Chapter 2
This morning, two years later than that, was sweet and fragrant as he emerged from the cave he called home until he could think of a better name for it or find a better cave.
Though his throat was sore again from his early morning yell of horror, he was suddenly in a terrifically good mood. He wrapped his dilapidated dressing gown tightly around him and beamed at the bright morning.
The air was clear and scented, the breeze flitted lightly through the tall grass around his cave, the birds were chirruping at each other, the butterflies were flitting about prettily, and the whole of nature seemed to be conspiring to be as pleasant as it possibly could.
It wasn’t all the pastoral delights that were making Arthur feel so cheery, though. He had just had a wonderful idea about how to cope with the terrible lonely isolation, the nightmares, the failure of all his attempts at horticulture, and the sheer futurelessness and futility of his life here on prehistoric Earth, which was that he would go mad.
He beamed again and took a bite out of a rabbit leg left over from his supper. He chewed happily for a few moments and then decided formally to announce his decision.
He stood up straight and looked the world squarely in the fields and hills. To add weight to his words he stuck the rabbit bone in his hair. He spread his arms out wide.
I will go mad! he announced.
Good idea, said Ford Prefect, clambering down from the rock on which he had been sitting.
Arthur’s brain somersaulted. His jaw did press-ups.
I went mad for a while, said Ford, did me no end of good.
You see, said Ford, –…
Where have you been? interrupted Arthur, now that his head had finished working out.
Around, said Ford, around and about. He grinned in what he accurately judged to be an infuriating manner. I just took my mind off the hook for a bit. I reckoned that if the world wanted me badly enough it would call back. It did.
He took out of his now terribly battered and dilapidated satchel his Sub-Etha Sens-O-Matic.
At least, he said, I think it did. This has been playing up a bit. He shook it. If it was a false alarm I shall go mad, he said, again.
Arthur shook his head and sat down. He looked up.
adj. 准确地
adv. 精确地,准确地