Do you always breathe like that when you’re thinking? I wasn’t aware that I was breathing. That’s what worried me. I think I know… said Trillian. Shhhh! said Slartibartfast in alarm, and his thin trembling hand motioned them further back beneath the shadow of the tree. Suddenly, as before in the tape, there were lights coming along the hill path, but this time the dancing beams were not from lanterns but electric torches not in itself a dramatic change, but every detail made their hearts thump with fear. This time there were no lilting whimsical songs about flowers and farming and dead dogs, but hushed voices in urgent debate. A light moved in the sky with slow weight. Arthur was clenched with a claustrophobic terror and the warm wind caught at his throat. Within seconds a second party became visible, approaching from the other side of the dark hill. They were moving swiftly and purposefully, their torches swinging and probing around them. The parties were clearly converging, and not merely with each other. They were converging deliberately on the spot where Arthur and the others were standing. Arthur heard the slight rustle as Ford Prefect raised his Zap gun to his shoulder, and the slight whimpering cough as Slartibartfast raised his. He felt the cold unfamiliar weight of his own gun, and with shaking hands he raised it. His fingers fumbled to release the safety catch and engage the extreme danger catch as Ford had shown him. He was shaking so much that if he’d fired at anybody at that moment he probably would have burnt his signature on them. Only Trillian didn’t raise her gun. She raised her eyebrows, lowered them again, and bit her lip in thought. Has it occurred to you, she began, but nobody wanted to discuss anything much at the moment. A light stabbed through the darkness from behind them and they span around to find a third party of Krikkiters behind them, searching them out with their torches. Ford Prefect’s gun crackled viciously, but fire spat back at it and it crashed from his hands. There was a moment of pure fear, a frozen second before anyone fired again. And at the end of the second nobody fired. They were surrounded by pale-faced Krikkiters and bathed in bobbing torch light. The captives stared at their captors, the captors stared at their captives. Hello? said one of the captors. Excuse me, but are you… aliens? “你想事情的时候呼吸都这么大声吗？” “我没注意到啊。” “这让我很紧张。” “我想我知道……”崔莉安道。 “嘘！” 司拉提巴特法斯警觉地嘘了一声，颤抖的手朝树影背后的远方指去。 他们见到了和录象带相似的景象。一些灯光沿着山间小道缓缓移来，不过，不是灯笼光，而是手电筒光——算不上什么巨变，可他们几个仍是心惊胆战。那些关于鲜花、农场和死了的狗狗的歌儿，已不复耳边。他们听见的，是压低了声音的激烈的争论声。 空中莫明地划过一道光柱。阿瑟汗毛倒竖，哽了一下。 很快，出现了另一拨人。他们从黑漆漆的小山另一面过来。他们行动颇为迅速，而且显然是有目的的。他们手里拿着电筒四处扫荡。 那拨人显然在搜山，而且，搜的不是别人，正是阿瑟一行人。 阿瑟隐约听见，福特把枪举了起来；司拉提巴特法斯哽咽着，也把枪举了起来。阿瑟摸摸手中那把冰冷沉重的枪，也颤颤地举了起来。 他笨拙地推掉保险栓，像福特一样，接上了超级危险栓。他抖得很厉害。如果此时开枪的话，他恐怕会在对方身上烙出签名来呢。 只有崔莉安没举枪。她抬起了眉毛，又放下了。她咬着嘴唇。 “你们有没有……”她开口道。可惜现在没人想说话。 身后一束亮光投来。他们转过身去，又一群版求人，正站在他们面前，手里都拿着电筒。 福特奋力开了两火，可是后坐力太猛，枪给震脱手了。 恐惧的沉默。没人再开枪。 终于，没人再开枪。 他们被面色苍白的版求人包围了。四周全是手电筒的光柱。 猎物盯着猎人，猎人盯着猎物。 “你好？”一个猎人开口了，“不好意思，请问你们……是外星人吗？”
