25 意館數學飛船，悄然閃現在一片峭壁頂端。這是顆小行星，它繞着封掉的版求星系，孤獨地運轉了無數個年頭。然而飛船上一行人已經無能爲力，只能眼看着一個歷史事件不可避免地發生。 他們不知道，其實將有兩個。 他們心灰意冷, 佇立於峭壁之上，望着眼前的景象。就在前方一百多碼的地方，許多光柱在真空中輪轉，組成不祥的弧形圖案。 他們面對着觸目驚心的一幕。 飛船的作用場持續發揮其欺騙大腦的功能，因此他們能站在這兒。理由很簡單，諸如“掉到小行星外面去”或者“無法呼吸”之類的問題，都是不會發生的，那是別人的問題。 版求星的白色飛船停泊在小行星的孤崖絕壁之間。一束束光柱掃過去，飛船時隱時現。嶙峋怪石的影子，在光束的輪轉下，跳着瘋狂的舞蹈。 十一個白色機器人列隊肅立。在那光束之輪的中心，是叄柱門之匙。 叄柱門之匙，如今重現人間。威力和能量之鋼柱（或馬文的腿），繁榮之金橫木（或非概率驅動器的內核），科學與理性之有機玻璃柱（或阿加布鬆的正義之杖），銀橫木（或“在連續劇劇本中‘操’這個單詞最爲無緣無故的用法獎”的若利杯）以及復原後的自然與精神之木柱（或者象徵英格蘭板球運動之死的門柱殘留物）。 “我想咱們現在幹什麼也沒用了？”阿瑟輕聲問道。 “沒錯。” 司拉提巴特法斯嘆了口氣。 阿瑟的失望表情一點兒也沒做像。正好，他一個人呆在陰影裏，因此他乾脆肆無忌憚地露出輕鬆的神情。 “可惜啊。”他說。 Chapter 25 Even as the Starship Bistromath flickered into objective being on the top of a small cliff on the mile-wide asteroid which pursued a lonely and eternal path in orbit around the enclosed star system of Krikkit, its crew was aware that they were in time only to be witnesses to an unstoppable historic event. They didn’t realize they were going to see two. They stood cold, lonely and helpless on the cliff edge and watched the activity below. Lances of light wheeled in sinister arcs against the void from a point only about a hundred yards below and in front of them. They stared into the blinding event. An extension of the ship’s field enabled them to stand there, by once again exploiting the mind’s predisposition to have tricks played on it: the problems of falling up off the tiny mass of the asteroid, or of not being able to breathe, simply became Somebody Else’s. The white Krikkit warship was parked amongst the stark grey crags of the asteroid, alternately flaring under arclights or disappearing in shadow. The blackness of the shaped shadows cast by the hard rocks danced together in wild choreography as the arclights swept round them. The eleven white robots were bearing, in procession, the Wikkit Key out into the middle of a circle of swinging lights. The Wikkit Key was rebuilt. Its components shone and glittered: the Steel Pillar (or Marvin’s leg) of Strength and Power, the Gold Bail (or HeArt of the Improbability Drive) of Prosperity, the Perspex Pillar (or Argabuthon Sceptre of Justice) of Science and Reason, the Silver Bail (or Rory Award for The Most Gratuitous Use Of The Word “Fuck” In A Serious Screenplay) and the now reconstituted Wooden Pillar (or Ashes of a burnt stump signifying the death of English cricket) of Nature and Spirituality. I suppose there is nothing we can do at this point? asked Arthur nervously. No, sighed Slartibartfast. The expression of disappointment which crossed Arthur’s face was a complete failure, and, since he was standing obscured by shadow, he allowed it to collapse into one of relief. Pity, he said.
