h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

[The story so far: Viola and her grandfather have returned to Blemnox, the family’s ancestral estate. While Grandpa sits on the veranda listening to the singing potatoes,
Viola accepts delivery of KR3BS, the robot butler that her late father has bequeathed to her. KR3BS offers to fix supper, so Viola explores the cellar a while and runs into her Blake, her elusive husband]

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Delighted to be back in his ancestral home, Grandpa sat on the south veranda, his ear cocked toward the potato fields. “Hear that, Viola?” he exclaimed. “The potatoes are singing.”

“Sure, Grandpa,” Viola said, backing toward the front door. “You just listen to them while I check the pantry. We’ll be needing some supper before long.”

No sooner had she reached the pantry than the doorbell at the north entrance rang. Viola opened the door to see a delivery man with a large rectangular box from her father’s estate. It contained KR3BS, a robot butler that her father had invented. KR3BS was ready to start work immediately, having downloaded everything from the Blemnox archives database. KR3BS told Viola that he would have supper ready in thirty minutes.

She was leery of joining Grandpa on the veranda, so she decided to get better acquainted with the house, starting with the cellar. There she found quilts that probably dated from the Civil War. While she was examining one, a familiar voice behind her said, “Your grandfather isn’t crazy, Viola – well, not *completely* crazy. He really does hear singing, though it comes from the ghosts of slaves who passed through the tunnel under the potato fields.”

It was Blake again. Viola turned and saw him in an old telephone booth, a smile on his face. “Blake, I do worry about you,” Viola told him.

“I’m safe here,” he protested.” Nobody uses telephone booths any more.”

“Superman and Harry Potter do,” Viola retorted.

“Nobody attacks Superman and gets away with it,” Blake said, still smiling. “As for Harry Potter, the last person who attacked him was Voldemort, and look what happened to him!”

Just then, KR3BS rang the dinner bell.

“I can’t believe they still use a dinner bell here,” Viola said, wondering how much more weirdness she could take.

“It’s a good sign, though,” Blake said. “Just the other day you were worried about your next meal, and here it is.”

Good idea the next meal usually is

I've just finished writing the next chapter. It's a doozy!

Deb

has anyone spotted the error that I made in this chapter?

I did find your recap of the story a bit perplexing until I had finished the current chapter

Was it a test to see if we are paying attention?



F S

I was thinking the same

"Was it a test to see if we are paying attention?" [Florida Sailor]

It was a test to see if *I* was paying attention, and I failed.

Yes, that was the error.

well, if you failed who are we not to

Tomorrow's episode is already written, and I am putting together some ideas for the ones after that. I get confused.

[Amy P]