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"On no account allow a Vogon to read poetry at you"

Arthur blinked at it

"What a strange book How did we get a lift then?"

"That's the point, it's out of date now," said Ford, sliding the book back into its cover "I' the field research for the New Revised Edition, and one of the things I'll have to include is a bit about how the Vogons now eives us a rather useful little loophole"

A pained expression crossed Arthur's face "But who are the Dentrassi?" he said

"Great guys," said Ford "They're the best cooks and the best drinkelse And they'll always help hitchhikers aboard, partly because they like the coons Which is exactly the sort of thing you need to know if you're an i to see the marvels of the Universe for less than thirty Altairan Dollars a day And that's my job Fun, isn't it?"

Arthur looked lost

"It's a," he said and frowned at one of the other mattresses

"Unfortunately I got stuck on the Earth for rather longer than I intended," said Ford "I caot stuck for fifteen years"

"But how did you get there in the first place then?"

"Easy, I got a lift with a teaser"

"A teaser?"

"Yeah"

"Er, what is"

"A teaser? Teasers are usually rich kids with nothing to do They cruise around looking for planets which haven't made interstellar contact yet and buzz them"

"Buzz the life difficult for him

"Yeah," said Ford, "they buzz them They find soht by so to believe and then strut up and down in front of hi beep beep noises Rather childish really" Ford leant back on the ly pleased with himself

"Ford," insisted Arthur, "I don't know if this sounds like a silly question, but what a here?"

"Well, you know that," said Ford "I rescued you from the Earth"

"And what's happened to the Earth?"

"Ah It's been demolished"

"Has it," said Arthur levelly

"Yes It just boiled away into space"

"Look," said Arthur, "I'm a bit upset about that"

Ford frowned to hiht around his mind

"Yes, I can understand that," he said at last

"Understand that!" shouted Arthur "Understand that!"

Ford sprang up

"Keep looking at the book!" he hissed urgently

"What?"

"Don't Panic"

"I'!"

"Yes, you are"