Snaffkins the penny-farthing rolled along down the track in the book forest, sweeping gently past the trees and the bushes, which gave out their gentle "Aaaahh!" sound and their sweet smell as the bicycle brushed against them. A sunray seemed to be leading them forward again.
"Baa-baa da dum dum!" sang the front wheel in its big deep voice.
"Diddley-dee, diddley-doo, diddley dee-dee-dee!" went the little back wheel in reply.
"Why are these guys singing like that?" asked Mr Mouse, peering down at the big front wheel of the penny-farthing from his favourite place on Dot's shoulder.
"Oh they like to do that" said Poolbear, with a smile. "And who am I to stop them? It's nice isn't it, too?"
Mr Mouse said nothing but rolled his eyes at Dot. Luckily the Zildith couldn't see! So RU-UDE!!!
"Dan dan dan dan DAAAAAAA!"! went the two wheels together, coming to the end of their song for the moment.
"Soon be there now!" said Poolbear, humming a bit of the song the wheels had just sung to them.
"Where is "there", though?" asked, Wizzie, snuggling back into Dot's tummy - he was as comfy as she was on Snaffkins' little side saddle.
"Ah!" said Poolbear. "Of course, you want to know... well we're going to join in today's Extrapolation Extraordinary!"
He looked at a shiny silver-patterned disc on a strap on his wrist, and just as he did so little house came up out of it and two tiny little mini-Zildiths came out through its front door. It reminded Dot of one of those cards you can buy which you open and cut out-characters suddenly stand up!
One of the mini-Zildiths held up three fingers, and another held up seven.
"Thank you boys!" said Poolbear, and the two tiny figures bowed and went back inside the house, which folded back into the shiny silver disc as if it had never been there.
Dot shook her head - she could hardly believe her eyes!
"Hmmm, seven minutes past three!" said Poolbear. "We'll only just be in time. No wonder Cambor went rushing off like that - he hates being late!"
"Yeah but what, for what?" asked Mr Mouse. He couldn't believe Poolbear's "watch" either!
"Ah, well" said Poolbear. "The Extrapolation Extraordinary is the big meeting of the Grand Council of Phargon! It's where we all talk about everything that needs deciding in our fair net-country."
"Ermm... I seee... " said Dot, though she was still a bit confused. "But what's an extra... a strapol... a lation... that thingy you said?"
"Extrapolation means taking out, my dear" said Poolbear, slowing down so he could steer Snaffkins round a pile of fallen memory books on the forest pathway. The sunray leading their way stopped and waited for them. "Oh dear, oh dear more book losses!"
He shook his head sadly, then he went on: "Anyway, Dorothy, extrapolation is, as I say, taking out - just picking what you need and leaving the rest to one side. We absolutely have to do that here in Phargon, you see, because we get so much information coming into our memories."
His jolly face clouded over. "Or at least, we did!" He let out a big sigh.
But he didn't have time to get sad - because just then the two wheels on his big bike started singing again, just as Snaffkins turned another corner - and suddenly the forest wasn't all around them any more!
"Dee da dee da dee da DAAAA!" went the wheels, in what sounded like a big fanfare of trumpets to announce something special.
Quite right too! What a sight lay before them!
