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

the weather underground tells me that it is 86F that's 30C.
You're right captain. It is hot out there.
Deploys unbrella and turns heater down on tub.
Oh one more thing, I left a flask of frozen wassail for you on the table there.

ah, good, thanks

*Returns to the Pelican's Nest for a final inspection before she goes walkabout.*

Hmm, everything looks to be in order. That's good. Thank you, Shagbark! I am going to be computerless for a couple months or so while I go walkabout. Please see to it that the hottub stays filled, the dumbwaiter remains in good working condition, and if you see Flint grab him by the tail feathers and shove him into a cage until my return... Thanks!

Oh! and if you wouldn't mind taking over my duties as Lookout, I would appreciate it.

shagbark? you 'ere? will you take over mari-raes duties?

Aye captain, I'll be around. I presume the duties do not include trying to catch a parrot

they don't

*if* someone ever catches him - which i find *very* hard to believe will happen - it will be worst for the catcher

so could you have guessed when we left Cuba that Mari-Rae might
do something like this. I personally am surprized.

shagbark brings up a bucket of small fish and feeds the pelican

Well, it's One O clock in the Morning and not a star in the sky.
I suppose the captain is asleep in his quarters with some of that brew he freemantled.

indeed i was. i have also been quite absinthe-minded these last few days

shagbark scans the horizon.I thought I saw something there

||
what was that?
Oh probably just two ships that pass in the night.

But was one of the ships a rag-sailed specter with a mad Dutch captain looking as though it has sailed the seas for all eternity? Or maybe just one of the participants in the America's cup. The races are really not that far away perhaps we should set a course for Aukland harbour and cheer on the Swedes or the Kiwis if that is your preference.

It did have a spectral quality about it but I didn't get a good enough look to be sure that it was the flying dutchman. And as our navigator is on walkabout and has locked the ship into autopilot there is not much we can do about it anyway. My guess is that if he wanted to the Captain could unlock the cases and disengage the
auto-pilot but why should he?

Once again a spectral ship passes us going East. There is a light drizzle falling and the moon is shrouded in clouds. The wind is light yet that ship has full sails as if responding to winds that we are not subject to. I think it may be the flying dutchman.
I had best call the bridge.

So that was a french vessel. Well, from what I hear they have a
reputation for losing battles and having to be rescued by some other
nation. They do make a good though.

yeah, but then we just stocked up on aussie wine so we don't have to fight for the french

i'm too lazy to fight anyway atm

A little hard to fight with the autopilot engaged eh. maybe we shuld wait for kes to return.

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