Door Handle.
You stoop to climb inside, but hesitate.
Ned waits, patiently. "In yer own time, son."
You rest your hand upon the outer shell of the cylinder to steady yourself, and put your head inside.
But... how can this be? There is nothing beyond this door! The mud and the grass, the road... everything behind this alien object is perfectly visible from inside. But wait... perhaps this door is nothing more than a facade? You withdraw your head and stare at the solid cylinder in front of you, and spread the fingers of your free hand on its cold surface. It doesn't make sense.
You lean inside again, this time scanning in every direction. The palm of your hand is splayed to your side, flattened as if it is pushed against glass. You can see your own hand from the inside. This impossible object, strong and metal on the outside, allows you to see outwards in all directions, as if you were looking out from inside a glass bottle!
You look back at Ned who stands with his arms folded, just as he had done under the milliner's awning.
"It's yer choice, Alf, though whatever ye choose, yer destiny's set. Wantin' an explanation? Yer'll get it whether ye like it or no.
"Yer right, it were magic ye saw, magic from a time when our two worlds were one. But now the fey an' the men are divided - have been for centuries. And we're fightin' to reunite them.
"Like it or not, son, you're caught up in it. I tried to catch ye before it happened, but it were too late. The girl has seen ye, and now they'll be after ye, even though yer done nothing yet. Get into the pod, son, and I'll explain some more."
You step in through the hatch - and crawl to one end of the cylinder. On its side it is big enough to sit comfortably in, but not wide enough to stand in. Ned follows you in, and sits at the other end.
Without warning the door swings shut, and all sound from outside stops. You reach out with your hands, feeling the contours of the invisible wall. It feels smooth, but for a panel of bumps and notches, close to where you entered. It's no surprise that you cannot feel the join where the hatch was.
Ned closes his eyes, appearing to be deep in concentration. You feel tense with anticipation.
Ned waits, patiently. "In yer own time, son."
You rest your hand upon the outer shell of the cylinder to steady yourself, and put your head inside.
But... how can this be? There is nothing beyond this door! The mud and the grass, the road... everything behind this alien object is perfectly visible from inside. But wait... perhaps this door is nothing more than a facade? You withdraw your head and stare at the solid cylinder in front of you, and spread the fingers of your free hand on its cold surface. It doesn't make sense.
You lean inside again, this time scanning in every direction. The palm of your hand is splayed to your side, flattened as if it is pushed against glass. You can see your own hand from the inside. This impossible object, strong and metal on the outside, allows you to see outwards in all directions, as if you were looking out from inside a glass bottle!
You look back at Ned who stands with his arms folded, just as he had done under the milliner's awning.
"It's yer choice, Alf, though whatever ye choose, yer destiny's set. Wantin' an explanation? Yer'll get it whether ye like it or no.
"Yer right, it were magic ye saw, magic from a time when our two worlds were one. But now the fey an' the men are divided - have been for centuries. And we're fightin' to reunite them.
"Like it or not, son, you're caught up in it. I tried to catch ye before it happened, but it were too late. The girl has seen ye, and now they'll be after ye, even though yer done nothing yet. Get into the pod, son, and I'll explain some more."
You step in through the hatch - and crawl to one end of the cylinder. On its side it is big enough to sit comfortably in, but not wide enough to stand in. Ned follows you in, and sits at the other end.
Without warning the door swings shut, and all sound from outside stops. You reach out with your hands, feeling the contours of the invisible wall. It feels smooth, but for a panel of bumps and notches, close to where you entered. It's no surprise that you cannot feel the join where the hatch was.
Ned closes his eyes, appearing to be deep in concentration. You feel tense with anticipation.