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as familiar to him as the shapes of words； part of the furniture of his mind。 For a few seconds he sat in stunned silence as the images rushed around his mind and tried to find somewhere to settle down and make sense。
Part of his brain told him that he knew perfectly well what he was looking at and what the shapes represented whilst another quite sensibly refused to countenance the idea and abdicated responsibility for any further thinking in that direction。
The flash came again； and this time there could be no doubt。 〃The Earth。。。〃 whispered Arthur。 〃Well； the Earth Mark Two in fact；〃 said Slartibartfast cheerfully。 〃We're making a copy from our original blueprints。〃
There was a pause。 〃Are you trying to tell me；〃 said Arthur； slowly and with control； 〃that you originally。。。 made the Earth？〃
〃Oh yes；〃 said Slartibartfast。 〃Did you ever go to a place。。。 I think it was called Norway？〃
〃No；〃 said Arthur； 〃no； I didn't。〃 〃Pity；〃 said Slartibartfast； 〃that was one of mine。 Won an award you know。 Lovely crinkly edges。 I was most upset to hear about its destruction。〃
〃You were upset！〃
〃Yes。 Five minutes later and it wouldn't have mattered so much。 It was a quite shocking cock…up。〃
〃Huh？〃 said Arthur。
〃The mice were furious。〃
〃The mice were furious？〃
〃Oh yes；〃 said the old man mildly。
〃Yes well so I expect were the dogs and cats and duckbilled platypuses； but。。。〃
〃Ah； but they hadn't paid for it you see； had they？〃
〃Look；〃 said Arthur； 〃would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now？〃
For a while the aircar flew on in awkward silence。 Then the old man tried patiently to explain。
〃Earthman； the planet you lived on was missioned； paid for； and run by mice。 It was destroyed five minutes before the pletion of the purpose for which it was built； and we've got to build another one。〃
Only one word registered with Arthur。 〃Mice？〃 he said。
〃Indeed Earthman。〃
〃Look； sorry … are we talking about the little white furry things with the cheese fixation and women standing on tables screaming in early sixties sits？〃
Slartibartfast coughed politely。 〃Earthman；〃 he said； 〃it is sometimes hard to follow your mode of speech。 Remember I have been asleep inside this planet of Magrathea for five million years and know little of these early sixties sits of which you speak。 These creatures you call mice； you see； they are not quite as they appear。 They are merely the protrusion into our dimension of vast hyperintelligent pan…dimensional beings。 The whole business with the cheese and the squeaking is just a front。〃
The old man paused； and with a sympathetic frown continued。 〃They've been experimenting on you I'm afraid。〃 Arthur thought about this for a second； and then his face cleared。
〃Ah no；〃 he said； 〃I see the source of the misunderstanding now。 No； look you see； what happened was that we used to do experiments on them。 They were often used in behavioural research； Pavlov and all that sort of stuff。 So what happened was that the mice would be set all sorts of tests； learning to ring bells； run around mazes and things so that the whole nature of the learning process could be examined。 From our observations of their behaviour we were able to learn all sorts of things about our own。。。〃
Arthur's voice tailed off。
〃Such subtlety。。。〃 said Slartibartfast； 〃one has to admire it。〃
〃What？〃 said Arthur。
〃How better to disguise their real natures； and how better to guide your thinking。 Suddenly running down a maze the wrong way； eating the wrong bit of cheese； unexpectedly dropping dead of myxomatosis； … if it's finely calculated the cumulative effect is enormous。〃
He paused for effect。 〃You see； Earthman； they really are particularly clever hyperintelligent pan…dimensional beings。 Your planet and people have formed the matrix of an organic puter running a ten…million…year research programme。。。
〃Let me tell you the whole story。 It'll take a little time。〃
〃Time；〃 said Arthur weakly； 〃is not currently one of my problems。〃
Chapter 25
There are of course many problems connected with life； of which some of the most popular are Why are people born？ Why do they die？ Why do they want to spend so much of the intervening time wearing digital watches？
Many many millions of years ago a race of hyperintelligent pan…dimensional beings （whose physical manifestation in their own pan…dimensional universe is not dissimilar to our own） got so fed up with the constant bickering about the meaning of life which used to interrupt their favourite pastime of Brockian Ultra Cricket （a curious game which involved suddenly hitting people for no readily apparent reason and then running away） that they decided to sit down and solve their problems once and for all。
And to this end they built themselves a stupendous super puter which was so amazingly intelligent that even before the data banks had been connected up it had started from I think therefore I am and got as far as the existence of rice pudding and ine tax before anyone managed to turn it off。
It was the size of a small city。
Its main console was installed in a specially designed executive office； mounted on an enormous executive desk of finest ultra…mahagony topped with rich ultrared leather。 The dark carpeting was discreetly sumptuous； exotic pot plants and tastefully engraved prints of the principal puter programmers and their families were deployed liberally about the room； and stately windows looked out upon a tree…lined public square。
On the day of the Great On…Turning two soberly dressed programmers with brief cases arrived and were shown discreetly into the office。 They were aware that this day they would represent their entire race in its greatest moment； but they conducted themselves calmly and quietly as they seated themselves deferentially before the desk； opened their brief cases and took out their leather…bound notebooks。
Their names were Lunkwill and Fook。
