"Adams, Douglas - Life the Universe and Everything" - читать интересную книгу автора (Adams Douglas)

"You're a jerk," repeated the alien, "a complete asshole."




"Er ..."




The creature nodded to itself, made a peculiar alien tick on its clipboard and turned briskly back towards the ship.




"Er ..." said Arthur desperately, "er ..."




"Don't give me that!" snapped the alien. It marched up the ramp, through the hatchway and disappeared into the ship. The ship sealed itself. It started to make a low throbbing hum.




"Er, hey!" shouted Arthur, and started to run helplessly towards it.




"Wait a minute!" he called. "What is this? What? Wait a minute!"




The ship rose, as if shedding its weight like a cloak to the ground, and hovered briefly. It swept strangely up into the evening sky. It passed up through the clouds, illuminating them briefly, and then was gone, leaving Arthur alone in an immensity of land dancing a helplessly tiny little dance.




"What?" he screamed. "What? What? Hey, what? Come back here and say that!"




He jumped and danced until his legs trembled, and shouted till his lungs rasped. There was no answer from anyone. There was no one to hear him or speak to him.