as he held up Judy's chin in his paw, "come on, let's see a big grin with those bunny chompers…there you go! That's better."

Judy smiled and giggled, still hugging him warmly.

"Okay, Little Miss Bunny Lord," said Nick. "What's our next move?"

Judy let go and turned around, closing her computer and taking her keychain off the table. On her keychain was a portable flash drive shaped like a carrot. She waved it in her fingers.

"We're going to head downtown and do some research."

"Hmm…" said Nick. "Does this 'research' involve obtaining information by methods of questionable legality?"

Judy's grin couldn't be any broader.

"Absolutely."

The reception lobby of Terra Firma Incorporated was almost like a museum. There were small exhibits showing agricultural devices from ancient times, modern equipment, model farms where everything was automated…and perhaps most distasteful, a 12-foot statue of President Preston Keyes himself, standing smack in the middle of the room.

Judy and Nick walked into the reception lobby. But nobody who had known them for any length of time would have recognised them. Judy was wearing a shawl around her head, ears tucked in, and dark glasses. Nick was wearing dark glasses, a straw hat, and his farmer outfit he had worn in Bunny Burrow, straw between his teeth and all.

"I reckon this is what they call 'scientific farmin' 'quipment' or something fancy like that," said Nick, purposefully slurring his speech as he and Judy moved from one exhibit to the next.

"Fancy schmancy! Ain't nothin' like a hoe to bring up the earth an' good seeds to make good crops," said Judy.

There were few people in the lobby. Nobody took any notice of them. Just as they reached the 'Farm of the Future' exhibit, Judy glanced to her right and saw a door that led to the office area.

"Okay…" she whispered. "As soon as nobody is looking."

"Alright…now!" whispered Nick.

Judy carefully opened the door as Nick walked in front of her, and disappeared behind it. Nick stood in front of the 'Our Forefathers' exhibit and pretended to be interested, all the while keeping careful watch behind his dark glasses.

Judy took her glasses off and hung them on her shirt collar. She was in a long hallway. An umbrella basket stood to her left, beside a door that read RESTRICTED.

"Well, best place to begin," she said and carefully opened the door.

She walked into a room with several large computers. At the far end there was a desk, with a regular desktop computer running. Nobody was in sight. Silently, Judy tiptoed towards the computer and moved the mouse, making the screen saver go away and showing the desktop.

"Okay. Here goes."

She searched the files for anything that could be useful. For about three minutes, she browsed, all the while glancing towards the door in case someone should walk in.

Finally, she found what she was looking for.

"Acquisitions," she whispered to herself.

It was an entire folder, chock full of files.

"Alright. In and out," she said, taking her keychain and plugging her flash drive to the computer.

She gave the COPY command, and the files started copying.

10%...20%…

"Come on…"

"40%...45%...

"Come on, come on…"

64%...68%...

"Hurry up, please…"

70%...74%...

Suddenly, she heard the doorknob turn. Judy ducked under the desk, barely daring to breathe. She heard steps, loud clopping steps, like hooves. They walked around the room, stopped in front of some of the mainframe computers…then left the room.

Judy sighed. Very carefully, she peeked over the desk. The room was empty. And the screen read 99%.

Three more seconds…and 100%!

"Bingo!" whispered Judy as she unplugged her flash drive, pocketed it and tiptoed back to the door, listening carefully for any footsteps at the door. Not a mouse stirred.

She opened the door a crack. Empty corridor. She sidled out the room and started to walk towards the exit. She was right beside the umbrella basket…when…

"Hey!"

Judy froze. Someone had seen her!

"Hey! You!"

Judy's mind raced and she acted immediately. She quickly put her dark glasses on, and snatched an umbrella from the basket and started tap-tapping the floor with the end of it, putting her other paw in front of her.

"Miss! You can't be in here!" said a voice, walking closer to her.

"Huh? Is that you, Clyde?" said Judy loudly, feeling around in the air with her paw and umbrella.

"Miss, this is…" said the voice, and suddenly stopped.

