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Arthur felt extraordinarily lonely stuck up in the air above it all without so much as a body to his na out across the square and called for everyone's attention

Awhich clearly do the crowd over a Tannoy

"O people waiting in the Shadow of Deep Thought!" he cried out "Honoured Descendants of Vroomfondel and Majikthise, the Greatest and Most Truly Interesting Pundits the Universe has ever knownThe Ti is over!"

Wild cheers broke out as, streah the air The narrower streets looked rather like centipedes rolled over on their backs and frantically waving their legs in the air

"Seven and a half million years our race has waited for this Great and Hopefully Enlightening Day!" cried the cheer leader "The Day of the Answer!"

Hurrahs burst from the ecstatic crowd

"Never again," cried theand think Who am I? What is , o to work? For today ill finally learn once and for all the plain and si little proble!"

As the crowd erupted once again, Arthur found hie stately s on the first floor of the building behind the dais fro the crowd

He experienced a h towards the hich passed when a second or so later he found he had gone right through the solid glass without apparently touching it

No one in the roo as he wasn't there He began to realize that the whole experience was merely a recorded projection which knocked six-track seventy-millimetre into a cocked hat

The room was much as Slartibartfast had described it In seven and a half ularly every century or so The ultraes, the carpet a little faded now, but the large colory on the desk's leather top, as bright as if it had been constructed yesterday

Two severely dressed men sat respectfully before the terminal and waited

"The time is nearly upon us," said one, and Arthur was surprised to see a word suddenly materialize in thin air just by the man's neck The as Loonquawl, and it flashed a couple of tiain Before Arthur was able to assi appeared by his neck

"Seventy-five thousand generations ago, our ancestors set this program in motion," the second man said, "and in all that time ill be the first to hear the computer speak"

"An awesoreed the firsta recording with subtitles

"We are the ones ill hear," said Phouchg, "the answer to the great question of Life!"

"The Universe!" said Loonquawl

"And Everything!"

"Shhh," said Loonquaith a slight gesture, "I think Deep Thought is preparing to speak!"

There was a moment's expectant pause whilst panels slowly cahts flashed on and off experimentally and settled down into a businesslike pattern A soft low hum came from the communication channel

"Good ht at last

"ErGood ht," said Loonquawl nervously, "do you haveer, that is"

"An answer for you?" interrupted Deep Thought majestically "Yes I have"

The twohad not been in vain

"There really is one?" breathed Phouchg

"There really is one," confirht

"To Everything? To the great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything?"

"Yes"

Both of the men had been trained for this moment, their lives had been a preparation for it, they had been selected at birth as those ould witness the answer, but even so they found the like excited children

"And you're ready to give it to us?" urged Loonquawl

"I am"

"Now?"

"Now," said Deep Thought

They both licked their dry lips

"Though I don't think," added Deep Thought, "that you're going to like it"

"Doesn't"We must know it! Now!"

"Now?" inquired Deep Thought

"Yes! Now"

"Alright," said the coeted The tension was unbearable

"You're really not going to like it," observed Deep Thought

"Tell us!"

"Alright," said Deep Thought "The Answer to the Great Question"