CHAPTER 15
Slartibartfast sat in the tiny control cabin of the Time Flies. With the Earth woman now gone, there was more room for him to stretch his legs. He had just returned Fenchurch to the planet Screeeee with all those dolphins. And now he was on his way back to Camtim headquarters.
At first she hadn't been sure where she wanted to go. As they were discussing it however, she said, "So obviously I'm just like an animal in a zoo back there on the dolphin planet. But, you know what? In all honesty it was the nicest planet that I've been to. The dolphins were quite nice to me. And at least I was safe there. Part of me thinks I ought to fight being in a gilded cage. It's the sort of thing that if I were back home, safe in my own house, I would have said that I would never put up with, no matter how nice the prison is. But now in the reality of this big, wide, lonely galaxy... it seems like quite a good bargain. And you know, I'm actually grateful that somebody genuinely wants to take care of me."
And so had he dropped her off back on her island.
But now there was something nagging at him. Some empty little hole inside him that needed to be filled... with what though? Well... not with Camtim! All he could expect from them was a regular pay cheque and the monthly company foot massage. There was of course the satisfaction of setting the timelines right. But that didn't really do it for him any more. Not like it had when he had first joined. And was he really making a difference? The universe just seemed to muddle through somehow, now matter what temporal anomalies cropped up.
He had been the same way when he was designing coastlines. At first it had been immensely satisfying. When he had assisted on his first artificially constructed planet, Farssafarss, they had given him a cluster of islands in the southern hemisphere to design. Nobody ever paid attention to the southern hemispheres. That's why it was given to the "new boy." But that didn't deter him. He still gave it his best shot. And he could still remember shortly after it had been completed and set gently into orbit round a white dwarf star. He and the other designers took a space ship and hovered in low orbit over the planet to look down at the sights they had created. It took his breath away. It was magnificent. And he was fulfilled.
And of course these days there were some people who go around blowing up planets. Some days it just wasn't worth getting out of bed.
So, one small detour, he told himself. Nobody would notice. He sat up straight and set the coordinates for the planet Preliumtarn, third out from the sun Zarss in the Galactic Sector QQ7 ActiveJ Gamma.
When he arrived, he set the Time Flies down in the clearly labeled parking facility in the land of Sevorbeupstry. He followed the signs which led him to the Great Red Plains of Rars. On the South side were the Quentulus Quazgar Mountains. Once there he met the Lajestic Vantrashell of Lob who sold him his ticket.
He walked for miles along the well-worn path, past all the souvenir booths. And then, finally he arrived. Standing before him in thirty foot high letters of fire was the Message.
And now it all made sense.
He laughed lightly. And he stayed there all afternoon in sheer wonder and contentment.
Finally, when he felt he could tear himself away some time later, he felt that he owed the Earth woman something. He owed her a great deal in fact.