6th July 2010

Early Morning

I'm momentarily stunned.

"The Temple is the woods. Of course the Temple is the woods. Gaea is the Titan of the Earth and nature."

"What did you think it was going to be?"

"I was expecting something Acropolis-themed? This… this makes a lot more sense, actually."

And it does. Now that I look again I see a clear line of tall trees. I don't know what kind. Dad's the biologist. They are arranged in an arc too even to have occurred by chance, marking out the entrance in the way that carved stone pillars would on a more classical Greek temple. There are smaller trees form a circle around them and act to conceal them in such a way that you don't realise exactly how much taller they are than the rest. Their canopy and the vines I can see running between the trunks block a great deal of the light.

I follow Wonder Woman towards a gap between two of the larger trees. Should I feel something strange here? I have no experience of being affected by magic, but it just looks like a normal wood to me.

If it turns out that the oath isn't anything special I'm actually going to be disappointed.

Oh… what?

We've passed between the taller trees, and now we're in a clearing? There wasn't a clearing. I turn left and right and I can see a vast tree line… it wasn't this big. Right. Pass through the trees and end up somewhere bigger on the inside. I look left again and see that the tree line has a slight curve… Is that… I think I can see me in the distance. I'm looking away… I turn right, and I'm there as well. Experimentally I extend a hand in the opposite direction and see my doppelganger do the same. Feeling a little light headed, I wave at me. Yes, he waves as well. Reminds me of that episode of Star Trek with the floating head nebula thing.

"I realise that this must seem a little strange to you."

"No, no. Yes, but I can cope with a little spatial distortion."

Wonder Woman is giving me a moment to adapt. Maybe this clearing isn't actually all that big? Might be impossible to tell. There's a slight rise in the ground, heading towards a small grove. Wait. I look at the sky. There were grey clouds around before we came in. I come from Britain and so didn't think anything of it. Here, the few clouds are wispy and white, adding to the blueness of the sky with their contrast. I actually feel warm despite my environmental shield, when a hike across the island didn't change my temperature at all. Could it be psychosomatic? Yes, but the Harpy island had more 'hot' indicators. The grass is off as well. Rather than the clumpy overgrown moorland outside it looks like a mowed lawn that has been allowed to get a bit long. There are some low lying flowers -I can see many buttercups- but nothing else except at the top of the hill. I can smell them as well, and from this distance and in this concentration I shouldn't be able to.

I actually can't see the soil through the grass cover.As we start walking towards the grove I realise that I am reminded of the walks I took with my sister and mother through the parks of Eastbourne when I was of primary school age and younger. I suppose there's no reason…

Ring, remove my boots.

My feet feel strange for a moment, and then the boots are gone and I can feel the grass. Dry, slightly springy. The breeze on my feet feels nice, though the temperature hasn't changed. Usually I hate walking barefoot anywhere, but this feels appropriate, somehow, Ooh, that isn't a buttercup. I drop down on all fours to get a better look at it.

"Do you know what this is?"

Wonder Woman has gotten a little ahead of me.

"Uh? No, I don't. Is it important?"

"Probably not. Just curious."

I lean right up to it. I don't remember ever seeing one quite like this.

"Were you planning on moving any further?"

Right! Right. Goodbye, little plant. I get up and jog to catch up with Ms Doesn't-Stop-to-Smell-Flowers. As we continue up the hill I take a good look around. I can't see any other versions of me, so maybe the space bending thing only happens around the exit? The rest of the walk doesn't take long. The grove itself is a circle of short trees with a pool of water at the centre. Their roots appear to have grown into one another, like that old tree in Hampden Park park. I go to step into it, but Wonder Woman puts out an arm to stop me.

"This is one of the most sacred places in Themyscira. It is also my birth place. I understand that you don't worship the gods that I do, but I expect you to be at least respectful of it."

"Of course."

We step into the grove. Though the canopy blocks the light overhead it isn't dim so much as shaded. Wonder Woman kneels in front of the pool.

"Why are you doing that?"

