Mzeet mzeet – very muffled, but Buzby was still doing his work – inside Wiz!

You could tell that because the tip of his nose was glowing a very pretty green!

“Sorry Dot!” said Wiz. “I'm really sorry!” He gulped a bit. “This does feel funny!”

“Oh, Wizzo!” said Dot. WHAT a muddle! “Can't you get him out somehow?”

Wiz swallowed again, and coughed. “No... no... he won't come!”

“It'll take a hiccup - a big one!” said Walpurgis in a worried voice. “Try, Wiz! Please! We're nearly in!”

“Entry ALLOWED!” boomed a too-familiar voice. It was Nascarbalone Trinth. He'd just passed a group of Server Servants in, and he was heading along his Tzone Entry Plateau - right towards them!

Mzeet mzeet! Suddenly Wizzie's nose turned white, then went back to its usual glossy black.

“Well, mon ami, at least you ‘ave no computer viruses!” chuckled Fromage.

“Very funny!” muttered Wiz.

Nascarbalone was just two entry cradles away from them now, wagging his wing at a shaggy-haired download who couldn't find his Tzone pass

“Right!” said Walpurgis, taking a deep breath. “We'll just have to go!”

“What... with this bee inside me?” said Wiz, gulping again.

“Yes!” hissed Walpurgis. “And do keep your voice down! If Trinth hears you we'll be stuck here forever!”

And indeed the strictest Zonemaster on the Net, who'd just finished telling off the shaggy-haired download, was looking at them curiously, as if wondering why they hadn't left yet! Oh no!

“Lucia!” said Walpurgis, nervously glancing at him. “Progress, please!”

With a little sigh, the Tracboat lifted up - you could feel how pleased she was to be moving again. Her bow tilted up slightly and she started to glide through the air towards the mirror wall behind the row of egg-shaped Entryboxes. As she passed the Entrybox, the little door Buzby had come out of shut with a faint “swoosh” sound.

“Hic!” went Wizzie.

“Not now Wiz!” whispered Hombellyton. “If Buzby gets out now, Trinth will stop us!”

“Why?” asked Fromage.

“Tzone Rule 432B” muttered Katzilow gloomily. “ ‘All property, appurtenances and objects of control encountered at the Tzone Plateau are to be returned before Tzone entry, on pain of Trac- or Picboat confiscation.’ Typical Nascarbalone stuff.”

“Safety Sets, please!” called Walpurgis anxiously. “Quickly now!”

They needed to be quick too - even as the silver light above their heads was spinning its safety cage around them , the “mirror” wall between the Entry Plateau and the rest of the Tzone was getting closer by the second.

You still couldn't see yourself in it though. It was a really weird feeling.

Lucia was now going as fast as she had when they came into the Entry Plateau. Dot could feel the wind rushing past her ears. Looking back, the cradles and the net-people waiting to follow them in looked tiny - even the brooding figure of Nascarbalone Trinth looked small.

“Hic!” went Wiz again.

“Hold on, Wizard!” said Walpurgis, turning round in his seat. “Not long now!”

The funny thing was, the mirror wall had looked quite close when they'd been sitting in the cradle waiting to get into the Tzone - but as fast as they went, it seemed to stay the same distance away from them. Dot was about to ask how they were going to get in when -

“Ready?” said Eldenbeam.

“Ready, Choirkeeper!” said all the TricTrucTrackers together.

“Hmm DEE hmm DEE hmmm!” sang Eldenbeam, in a deep, musical voice.

“Hic-hic!” went Wiz.

“Hmm DEE hmm DEE hmmm DEEEEEE!” replied all the TricTrucTrackers together.

“Incroyable!” * said Fromage, spreading his arms wide in amazement. “Look, my Dot!”

And there certainly was something to look at! As the echoes of the TricTrucTrackers’ strange tune faded away, the mirror wall started to fold round Lucia in a great curve - though they were still flying along at the same speed.

Smoothly, the mirror wall curved on. Dot twisted in her seat to look behind Lucia, and to her amazement saw that it was curving all the way round the Tracboat. As she watched the two ends met, so that they were surrounded by a shining wall.

Above them all was a dark night-sky, broken up with little pinpricks of light, in many colours: silver, gold, green and bright blue, scattered like tinsel across a living room floor at Christmas.

Below them was a rippling sea of silver. As Dot looked, it began to smooth itself out – it reminded Dot of her Mum ironing a duvet cover, all the rumply bits going away.

Or when Nan was ironing one of her crisp white tablecloths, humming that funny old song “Dashing away with a smoothing iron, he stole my heart away!”

She felt a pang as she thought about them. It would be so nice if they were here… and Dad… they’d be so interested.

But she didn’t have time to feel sad – because an incredible sight was coming into view below them!