Dan Dan and the Land of Maths

Close to the Edge

Emerging from between the sheer rock walls of moss-covered granite, they turn a sharp corner in the track. The view before them stops Daniel from taking his next breath, transfixed by the overwhelming beauty of an impossible phenomenon stretched before him like a window into yet another new world.A radiant mountain top lake reflecting the azure blue sky above like a plateau of mirror, every part of its edge a cascading waterfall tumbling down into a swirling veil of mist below. As if a volcano were offering endless sources of crystal clear water from the secret halls of the mountains beneath.Distant relatives of the Quantum Birds dart through the solemnly rising mists surrounded by every hue imaginable as the sunlight divides into millions of possibilities.Close to the edge of the far side of the lake, amid small outcrops of stone which appear suspended in Father Sky, is a tree-covered island, shining like an emerald in a crown of Sapphire.Daniel's mind is jolting, the island, that island, Bill is on that island, that is where they must go.Leaning Bear and Kicking Blackbird have become noticeably careful. Their demeanour has changed to that of someone approaching a sacred place, full of reverence and trepidation, fear even.The songbirds dive down, their silver eyes catching the light as they inspect the new arrivals, and their heavenly tongues calling out as they soar away towards the sky above. Long red feathers describing their flight path as they spin and return in an intricate ballet.Rounding the mountain path, they make their descent to a stone bridge that stretches like a thread to the top of a monolith appearing from the vapours, like an immovable beacon in a storm.At the foot of the bridge, Daniel glances to the side, and down, beholding the stonework, and thinking even his father, the celebrated architect would wonder at how such a bridge could be constructed. Yet here it is, a carved stone bridge of delicate intricacy, each stone individually cut to fit its neighbour, no two alike, with lichens and ferns sprouting from every crevice.'I don't like the look of this bridge' says Daniel as he turns back to the rest of the party who have never seen such a thing. A stone bridge so far removed from their culture it may as well be magic, something they are much more comfortable with.'It doesn't look strong enough to support us' says Daniel, 'I suggest we cross one at a time, so we don't place too much stress on the stonework.'Leaning Bear and Kicking Blackbird have the look of people now having second thoughts about entering a sacred place. Daniel starts to walk across the bridge, avoiding the temptation to look down, eyes fixed on the crest of the monolith ahead.One by one they make their way to the other side, only to find another bridge, reaching through the mists to a rocky buttress at the front of the lake. Crystalline waters pouring either side, turning the clear blue sky into clouds. From the edge of the lake, Daniel can see a series of bridges reaching across the surface. From Stoney outcrop to Stoney outcrop, like a skipping stone taking a less than direct route to the island in the distance. Looking through the reflection of the sky, into the deep waters he follows the rock descending as far as he can see, the flow of water rising toward him connecting an infinity below to the infinity above. Pausing for a moment, Daniel feels a pulse of energy travel up his spine, as a profound realisation of clarity moves through his appreciation of the multiverse. Here atop this narrow shard of rock, he is perched between the astonishing height and the incredible depth of everything, rooted firmly in the here and now of this time and place. With his past behind him, and his future before him. A bridge behind him, and another in front, he feels somehow renewed, refocused. The sensation is calm and glorious and frightening and liberating and burdensome and peaceful all at the same time. Daniel falls to his knees in surrender to this entirely unexpected appreciation of the vastness to the multiverse stretching out in all directions from where he kneels in awe.'Are you okay?' asks Tiddlepuss drawing closer to him.'I'm fine' says Daniel, clearly preoccupied.'You sound a bit strange, you're not having some cosmic consciousness experience, are you? I've heard you humans are quite prone to them when confronted with profound natural beauty and the enormity of everything'.He sniffs the breeze, 'Happens quite a lot on beaches apparently, the first time people realise how small they are in the scheme of things.''No...no I'm good' says Daniel as he turns to Tiddlepuss, 'Is there a scheme, I mean, a scheme of things?''Not that I have seen' says Tiddlepuss in a rare moment of authenticity. 'I think it's one of those things we convince ourselves is true, so we don't have to acknowledge the true consequences of our actions as we stumble through life. It's a way of shedding responsibility.''Oh' says Daniel, hoping for a better answer as he turns back and gazes down through the water, lost for a moment in his connection to the enormity of everything.Tiddlepuss turns to the rest of the party as they assemble on the pinnacle. Gathered together, they consider their options.'Is this a journey we should continue in daylight?' asks Ramases.'Once we start crossing those bridges we are exposed in the open with only one way of escape, I would prefer to keep the element of surprise.'They all agree.'We should return to the pass until the early light of dawn, then make haste to reach the tree cover of the island before the shadow of the mountains recede across the water.Having retreated deep into the mountain pass, they make camp, share a hearty meal and snuggle up to a small fire for warmth. Daniel stares up