Chapter 30

           "Sothereyouhaveit,"saidSlartibartfast,makingafeebleandperfunctoryattempttoclearawaysomeoftheappallingmessofhisstudy.Hepickedupapaperfromthetopofapile,butthencouldn’tthinkofanywhereelsetoputit,soheputitbackontopoftheoriginalpilewhichpromptlyfellover."DeepThoughtdesignedtheEarth,webuiltitandyoulivedonit."

           "AndtheVogonscameanddestroyeditfiveminutesbeforetheprogramwascompleted,"addedArthur,notunbitterly.

           "Yes,"saidtheoldman,pausingtogazehopelesslyroundtheroom."Tenmillionyearsofplanningandworkgonejustlikethat.Tenmillionyears,Earthman…canyouconceiveofthatkindoftimespan?Agalacticcivilizationcouldgrowfromasinglewormfivetimesoverinthattime.Gone."Hepaused.

           "Wellthat’sbureaucracyforyou,"headded.

           "Youknow,"saidArthurthoughtfully,"allthisexplainsalotofthings.AllthroughmylifeI’vehadthisstrangeunaccountablefeelingthatsomethingwasgoingonintheworld,somethingbig,evensinister,andnoonewouldtellmewhatitwas."

           "No,"saidtheoldman,"that’sjustperfectlynormalparanoia.EveryoneintheUniversehasthat."

           "Everyone?"saidArthur."Well,ifeveryonehasthatperhapsitmeanssomething!PerhapssomewhereoutsidetheUniverseweknow…"

           "Maybe.Whocares?"saidSlartibartfastbeforeArthurgottooexcited."PerhapsI’moldandtired,"hecontinued,"butIalwaysthinkthatthechancesoffindingoutwhatreallyisgoingonaresoabsurdlyremotethattheonlythingtodoistosayhangthesenseofitandjustkeepyourselfoccupied.