The Restaurant at the End of the Universe [26]
"What's going on?" spat Zaphod.
"Simple," said Zarniwoop. His self assurance and smugness made Zaphod seethe.
"Very simple," repeated Zarniwoop, "I discovered the coordinated at which this man could be found — the man who rules the Universe, and discovered that his world was protected by an Unprobability field. To protect my secret — and myself — I retreated to the safety of this totally artificial Universe and hid myself away in a forgotten cruise liner. I was secure. Meanwhile, you and I ..."
"You and I?" said Zaphod angrily, "you mean I knew you?"
"Yes," said Zarniwoop, "we knew each other well."
"I had no taste," said Zaphod and resumed a sullen silence.
"Meanwhile, you and I arranged that you would steal the Improbability Drive ship — the only one which could reach the ruler's world — and bring it to me here. This you have now done I trust, and I congratulate you." He smiled a tight little smile which Zaphod wanted to hit with a brick.
"Oh, and in case you were wondering," added Zarniwoop, "this Universe was created specifically for you to come to. You are therefore the most important person in this Universe. You would never," he said with an even more brickable smile, "have survived the Total Perspective Vortex in the real one. Shall we go?"
"Where?" said Zaphod sullenly. He felt collapsed.
"To your ship. The Heart of Gold. You did bring it I trust?"
"No."
"Where is your jacket?"
Zaphod looked at him in mystification.
"My jacket? I took it off. It's outside."
"Good, we will go and find it."
Zarniwoop stood up and gestured to Zaphod to follow him.
Out in the entrance chamber again, they could hear the screams of the passengers being fed coffee and biscuits.
"It has not been a pleasant experience waiting for you," said Zarniwoop.
"Not pleasant for you!" bawled Zaphod, "How do you think ..."
Zarniwoop held up a silencing finger as the hatchway swung open. A few feet away from them they could see Zaphod's jacket lying in the debris.
"A very remarkable and very powerful ship," said Zarniwoop, "watch."
As they watched, the pocket on the jacket suddenly bulged. It split, it ripped. The small metal model of the Heart of Gold that Zaphod had been bewildered to discover in his pocket was growing.
It grew, it continued to grow. It reached, after two minutes, its full size.
"At an Improbability Level," said Zarniwoop, "of ... oh I don't know, but something very large."
Zaphod swayed.
"You mean I had it with me all the time?"
"Zarniwoop smiled. He lifted up his briefcase and opened it.
He twisted a single switch inside it.
"Goodbye artificial Universe," he said, "hello real one!"
The scene before them shimmered briefly — and reappeared exactly as before.
"You see?" said Zarniwoop, "exactly the same."
"You mean," repeated Zaphod tautly, "that I had it with me all the time?"
"Oh yes," said Zarniwoop, "of course. That was the whole point."
"That's it," said Zaphod, "you can count me out, from hereon in you can count me out. I've had all I want of this. You play your own games."
"I'm afraid you cannot leave," said Zarniwoop, "you are entwined in the Improbability field. You cannot escape."
He smiled the smile that Zaphod had wanted to hit and this time Zaphod hit it.
Chapter 13
Ford Prefect bounded up to the bridge of the Heart of Gold.
"Trillian! Arthur!" he shouted, "it's working! The ship's reactivated!"
Trillian and Arthur were asleep on the floor.
"Come on you guys, we're going off, we're off," he said kicking them awake.
"Hi there guys!" twittered the computer, "it's really great to be back with you again, I can tell you, and I just want to say that ..."
"Shut up," said Ford, "tell us where the hell we are."
"Frogstar World B, and man it's a dump," said Zaphod running on to the bridge, "hi, guys, you must be so amazingly glad to see me you don't even find words to tell me what a cool frood I am."
"What a what?" said Arthur blearily, picking himself up from the floor and not taking any of this in.
"I know how you feel," said Zaphod, "I'm so great