Dan Dan and the Land of Maths

The Sweet Taste of Revenge

After a while, Daniel sees something sparkle through the trees and thinking it's the water he heads towards it.

As he draws near, he realises it's not water but rather something much stranger. A vertical wall reaching up into the canopy above, and through the trees on the left and right. The wall seems to be hovering about a finger-width above the ground, and the surface has a strange pattern moving across it like ripples, but very regular ripples.

Daniel walks towards the shimmering wall, stopping just short of it. It feels as if he is looking through a curtain of water that is falling upwards. Everything about this situation says "do not touch", but Daniel's powers of self-persuasion are currently set to maximum. Ignoring his inner voice, he lifts his hand.

Slowly reaching out he touches the surface, which isn't wet but feels cold, he quickly pulls his fingertips back. Then after a moment's consideration, he places the palm of his right hand back on the surface of what he now recognises is a force field.

He cautiously places his left palm as well and feels a slight vibration in his arms as he gently pushes with both hands. The surface is spongy, elastic, pushing back like a spring. He applies more pressure and suddenly before he has a chance to realise what is happening the force field sucks him in.

His face hits the surface with a plop as his arms and legs become stuck. His entire body is trapped by the surface tension of the force field, caught like a fly in a spider's web. His face is protruding to the other side as if he is floating face down on the surface of a vertical pool of water.

Wriggling and squirming he's stuck fast unable to move. The more he tries, the tighter the grip of the force field around his body.

The other side of the force field is markedly different from the forest he has walked through, it's a barren clearing of dead trees and dried grass surrounding a large grey building. A massive cube of concrete that stands brutal and alien with every intention of doing harm.

As Daniel arches his body and twists to try and get free from the force field's grip, a door opens in the side of the building. Out walks an old man with a walking stick accompanied by the two black wolves.

As he approaches Daniel, leaning heavily on the walking stick, his every move laboured.

Daniel notices something familiar about the old man. Still, he can't quite recognise what it is. With each step, he sways from side to side. The wisen figure stops in front of Daniel, who is now stuck so tight he is finding it difficult to breathe, let alone cry out.

'Well, well, well...DanDan...of all the force fields on all the islands in all the worlds you had to walk into mine...I have to say I did not see that coming. Once again this is proof that you can be both astounded and not surprised at the same time,'

Daniel, paralysed by the power of the forcefield, looks into the eyes of the sneering smile before him. Mustering all his strength, he manages to utter, in an almost canine growl 'Bin...go...Bi...ill.'

Dismissing the disdain in Daniel's voice, Bill reaches up with the tip of his walking stick. Waving it in the air, he makes a rough square around Daniel as if drawing a frame around his new captive. The piece of force field containing Daniel falls forward onto the dried grass as the rest of the wall closes in behind to fill the space. Then still transfixed in the frame of forcefield it rises up, floating waist height above the ground.

'I'm sure you have seen "The Empire Strikes Back"' chuckles Bill as he makes his way towards the concrete cube with a wolf on either side.

Daniel follows in tow, suspended in the shimmering segment of force field. Powerless to move and watching the ground pass beneath him, he senses the drop in temperature as they cross into the shadow of the vast building.