The faint hum of the out of sinc engines of the snognostacator faded into the sounds of the flaping black silk panels of the parachute as the little orange pumpkin drifted towards the ground below. He smiled as he thought of Mr. Buford's final shout of encouragement before leaving the flying machine.

But there wasn't time for such luxuries of thought, as the tall buildings of the city began looming up through the cloud cover beneath his little orange legs. He must steer his chute carefully in order not to land on top of one of the buildings. That would be catastrophe!

He steered the chute carefully as the first building came within a meter of his foot ... and then another quickly past by on his other side. He thought to himself ... "It looks good. Maybe I'll make it!".

Finally he saw the street below and fixed a point upon which he would land. The street came up fast and with a thump and after a couple of rolls, the little orange pumpkin was on his feet and searching the surface of the street around him.

Then he saw it. The manhole cover. He sprinted to it, carry his black parachute and pried open the cover with the entrenching tool that Mr. Buford gave him from the snognostacator's tool box. He tossed his chute into the hole and then he followed, gently lowering himself as he closed the cover after him. Then with grim determination he lowered himself down into the sewer.

This was the deep one, as much as two meter deep in places. But it didn't worry him. Few of his friends realized that he once trained for the olympic floating team. He was indeed an olympic floater ... even though he opted out and never competed internationally in order to join Mr. Mysterious' team of specialists.

So he floated for awhile, letting the slight current carry him towards his destination and agent Foo Foo. Madamn Beaufount was correct as usual. Floating through the city's sewers was no picnic! The stench was almost more than he could endure.

He suddenly realized that there was a faint buzzing noise. "Yes" he thought ... "it won't be long now!"

When the pink dolphin swam beneath him he knew that things were going to become interesting again .... and quickly