Автостопом по галактике

           "

           "Butrelativetowhatweweredoingwhentheshippickedthemup…"

           Trillianpunchedupthefigures.Theyshowedtow-to-thepower-of-Infinity-minus-one(anirrationalnumberthatonlyhasaconventionalmeaninginImprobabilityphysics).

           "…it’sprettylow,"continuedZaphodwithaslightwhistle.

           "Yes,"agreedTrillian,andlookedathimquizzically.

           "That’sonebigwhackofImprobabilitytobeaccountedfor.Somethingprettyimprobablehasgottoshowuponthebalancesheetifit’sallgoingtoaddupintoaprettysum."

           Zaphodscribbledafewsums,crossedthemoutandthrewthepencilaway.

           "Bat’sdots,Ican’tworkitout."

           "Well?"

           Zaphodknockedhistwoheadstogetherinirritationandgrittedhisteeth.

           "OK,"hesaid."Computer!"

           Thevoicecircuitssprangtolifeagain.

           "Whyhellothere!"theysaid(tickertape,tickertape)."AllIwanttodoismakeyourdaynicerandnicerandnicer…"

           "Yeahwellshutupandworksomethingoutforme."

           "Surething,"chatteredthecomputer,"youwantaprobabilityforecastbasedon…"

           "Improbabilitydata,yeah."

           "OK,"thecomputercontinued."Here’saninterestinglittlenotion.Didyourealizethatmostpeople’slivesaregovernedbytelephonenumbers?"

           ApainedlookcrawledacrossoneofZaphod’sfacesandontotheotherone.

           "Haveyouflipped?"hesaid.

           "No,butyouwillwhenItellyouthat…"

           Trilliangasped.ShescrabbledatthebuttonsontheImprobabilityflightpathscreen.

           "Telephonenumber?"shesaid."Didthatthingsaytelephonenumber?"

           Numbersflasheduponthescreen.

           Thecomputerhadpausedpolitely,butnowitcontinued