日本科幻文学 经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第17章10

经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第17章10  

“Put your analyst on danger money
baby
” advised Zaphod.
“No
wait a minute
” said Ford
emerging above table level again
“where exactly is here?”
“To be absolutely exact sir
it is Frogstar World B.”
“But we just left there
” protested Zaphod
“we left there and came to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.”
“Yes
sir
” said the waiter
feeling that he was now into the home stretch and running well
“the one was constructed on the ruins of the other.”
“Oh
” said Arthur brightly
“you mean we’ve travelled in time but not in space.”
“Listen you semi-evolved simian
” cut in Zaphod
“go climb a tree will you?”
Arthur bristled.
“Go bang your heads together four-eyes
” he advised Zaphod.
“No
no
” the waiter said to Zaphod
“your monkey has got it right
sir.”
Arthur stuttered in fury and said nothing apposite
or indeed coherent.
“You jumped forward… I believe five hundred and seventy-six thousand million years whilst staying in exactly the same place
” explained the waiter. He smiled. He had a wonderful feeling that he had finally won through against what had seemed to be insuperable odds.
“That’s it!” said Zaphod
“I got it. I told the puter to send us to the nearest place to eat
that’s exactly what it did. Give or take five hundred and seventy-six thousand million years
we never moved. Neat.”
They all agreed this was very neat.
“But who
” said Zaphod
“is the cat on the phone?”
“Whatever happened to Marvin?” said Trillian.
Zaphod clapped his hands to his heads.
“The Paranoid Android! I left him moping about on Frogstar B.”
“When was this?”
“Well
er
five hundred and seventy-six thousand million years ago I suppose
” said Zaphod
“Hey
er
hand me the rap-rod
Plate Captain.”
The little waiter’s eyebrows wandered about his forehead in confusion.
“I beg your pardon
sir?” he said.
“The phone
waiter
” said Zaphod
grabbing it off him. “Shee
you guys are so unhip it’s a wonder your bums don’t fall off.”
“Indeed
sir.”