Chapter 6

           "Howlhowlgarglehowlgarglehowlhowlhowlgarglehowlgarglehowlhowlgarglegarglehowlgarglegarglegarglehowlslurrpuuuurghshouldhaveagoodtime.Messagerepeats.Thisisyourcaptainspeaking,sostopwhateveryou’redoingandpayattention.FirstofallIseefromourinstrumentsthatwehaveacoupleofhitchhikersaboard.Hellowhereveryouare.Ijustwanttomakeittotallyclearthatyouarenotatallwelcome.IworkedhardtogetwhereIamtoday,andIdidn’tbecomecaptainofaVogonconstructorshipsimplysoIcouldturnitintoataxiserviceforaloadofdegeneratefreeloaders.Ihavesentoutasearchparty,andassoonthattheyfindyouIwillputyouofftheship.Ifyou’reveryluckyImightreadyousomeofmypoetryfirst."

           "Secondly,weareabouttojumpintohyperspaceforthejourneytoBarnard’sStar.Onarrivalwewillstayindockforaseventy-twohourrefit,andnoone’stoleavetheshipduringthattime.Irepeat,allplanetleaveiscancelled.I’vejusthadanunhappyloveaffair,soIdon’tseewhyanybodyelseshouldhaveagoodtime.Messageends."

           Thenoisestopped.

           Arthurdiscoveredtohisembarrassmentthathewaslyingcurledupinasmallballonthefloorwithhisarmswrappedroundhishead.Hesmiledweakly.

           "Charmingman,"hesaid."IwishIhadadaughtersoIcouldforbidhertomarryone…"

           "Youwouldn’tneedto,"saidFord."They’vegotasmuchsexappealasaroadaccident.No,don’tmove,"headdedasArthurbegantouncurlhimself,"you’dbetterbepreparedforthejumpintohyperspace.It’sunpleasantlylikebeingdrunk.