Judy turned around clumsily, pretending she couldn't see anything. But behind her dark glasses, she saw exactly who it was. A mole was standing in front of her, with a surprised expression on his face. A mole in thick glasses, wearing an impeccable business suit.

"Um…Miss…" said the mole hesitantly, realising why she had probably gotten in here. "This is a restricted area."

"Restricted? How is a gal supposed to go to the ladies' room if it's restricted?"

"Um…the ladies' room is on the other side of the lobby, Miss," said the mole. "Come on, I'll show you to the lobby."

"It ain't likely you can show me anything, mister," said Judy, tap-tapping with her umbrella.

"Please, if you will. Allow me to help."

The mole took her arm and led her out. He was gentle. Judy hadn't expected that. But she gave away nothing, she used her acting skills to pretend she had no idea where she was.

"Doggone modern buildings! Confusticate and conflatigrate all! Why can't y'all make buildings like you used to? Ladies' room is back and to the left! Everyone knows that!"

"I am sorry, dear lady," said the mole, genuinely apologetic. "I am glad I found you before security did."

Nick was waiting outside in the lobby, feeling increasingly nervous. The door to the office area opened, and Nick saw Judy being escorted by the mole. He saw her acting and immediately knew what had happened. He played along.

"Susan Eleanor Cottonbottom! I've been looking all over for you!" said Nick sternly, his paws on his hips. "Haven't I told you a hundred times not to wander off by yerself!? If your ma found out I let you out of my sight, she'd tan my hide!"

"Is that you, Clyde? Where you scoot off to?" said Judy.

"Oh, you silly ol' thing!" said Nick, taking Judy's paw.

Then he turned to the mole.

"Much obliged, pardner," said Nick. "I do declare, this bunny gets more and more scatterbrained by the hour."

"Your marbles are more scattered than mine, Clyde, that's if you can find 'em at all," retorted Judy.

"Come on now, Missy, ma will be waitin' for us," said Nick, tugging her away and towards the front door.

"I need to go to the ladies' room, ya silly oaf!" said Judy. "That's how I got meself lost in the first place!"

"Confounded bunnies! They can't never hold their water for more 'an twenty minutes," said Nick, turning back and heading towards the ladies' room.

The mole was still standing there, watching the two.

"Much obliged, Mr Mole!" said Nick, giving him a pawshake as he walked by.

"Ah, Jenkins," said the mole, shaking Nick's paw. "George Jenkins."

"Much obliged, Mr Jenkins," said Nick, taking mental note.

Nick led Judy to the ladies' room. The mole, George Jenkins, after seeing that everything was in order, walked back to the office area, disappearing through the door.

Nick waited until Judy came out again. Then he pretended to guide her outside the front door.

Judy and Nick walked out of the building, pantomiming all the way, until they reached the corner of the block. Then they looked around to see if anyone was watching, and broke into a brisk walk.

"Did you get it?" asked Nick.

"Right here, Clyde," said Judy, waving her carrot-shaped flash drive triumphantly in her fingers.

"Sly bunny," said Nick with a grin. "I think I know exactly where our next stop is."

"There could be no other," said Judy.

Judy pushed open the door painted with a 'Radioactive' sign. The sight that met her eyes was a familiar one, and yet it was no less impressive. Countless old computers and equipment piled haphazardly on tables and workbenches. As she and Nick walked in, Judy called out.

"Garth! I know you're in there!"

No answer.

"Garth?"

"Aw, c'mon! He's not even touching the fool!"

A loud voice came from the far end of the maze of junk. Nick smirked as he led Judy through the junk heaps and they finally saw him.

Garth O' Possum, Nick's hacker friend, was sitting in an old armchair in front of a huge television set, eating cereal puffs and watching WZW and apparently completely into it.

"Yes! Yes! A stunner! Go for the stunner!"

The beefy horse on the television made an impressive wrestling move and knocked his opponent to the ground.

"Pin him down! Come on ref! Countdown!" shouted Garth. "YES! YEES!"

"Um…hi Garth!" said Judy.

The opossum almost jumped out of his overalls! He spun around and quickly lifted his paw and paused the programme with his remote

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