The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy of Five

by Douglas Adams

theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

His first theory was that if human beings didn’t keep exercising their lips, their mouths probably seized up. After a few months of observation he had come up with a second theory, which was this – if human beings don’t keep exercising their lips, their brains start working.

I teleported home one night With Ron and Sid and Meg. Ron stole Meggie’s heart away And I got Sidney’s leg.

The major problem – one of the major problems, for there are several – one of the many major problems with governing people is that of who you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem. And so this is the situation we find: a succession of Galactic Presidents who so much enjoy the fun and palaver of being in power that they very rarely notice that they’re not. And somewhere in the shadows behind them – who? Who can possibly rule if no one who wants to do it can be allowed to?