Another slash of the machete and the beast’s foul head toppled to the ground. The explorer’s lip twitched in grim satisfaction as he wiped his blade clean on the black fur covering the enormous corpse. His tangle with the monster had cost him time and diverted him from his course.

He drew his compass out and quickly examined it with practised ease. It was a curious thing, this compass. Half of it had been removed, as though someone had neatly sliced it down the middle. The needle, still intact, occasionally hovered over empty air as it swayed. Snapping it shut and cocking his head like a sparrow, the explorer straightened his hat and resumed striding through the undergrowth at an astonishing pace.

Many hours later, he came across a close ring of small huts, and knew he had found what he sought. He stepped into the middle of the village, without fear and waited.

***

He was no longer alone.

There had been not a whisper of sound and yet, a tiny man stood before him. No more than three feet tall, his skin so tanned it could almost be described as orange.

Chief of his tribe, the pygmy showed no fear as he regarded this large, strangely clad man in his hidden village. Standing as tall as he could, he clenched his fist and loudly asked.

“What brings you here, stranger?”

To his astonishment, the taller man responded in the chief’s native tongue, with barely a trace of an accent.

“Hello, my friend” said the explorer, crouching down.

“I have come to take you away from this frightening place”.

The chief grew more wary yet.

“Who are you?” he asked.

The explorer swept off his purple top hat, extending a hand in greeting.

“Mr Willy Wonka, at your service.”