Chapter 19

           "Arewetakingthisrobotwithus?"saidFord,lookingwithdistasteatMarvinwhowasstandinginanawkwardhunchedpostureinthecornerunderasmallpalmtree.

           ZaphodglancedawayfromthemirrorscreenswhichpresentedapanoramicviewoftheblightedlandscapeonwhichtheHeartofGoldhadnowlanded.

           "Oh,theParanoidAndroid,"hesaid."Yeah,we’lltakehim."

           "Butwhataresupposedtodowithamanicallydepressedrobot?"

           "Youthinkyou’vegotproblems,"saidMarvinasifhewasaddressinganewlyoccupiedcoffin,"whatareyousupposedtodoifyouareamanicallydepressedrobot?No,don’tbothertoanswerthat,I’mfiftythousandtimesmoreintelligentthanyouandevenIdon’tknowtheanswer.Itgivesmeaheadachejusttryingtothinkdowntoyourlevel."

           Trillianburstinthroughthedoorfromhercabin.

           "Mywhitemicehaveescaped!"shesaid.

           AnexpressionofdeepworryandconcernfailedtocrosseitherofZaphod’sfaces.

           "Nutstoyourwhitemice,"hesaid.

           Trillianglaredanupsetglareathim,anddisappearedagain.

           ItispossiblethatherremarkwouldhavecommandedgreaterattentionhaditbeengenerallyrealizedthathumanbeingswereonlythethirdmostintelligentlifeformpresentontheplanetEarth,insteadof(aswasgenerallythoughtbymostindependentobservers)thesecond.

           "Goodafternoonboys."

           Thevoicewasoddlyfamiliar,butoddlydifferent.Ithadamatriarchaltwang.Itannounceditselftothecrewastheyarrivedattheairlockhatchwaythatwouldletthemoutontheplanetsurface.

           Theylookedateachotherinpuzzlement.

           "It’sthecomputer,"explainedZaphod.