The robot obediently looked at them, then looked back.
I know, he said. Wretched isnt it?
But that sunset! Ive never seen anything like it in my wildest dreams the two suns! It was like mountains of fire boiling into space.
Ive seen it, said Marvin. Its rubbish.
We only ever had the one sun at home, persevered Arthur, I came from a planet called Earth you know.
I know, said Marvin, you keep going on about it. It sounds awful.
Ah no, it was a beautiful place.
Did it have oceans?
Oh yes, said Arthur with a sigh, great wide rolling blue oceans
Cant bear oceans, said Marvin.
Tell me, inquired Arthur, do you get on well with other robots?
Hate them, said Marvin. Where are
you going?
Arthur couldnt bear any more. He had got up again.
I think Ill just take another walk, he said.
Dont blame you, said Marvin and counted five hundred and ninety-seven thousand million sheep before falling asleep again a second later.
Arthur slapped his arms about himself to try and get his circulation a little more enthusiastic about its job. He trudged back up the wall of the crater.
Because the atmosphere was so thin and because there was no moon, nightfall was very rapid and it was by now very dark. Because of this, Arthur practically walked into the old man before he noticed him.
Chapter 22
Eventually the last rays of the sun had vanished completely, and he turned. His face was still illuminated from somewhere, and when Arthur looked for the source of the light he saw that a few yards away stood a small craft of some kinda small hovercraft, Arthur guessed. It shed a dim pool of light around it.
The man looked at Arthur, sadly it seemed.
You choose a cold night to visit our dead planet, he said.
Who who are you? stammered Arthur.
The man looked away. Again a kind of sadness seemed to cross his face.
My name is not important, he said.
He seemed to have something on his mind. Conversation was clearly something he felt he didnt have to rush at. Arthur felt awkward.
I er you startled me he said, lamely.
The man looked round to him again and slightly raised his eyebrows.
Hmmmm? he said.
I said you startled me.
Do not be alarmed, I will not harm you.
Arthur frowned at him. But you shot at us! There were missiles he said.
The man chuckled slightly.
An automatic system, he said and gave a small sigh. Ancient computers ranged in the bowels of the planet tick away the dark millennia, and the ages hang heavy on their dusty data banks. I think they take the occasional pot shot to relieve the monotony.
He looked gravely at Arthur and said, Im a great fan of science you know.
Oh er, really? said Arthur, who was beginning to find the mans curious, kindly manner disconcerting.
Oh, yes, said the old man, and simply stopped talking again.
Ah, said Arthur, er He had an odd felling of being like a man in the act of adultery who is surprised when the womans husband wanders into the room, changes his trousers, passes a few idle remarks about the weather and leaves again.
You seem ill at ease, said the old man with polite concern.
Er, no well, yes. Actually you see, we werent really expecting to find anybody about in fact. I sort of gathered that you were all dead or something
Dead? said the old man. Good gracious me no, we have but slept.
Slept? said Arthur incredulously.
Yes, through the economic recession you see, said the old man, apparently unconcerned about whether Arthur understood a word he was talking about or not.
Er, economic recession?
Well you see, five million years ago the Galactic economy collapsed, and seeing that custom-made planets are something of a luxury commodity you see
He paused and looked at Arthur.
You know we built planets do you? he asked solemnly.
Well yes, said Arthur, Id sort of gathered
Fascinating trade, said the old man, and a wistful look came into his eyes, doing the coastlines was always my favourite. Used to have endless fun doing the little bits in fjords so anyway, he said trying to find his thread again, the recession came and we decided it would save us a lot of bother if we just slept through it. So we programmed the computers to revive us when it was all over.
The man stifled a very slight yawn and continued.
The computers were index linked to the Galactic stock market prices you see, so that wed all be revived when everybody else had rebuilt the economy enough to afford our rather expensive services.
Arthur, a regular Guardian reader, was deeply shocked at this.
Thats a pretty unpleasant way to behave isnt it?
Is it? asked the old man mildly. Im sorry, Im a bit out of touch.
He pointed down into the crater.
Is that robot yours? he said.
No, came a thin metallic voice from the crater, Im mine.
If youd call it a robot, muttered Arthur. Its more a sort of
electronic sulking machine.
Bring it, said the old man. Arthur was quite surprised to hear a note of decision suddenly present in the old mans voice. He called to Marvin who crawled up the slope making a big show of being lame, which he wasnt.
On second thoughts, said the old man, leave it here. You must come with me. Great things are afoot. He turned towards his craft which, though no apparent signal had been given, now drifted quietly towards them through the dark.