Jack Vettriano The Letter

Jack Vettriano The LetterJack Vettriano The Last Great RomanticJack Vettriano The Innocents
," said Arthur, "no, I didn't." "Pity," said Slartibartfast, "that was one of mine. Won an award you know. Lovely crinkly edges. I was most upset to hear about its destruction." "You were upset!" "Yes. Five minutes later and it wouldn't have mattered so much. It was a quite shocking cock-up." "Huh?" said Arthur. "The mice were furious." "The mice were furious?" "Oh yes," said the old man mildly. "Yes well so I expect were the dogs and cats and duckbilled ?" Slartibartfast coughed politely. "Earthman," he said, "it is sometimes hard to follow your mode of speech. Remember I have been asleep inside this planet of Magrathea for five million years and know little of these early sixties sit coms of which you speak. These creatures you call mice, you see, they are not quite platypuses, but ..." "Ah, but they hadn't paid for it you see, had they?" "Look," said Arthur, "would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?" For a while the aircar flew on in awkward silence. Then the old man tried patiently to explain. "Earthman, the planet you lived on was commissioned, paid for, and run by mice. It was destroyed five minutes before the completion of the purpose for which it was built, and we've got to build another one." Only one word registered with Arthur. "Mice?" he said. "Indeed Earthman." "Look, sorry - are we talking about the little white furry things with the cheese fixation and women standing on tables screaming in early sixties sit coms