"This is a Temple every bit as much as the stone building of the other gods. A reverential attitude is the appropriate one."

"Reverential? No, not reverential."

"If you're not going to take this-"

"Joyful."

I walk over to one of the trees and place my hands on its bark. It isn't enough. I lean into it, press my cheek against it. Breath it.

"Thelifehere. The drive to grow, to create verdant existence out of barren earth. Why would I kneel? Iwantthis, its wonderful!"

She's looking at me strangely. Have I said something wrong?

"That's an… unusual attitude to take."

"Is Gaea here?"

"That question doesn't really make sense. Gaea is everywhere on the Earth."

"Then why is this place so…"

I wave my hands. I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say.

"Her attention is more focused here, due to the blessings she has bestowed on my people. There used to be other places like it, in other parts of the world. There might still be, but this is the only one that I know about."

"Is there a ritual to perform, or do I just say it?"

"There is a traditional ritual, but since you aren't an Amazon all you really need to do is place your hands on the bare soil and state what you are promising."

"Is there likely to be a response from, you know, Gaea herself?"

"Possible, but unlikely. I've spent a great deal of time here and I've only spoken directly to an avatar of Gaea on two occasions."

That must have been amazing.

"So, how do we know if its worked?"

She breaths out heavily. I guess that while Gaea doesn't really care Wonder Woman wanted reverence.

"It works."

I move next to her, and drop down onto crossed legs. Leaning forwards, I put both hands on the earth. Agh, what was it I was planning on saying?

"In exchange for ownership of Mr Alan Scott's power lantern I agree that for the duration of one year I will do the following: I will obey any non-suicidal orders given by either Diana, Princess of Themyscira, also known as 'Wonder Woman', or by a single individual nominated by her, and I agree that I will not leave this star system of my own volition. I may rescind this oath by returning ownership of the power lantern to Mr Alan Scott."

Nothing happens.

"Was that right?"

"I think you covered everything."

She stands up.

"We should probably get back to New York and see if you can actually use the lantern. If you can, I'll need to work out a training schedule for you."

I grin. Progress!

"Rightyho. Lead the way."

She starts back down the hill, and looks over her shoulder at me.

"Are you..? Are you feeling entirely well?"

"I feel… I feelgood, actually."

Oh, that is the best idea ever. When did I last roll down a grass slope? Back in Scout camp when I was twelve? That one camp site that was basically a cliff? Uncomfortable thistles, though. But none of them here! I drop to my stomach and wiggle enough to start moving.

"Weeeeeeee!"

"Orange Lantern, what are you doing?!"

That was fun, but my unevenness has caused me to take a turn and now my feet are pointing downhill rather than across. That used to happen when I was little as well. Okay, I can't roll down like that…

"Ring. Zorb."

I rise into the air as the twin orange spheres form around me. For the first rotation I slide to the bottom of thezorb, but as it picks up speed I stick to the inner layer. Trees! Grass! Sky! Trees! Grass! Sky! Trees! Grass! Wonder Woman! Sky! I'm probably not moving as fast as I feel but the tree line is coming up pretty fast! Wow, this is great! Hey, if I time this right…

The zorb ceases to exist just as I hit the tree line and I'm flung straight forwardsback into the woods and what the hell did I just do? Leaves and branches hit me in the face as I frantically trigger the ring to arrest my momentum. I finally stop and drop to the muddy ground, eyes wide. Why did I...? I don't..? What..? I haven't moved a moment later when Wonder Woman flies through and stops in front of me. She looks… relieved?

"I… I am so sorry. I I I I don't…"

"I should have realised. If you've never encountered magic before then you probably don't have any resistance to it. I still feel some of what you just felt whenever I go back there, but you experienced it at full intensity."

"Did I? Is Gaea going to be annoyed about this?"

"Its extremely unlikely."

"I think I'll make a donation to Greenpeace just in case."

As we start back to the jet I try to stay calm. Shit. Ambient magic messes you up. And apparently the ring doesn't block it. Or can't. I'm going to have to try and do something about that.