Well, said Reg, "it's been an interesting time recently, or rather, a dull time. But dull for interesting reasons."

More from Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

• It's all right, it's just a horse in the bathroom
• Tall. Tall and absurdly thin. And good-natured. A bit like a preying mantis that doesn't prey -- a non-preying mantis if you like. A sort of pleasant genial mantis that's given up preying and taken up tennis instead.
• All right, said Ford, "I'll try to explain. How long have we known each other?" "How long?" Arthur thought. "Er, about five years, maybe six," he said. "Most of it seemed to make some sense at the time."
• Are you telling me, he said, "that you set yourself up to become President of the Galaxy just to steal that ship?" "That's it," said Zaphod with the sort of grin that would get most people locked away in a room with soft walls.
• Arthur, said Ford. "Hello? Yes?" said Arthur. "Just believe everything I tell you, and it will all be very, very simple." "Ah, well I'm not sure I believe that."
• But you don't understand, said Ford, his expression slowly ripening from a little taken abackness into rank incredulity. "This is the American Express Card. It is the finest way of settling bills known to man. Haven't you read their junk mail?"