I'm SO sorry that I took so long to do another chapter. I've just been busy and the Blade story was a spur of the moment, I promise.

SPREAD THE WORD: AT SOME POINT TODAY, I'M CHANGING MY PEN NAME TO "DR. E. VANCE" SO YOU KNOW WHERE I AM AND WHAT HAPPENED. THE CHANGE IS MOSTLY DUE TO PARANOIA AND A LITTLE TO LACK OF INTEREST.

CHAPTER four

"Holy Cow! Do you see that!" Zaphod was practically jumping up and down. The cow, pleased to be called 'holy' looked at the tank.

"MOO."

"Exactly. Look at it Marvin!"

Marvin turned slowly and sniffled the best way a robot could, which ended up sounding close to a vacuum sucking up the pet canary.

"Do I have to?"

"Tsk. Do you know what this is?" Zaphod asked with enthusiasm. After receiving no answer from Marvin, Zaphod turned to the cow. "Well, do you?"

The cow took her time staring at it. Then she lifted her head and stared her big brown eyes at Zaphod.

"MOO."

"Close, but no cigar. It's a tank of laughing gas. You mean to say you've been sitting in a room with something you don't know what it is?"

"MOO."

"Whatever." Zaphod was back to being excited. "This is . . . AMAZING! I'm going to try some."

Twenty minutes later, Zaphod was on the floor uncontrollably laughing. The cow had laid back down and was watching with a hint of amusement and Marvin still stood in the doorway.

"Come on Marvin. Try some! Wait, why am I asking a ROBOT?"

"It'll only make me more miserable to know that it's only temporary."

" Oh, Marvin." Zaphod turned to the cow. "Tell him."

The cow was very pleased she had company and went into a long speech about how it was good for you. Sadly, all Marvin heard was:

"MOO."

But Zaphod heard:

"First, I want to thank you for visiting me and ask that if you leave, could you take me with you. Laughing is actually found to be very healthy for you. It said it in the paper yesterday. Not to be cliché but it does take more muscles to frown than to smile."

Nobody knew Zaphod could speak cow. Neither did Zaphod actually, he just did.

"Did you hear that Marvin? Of course you can come with us! Only problem – robot don't have muscles." Zaphod stood and pointed a finger at Marvin. "MARVIN, I ORDER YOU TO TRY IT. You have to do it when I order you to!"

Marvin shuffled his metal feet over to the tank and picked up a mask. He sighed and placed it to his metal mouth and Zaphod turned it on. Marvin held it up for a few seconds then slowly lowered it.

Zaphod was about to give up hope and then . . . he heard a noise. It was a noise that he couldn't give a name. He couldn't place it. Then he realized it.

Marvin was laughing.

Marvin laughed and the entire universe stopped. Everyone stopped what they were doing. The planets stopped moving. The air stopped blowing, the clouds stopped drifting, the water stopped flowing, and all plant life stopped growing.

Arthur and Ford were walking out of a room when they stopped in their tracks.

"Did you feel that?" Arthur shuddered.

"Yeah. Everything just . . . stopped."

"What could cause something like that?"

"There's only two things that could do that?"

"What are they?" Arthur was worried.

" The universe shutting down and . . ."

"And . . . ?"

"I think Marvin just laughed."