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

don't think they meant any harm, they've been very good-natured about it, and
..."
"Sorry, can I interrupt you a moment Peter and say that the sofa has just
vanished."
"So it has. Well, that's one mystery less. Still, it's definitely one for
the record books I think, particularly occurring at this dramatic moment in
play, England now needing only twenty-four runs to win the series. The men are
leaving the pitch in the company of a police officer, and I think everyone's
settling down now and play is about to resume."
"Now, sir," said the policeman after they had made a passage through the
curious crowd and laid Arthur's peacefully inert body on a blanket, "perhaps
you'd care to tell me who you are, where you come from, and what that little
scene was all about?"
Ford looked at the ground for a moment as if steadying himself for
something, then he straightened up and aimed a look at the policeman which hit
him with the full force of every inch of the six hundred light-years' distance
between Earth and Ford's home near Betelgeuse.
"All right," said Ford, very quietly, "I'll tell you."
"Yes, well, that won't be necessary," said the policeman hurriedly, "just
don't let whatever it was happen again." The policeman turned around and
wandered off in search of anyone who wasn't from Betelgeuse. Fortunately, the
ground was full of them.
Arthur's consciousness approached his body as from a great distance, and
reluctantly. It had had some bad times in there. Slowly, nervously, it entered
and settled down in to its accustomed position.
Arthur sat up.
"Where am I?" he said.
"Lord's Cricket Ground," said Ford.
"Fine," said Arthur, and his consciousness stepped out again for a quick
breather. His body flopped back on the grass.
Ten minutes later, hunched over a cup of tea in the refreshment tent, the
colour started to come back to his haggard face.
"How're you feeling?" said Ford.
"I'm home," said Arthur hoarsely. He closed his eyes and greedily inhaled
the steam from his tea as if it was - well, as far as Arthur was concerned, as
if it was tea, which it was.
"I'm home," he repeated, "home. It's England, it's today, the nightmare is
over." He opened his eyes again and smiled serenely. "I'm where I belong," he
said in an emotional whisper.
"There are two things I fell which I should tell you," said Ford, tossing
a copy of the Guardian over the table at him.
"I'm home," said Arthur.
"Yes," said Ford. "One is," he said pointing at the date at the top of the
paper, "that the Earth will be demolished in two days' time."
"I'm home," said Arthur. "Tea," he said, "cricket," he added with
pleasure, "mown grass, wooden benches, white linen jackets, beer cans ..."
Slowly he began to focus on the newspaper. He cocked his head on one side
with a slight frown.
"I've seen that one before," he said. His eyes wandered slowly up to the
date, which Ford was idly tapping at. His face froze for a second or two and