at the thin slither of cosmos visible between the sheer rock walls and reflects on his realisation earlier in the day.'Are you alright, Daniel?' asks Leaning Bear, 'you seem changed by the events of the day.'Daniel leans over, feeling the warmth of the fire on his cheeks.'Until today, I've lived my life as something separate to everything around me, just doing my own thing without giving it much thought. As if what I said or did had no impact on the rest of the world. I thought I was free to do whatever I wanted, and no one could stop me.'He pauses for a moment, looks up at the thousands of burning suns in the night sky and then down at the fire flicking their shadows up the rock walls.'But something has changed, now I feel as if I am part of something bigger than me, bigger than I can ever imagine, and it's alive, and I am part of it. Suddenly I see my actions have meaning, I'm still free to do whatever I want, but now I have to take responsibility for my choices, and I don't know how to deal with that.'Leaning Bear smiles, 'You have begun your journey as a warrior, and over time you will learn how to use your power.''My power?' exclaims Daniels.'As you grow, there will be times when you have control over others or power that comes with a position in the tribe. Others will trust your judgement, you will give hope to those around you. You will help others to realise their potential, and you will help them use their power wisely. Then there will be times when you willingly give up your power to someone else, choosing to invest your energy elsewhere. These are the skills of a wise warrior. If you give it some thought and earnestly seek the good of those who walk with you, you will find your path and learn how to "deal with that" as you say.'Daniel welcomes the wise words and the warmth of the fire melt away his perplexity. Leaning over to someone who is becoming a friend, he says 'Thank you'.Rolling back to view the shifting stars he falls into the deep sleep of peace mixed with exhaustion until he is woken by the dew of the morning in his dusty eyes.As the party make their way back down to the bridge, the cold air amplifies the white noise of the falling water in the absence of any other sounds.One by one, they silently move across the abyss, the rising spray and the starlight revealing a single line of geometric symbols shimmering in the centre of each bridge span. Daniel stops to wipe his hand over the strange markings which react to his touch, changing imperceptibly, as if designed to do so. With little time to spare, he wonders if he imagined the change and moves on. Crouching low to the pavement of the bridges and pausing at each rock outcrop only to check each other, they make high speed across the lake.Reaching the island tree line in time to see the sunrise over the mountains they watch in wonder as the lake is illuminated by the diagonal shafts of dawn penetrating its depths.Moving into the tree line, Daniel notices Tiddlepuss prowling in tight circles, ears back and tail low, while the hair on the backs of Ramases and Rising Wolf are standing high. 'What's wrong ' asks Daniel, sensing something isn't right.'I smell danger' responds Tiddlepuss.'I smell wolf' responds Ramases, a hostile pack, one that's been our enemy in the past.'Are they near?' asks Daniel.'No this is residual marking' adds Ramases 'Old but none the less territorial.'Tiddlepuss addresses the party 'I suggest we split into two groups to survey the island, one goes South and one North, and we meet back here by midday.'No one disagrees with the idea, so they unload themselves of their packs and hide them in the undergrowth. Tiddlepuss, Kicking Blackbird and Daniel head south while Ramases, Rising Wolf and Leaning Bear head North.As they make their way through the underbrush, the ferns are such bright green they're almost radiating light. 'I've never seen plants like these before,' says Daniel, 'it feels like they're so alive that energy is literally shining out of them.''This island is an energy source. All that water has to be coming from somewhere, and I have never seen water as clear as that, it has power.' replies the cat still sniffing left and right as his tail swings back and forth.Kicking Blackbird stops and takes a handful of fronds in his hand. 'We are amid the original source that feeds the cycle of all living things in our world, and this garden is the cradle of wisdom and knowledge. Very few of my people have ever set foot in this place, it is too sacred to us. In our storytelling, the ancient tales talk about reaching this place by boat. I don't understand how I am here now, no one ever mentioned bridges, they must be some new kind of spell.'Suddenly there is movement in the ferns ahead as two jet black wolves break their cover and charge towards them. Instinctively Tiddlepuss pounces towards one, ears back, canines flashing in the dappled sunlight. At the same time, Kicking Blackbird takes his axe and charges toward the other, releasing a battle cry the likes of which Daniel could never have heard before. Frozen with shock, he crouches down to the ground while his two companions engage the wolves and then give chase as they turn and run.Within a moment, Daniel realises he's alone. Looking urgently, he sees no sign of Tiddlepuss or Kicking Blackbird. In his frantic twisting and calling, the realisation he has lost his sense of direction forms in his racing mind.With the sun already at its zenith and limited view through the dense foliage, he finds it impossible to gauge North or South, where he came from, or where they were heading.After wandering aimlessly in circles for a few minutes, he decides to commit to one particular direction.Taking a deep breath and a moment to clam his mind, he chooses a route and starts walking in a straight line.