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      - We applogise, for the inconvenience, - Frank
                                      email:   fleeding @ hotmail.com

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Anyway, here is the article that I have prepared
(best if read slowly to the last 10 minutes of Mahler's
 Symphony #3, Zubin Mehta, conducting the 
 Israel Philharmonic Orchestra).....

[CD index: 15 minutes]

Near sunset, over the ocean, the dark-blue dolphins already circling, the waters reflecting their color back into the sky, the penguins begin their somber flight towards the center of the circle. Over to the left, large, craggy brown rocks obscure our view of the funeral.
[200K gif of above]

The Eulogy

All were silent, all were silent -- as if struck by insurmountable saddness. No one said anything. Then (of all things), Arthur Dent stepped forward and said, slowly and with deliberation: "I didn't really know Douglas, but I felt like I was very close to him. Well, I'm not saying this very well. But, when you think about it. The vastness of the universe, and all.... That any of us, .. that any of us can know any one else -- I mean, er, uhh ..." He stammered off, and then Ford Prefect said, "Go on, dear chap, you've started. Now you must finish..." Arthur looked back and saw Zaphod standing there. The second head winked and nodded at him, as if to encourage him. Eccentrica's eyes welled up with tears, as yet not out-pouring. Trillian, tears running gently down her face, sobbed quietly. Random stood next her trying to keep her tears back. Slarti stood behind them, trying to comfort them as best he could. Even the Vogon guard, standing over to the side was silent. Painfully silent. For a moment, a small smile played about Arthur's mouth; a vogon who was silent. Then the words found themselves to Arthur's tiny, little hominid mind and he threw back his shoulders and his voice *actually* resonnated out for all to hear... "Yes, I didn't know him. But, he knew me. And he knew Ford, and Trillian, Zaphod, and even that triple-breasted whore. He knew a lot of people and he knew a lot of things. He knew. If maybe our generals and presidents, and kings, and emperor's knew half as much .... and the CIA, if they knew half as much as he did, then perhaps all of the worlds in all of our galaxies wouldn't be in half the mess they are today. I think that we can only say this one thing: Time itself is a puzzle, the cover to which we lost a long time ago. But, I think that this crinkly bit, goes over next to the Fjord's. Those were the words the Worms' of Denib-12's greatest philosopher-poet. Some where in time, Douglas Adams has yet to write anything. Somewhere in time, a thousand, hundred million years from now they will still remember me and Ford, Zaphod, and Trillian, and even the Vogon Guard who didn't quite get "da da da dum". And they will *always* remember this..." And at this point his voice openly broke, and slow tears ran down his cheeks. And his voice boomed with pride... "Never forget your towel. And never, *never* feed a Vogan's grandmother to the Ravenous BugBlatter Beast of Trall." There were a few that laughed at that, a few that openly broke into tears. And as the sun slowly set, a parade of four dolphins flew into the air, they traced amazingly amazing perfect half-arcs, that Archimedes would have been proud of. Then flattend out to form a slowly rotating circle 30 metres up. They were then joined by 20 penguins, that flew directly up and through the center of circle of dolphins. When the penguins reached the Zenith, they arched out in a fountain of orange, black and white, their outstretched chests glimmering in the setting sun. Their arcs descended, cresting just before they reached the ground. And then, the dolphins joined them and up, up, up into the air they flew and formed in perfect formation the number: Four-ty Two. Other links: [Back to the 42 page] http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/U42 http://www.douglasadams.com http://www.Happy-Adams-Day.net http://www.TowelDay.org Special thanks to Geoff Cooper of Great Britain. -- Pizo.r Back to the TRIBUTES jump page Back to the PDE [Back to the 42 page] Back to the MAC page Return to the HOME page

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