Chapter 28

           Itwasalongtimebeforeanyonespoke.

           OutofthecornerofhiseyePhouchgcouldseetheseaoftenseexpectantfacesdowninthesquareoutside.

           "We’regoingtogetlynchedaren’twe?"hewhispered.

           "Itwasatoughassignment,"saidDeepThoughtmildly.

           "Forty-two!"yelledLoonquawl."Isthatallyou’vegottoshowforsevenandahalfmillionyears’work?"

           "Icheckeditverythoroughly,"saidthecomputer,"andthatquitedefinitelyistheanswer.Ithinktheproblem,tobequitehonestwithyou,isthatyou’veneveractuallyknownwhatthequestionis."

           "ButitwastheGreatQuestion!TheUltimateQuestionofLife,theUniverseandEverything!"howledLoonquawl.

           "Yes,"saidDeepThoughtwiththeairofonewhosuffersfoolsgladly,"butwhatactuallyisit?"

           Aslowstupefiedsilencecreptoverthemenastheystaredatthecomputerandthenateachother.

           "Well,youknow,it’sjustEverything…Everything…"offeredPhouchgweakly.

           "Exactly!"saidDeepThought."Soonceyoudoknowwhatthequestionactuallyis,you’llknowwhattheanswermeans."

           "Ohterrific,"mutteredPhouchgflingingasidehisnotebookandwipingawayatinytear.

           "Look,alright,alright,"saidLoonquawl,"canyoujustpleasetellustheQuestion?"

           "TheUltimateQuestion?"

           "Yes!"

           "OfLife,theUniverse,andEverything?"

           "Yes!"

           DeepThoughtponderedthisforamoment.

           "Tricky,"hesaid.

           "Butcanyoudoit?"criedLoonquawl.

           DeepThoughtponderedthisforanotherlongmoment.

           Finally:"No,"hesaidfirmly.

           Bothmencollapsedontotheirchairsindespair.

           "ButI’lltellyouwhocan,"saidDeepThought.

           Theybothlookedupsharply