“THAT’S not in the rule book!” said Nascarbalone Trinth. “You are not allowed to confer outside the Tzone Testing Group!” He tip-tapped on his computer then swivelled the little screen round to show them.

His Picboat gave a little hop, and he nearly dropped the computer. “WILL you be still!” he muttered at the boat angrily. Then he pushed the screen towards the TricTrucTrackers floating on their quiz desk just in front of him. “There! See?”

“Ah yes” said Carmeramalita sweetly, still gazing at the angry Zonemaster with her big brown eyes. “But don’t forget the Code of InterFriendNet – and you have two members here, myself and our dear missdorothy.com!”

Dot gasped. Of course! She had forgotten! She had been made a member when she had helped Lonely Darren track down the virus he’d launched onto the net – when he’d only meant it for their school, just for a while, because people were being horrible to him because he was a computer whiz. *

Still shouldn’t have done it of course… but that’s the kind of thing that bullying does to people… which is why you should NEVER try to face it on your own, always tell your mum or dad or whoever looks after you, or your teacher. They’ll help!

Looked like Nascarbalone Trinth needed help, really – he was leafing through his Tzone rule book, while Carmeramalita continued to gaze sweetly at him.

The other TricTrucTrackers on the quiz panel were arguing with each, other, as usual, but in a muttery, quiet sort of way for once.

“IntaireFriendNet?” asked Fromage, looking puzzled. “What eez this, please?”

“It’s neat!” said Wiz. “Dot’s too modest so I’ll tell you – it’s a special band of Netpeople who have achieved something really great for the Net. Like Dot did when she tracked down that horrible ‘Sprocket’ virus Darren had made up.”

Dot blushed. It was nice to have nice things said about you but it still made her go pink. Wiz winked up at her.

“Each member of InterFriendNet wears a ring that can be used to bring help whenever it’s needed” he went on. “And every member must come when called.”

Nascarbalone snapped the little computer shut, with a loud click, making them all jump. “Not THIS time” he said in his grindy voice. “I am Zonemaster of this Tzone, and what I say goes!”

Carmeramalita jumped up. For the first time she looked cross and upset. That worried Dot even more. Carmeramalita was always so chilled!

“That’s NOT FAIR!” she said angrily. “You can’t do that!”

The other TricTrucTrackers on the quiz panel stopped arguing and looked at her – obviously completely surprised. “Oh DEAR!” Dot heard Walpurgis mutter. “This won’t help!”

Eldenbeam just shook his head. “See?” he whispered to Dot. “Should have had me on!”

Nascarbalone’s eyes narrowed. He leaned forward, his beak somehow looking bigger and sharper. “Oh yes I can!” he said, his voice grindier than ever. “Just you try!”

“All right!” said Carmeramalita, glaring straight back at him. “I will!”

WHAT a meanie, thought Dot. I’d like to show him!

Carmeramalita held her paws up in front of her and closed her eyes. In a loud, clear voice she said: “InterFriends! InterFriends! I summon Net-help!”

Nothing.

Again.

“InterFriends! INTERFRIENDS! I summon NET-HELP!”

Again, nothing. Nothing at all.

Then Dot heard a funny noise. It was a sort of gluck-gluck-glucking. It was hard to work out what it was at first, but then she realized: it was Nascarbalone laughing.

It wasn’t a very nice sound – kind of nyaa-nyaa-nyaa, really.

“My dear young lady” Nascarbalone said in a kind of gloating way. “You don’t seem to have heard of ScreenWall 5.7. I have it all round my Tzone. The very latest. Nothing in – nothing out. Unless I say so.” He paused, then suddenly hissed: “Not even your fine friends of InterFriendNet!”

“That’s… that’s against Basic NetLaw!” said Carmeramalita. She looked really shocked.

“We’ll see about that” Nascarbalone shot back. “I’m in charge here!”

Wizzie let out a low growl. “Just let me at him” he said to Dot. “Pleease!”

The Zonemaster looked down. “Don’t waste your breath, my furry friend” he sneered. Then he turned back to the panel of TricTrucTrackers, and spread his huge wings out for a moment.

Then: “For all that” he said “I am a fair Zonemaster.”

“Et ta soeur!” ** growled Fromage, under his breath.

Nascarbalone went on. “I am prepared to give you all – one last chance. A tie-breaker. It will be the most difficult question I can think of. No-one has EVER answered it correctly. But if I get that answer, I will let you all through – full access.” He paused, and a nasty smile spread over his beaky face. “But I will choose who answers.”

He swivelled round in his Picboat and looked straight down at Dot.

“YOU!”


* - See ‘Dot and Lonely Darren’.

** - “Et ta soeur” – a French way of saying “Oh yeah?” or “Not!” or “Pull the other one!”