“Mind you” said Mr Mouse, smacking his lips as he swallowed a bright silver and purple nibble. “Mind you, Accra was fun! I even met up with Cousin Adebole, at the market! He’s got TWELVE kids now! What a guy!”
They were back in the party they’d just left – it was going even better now. Some of the Zildiths were doing an amazing dance, in a big circle with their hands joined together. It looked fun but difficult – even though the music was very easy to follow (it was being played on a thoughtcloud by a tall Zildith called Panjit.)
“And you got yourself a blanket!” said Wizzie, looking at the beautifully coloured cloth Mr M had thrown over his shoulder.
“And a hat!” said Dot.
It was a sort of round pillbox, shape decorated just like the blanket. It looked a lot better than Mr Mouse’s baseball cap!
“It’s not a blanket, houndface” said Mr Mouse snootily. “It’s a special cloth with a pattern called adinkra. It’s for wearing on happy occasions." (You can see some adinkra patterns at http://www.marshall.edu/akanart/akanclothintro.html if you like.) "And I got this great thing for… for… ”
“Swishing about?” said Dot, grinning. Mr Mouse had been doing it with his new “thing” ever since he got back – it was a beautifully decorated stick, with golden hairs like a horse’s tail coming out of the top of it. Mr Mouse kept swishing it over his shoulder – now this side, now that – in a super-cool way.
“Good for keeping the flies off, anyway!” said Wizzie, with his most innocent expression on his Cavalier King Charles face.
“By which you mean I attract flies…?” said Mr Mouse, looking dangerous.
“Er, guys” said Dot quickly – she could see a row coming – “I think we should be getting back!”
It was time to leave. Though Dot knew her Mum and Dad wouldn’t even know she’d been gone – time in her home world just stood still while she was net-voyaging, so she always came back to the same moment in which she’d left – still she felt like going home.
And here came Zamelqa the Regent of Phargon, with a group of Zildiths around her: all their friends, Cambor, Poolbear and Drindel and the Children of the Casement. Also with them was Cruncher, and a Zildith in a cloak covered with the moving pictures of a forest, with trees swaying gently in the breeze and birds singing and flying between the branches.
He had a beard too – it was huge and had little mirrors sewn into it. Cruncher obviously thought that was totally excellent - you could see he was trying to work out how he might do the same with his ratty whiskers!
“My dears” said Zamelqa with her sweet smile “I know you must go soon” (how did she know that, thought Dot!) “But I couldn’t let you leave without meeting Hornbeam Zildith, who made the cachou tree!”
“Great work!” said Mr Mouse.
“Oh… arrrr… well Oi just put me li’l seeds out on the Net and there it was, y’see” said Hornbeam blushing and twiddling his fingers together. He had an accent that reminded Dot of a really nice farmer she’d met when they went on holiday in a place called Hook Norton in Oxfordshire.
“Yes it was, really good!” said Wizzie, jumping up and putting his paws on the front of Hornbeam’s cloak. “I’m going to be much more careful about where I lift my leg in future!”
Everyone laughed and Hornbeam grinned and tickled Wiz in his special spot just behind his ears.
“Just glaaad my li’l seeds came up good” he said, in his deep country voice.
“Thank you VERY much” said Dot, shaking his hand (it was big and strong and rough, like a gardener’s should be.) “You saved us!”
“No kidding!” said Cruncher, patting Hornbeam on the back. “Couldn’t have held my old pals in the cyber rat army off much longer, even with Carvelia and Thoranon here helping out like that!”
“Pleased to ‘elp!” said Hornbeam, blushing again.
Dot looked round sadly. It was so lovely here – she really didn’t want to leave.
Neither did Mr Mouse!
“Another little nibble before we go?” he said, catching one of the floating trays with his right paw.
“Oh… all right then!”
