“A pity!” said Walpurgis, frowning. “A real pity! I do wish they wouldn't always dash off like that! They might have been able to help us find your Mr Mouse!”

“How?” said Wizzy.

“Well... viruses often have data traces in them which can give you a clue” said Walpurgis.

Zeeeeeessh went the FarView, sinking back out of sight again.

“Oh - thanking you, Lucia!” said Carmeramalita. The tracboat gave another of its little dips.

“And you see” Walpurgis went on “All that data is now in their absorption pods, those things under the Vironators' wings. But now they'll just dump the lot into Void for destruction. Shame!”

Lucia the Tracboat gave a little quiver.

“Ah! Yes, sorry Lucia” said Walpurgis, looking a bit embarrassed. “Let me just look at tracmapper and see where we need to go next.”

“Woop woop” went the little train set at the back of the boat.

“Excellent, lunchtime!” said Katzilow. “Wonder what's on?”

“D'you know” said Hombellyton, getting up and stretching. “I really think I might manage something now... just something plain, of course!”

Walpurgis winked at Dot. “Told you he'd be all right!” he whispered. “He's never net-sick for long. You go ahead - I must just deal with the tracmapper.”

Everyone went down to the stern of the boat, next to the amazing train set that also seemed to be Lucia's restaurant.

Dot peered over the tracboat’s side. They were still a long way up – down below, the router stations, servers and scanners that dotted the net-plain looked like toys. A soft, sweet breeze was blowing, and the soft, warm air of the net gave off its usual sweet smell. It felt so strange to be so high up in a boat – but really safe too!

“I MUST ask” said Fromage. “ ‘Ow did you come to have a... a train for a restaurant? It is amazing!”

Carmeramalita giggled. “Well – it was a gift” she said. “You tell them, Eldenbeam! It was all down to you, wasn’t it?”

“Mmm, ahh” went Eldenbeam, scratching his furry head in an embarrassed sort of way. “I say, guys! Look at the menu!”

He obviously wanted to change the subject in a hurry – but to be fair, what they saw in front of them was quite a sight.

Another little train had come out of the model range of mountains that formed the backdrop to the railway. It was a range of mountains complete with pine trees, snow, a waterfall (with real water, or what looked like it) and even toy bears and mountain goats.

Dot was sure they weren’t in the same place she’d first noticed them, but they couldn’t have moved – or could they..?

Anyway this little train – which was like one of the old Wild West trains this time, with a big funnel at the front, and gleaming red and silver wheels, and the words ‘Sante Fe and Tucson Railway’ in old-fashioned writing on the side – this little train was towing three wooden trucks. And on each one was a menu card.

Truck No 1 said:

“Yum!” said Dot, who was feeling quite hungry now. “Er… can I have another look, please?”

“Woop woop!” Out came the little train again, with the same menu cards. Then it stopped.

“You don’t have to remember!” said Carmeramalita. “Look!”

She reached forward with her furry paw and touched a dish on each of the trucks (the soup, the pizza and the profiteroles, in fact.) As she touched each one, it glowed a soft green and went “Ding ding!” like a bicycle bell.

“Now” she said, giving Dot and Wiz and Fromage her beaky smile “It’ll remember what I want and serve it up. You try!”

Dot leant forward and touched the first card – which, to her surprise, felt just like the screen on her mobile phone, though it still looked like a card. (She chose the wild mushroom pate.) It glowed again – a warm red this time – and the bell sounded once more.

Then she went for the penne pasta and the raspberry meringue. Ding ding, ding ding!

After that everyone else made their choices – including Hombellyton, who chose two starters, so he obviously wasn’t feeling net-sick any more. And when they’d all finished, with another “Woop woop!” the little train chuffed off and disappeared back into the mountains.

I’m sure that bear up there’s moved again, thought Dot.

Carmeramalita turned to Eldenbeam again, and poked him in the ribs.

“Come on Eldy!” she said. “Tell them the story!”

But before the TricTrucTracker could open his beak to speak, there was an excited shout from Walpurgis, up near Lucia’s bow.

“TricTrucTrack!” he went. “TRICTRUCTRACK!”