…how an ordinary schoolgirl became an

INTERNET VOYAGER!

It felt like the longest walk Dot had ever taken in her life. And it was a funny, spooky feeling too - because now all the bright, cheerful lights in Mopple Towers had gone dim, and the brilliant colours between the arches that soared high above them were covered by the steel shutters.

Behind Old Hieronymus on his throne, the eight towers looked spooky too - they were half in the dark now, with just a pool of bright blue light falling on the Mopples' leader inside his big see-through tube. And everywhere there were Mopple eyes, peering out from the safety of their vans - some looking at her with fright, some angry, one or two shaking their heads slowly.

Dot felt a bit guilty for all the trouble she'd caused, even though she hadn't meant to - but then she thought: "Well I'm going to HELP them - why should I feel bad about anything? I'll show them!"

Wizzie, trotting along beside her, gave her a little nudge on the leg. "I'm with you Dot" he said. "We'll sort it out, don't worry!"

Dot looked down at her best friend and smiled. Good old Wiz, she thought. He never lets me down.

Behind her she could hear Ron and Deirdre - they'd stayed with her too, even though they could have been like all the other Mopples and just got back in their van - that seemed to be what they were meant to do. But they hadn't. She felt Deirdre give her a little nudge with her wing. "Go on lovie" she whispered. "It'll be all right, you'll see!" Ron grunted again. "No sweat!" he muttered in his rough bulldog voice. "We'll get you there Dot!"

Now they were at the foot of the big wide steps leading up to Old Hieronymus. Everywhere was completely silent - it was like one of those days in assembly at school, thought Dot, when Mrs Rudman would say something like "I have a few words to say to you all before you go to classes" which usually meant someone had done something bad and everyone was going to be told off about it. Mrs R always used to stop after saying something like that and they would all be TOTALLY quiet, all dreading what was going to happen next...

"Approach!" said Old Hieronymus again, looking down at them with his eyes peering over the top of his big round glasses.

Dot started to climb the steps - but as she did so, the squidglet started to jump around in her hand. He was making funny noises, like something was hurting him - a sort of squeaky moaning noise. She looked down and stroked him with the tip of her finger and it seemed to make him feel better - but he still wasn't happy; the squeaking went on, just a bit quieter.

"It's the Shield" whispered Ron hoarsely. "He doesn't like it - no virus would!"

"The Shield?" said Dot out of the side of her mouth. The stairs hadn't looked very tall when they first came up to them, but now they seemed to go on forever. Somehow Old Hieronymus wasn't getting any closer...

"It's all around Old H" said Deirdre. "Got to keep the old chap safe, haven't we? But it makes viruses want to get away as far as they can!"

Dot stopped and everyone behind her bumped into her back. Wiz went on a few steps, then stopped and looked back at her.

Dot made a decision. The Mopples were very nice and all that, but it seemed to her they were making a lot of fuss about nothing. Or about not very much, anyway. They were just like grown-ups who got all cross ("hot and bothered" like her Gran would say) about just a few clothes left on the floor... or a sweet wrapper that hadn't quite got into the waste bin when you threw it there... or a teensy bit of mud on the hall carpet that came off your wellies. It just wasn't worth getting so fussed about things like that. She cleared her throat. She was going to speak out!!

"Please Mr Hieronymus, and everyone" she said "Don't worry about the squidglet! He won't do you any< harm - I'm sure of it. And I think he could really be a help to you - let you know when viruses are coming 'cos I bet he can tell they're there before anyone and then you could stop them getting into people's computers, specially the searchers' ones, and that would be better than cleaning it all up, wouldn't it?"

She squinted up the steps at the bright blue light around Old Hieronymus, and the tall dark shadows of the towers behind him. He looked back down at her over the rims of his big round glasses, completely still on his throne, the bright light shining on his bald head - she noticed for the first time it was all brown, like a farmyard egg. But Dot just couldn't tell what he was thinking - his face with the big curly moustache and the rosy cheeks wasn't moving at all. It still didn't look very friendly though. Dot took another deep breath. She was feeling more and more panicky but she couldn't stop now! She HAD to go on!

"PLEASE be fair to my friend Callum" she said, trying to stop her voice from going all trembly. (The squidglet gave a little jump as she said his name - he seemed to know it already - wonder how, she thought...) "He really does deserve a chance. PLEEAASE give him Per- umm... Remain... er... Permanent... ummm... Rain... er... "

She'd TOTALLY FORGOTTEN what she had to ask for. It was so ANNOYING! And then - it was all too much! She just couldn't help herself, and out it came, in front of everyone!

"Oh - FOODLES!" shouted Dot!