Bumpeta-bumpeta-bump!

Lucia was having a rough ride down the cyberpathway towards the recycling centre which was Mr Mouse's new home. She rocked from side to side as Tweets, Google searches, e-mails and a thousand other internet objects shot past in a blur of colour and sound.

The Tweets still jabbered away but so fast that you couldn't make out what they were saying (which was a bit of a relief really.) E-mails were a bit more serious. “Coming through!” they said, in deep, important voices. “Priority Message! Make way, please!”

Google searches were like flickering stars pulsing in and out of the cyberpathway walls, which spun round them in a never-ending circle. The searches didn't say much except, “And - found!” “No - trace!” before vanishing back through the sides of the spinning tunnel.

Facebook inputs were there too. You could tell them by their call: “ME-ME-ME-ME-ME-ME-ME! ME-ME-ME-ME-ME-ME-ME!” before you saw them - little mirrored cubes, with one face on each of them, admiring its reflection in each of the six sides of the cube.

But WHAT a speed Lucia was going!

In fact, everything had happened so fast. And, as they approached the black screen inside the Encorathon tower, where their Mr Mouse had been, it had grown bigger and bigger to greet them – or had they grown smaller? There was no way of telling.

Anyway by the time Lucia’s bow was within a centimetre of the screen, there was more than enough space to let them through – and suddenly, the black vanished, replaced by a greeny-blue sky full of fluffy, creamy white clouds.

They’d shot into this sky – the TricTrucTrackers obviously enjoying the ride very much – and for while had floated quietly through the clouds, which looked so solid, like the special creamy mashed potatoes Dot’s dad sometimes did for Sunday lunch.

But when Dot reached out to touch the “mash”, her hand never seemed to be able to reach it – even though it seemed to be right next to Lucia! It was a really funny feeling.

She was just starting to wonder what this had to do with getting on the cyberpathway to where Mr Mouse was, when Lucia came to a stop, in the middle of one of the strange clouds.

“Ah!” said Walpurgis. “Here we are!”

Just as he spoke, the cloud darkened and started to change shape all around them – above and below, and back and front. Suddenly it wasn’t mashed potato all round them any more – more like a huge, shimmering steel pipe. Then the pipe started to spin.

Fromage let out a squeak of alarm, and Wiz growled, the hairs on his back standing up.

“What’s happening?” asked Dot, trying not to feel panicky.

“It’s our pathgate!” smiled Carmeramalita. “Watch! You’ll feel at home soon!”

And as Lucia started to move down the “pipe” – really like a giant tunnel – Dot did!

Once again she felt the warm, soft air of the netwind through her hair, and heard the gentle, slightly sad music of Networld around her. Just like that first time with Mr Mouse, and every time since – they were net-voyaging again!

One thing was different though – this time, they were in a boat!

But it was a good deal rougher ride than she was used to. And faster too!

Lucia gave another lurch and Dot grabbed a chair back next to her. Twelve texts shot past, their speedwings folded onto their sides and their urgent black eyes glittering.

“Why so vairy fast?” asked Fromage, digging his little claws further into one of Dots bunches. Ouch!

“Well” said Walpurgis thoughtfully “It seems we’re on a Privilege Transition. Look!” He pointed at the TracMapper globe, which was now showing their route along the cyberpathway. It was outlined in purple.

“That” said Walpurgis “means we’re being given special clearance for access to where we’re going. Which is why” he grabbed at the table the TracMapper keyboard was on, as Lucia lurched again “we’re going so fast. Trouble is, this cyberpathway seems to have some problems with its speed-smoothing, so we’re all over the place.”

Bumpeta-bumpeta went Lucia - but still she raced on.

“But why are we being given this… this special treatment?” asked Dot, holding on tight.

“Ooh we’re all Royal, is why” said Katzilow. “Really POSH, we are, all of a sudden!”

Walpurgis frowned at his sarky friend. Then he turned to Dot. “You remember, when Nascarbalone Trinth caught up with us in TZ66, we’d just seen there was some kind of Royal connection to where Mr Mouse is” he said. * “Well, that’s why we’ve got a Privilege Transition.” He pointed at the globe. “Look! Oh – missed it!”

“What?” said Dot.

“Well, from time to time on our TracMap route on the globe here, you’ll see – there it is again!”

This time, Dot did see it. A little crown had suddenly popped up on the route being traced across the globe, then vanished again.

Fromage and Wiz had seen it too. Mr Mouse’s cousin let out a sort of squeaky growl.

“Oh not again Fromage” said Wiz. “We KNOW you think royalty is silly, but - ”

Suddenly Lucia slowed down, shuddering all along her hull. And not a moment too soon. In front of them – still quite a way off, but getting closer by the second – was a kind of shimmering, shiny wall, which seemed to be moving and changing shape as they watched it. Clearly they’d reached the end of their cyberpathway.

“Portal!” said Walpurgis. “Stand by, everyone!”

Then he turned to look at Dot. His kindly brown eyes were sad.

“I’m afraid” he said quietly “It’s time for us to say goodbye… ”