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

Concerning the UnderGuide Entry titled “Montana Remains” (A11942633):

Would you please edit it to include the author’s final line, as it was in the original submission posted to the UnderGuidelines as F1684971?thread=3046105 ?

It read:
“When all is finished and he is scattered as he wished, I will lie back in the heavily flowered grasses of the old place, stare at the big sky and dream of days past, other lives.”

I know it’s an odd thing to ask, and it may be a bit of work tacking it onto the finished UnderGuide Article, but it only seems fitting to complete the author’s work. Somehow, the omission took away a part of the heart of this story. The final comments seemed to indicate the writer had come to terms with the death, made peace with it, and chose to hold those memories dear through the rest of her life. Please don’t let it remain unfinished in the Article.

Would you also send me a ‘courtesy copy’ notifying me this has been done?
Thank you so much.

B4ifindanothercause2champion

Thanks very much for letting us know about this - very, very odd

I remember when carlylyn submitted the piece, first to Peer Review, and then, on being redirected, to the AWW. That version - A11942633 - which doesn't have the last line, was the one that was Mined by the UnderGuide and used to make the UnderGuide copy.

Sadly, the author had left the site by that stage and I don't think she's ever been back. The posting you've found looks as though it was her last.

Up until now, then, no one would have known about the version you've found, principally because those aren't in fact the official UnderGuideLines (A1092395); they seem to be a draft used in drawing up the official version. I didn't even know that page existed, to be honest.

The version you've found was clearly the 'final' version, so, yes, we'd be very interested in updating it to incorporate that line.

Thing is, the Polisher who worked on the UG version isn't around at the moment and he's the only one with the keys.

So - this may take some time, basically. But I'll definitely get onto it. Again, thanks very much for alerting us to this

It does my heart good to know you'll put carlylyn's work to rights, with the final line intact. What more can I say? Oh, yes, I know.

"Thank You"

B4ibelaborthepoint