…how an ordinary schoolgirl became an

INTERNET VOYAGER!

Dot gulped. "Toast?" she said. "How do you mean, toast?"

Adrienne shook her head, glaring at Mr Mouse. "Why must you scare ze girl, Monsieur Souris?" (which is French for Mr Mouse, just in case you didn't... oh you did know... Sorry... ) "You think I cannot 'andle Level 9? I 'ave Gold Standard SearchMaster Certification, you know!"

"OH, sure" said the Mouse. He hopped down from Dot's shoulder and ran down her arm (tickle tickle tickle), climbing up onto Adrienne's Search Engine. He put his hands on his hips and looked at them all in typical Mr Mouse "I'm in charge" style. "But - just look at this thing!" He waved his hand over Adrienne's battered search engine, scratched and dented after its crash landing (how long ago was that, thought Dot - seems like AGES!) "I mean... it's taken a hammering. And what about that system crash plumber man had to fix? Is this or is this gizmo up to the job - specially on Level 9! You know what happens if it overloads. EVERYTHING will blow up and crash, including us. Toast!!"

Dot was surprised to see that even a red squirrel can blush. "Well, eh bien, she is not beautiful just know, this I know" replied Adrienne. "But this is just surface stuff you know - like when your papa hurt your car Dot!"

Dot jumped and her mouth fell open. How did Adrienne know about that? Bill Com had - as he told Dot's Mum - "had an argument" with a lamp post when he was parking Wilhelmina, the Com family car, only a couple of weeks ago. He'd only dented the back bumper but he'd been really upset about it and Dot had had to do her best "cheer up Dad" stuff to make him feel better.

Adrienne grinned at Dot's amazement. "Well Dorothee when Samson asked me to help you I ran a NetCheck - you know we must do this to make sure you are not someone trying to use our Search Engines to put a virus or a Worm or something nasty into the world wide web... and one of ze things I found out was your papa had gone on line to find someone to fix up your motor car. So!"

"Clev-er" said Mr Mouse. "But gettin' back - what about this engine of yours, huh? You know what happens if it overloads. EVERYTHING will blow up and crash, including us. Like I say, toast! How d'ya know this wreck's gonna make it, is what I wanna know!"

Adrienne whirled round, wagging her finger fiercely at Mr Mouse. He jumped and squeaked in fright, looking round for somewhere to hide (as usual!). "Do not call it a wreck!" she said angrily. "It 'as feelings too, you know!" The Search Engine let out a little hiss and a sigh, as if to agree. Weird, thought Dot!

Adrienne bent down to pick up the shiny brass funnel which had been lying on the floor of the Search Zone ever since the crash. "Anyway - I promise you all you can trust me. My engine is OK, truly!" She pushed the little funnel back onto the top of the Search Engine and rubbed a paw along the big dent in its side, tut-tutting and shaking her head. Then she straightened up and looked at her friends. "Alors!" (which means "Well") - are we going, or not?"

There was a silence, broken only by a "clonk" as the brass funnel fell sideways onto the top of the Search Engine. Adrienne tut-tutted again and pushed it upright. It leaned over a bit after she let it go but didn't fall this time. Mr Mouse grunted.

Wiz padded over to Dot, his tail waving from side to side. He looked up at her with anxious eyes, then suddenly he shook his head and barked, making everyone jump.

"We have to Dot!" he said. "Dad needs our help right now!"

Dot reached down and scritch-scratched him in the silky bit behind his ears. His eyes closed and he made his "Mmmm don't stop" noise - a sort of growl like a cat's purr. "I know Wiz" she said. "You're right! Let's go!"

"Enfin!" ("At last!") said Adrienne, jumping up into the cab of her engine. "Are you with us Monsieur Souris?"

"OK OK" grumped Mr Mouse. "Just don't say I didn't warn you, is all!"

Once again, they all got into the little silver trucks with the rails underneath that went from the front of the search engine to the back but no further. Adrienne sat in her cockpit, busily tapping in the new URL's she needed to take her engine to Level 9 - and to the information Bill Com needed to organize the Munchenmeat Dog Awards. Her little paws zoomed all over the three keyboards in front of her - one purple, one green and one white. Masses of information scrolled down the screens, which let out a little Ping-ding-PING sound every now and then.

At last, everything seemed to be ready. Adrienne turned round with a smile and took the little perfume bottle out of the top pocket of her sleeveless jacket, dabbing some of the sweet-smelling scent on her writs. Then she settled her blue and white striped cap firmly on her head and cap and turned back to her keyboard - the purple one - and typed in 'LEVEL 9'. She rested her little paw lightly on the 'Enter' button and without turning round - because a little camera pointing back was showing her the three friends sitting behind her - said quietly: "So my companions - are we all ready to search?"

"Yes!" said Dot. "Bark!" went Wizzie. "Oh - go for it!" muttered Mr Mouse.

"Welcome to - LEVEL 9!" said Adrienne.

ENTER!