The girl laughed and stepped forward a little out of the shadow. She was tall, and had that kind of self-possessed shyness which is a great trick if you can do it. It’s my big number, she said. I have a Master’s degree in Social Economics and can be very convincing. People love it. Especially in this city. Goosnargh, said Ford Prefect, which was a special Betelgeusian word he used when he knew he should say something but didn’t know what it should be. He sat on a step, took from his satchel a bottle of that Ol’ Janx Spirit and a towel. He opened the bottle and wiped the top of it with the towel, which had the opposite effect to the one intended, in that the Ol’ Janx Spirit instantly killed off millions of the germs which had been slowly building up quite a complex and enlightened civilization on the smellier patches of the towel. Want some? he said, after he’d had a swig himself. She shrugged and took the proffered bottle. They sat for a while, peacefully listening to the clamour of burglar alarms in the next block. As it happens, I’m owed a lot of money, said Ford, so if I ever get hold of it, can I come and see you then maybe? Sure, I’ll be here, said the girl. So how much is a lot? Fifteen years’ back pay. For? Writing two words. Zarquon, said the girl. Which one took the time? The first one. Once I’d got that the second one just came one afternoon after lunch. A huge electronic drum kit hurtled through the window high above them and smashed itself to bits in the street in front of them. It soon became apparent that some of the burglar alarms on the next block had been deliberately set off by one police tribe in order to lay an ambush for the other. Cars with screaming sirens converged on the area, only to find themselves being picked off by copters which came thudding through the air between the city’s mountainous tower blocks. In fact, said Ford, having to shout now above the din, it wasn’t quite like that. I wrote an awful lot, but they just cut it down. He took his copy of the Guide back out of his satchel. Then the planet got demolished, he shouted. Really worthwhile job, eh? They’ve still got to pay me, though. You work for that thing? the girl yelled back. Yeah. Good number. 女孩笑着，稍稍走出了陰影。她身材修長，帶着一種恬靜的羞澀，那種羞澀對你來說可是一種高難度技巧。 “那是給我的大客戶的服務，”她說。“我有交際經濟學的碩士學位並且很有說服力。人們都喜歡我這麼說。特別是在這個城市。” “古斯納爾，”福特說，那是一個特殊的貝特吉歐西安詞彙，用於當他知道自己該說些什麼但卻不知道說些什麼的場合。 他在臺階上坐下，從包裏拿出一瓶奧堅科斯之魂和一條毛巾。他把瓶子打開，用毛巾擦着瓶口，結果適得其反，上百萬棲息在那條臭毛巾上的微生物剛要逐漸建立起一個複雜而開化的文明世界，就被酒精立刻消滅了。 “來一點？”在自己猛灌了一大口之後，他說到。 她聳了聳肩，接過那個瓶子。 他們坐了一會兒，靜靜地聆聽着臨近街區的防盜警報在吵鬧。 “不巧別人欠了我一大筆錢，”福特說，“那麼如果有朝一日我把它拿回來了，是不是可以來找你？” “當然，我會在這兒的，”女孩說。“那麼那筆錢有多少？” “十五年的薪水。” “爲了？” “寫兩個詞。” “扎昆大神（注1）啊，”女孩說。“哪個詞花了那麼長時間？” “第一個詞。第二個詞是在一個午飯後的下午偶得的。” 一套巨大的電子鼓從上方的窗戶中飛出，在他們面前的大街上摔成了一個個比特（注2）。 事情很快明朗起來，臨近街區的警鈴被一個警察派系有意關閉，以伏擊另一個警察派系。嘶吼着警笛的車聚到這一片，卻發現自己被從林立的高塔街區中呼嘯而至的直升機給提溜起來了。 “實際上，”福特不得不叫喊着以蓋過噪音，“並不完全是那樣。我其實寫了一大坨東西，但他們給刪減了。” 他把自己的《銀河系漫遊指南》從包裏掏出來。 “接着那個星球就被毀了，”他喊着。“真是很划算的工作，嗯？但他們仍然得付我錢。” “你爲那玩意兒工作？”女孩吼了回去。 “是哦。” “好傢伙。”
