The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2)

by Douglas Adams

The Universe, as has been observed before, is an unsettlingly big place, a fact which for the sake of a quiet life most people tend to ignore.

‘Many years ago this was a thriving, happy planet – people, cities, shops, a normal world. Except that on the high streets of these cities there were slightly more shoe shops than one might have thought necessary.

‘Well, doesn’t that just take the biscuit,’ said the first iguana. ‘Funny old thing, life,’ said the second iguana. ‘It’s what you make it,’ said the first and they lapsed back into silence.

Arthur and Trillian had the fixed expressions of rabbits on a night road who think that the best way of dealing with approaching headlights is to stare them out.

He stared out at the stars, but none of them said a word.