　sleeping　peacefully。
　　…　What　did　she　say？　…　he　asked　anxiously。
　　…　She　said　〃this〃。
　　…　This　what？
　　…　This　what？　How　the　heck　should　I　know？　This　hedgehog；　that　chimney　pot；　the　other　pair　of　Don　Alfonso's　tweezers。　She's　barking　mad；　I　thought　I'd　mentioned　that。
　　…　You　don't　seem　to　care　very　much。　…　Arthur　tried　to　say　it　as　matter…of…factly　as　possible　but　it　didn't　seem　to　work。
　　…　Look；　buster。。。
　　…　OK；　I'm　sorry。　It's　none　of　my　business。　I　didn't　mean　it　to　sound　like　that；　…　said　Arthur。　…　I　know　you　care　a　lot；　obviously；　…　he　added；　lying。　…　I　know　that　you　have　to　deal　with　it　somehow。　You'll　have　to　excuse　me。　I　just　hitched　from　the　other　side　of　the　Horsehead　Nebula。
　　He　stared　furiously　out　of　the　window。
　　He　was　astonished　that　of　all　the　sensations　fighting　for　room　in　his　head　on　this　night　as　he　returned　to　the　home　that　he　had　thought　had　vanished　into　oblivion　for　ever；　the　one　that　was　pelling　him　was　an　obsession　with　this　bizarre　girl　of　whom　he　knew　nothing　other　than　that　she　had　said　〃this〃　to　him；　and　that　he　wouldn't　wish　her　brother　on　a　Vogon。
　　…　So；　er；　what　were　the　jumps；　these　jumps　you　mentioned？　…　he　went　on　to　say　as　quickly　as　he　could。
　　…　Look；　this　is　my　sister；　I　don't　even　know　why　I'm　talking　to　you　about。。。
　　…　OK；　I'm　sorry。　Perhaps　you'd　better　let　me　out。　This　is。。。
　　At　the　moment　he　said　it；　it　became　impossible；　because　the　storm　which　had　passed　them　by　suddenly　erupted　again。　Lightning　belted　through　the　sky；　and　someone　seemed　to　be　pouring　something　which　closely　resembled　the　Atlantic　Ocean　over　them　through　a　sieve。
　　Russell　swore　and　steered　intently　for　a　few　seconds　as　the　sky　blattered　at　them。　He　worked　out　his　anger　by　rashly　accelerating　to　pass　a　lorry　marked　〃McKeena's　All…Weather　Haulage〃。　The　tension　eased　as　the　rain　subsided。
　　…　It　started　with　all　that　business　of　the　CIA　agent　they　found　in　the　reservoir；　when　everybody　had　all　the　hallucinations　and　everything；　you　remember？
　　Arthur　wondered　for　a　moment　whether　to　mention　again　that　he　had　just　hitch…hiked　back　from　the　other　side　of　the　Horsehead　Nebula　and　was　for　this　and　various　other　related　and　astounding　reasons　a　little　out　of　touch　with　recent　events；　but　he　decided　it　would　only　confuse　matters　further。
　　…　No；　…　he　said。
　　…　That　was　the　moment　she　cracked　up。　She　was　in　a　cafe　somewhere。　Rickmansworth。　Don't　know　what　she　was　doing　there；　but　that　was　where　she　cracked　up。　Apparently　she　stood　up；　calmly　announced　that　she　had　undergone　some　extraordinary　revelation　or　something；　wobbled　a　bit；　looked　confused；　and　finally　collapsed　screaming　into　an　egg　sandwich。
　　Arthur　winced。
　　…　I'm　very　sorry　to　hear　that；　…　he　said　a　little　stiffly。
　　Russell　made　a　sort　of　grumping　noise。
　　…　So　what；　…　said　Arthur　in　an　attempt　to　piece　things　together；　…　was　the　CIA　agent　doing　in　the　reservoir？
　　…　Bobbing　up　and　down　of　course。　He　was　dead。
　　…　But　what。。。
　　…　e　on；　you　remember　all　that　stuff。　The　hallucinations。　Everyone　said　it　was　a　cock　up；　the　CIA　trying　experiments　into　drug　warfare　or　something。　Some　crackpot　theory　that　instead　of　invading　a　country　it　would　be　much　cheaper　and　more　effective　to　make　everyone　think　they'd　been　invaded。
　　…　What　hallucinations　were　those　exactly？。。。　…　said　Arthur　in　a　rather　quiet　voice。
　　…　What　do　you　mean；　what　hallucinations？　I'm　talking　about　all　that　stuff　with　the　big　yellow　ships；　everyone　going　crazy　and　saying　we're　going　to　die；　and　then　pop；　they　vanished　as　the　effect　wore　off。　The　CIA　denied　it　which　meant　it　must　be　true。
　　Arthur's　head　went　a　little　swimmy。　His　hand　grabbed　at　something　to　steady　himself；　and　gripped　it　tightly。　His　mouth　made　little　opening　and　closing　movements　as　if　it　was　on　his　mind　to　say　something；　but　nothing　emerged。
　　…　Anyway；　…　continued　Russell；　…　whatever　drug　it　was　it　didn't　seem　to　wear　off　so　fast　with　Fenny。　I　was　all　for　suing　the　CIA；　but　a　lawyer　friend　of　mine　said　it　would　be　like　trying　to　attack　a　lunatic　asylum　with　a　banana；　so。。。　…　He　shrugged。
　　…　The　Vogon。。。　…　squeaked　Arthur。　…　The　yellow　ships。。。　vanished？
