As they ran smoothly down the pathways of the book forest on Snaffkins, with the penny-farthing bike going “Ting-a-ling-a-ling!” just to show how happy he felt, Dot and her friends could just tell something was different front he way it had been before.
In fact, everything was different! The books of memory piled up on all sides and hanging from the giant green trees of the forest were all – gleaming.
As if they felt happy and contented again, all ready to go on safeguarding the good knowledge of the Internet.
There was a kind of glow on them – like a nice dark wooden table that’s just been polished.
The trees were different too – the blue and green leaves kept changing colour: always shades of blue and green, but going from pale to navy blue, from emerald to turquoise green.
But that wasn’t all!
“What’s happening there?” said Mr Mouse suddenly, pointing to a branch ahead of them.
As he spoke, a branch on a huge tree just to the left of the path suddenly curled into itself – so that it was rolled up neatly against its trunk. The books hanging from it folded neatly into place too, so that all you could see was the rolled up branch.
It reminded Dot of something – oh yes! How the end of her sleeping bag looked after her Dad had rolled it up that time when they all went camping in Dorset. Dot smiled to herself as she remembered – it had taken him SIX goes to get it just right, but he wouldn’t give up!
“Ah!” said Poolbear. “Now this is thanks to all of you! Pause a while, Snaffkins!”
“Ting ting!” went the penny-farthing as it came to a stop. The Children of the Casement stopped too, and folded their hands inside their white cloaks with a happy look on their faces.
“Now watch” said Cambor, smiling but with a little tear in the corner of his eye. “It’s SO good to see this again!”
They didn’t have long to wait. Suddenly, the branch straightened out – like a spring uncoiling, but verrrry gently and slowly.
“Wow!” said Wiz. “How weird is that!”
It got weirder! As the branch straightened, the books that were already on it fell off! But they didn’t fall down with a thump – they opened up so that they looked like birds, and floated down, swaying from side to side, joining all the other books piled up along the path and around the trees. As they landed, they closed up again.
“Oops!” said Dot, remembering what had happened to her before with the books in the book forest, when all the words fell out as she opened them. “Oh no! Was it something I - ”
“No, no!” said Drindel, patting her on the shoulder. “Just watch what happens next!”
Now the branch – out to its normal length again – began to shiver. Then, suddenly, out came the sunrays – the ones that had led Dot and her friends through the book forest when they first arrived.
It was hard to tell where they’d come from – they just appeared!
With a singing and laughing sound like before, they ran up the trunk of the tree and curled themselves round the branch. The light from them became stronger and stronger.
“Ting-a-ling-a-LINNNGGGG!” went Snaffkins happily.
Then “Ta-DAAA!” went the tree, making Dot jump.
And all along the branch, bursting out like leaves and flowers, came books – hundreds and hundreds of them! New knowledge was flowing back into the black mountain at last!
“Phargon reborn!” said Cambor softly.
“Phargon reborn!” said Drindel and Poolbear together.
The Children of the Casement clapped their hands twice in the strange Zildith way, then gave each other a big hug!
Dot felt a little prickling in her eyes. She was so pleased but for some reason she wanted to cry!
But then Poolbear nudged her. “Come on young lady!” he said. “Let’s find out about this ‘Acclaim’ word, shall we?”
“Oh… yes… ” said Dot. She’d totally forgotten that that was what they’d come for!
With a little hiss, Snaffkins lowered them all to the ground.
Poolbear walked over to the books that had fallen off the tree, He bent over and picked one up.
“This’ll do!” he said. “Now then, Dot my dear, all you have to do is think about what you want to find out, and the book will tell you!”
And before she could stop him, he pushed it into her hands!
Dot gulped. “I… I don’t dare” she said nervously. “Not after what happened last time!”
Drindel bent down and looked in her eyes. All the dolphins on his moving picture cloak crowded round to the front, smiling at Dot, making their funny clacking and chirping sounds.
“Go on!” Drindel said, with a kindly smile. “Just trust us!”
So… Dot did!
