“Code?”

“T40X.”

“T40X??? Are you sure?”

The Hold-Major at the Exit Plateau shook his head doubtfully. He was a big burly fellow, with floppy jaws and mournful eyes – and a shaggy brown and white coat. On his head was a peaked cap with gold braid round the peak, and the words ‘Hold-Major First Class’ on a shiny badge in the middle.

Under his chin was a round box, marked ‘Spare Flash Drives. Use in Emergency Only’.

“Absolutely sure” said Walpurgis firmly. “Straight from the Zonemaster himself!”

The Hold-Major sighed, and tapped again at the little round red screen held in his paw.

“Well… no doubt about it… that’s Zonemaster Trinth’s ‘Access All’ code for today, all right. But he told us special – look out for that Tracboat Lucia and those TricTrucTrackers – if they get near you, Halt-and-Stop the lot of them. Including” and he peered up at Dot and Wizard with his mournful brown eyes “A young lady and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.”

A brief smile crossed his face as he spotted Wiz. “Hallo, young shaver! Used to work with one of you before I was promoted. Called me Bernie the Saint – St Bernard, you see!”

“Can’t you get a move on?” came a cheeky, squirrelly voice from the back of the queue to get out of the Tzone. It was a Server Servant. He looked tired and dusty, and so did all his companions. “We’re DYING for our suppers, and all the Cashew Nut Curry will be gone if we don’t get back to the ServerPod soon!”

“Yes, come on!”

“They’ve got the code all right!”

“Give us a break!”

It looked like the Hold-Major was going to have trouble on his hands as all the Server Servants joined in the pleas of their leader, bobbing around in their Picboats as they leant over to pressure the Hold-Major. And behind them was a long line of Beamchasers, their helicopter rotor-like wings whirring as they waited to get away.

“Oh… all right” he grumbled. “Suppose it’s OK. I’ll never hear the end of it, if it isn’t!”

Wait a minute, thought Dot. We must tell someone! They’d hardly talked about the mighty battle between Nascarbalone Trinth and the Zeensucker as they sped towards the Exit Plateau (which was just like the Entry Plateau, only the other way round! (See Chapter 24.)

It was as if they were all like Fromage, who’d woken up as they sped away from the battle scene, yawned, said “Eez something ‘appening?” and gone straight back to sleep under the shoulder of her T-shirt.

She was just opening her mouth to speak, when Walpurgis put his paw to his beak to shush her.

“Very well!” said the Hold Major. “Tracboat Lucia, exit permitted!”

With one of her little shakes, Lucia started to move forward, pointing herself at what looked, once again, like a smooth, blank door set in the long castle wall that encircled Tzone 66.

I can’t do this, thought Dot! Nascarbalone might be a fussy, bossy and far too strict, but he could be in real danger!

“Your Zonemaster is in trouble!” she shouted. The Hold-Major looked up. Lucia was moving faster now, so he was already some way off. “He’s fighting a Zeensucker, and he might need help!”

To her surprise, the Hold-Major just grinned and gave a casual wave of his paw.

“Oh, he’ll be all right!” he said. “He’s seen more of them off than you’ve had hot dinners! Next, please!”

“About time!” said the Server Servant leader crossly, moving forward in his Picboat with his exit pass in his little squirrel claw.

“Safety sets!” called Walpurgis. He looked at Dot and shook his head.

Too bad, she thought, Sometimes you just HAVE to do what you think is right.

Everyone sat down and the silvery strands of light came round them, encasing them. Once again Dot felt herself lift slightly off the seat she was sitting on.

Lucia picked up speed. Dot shut her eyes. Wiz snuggled down next to her, his tail sweeping lazily from side to side on the floor of their Safety Set position in the Tracboat.

ZEEEEEEEESSSSSSH!

They were through – out of Tzone 66, and back on the hunt for Mr Mouse!