“Con-stan-ti-no-pull” said Walpurgis. “Con-stan-ti-no-pull. That's how it sounds but I remember, it's not how it's spelt. Now I'm sure I can do this. I just have to concentrate... ”

“Concentrate, that's the ticket!” said the Riddlefish in his funny bubbly voice, still beaming away. “Concentration leads to application, application leads to approbation *, approbation leads to culmination **, and the job in hand is done!”

Must remember that one for Nan thought Dot. She could make it one of her sayings. But there was something about this riddle...

“Con... stan... ” mused Walpurgis. “Pretty sure I can do the first bit. But the ending... ”

“Oh do get on Wally” muttered Eldenbeam irritably. “Or we'll be here netnights no end!”

Now what was it, thought Dot. It was a trick... some kind of a trick...

“Not ino-p-u-l-l, now, I'm sure of that... ”

It was in lunchbreak, thought Dot... last summer term... it was Tod, that's who it was... and when he caught Annie out she was SO cross... said it wasn't fair... got really angry about it...

IT!!! That was what it was! IT!

“Right, I'm ready!” said Walpurgis. “Let's do this thing!”

“Er -” said Dot. “I think - ” Wiz looked up at her. He can always tell when Dot's worried something's badly wrong, and when action needs to be taken - quickly! “Just give me the word, Dot!” he whispered excitedly, his brown and cream tail sweeping back and forth across the Tracboat's deck like a silky floorbrush.

“Excellent!” bubbled the Riddlefish, with huge wink of his golden, lash-fringed eye. “So - one more time - and don't forget, you have to start again with DOUBLE the number of riddles to answer if you get it wrong! And SUPER-Riddles too, my goodness me!”

His grin grew even wider, and he gave himself a shake so that more drops of the water sprayed around where his fishy head was poking through the waterfall curtain. “And I'm pleased to tell you” he went on “that today's Super-Riddles have been set by none other that Zildith Cancatchcathon, Day of 46, wisest of the wise men who have the memory of the good Internet in their keeping!” ***

“Walpurgis, don't try to spell - ” said Dot desperately.

Frowning with concentration, Walpurgis made a shushing movement with his paw. He wasn't listening!

“SO!” chortled the Riddlefish. “The question you must answer, on pain of re-start, is: Constantinople is a difficult word. HOW do you spell it?”

“WALPURGIS!” hissed Dot. “It's a trick! You have to - ”

“Now, Dot” said the TricTrucTracker leader, turning towards her with a VERY patient smile - you know, the one that grown-ups do when they're getting a bit fed up with you but don't want to show it. “I'm very grateful for your help, but I am the leader and I really think I can manage!” Katzilow groaned faintly in that background, but Walpurgis pretended not to notice.

He turned to face the Riddlefish, whose grin was broader that ever now. He opened his mouth to speak.

“You spell the word - OWWWW!!!”

A kind of cream and brown blur had shot across Lucia's deck, and fastened itself onto the feathery, furry bit on Walpurgis' back. There was a kind of worrying, snarly noise as Wiz played Tug with what was obviously a sensitive bit of the TricTrucTracker, low down on his body.

Very low down actually. You get the idea.

“OW!”

“Wiz, what are you DOING?>” screamed Carmeramalita.

“OW! Let me GO!!”

“Quick, Dot!” said Wiz his mouth muffled as it was full of TricTrucTracker.

Dot had been surprised as anyone else, but she knew just what to do!

“I - T !” she said. “That's how you spell “it”!”

“Great Wonders of the Web!” bubbled the Riddlefish, his smile replaced by a look of amazement. “No-one's ever got that one before!”

He gulped, fishily. He was obviously a bit disappointed that his fun was over so quickly.

“You are... Portalmatched!”


* Approbation - means approval, liking someone or what they're doing.

** Culmination - ending or completing something. He does like his long words, doesn't he?