日本科幻文学 经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第29章4

经典科幻文学:《宇宙尽头的餐馆》第29章4  

“Weird
” said Zaphod.
“But it’s in the middle of nowhere
” said Trillian
“we must have e to the wrong place. You can’t rule the Universe from a shack.”
They hurried through the pouring rain
and arrived
wet through
at the door. They knocked. They shivered.
The door opened.
“Hello?” said the man.
“Ah
excuse me
” said Zarniwoop
“I have reason to believe…”
“Do you rule the Universe?” said Zaphod.
The man smiled at him.
“I try not to
” he said
“Are you wet?”
Zaphod looked at him in astonishment.
“Wet?” he cried
“Doesn’t it look as if we’re wet?”
“That’s how it looks to me
” said the man
“but how you feel about it might be an Altogether different matter. If you feel warmth makes you dry
you’d better e in.”
They went in.
They looked around the tiny shack
Zarniwoop with slight distaste
Trillian with interest
Zaphod with delight.
“Hey
er…” said Zaphod
“what’s your name?”
The man looked at them doubtfully.
“I don’t know. Why
do you think I should have one? It seems very odd to give a bundle of vague sensory perceptions a name.”
He invited Trillian to sit in the chair. He sat on the edge of the chair
Zarniwoop leaned stiffly against the table and Zaphod lay on the mattress.
“Wowee!” said Zaphod
“the seat of power!” He tickled the cat.
“Listen
” said Zarniwoop
“I must ask you some questions.”
“Alright
” said the man kindly
“you can sing to my cat if you like.”
“Would he like that?” asked Zaphod.
“You’d better ask him
” said the man.
“Does he talk?” said Zaphod.
“I have no memory of him talking
” said the man
“but I am very unreliable.”
Zarniwoop pulled some notes out of a pocket.
“Now
” he said
“you do rule the Universe
do you?”
“How can I tell?” said the man.