For a few moments they sat in respectful silence； then； after exchanging a quiet glance with Fook； Lunkwill leaned forward and touched a small black panel。
The subtlest of hums indicated that the massive puter was now in total active mode。 After a pause it spoke to them in a voice rich resonant and deep。
It said： 〃What is this great task for which I； Deep Thought； the second greatest puter in the Universe of Time and Space have been called into existence？〃
Lunkwill and Fook glanced at each other in surprise。
〃Your task； O puter。。。〃 began Fook。
〃No； wait a minute； this isn't right；〃 said Lunkwill； worried。 〃We distinctly designed this puter to be the greatest one ever and we're not making do with second best。 Deep Thought；〃 he addressed the puter； 〃are you not as we designed you to be； the greatest most powerful puter in all time？〃
〃I described myself as the second greatest；〃 intoned Deep Thought； 〃and such I am。〃
Another worried look passed between the two programmers。 Lunkwill cleared his throat。
〃There must be some mistake；〃 he said； 〃are you not a greatest puter than the Milliard Gargantubrain which can count all the atoms in a star in a millisecond？〃
〃The Milliard Gargantubrain？〃 said Deep Thought with unconcealed contempt。 〃A mere abacus … mention it not。〃
〃And are you not；〃 said Fook leaning anxiously forward； 〃a greater analyst than the Googleplex Star Thinker in the Seventh Galaxy of Light and Ingenuity which can calculate the trajectory of every single dust particle throughout a five…week Dangrabad Beta sand blizzard？〃
〃A five…week sand blizzard？〃 said Deep Thought haughtily。 〃You ask this of me who have contemplated the very vectors of the atoms in the Big Bang itself？ Molest me not with this pocket calculator stuff。〃
The two programmers sat in unfortable silence for a moment。 Then Lunkwill leaned forward again。
〃But are you not；〃 he said； 〃a more fiendish disputant than the Great Hyperlobic Omni…Cognate Neutron Wrangler of Ciceronicus 12； the Magic and Indefatigable？〃
〃The Great Hyperlobic Omni…Cognate Neutron Wrangler；〃 said Deep Thought thoroughly rolling the r's； 〃could talk all four legs off an Arcturan MegaDonkey … but only I could persuade it to go for a walk afterwards。〃
〃Then what；〃 asked Fook； 〃is the problem？〃
〃There is no problem；〃 said Deep Thought with magnificent ringing tones。 〃I am simply the second greatest puter in the Universe of Space and Time。〃
〃But the second？〃 insisted Lunkwill。 〃Why do you keep saying the second？ You're surely not thinking of the Multicorticoid Perspicutron Titan Muller are you？ Or the Pondermatic？ Or the。。。〃
Contemptuous lights flashed across the puter's console。
〃I spare not a single unit of thought on these cybernetic simpletons！〃 he boomed。 〃I speak of none but the puter that is to e after me！〃
Fook was losing patience。 He pushed his notebook aside and muttered； 〃I think this is getting needlessly messianic。〃
〃You know nothing of future time；〃 pronounced Deep Thought； 〃and yet in my teeming circuitry I can navigate the infinite delta streams of future probability and see that there must one day e a puter whose merest operational parameters I am not worthy to calculate； but which it will be my fate eventually to design。〃
Fook sighed heavily and glanced across to Lunkwill。
〃Can we get on and ask the question？〃 he said。
Lunkwill motioned him to wait。
〃What puter is this of which you speak？〃 he asked。
〃I will speak of it no further in this present time；〃 said Deep Thought。 〃Now。 Ask what else of me you will that I may function。 Speak。〃
They shrugged at each other。 Fook posed himself。
〃O Deep Thought puter；〃 he said； 〃the task we have designed you to perform is this。 We want you to tell us。。。〃 he paused； 〃。。。 the Answer！〃
〃The answer？〃 said Deep Thought。 〃The answer to what？〃
〃Life！〃 urged Fook。
〃The Universe！〃 said Lunkwill。
〃Everything！〃 they said in chorus。
Deep Thought paused for a moment's reflection。
〃Tricky；〃 he said finally。
〃But can you do it？〃
Again； a significant pause。
〃Yes；〃 said Deep Thought； 〃I can do it。〃
〃There is an answer？〃 said Fook with breathless excitement。〃
〃A simple answer？〃 added Lunkwill。
〃Yes；〃 said Deep Thought。 〃Life； the Universe； and Everything。 There is an answer。 But；〃 he added； 〃I'll have to think about it。〃
A sudden motion destroyed the moment： the door flew open and two angry men wearing the coarse faded…blue robes and belts of the Cruxwan University burst into the room； thrusting aside the ineffectual flunkies who tried to bar their way。
〃We demand admission！〃 shouted the younger of the two men elbowing a pretty young secretary in the throat。
〃e on；〃 shouted the older one； 〃you can't keep us out！〃 He pushed a junior programmer back through the door。
〃We demand that you can't keep us out！〃 bawled the younger one； though he was now firmly inside the room and no further attempts were being made to stop him。
〃Who are you？〃 said Lunkwill； rising angrily from his seat。 〃What do you want？〃
〃I am Majikthise！〃 announced the older one。
〃And I demand that I am Vroomfondel！〃 shouted the younger one。
Majikthise turned on Vroomfondel。 〃It's alright；〃 he explained angrily； 〃you don't need to demand that。〃
〃Alright！〃 bawled Vroomfondel banging on an nearby desk。 〃I am Vroomfondel； and that is not a demand； that is a solid fact！ What we demand is solid facts！〃
〃No we don't！〃 exclaimed Majikthise in irritation。 〃That is precisely what we don't demand！〃
Scarcely pausing for breath； Vroomfondel shouted； 〃We don't demand solid facts！ What we demand is a total absence of solid facts。 I demand that I may or may not be Vroomfondel！〃
〃But who the devil are you？〃 exclaimed an outraged Fook。
〃We；〃 said Majikthise； 〃are Philosophers。〃
〃Though we may not be；〃 said Vroomfondel waving a warning finger at the programmers。
〃Yes we are；〃 insisted Majikthise。 〃We are quite definitely here as representatives of the Amalgamated Union of Philosophers； Sages； Luminaries and Other Thinking Persons； and we want this machine off； and we want it of