日本科幻文学 经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第30章4

经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第30章4  

For the next fifty miles of their journey easard they kept on finding the occasional gift of fruit lying in their path
and though they once or ice had a quick glimpse of a native man-creature amongst the trees
they never again made direct contact. They decided they rather liked a race of people who made it clear that they were grateful simply to be left alone.
The fruit and berries stopped after fifty miles
because that was where the sea started.
Having no pressing calls on their time they built a raft and crossed the sea. It was reasonably calm
only about sixty miles wide and they had a reasonably pleasant crossing
landing in a country that was at least as beautiful as the one they had left.
Life was
in short
ridiculously easy and for a while at least they were able to cope with the problems of aimlessness and isolation by deciding to ignore them. When the craving for pany became too great they would know where to find it
but for the moment they were happy to feel that the Golgafrinchans were hundreds of miles behind them.
Nevertheless
Ford Prefect began to use his Sub-Etha Sens-O-Matic more often again. Only once did he pick up a signal
but that was so faint and from such enormous distance that it depressed him more than the silence that had otherwise continued unbroken.
On a whim they turned northwards. After weeks of travelling they came to another sea
built another raft and crossed it. This time it was harder going
the climate was getting colder. Arthur suspected a streak of masochism in Ford Prefect – the increasing difficulty of the journey seemed to give him a sense of purpose that was otherwise lacking. He strode onwards relentlessly.
Their journey northwards brought them into steep mountainous terrain of breathtaking sweep and beauty. The vast
jagged
snow covered peaks ravished their senses. The cold began to bite into their bones.
They wrapped themselves in animal skins and furs which Ford Prefect acquired by a technique he once learned from a couple of ex-Pralite monks running a Mind-Surfing resort in the Hills of Hunian.
The galaxy is littered with ex-Pralite monks
all on the make
because the mental control techniques the Order have evolved as a form of devotional discipline are
frankly
sensational – and extraordinary numbers of monks leave the Order just after they have finished their devotional training and just before they take their final vows to stay locked in small metal boxes for the rest of their lives.
Ford’s technique seemed to consist mainly of standing still for a while and smiling.
After a while an animal – a deer perhaps – would appear from out of the trees and watch him cautiously. Ford would continue to smile at it
his eyes would soften and shine
and he would seem to radiate a deep and universal love
a love which reached out to embrace all of creation. A wonderful quietness would descend on the surrounding countryside
peaceful and serene
emanating from this transfigured man. Slowly the deer would approach
step by step
until it was almost nuzzling him
whereupon Ford Prefect would reach out to it and break its neck.
“Pheromone control
” he said it was
“you just have to know how to generate the right smell.”