Chapter 10
The body of Arthur Dent span.
The Universe shattered into a million glittering fragments around it, and each particular shard span silently through the void, reflecting on its silver surface some single searing holocaust of fire and destruction.
And then the blackness behind the Universe exploded, and each particular piece of blackness was the furious smoke of hell.
And the nothingness behind the blackness behind the Universe erupted, and behind the nothingness behind the blackness behind the shattered Universe was at last the dark figure of an immense man speaking immense words.
These, then, said the figure, speaking from an immensely comfortable chair, were the Krikkit Wars, the greatest devastation ever visited upon our Galaxy. What you have experienced…
Slartibartfast floated past, waving.
It’s just a documentary, he called out. This is not a good bit. Terribly sorry, trying to find the rewind control…
–…is what billions of billions of innocent…
Do not, called out Slartibartfast floating past again, and fiddling furiously with the thing that he had stuck into the wall of the Room of Informational Illusions and which was in fact still stuck there, agree to buy anything at this point.
–…people, creatures, your fellow beings…
Music swelled again, it was immense music, immense chords. And behind the man, slowly, three tall pillars began to emerge out of the immensely swirling mist.
–…experienced, lived through or, more often, failed to live through. Think of that, my friends. And let us not forget and in just a moment I shall be able to suggest a way which will help us always to remember that before the Krikkit Wars, the Galaxy was that rare and wonderful thing a happy Galaxy!
The music was going bananas with immensity at this point.
A Happy Galaxy, my friends, as represented by the symbol of the Wikkit Gate!