He could just see the figure of Ford Prefect laughing wildly.
Arthur didn't know why, but despite everything going on around him, the blaring light, the screaming people running past him, he was looking at Ford. He could have looked at Trillian, trying to fight to the door with all the other hysterical people, he could have looked at Random, his only daughter, leaning over the body of that poor man she shot; But instead he looked at Ford Prefect, and found he now understood.
For all Ford's flaws, his weirdness, confusing words and his dislike for tea, it had been he that had saved Arthur, out of all the people Ford new off Earth, it had been Arthur Dent he had chosen to rescue from the doomed planet, and, without that, Random wouldn't exist and Arthur would have known nothing more than his tedious 9 to 5 job.
As he thought about this, Arthur found himself feeling sorry for him.
Throughout their adventures, from the Vogon ship to Milliways Arthur had longed to be home, drinking tea and catching up on the cricket scores. Now he was back home and he suddenly realised that Ford must be missing his own home now, the planet Betelgeuse, billions of light years away across the universe. He must have family, he realised. He had heard Zaphod mention that Betelgeusians have more than one mother. They must be wondering where he was. Did he have any siblings? Zaphod was his cousin but he'd never asked about brothers or sisters. His father had apparently died, but he'd never mentioned it. He could see a sadness in his eyes now, fought back behind the ironic laughter. A sadness for who? Himself? Arthur? He had gone around the universe seemingly wanting nothing but to enjoy himself, but he had always gone back for Arthur and the others, protecting them and cheering them on.
Arthur was happy to die on Earth, but Ford was doomed to perish on an alien world with no family or friends around him except for Arthur and Trillian. He must have a native beverage he missed, a longing to be back on home soil as much as Arthur ever did. And, as he thought of this, his hatred of the Betelgeusian began to ebb away and he now wanted to go up to Ford and reassure him that it was all going to be ok, not just as a friend, but as a brother. Return the favour for all the times Ford had ever comforted him.
He stepped towards the laughing Ford and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Ford..."
And, as Ford turned round to face him, the typical wide, manic smile spread across his face and sad, strangely coloured eyes staring at his good friend, everything went dark. It was to late.