So he didn't insist any further.
Gauss tied one end of the rope around his waist, and the other end to a sturdy, jagged boulder.
"My safety's in your hands, then." Gauss said with a smile.
"Don't worry," Serdur promised solemnly, grabbing the middle of the rope, ready to cooperate with Gauss and release it slowly when needed.
He took a deep breath.
Wrapped entirely in the Gauss Force Field, Gauss took a big step toward the "Magic Quicksand."
His sole touched the ground for an instant.
The sand below seemed to undergo a mysterious transformation; his toe passed through a surface like water, entering a whole new world.
Then his ankle, calf, thigh—until his whole body was completely swallowed by the quicksand vortex.
The quicksand vortex didn't disappear.
Only a thick rope swayed gently at the center of the vortex.
Now thoroughly submerged in the quicksand, Gauss hesitated, then opened his eyes.
