TSFSep 7 - The Constellation of the queen's hair , Star Berenices !

Time for teamwork !

Gathered at the edge of the track , the boys and girls were dubious .

Dina : What are we going to do ?

Nicky : I don't have a plan yet....But , let's put our snouts together! One of us is bound to come up with an idea !

Shen : We need to keep an eye on the entire track . But let's not forget Nicky's suspicions . We've got to pay the most attention to the finish line .

Craig : I'll do it ! I'll find a spot right behind the judge , and i won't let him out of my sight !

Nicky put her paw on his shoulder .

Nicky : Be careful , mate ! I'm not sure that's the best plan . If the judge feels he's being watched , he'll be more cautious and then we won't have any prof . I've got an idea ! Brightman , your camera has the most powerful lens than our . You can watch the finish line from a safe distance , where no one will notice you .

By her usual wisdom , Violet called the attention of others to her notebook .

Violet : Take a look at this ! I made a sketch of the stadium and marked the best places to observe the action .

Everyone immediately went to position themselves as indicated in the diagram ; Violet settled down near the starting blocks ; Shen took a position halfway through ; Nicky and Dina made it to the finish line , while Vic and Craig , armed with his camera , sat on the stands , ready to take a picture of everything . From there they could perfectly cover the entire course of the race .

                                                                                  BANG !

The detonation marked the start of the final . Violet immediately gave Shen the green light : the start had been regular . Shen watched the athletes leap and raised his paw : it was the agreed upon sign to tell the others that there had been no confusion . At the end of the race , the photo-finish declared Swifterson the winner again .... But Nicky had been very attentive and had no more doubts ; Rattens crossed the finish line first . A photo taken with his digital camera testified to this . While the audience applauded Swifterson without much conviction , the young people of Mouseford gathered in the stands .

Nicky : Look here , everyone ! You can see it perfectly . Rattens put his paw on the finish line first !

Craig : I shot a complete sequence of frames ! Check this out . The judge is moving the photocell to give Swifterson the victory !

Nicky : Great job , Brightman !

Violet : What a scoop , guys !

Dina : Absolutely ! We've got to warn to race officials . We've got proof of the scam !

Thanks to the photos taken by the young reporters , the fraud was exposed . And the final scoop was grandiose ; a snapshot of the dishonest judge taken away by the police . Meanwhile , Jesse Rattens climbed to the top step of the podium , as he deserved , to frantic applause from the audience .

Craig : I knew Rattens was the best !

Nicky : Yup !

All the while , from the roof of the stadium , another mysterious member of the Solar System Apotre was watching the young reporters . Then he goes away by teleportation .