Marvin! hissed a voice.
His head snapped up, almost dislodging the intricate network of electrodes which connected him to the central Krikkit War Computer.
An inspection hatch had opened and one of a pair of unruly heads was peering through whilst the other kept on jogging it by continually darting to look this way and that extremely nervously.
Oh, it’s you, muttered the robot. I might have known.
Hey, kid, said Zaphod in astonishment, was that you singing just then?
I am, Marvin acknowledged bitterly, in particularly scintillating form at the moment.
Are you alone? he said.
Yes, said Marvin. Wearily I sit here, pain and misery my only companions. And vast intelligence of course. And infinite sorrow. And…
Yeah, said Zaphod. Hey, what’s your connection with all this?
This, said Marvin, indicating with his less damaged arm all the electrodes which connected him with the Krikkit computer.
Then, said Zaphod awkwardly, I guess you must have saved my life. Twice.
Three times, said Marvin.
Zaphod’s head snapped round (his other one was looking hawkishly in entirely the wrong direction) just in time to see the lethal killer robot directly behind him seize up and start to smoke. It staggered backwards and slumped against a wall. It slid down it. It slipped sideways, threw its head back and started to sob inconsolably.
Zaphod looked back at Marvin.
You must have a terrific outlook on life, he said.
Just don’t even ask, said Marvin.
I won’t, said Zaphod, and didn’t. Hey look, he added, you’re doing a terrific job.
Which means, I suppose, said Marvin, requiring only one ten thousand million billion trillion grillionth part of his mental powers to make this particular logical leap, that you’re not going to release me or anything like that.
Kid, you know I’d love to.
But you’re not going to.
No.
I see.
You’re working well.
“马文！”有人轻声喊道。
它猛地抬起头，缠在周围的电极、电线被绕得更乱了。
一扇安全门打开来。一个头鬼鬼祟祟地伸了近来，另一个头则小心翼翼地四处瞅着，紧张得不得了。
“噢，是你。”机器人咕哝着，“我早该想到的。”
“嘿，孩子。”赞福德见了它，大惊，“刚才是你在唱歌？”
“是我。”马文辛酸地答道，“我刚才处于所谓的灵感闪现状态。”
“你一个人？”赞福德问。
“是的。”马文答道，“身心疲惫的我，唯一的同伴就是痛苦与悲凉。当然，还有巨量的智能。还有无尽的伤悲，还有——”
“嗯。”赞福德说，“嘿，你这些东西是连哪儿的？”
“这儿。”马文举起他伤得轻点儿的那只手，指了指电线和版求电脑。
“这么说，”赞福德微露窘态，“看来是你救了我，两次。”
“三次。”马文道。
赞福德猛一回头（另一个头虽然警觉十足，却完全没觉察到危险），才发现背后站了个机器杀手。那机器人突然僵直了身子，抽起烟来。它跌跌撞撞地退到墙边，颓唐地靠上去，然后滑了下来，耷拉了脑袋，开始啜泣，哭得肝肠寸断。
赞福德转向马文。
“你对生活一定有很棒的见解。”他说。
“别提了。”马文道。
“我不会的。”赞福德便不再提了。“嘿瞧啊，你干得真棒！”
“我想，你的意思是，”马文用它大脑的十万亿兆考分之一的智能，就推出了这道逻辑题，“你不会放我出去的。”
“孩子，你知道我其实很想的。”
“但你不会的。”
“对。”
“明白了。”
“你干得不错。”