mid-transit, 1992
Here while I lie beneath this walnut bough,
What care I for the Greeks or for Troy town,
If juster battles are enacted now
Between the ants upon this hummock's crown
"So, how long do you think we've got before all hell breaks loose?" Trillian asked, setting the climate control on the instrument panel of the small ship as they left Lamuella, and she left her daughter behind.
Eri, her assistant and pilot, shrugged. "About three or four days, if we get there in time. Of course, with time what it is in this place--"
"What do you mean?"
"It's a plural zone, Trillian."
At that moment, Trillian really, really wanted to kick herself. "A plural zone? Eri, we could be missing the entire thing. We could be going to the wrong planet, even. What's it called?"
"Yokohama," replied Eri, quite simply. "And you have got to start remembering this stuff, I can't report for you, you know."
"Just drive," Trillian muttered, watching carefully out the windows. A plural zone. Fantastic. Different versions of the same thing, different possibilities of places and times, and, well, a totally different time flow.
Kind of like Earth.
"I hope she'll be all right with him," she added.
Eri gave her a sympathetic look. "Arthur's your best friend, isn't he? And Random's father? They'll be fine."
"Famous last words, Eri."
"Yeah, I know, I know."
Trillian gave the instrument panel a kick, as the climate control system began to grind.
It started blaring music, instead of working correctly.
Last night I held Aladdin's lamp
And so I wished that I could stay
Before the thing could answer me
Well, someone came and took the lamp away
I looked around, a lousy candle's all I found
"-- that's Earth music, isn't it?" Eri cocked her head. "Steppenwolf."
"Oh, Ford," Trillian sighed, slightly.
"Ford? Ford Prefect, is it? That old friend of yours?"
"Right. Fan of this song - we listened to it on Gwillanti Prime."
Eri looked thoughtful, then shrugged. "Whatever you say, boss."
"Fractal time," Trillian added.
Grinning, Eri winked at her, and kicked the panel again. The climate control went back to normal, and she kicked it back into hyperspeed. "Should be arriving at the sight of Nathi in ... 21 minutes."
"You're a goddess in disguise, Eri May."
"Oh, I know."
"I bet you do."
What care I for the Greeks or for Troy town,
If juster battles are enacted now
Between the ants upon this hummock's crown
- -- Henry David Thoreau
"So, how long do you think we've got before all hell breaks loose?" Trillian asked, setting the climate control on the instrument panel of the small ship as they left Lamuella, and she left her daughter behind.
Eri, her assistant and pilot, shrugged. "About three or four days, if we get there in time. Of course, with time what it is in this place--"
"What do you mean?"
"It's a plural zone, Trillian."
At that moment, Trillian really, really wanted to kick herself. "A plural zone? Eri, we could be missing the entire thing. We could be going to the wrong planet, even. What's it called?"
"Yokohama," replied Eri, quite simply. "And you have got to start remembering this stuff, I can't report for you, you know."
"Just drive," Trillian muttered, watching carefully out the windows. A plural zone. Fantastic. Different versions of the same thing, different possibilities of places and times, and, well, a totally different time flow.
Kind of like Earth.
"I hope she'll be all right with him," she added.
Eri gave her a sympathetic look. "Arthur's your best friend, isn't he? And Random's father? They'll be fine."
"Famous last words, Eri."
"Yeah, I know, I know."
Trillian gave the instrument panel a kick, as the climate control system began to grind.
It started blaring music, instead of working correctly.
Last night I held Aladdin's lamp
And so I wished that I could stay
Before the thing could answer me
Well, someone came and took the lamp away
I looked around, a lousy candle's all I found
"-- that's Earth music, isn't it?" Eri cocked her head. "Steppenwolf."
"Oh, Ford," Trillian sighed, slightly.
"Ford? Ford Prefect, is it? That old friend of yours?"
"Right. Fan of this song - we listened to it on Gwillanti Prime."
Eri looked thoughtful, then shrugged. "Whatever you say, boss."
"Fractal time," Trillian added.
Grinning, Eri winked at her, and kicked the panel again. The climate control went back to normal, and she kicked it back into hyperspeed. "Should be arriving at the sight of Nathi in ... 21 minutes."
"You're a goddess in disguise, Eri May."
"Oh, I know."
"I bet you do."