Chapter 4 Summary

The reader is left to wonder about the fates of Ford and Arthur while Chapter 4 concerns itself with Zaphod Beeblebrox, President of the Imperial Galactic Government. The President is best described as a three-armed, two-headed, smooth-talking, "adventurer, ex-hippy, good timer, manic self-publicist," who is "terribly bad at personal relationships," and "often thought to be completely out to lunch." This charmingly described leader is on a nearly deserted island, about to unveil the new Heart of Gold to three billion people through the eyes of a small robot tri-D camera. The Heart of Gold is a huge starship that carries within it a special, small gold box. The most "brain-wrenching device ever conceived." The three billion people watching him on tri-D are not aware that Zaphod's plans include stealing the new starship with its gold box. As the chapter ends, he throws a Paralyso-Matic...