So! Dot and Wiz have managed to get back into the Net without Mr Mouse - by Dot half-remembering what keys she had to press on the keyboard, and Wiz accidentally jogging her hand onto the last one of the sequence! Now they can see if their wise friend Samson the Server can help them. But when they arrive at his headquarters, someone else is already there - Fromage, Mr Mouse's cousin!
“Ah! Bonjour, Meess Dorothy!”
Fromage twirled round and gave Dot a huge hug, kissing her first on one cheek, then on the other.
Mind you, this wasn't one of those “Mwaa mwaa” kisses you see celebs doing in the pages of 'Hello' magazine - these were real smackers, accompanied by a strong whiff of Roquefort cheese (and just a hint of strong red wine), showing that Fromage was still living up to his name - which is French for “cheese”.
Yes, I know mice love crunchy peanut butter and chocolate too, but that's Mr Mouse's family for you – they stick to the old way of doing things! The same went for the blue work jacket and snazzy maroon beret Fromage was wearing - not to mention the espadrilles, rope-soled sandals you usually see on the beach.
Dot giggled - Fromage's whiskers were tickling her cheek. “Bonjour to you too, Monsieur Fromage” she said.
“Et salut, Wiz!” the mouse said, standing back. “So! You 'ave come to 'elp, I 'ope? I came as soon as I 'eard, on Mousescope! Ee ees a disaster, non? My cousin may be lost forever, if we cannot find ‘im in some way!”
“Another fine mess we’re getting into with that cheesehunter!” grinned Wiz.
“Well, be fair” said Dot, reaching down to scratch Wiz in his favourite place behind his silky ears. “It was Dad really. He just HAD to mess around and bring Mr Mouse down and put him in the big computer… otherwise everything would have been all right. And then Zapotek made it all worse by doing that swap!”
“Yes” boomed Samson in his familiar but VERY loud voice, making them all jump, and the server support machines around his big screen shimmy and tremble. “But that's computer experts for you! Always think they can go one better. Reminds me of the last time I had a cyber-check! This fellow, can't remember his name, messing about all day - made my voice go down to a little whisper!”
“Sounds like a good idea to me!” muttered Wiz, pressing his paws firmly over his ears.
“Well I mean to say!” Samson went on. “Not the thing at all! So I soon sorted him out. I told him - I said - ”
Dot knew she had to stop her old friend. This looked like a long story - Samson loved chatting!
“Can you help us, though, Samson?” she said as he paused for breath. “We really want him back - it would be awful to lose him forever… ”
“Truly, indeed!” said Fromage.
“Well” said Samson doubtfully “I can, but only if he's plugged in and being used to access the net - then, like all computer mice, he sends out a signal that we servers can hear, and we can find out where he is. Then, we can get your www.mapper - what's the girl's name?”
“Clytemnestra” said Dot and Wiz together.
“Ah yes, of course” said Samson. “Strange name that - from Ancient Greece, you know. Looked it up. The original Clytemnestra - ”
“Sam-son” said Fromage, clicking his paws. “Pleease, to stay on ze subject!”
“Yes, yes of course!” said Samson. “Sorry about that! Anyway, the girl can give you a route all right - but you'll still need help finding exactly where he is.”
He beamed down at them. “That's where my TricTrucTrackers come in!”