　　…　Well；　of　course　they　did；　they　were　hallucinations；　…　said　Russell；　and　looked　at　Arthur　oddly。　…　You　trying　to　say　you　don't　remember　any　of　this？　Where　have　you　been　for　heaven's　sake？
　　This　was；　to　Arthur；　such　an　astonishingly　good　question　that　he　half…leapt　out　of　his　seat　with　shock。
　　…　Christ！！！　…　yelled　Russell；　fighting　to　control　the　car　which　was　suddenly　trying　to　skid。　He　pulled　it　out　of　the　path　of　an　oning　lorry　and　swerved　up　on　to　a　grass　bank。　As　the　car　lurched　to　a　halt；　the　girl　in　the　back　was　thrown　against　Russell's　seat　and　collapsed　awkwardly。
　　Arthur　twisted　round　in　horror。
　　…　Is　she　all　right？　…　he　blurted　out。
　　Russell　swept　his　hands　angrily　back　through　his　blow…dried　hair。　He　tugged　at　his　blond　moustache。　He　turned　to　Arthur。
　　…　Would　you　please；　…　he　said；　…　let　go　of　the　handbrake？
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　6
　　
　　From　here　it　was　a　four…mile　walk　to　his　village：　a　further　mile　to　the　turning；　to　which　the　abominable　Russell　had　now　fiercely　declined　to　take　him；　and　from　there　a　further　three　miles　of　winding　country　lane。
　　The　Saab　seethed　off　into　the　night。　Arthur　watched　it　go；　as　stunned　as　a　man　might　be　who；　having　believed　himself　to　be　totally　blind　for　five　years；　suddenly　discovers　that　he　had　merely　been　wearing　too　large　a　hat。
　　He　shook　his　head　sharply　in　the　hope　that　it　might　dislodge　some　salient　fact　which　would　fall　into　place　and　make　sense　of　an　otherwise　utterly　bewildering　Universe；　but　since　the　salient　fact；　if　there　was　one；　entirely　failed　to　do　this；　he　set　off　up　the　road　again；　hoping　that　a　good　vigorous　walk；　and　maybe　even　some　good　painful　blisters；　would　help　to　reassure　him　of　his　own　existence　at　least；　if　not　his　sanity。
　　It　was　10。30　when　he　arrived；　a　fact　he　discovered　from　the　steamed　and　greasy　window　of　the　Horse　and　Groom　pub；　in　which　there　had　hung　for　many　years　a　battered　old　Guiness　clock　which　featured　a　picture　of　an　emu　with　a　pint　glass　jammed　rather　amusingly　down　its　throat。
　　This　was　the　pub　at　which　he　had　passed　the　fateful　lunchtime　during　which　first　his　house　and　then　the　entire　planet　Earth　had　been　demolished；　or　rather　had　seemed　to　be　demolished。　No；　damn　it；　had　been　demolished；　because　if　it　hadn't　then　where　the　bloody　heck　had　he　been　for　the　last　eight　years；　and　how　he　had　got　there　if　not　in　one　of　the　big　yellow　Vogon　ships　which　the　appalling　Russell　had　just　been　telling　him　were　merely　drug…induced　hallucinations；　and　yet　if　it　had　been　demolished；　what　was　he　currently　standing　on？。。。
　　He　jammed　the　brake　on　this　line　of　thought　because　it　wasn't　going　to　get　him　any　further　than　it　had　the　last　twenty　times　he'd　been　over　it。
　　He　started　again。
　　This　was　the　pub　at　which　he　had　passed　the　fateful　lunchtime　during　which　whatever　it　was　had　happened　that　he　was　going　to　sort　out　later　had　happened；　and。。。
　　It　still　didn't　make　sense。
　　He　started　again。
　　This　was　the　pub　in　which。。。
　　This　was　a　pub。
　　Pubs　served　drinks　and　he　couldn't　half　do　with　one。
　　Satisfied　that　his　jumbled　thought　processes　had　at　last　arrived　at　a　conclusion；　and　a　conclusion　he　was　happy　with；　even　if　it　wasn't　the　one　he　had　set　out　to　achieve；　he　strode　towards　the　door。
　　And　stopped。
　　A　small　black　wire…haired　terrier　ran　out　from　behind　a　low　wall　and　then；　catching　sight　of　Arthur；　began　to　snarl。
　　Now　Arthur　knew　this　dog；　and　he　knew　it　well。　It　belonged　to　an　advertising　friend　of　his；　and　was　called　Know…Nothing…Bozo　because　the　way　its　hair　stood　up　on　its　head　it　reminded　people　of　the　President　of　the　United　States；　and　the　dog　knew　Arthur；　or　at　least　should　do。　It　was　a　stupid　dog；　could　not　even　read　an　autocue；　which　way　why　some　people　had　protested　about　its　name；　but　it　should　at　least　have　been　able　to　recognize　Arthur　instead　of　standing　there；　hackles　raised；　as　if　Arthur　was　the　most　fearful　apparition　ever　to　intrude　upon　its　feeble…witted　life。
　　This　prompted　Arthur　to　go　and　peer　at　the　window　again；　this　time　with　an　eye　not　for　the　asphyxiating　emu　but　for　himself。
　　Seeing　himself　for　the　first　time　suddenly　in　a　familiar　context；　he　had　to　admit　that　t