The true ruler of the Universe lives on a “small obscure world somewhere in the middle of nowhere in particular” (198). He is a tall, shambling man who lives in a little house alone with his cat. Few people know where he is (or that he exists), and he’s uncertain of anything that exists beyond his immediate comprehension. Occasionally, men arrive and ask him questions, and then they disappear. He occupies his time with inconsequential acts.

The Heart of Gold arrives on the planet, and the man welcomes Zaphod, Trillian, and Zarniwoop into his shack. Zarniwoop begins to quiz the man about how he rules the Universe, but the man is dismissive of anything that he can’t see or immediately experience. Everything else, he says, “is hearsay.” Zarniwoop is increasingly outraged that such a person governs the lives and fates of millions of people. Zaphod and Trillian agree to leave, deciding that “the Universe is in pretty good hands” (205). They leave Zarniwoop behind on the planet.

Ford and Arthur explore the planet where they’re stranded. They encounter small communities of humanoid people without language. These people offer them small gifts of food so that they’ll go away. Ford and Arthur eat the food and continue to explore. They cross a sea, and Ford shows his talent for hunting deer.

Ford and Arthur explore coastlines and fjords. At one glacier, they find “an old face, thin and disguised” and recognize their old friend Slartibartfast (217). They realize that they’re stranded on planet Earth, 2 million years before it’s destroyed by the Vogons.

The survivors from the ark are led by the Captain. They form a series of committees and councils to help them survive. Ford and Arthur return from their six-month expedition to find that the Golgafrinchans have achieved nothing in terms of inventing the wheel or learning how to create fire. They have turned leaves into currency and have commissioned a number of documentaries. They all have “immaculately styled hair” (221).

Ford tries to speak to the Golgafrinchans about what they’ve discovered, but they refuse to listen to him since he’s not on the agenda. Number Two appears and announces that his security detail has discovered a new continent. They have immediately declared war on it, though they’re not able to wage war right now. Ford mentions the indigenous prehistoric people, who are now “dying out” following the Golgafrinchans’ arrival.

Ford tells the survivors that they’re on planet Earth and that, in 2 million years’ time, the planet will be destroyed. The crowd is uninterested. The Captain is thankful that he has time for “a few more baths” (232).

Arthur is trying to teach the indigenous people—likely Neanderthals—to play Scrabble. He wants to encourage them to evolve rather than die out. Ford tells him that there is “no escape” from fate. Arthur is horrified by the idea that he’s a descendant of the Golgafrinchans.

As the weeks pass, Arthur feels increasingly helpless. One day, Arthur and Ford are shocked by one of the Neanderthals using the Scrabble tiles to spell out “Forty-Two.” Remembering that Arthur’s brain might contain the Question, Arthur begins to pull out more tiles. Eventually, he spells out the question of what you get if you multiply six by nine. This, Ford announces, is “all there is” (241).

Two Golgafrinchan women find Arthur and Ford in a shocked state of humor. The women introduce themselves as Agda and Mella. They invite Arthur and Ford on a date.

Later, Arthur sits with Mella. He mentions that he threw his copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in a river, as he will not “be wanting it anymore” (245).