…how an ordinary schoolgirl became an

INTERNET VOYAGER!

'Bow Wow Breakfasts'
'Dog Delight'
Canine Curries Ltd (that one was Indian)
'Pooch Pleasure' (it could only be American!)
'PetPlus'
'Tail Waggers Ltd'
'Les Amis des Chiens' (that one was French - it means 'Dogs' Friends' -and Adrienne gave a little sigh as she saw it)
'Food For Your Best Friend'
'The Best in the Bowl Inc'
'Cane Favoloso' (that's' Italian for 'Fabulous Dog')
'Just Lead Me To The Nibblies'
'Bones for Good Boys plc'
'Instant Tailwaggers'
'Dogs 'R Us'
'Hundchen GMbH' (and that's German for 'Little Dog Ltd')

Those were just some of the names of all the dog food companies who'd been in the last Munchenmeat Dog Awards. They just went on and on, scrolling up Adrienne's computer screen (the purple one) in an endless list.

Every now and then the little red squirrel would double click on a name, ad the company's web site would come up on the screen. Some of them were really big-time, with video and sound effects and cartoons of dogs barking and stuff like that. Some of them were very plain (they reminded Dot of the test books she had to use at school, groan!) And some of them were somewhere in the middle of all that, neither too plain nor too complicated. And all those companies making nice food for dogs - from Japan to Holland, from America to India - just showed how much people everywhere, wherever they lived in the world and whoever they were, loved their pets and cared about them, just like Dot and her Mum and Dad did for Wizard.

And of course the Doggydo's Internet website was there too! Dot's heart jumped when she it came up - she remembered the evening when Dad had come home looking so worried and she'd set up the website for him... and how she'd gone on her first net-voyage and met Floyd in Texas. It all seemed ages ago. It felt like ages that she'd been on this net-voyage too. But of course, in real world time, much much less than even a single second of time had passed. That was the magic of net-voyaging. It was hard to understand - but then, magic always is!

Adrienne clicked again on her mouse when she saw the Doggydo's name come up on her endless list.

"I did that" said Dot proudly, pointing at the screen. "Dad needed help and he didn't know how to set up a web site, and we'd learned all about it at school, so I did it for him!"

They all looked at the site together. Already Dot could see all sorts of ways she could make it better - with more pictures and special designs and maybe even a cartoon or a video - that would be fun. But it would also cost money!!

"Very nice dear" said Deirdre. "I'm sure your daddy is very proud of you!"

"Nice one!" said Ron, patting Dot on the back.

Adrienne double-clicked on a link within the site which said "Meet The People Who Make Doggydo's What It Is Today!" Dot knew what was coming next - after all, she'd designed it! - but it still gave her a funny feeling when she saw her Dad's picture come up. He always said it made him look like a dork - it was one her Mum had taken when she came to the office to meet him one day - but she really liked it because he was smiling away and looked so happy.

"Zat is your papa?" asked Adrienne.

"Yes!" said Dot proudly. "And he's the best Dad in the world!"

"OK!" said Adrienne. "I will do something special for you, because we have been so long trying to 'elp 'im. Watch! You will like zis!"

She double clicked on the picture of Dot's dad. As she did so the picture grew to fill the screen. Then Adrienne turned to Dot. "Now Dot" she said. "I want you please to think about 'ow your papa looked one day - a day when you remember him doing something that was important - maybe a day when 'e 'ad a problem, perhaps, or when you had a nice time together?"

It's always difficult when someone asks you something like that - your mind just goes blank. Dot just COULDN'T think of anything. Then Mr Mouse spoke up.

"C'mon kid! You gotta have something! Shee - we've been thinkin' about your pop long enough, right from Day 1!"

Day 1 thought Dot... Day 1... of COURSE! That was the day her Dad came back looking worried because his boss Mr Elms had told he had to set up the new Doggydo's website and he hadn't got a clue how to do it!

Adrienne smiled at her. "I can see you 'ave an idea Dorothee" she said. "Now - put this little thing on your first finger please..."

She gave Dot something that looked like the finger of a glove. Just one finger. It was silver and fitted really tightly as Dot slipped it on, though it had really looked a little too big before. It had a wire running from it that went into the back of Adrienne's computer (the purple one. Still.) As she fitted it on, a little golden light suddenly came on at the end of it, just at the tip of her finger.

"OK!" said Adrienne. "You see the light? Point your finger at your papa's picture on ze screen." Dot stretched out her arm - she could see the little golden light, like a tiny star, on the picture of her dad's face on Adrienne's screen. Right on his nose in fact!

"OK!" said Adrienne. "Now zat will BEAM what you are thinking about your Dad into my computer. Think nice thoughts, now - or better still that special moment. Some time when you were thinking about him a lot. OK! Do eet NOW... and close your eyes to 'elp you think. Keep zem closed till I tell you."

Dot closed her eyes. She could see her dad in her mind as if it were yesterday, coming up the garden path with the black laptop bag in his hand, looking so worried, chewing on his little finger like he always did when he had a problem, his eyes half-closed, looking down at the path...

Suddenly, Wizard let out a bark - the special "Ruff-ruff-RUFF!" he always did when he knew Dot's Dad was about to put his key in he door at the end of the day. He could always tell!

"Way to go! How cool is that!" went Mr Mouse.

"Very nice!" went Ron the Mopple. "Lovely job!"

"Open your eyes Dorothy please" said Adrienne quietly.

Dot did - and gasped out loud. She couldn't believe what she was seeing!