Paomaster

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//Pao wakes up on his 2nd birthday to find a new extension in his hut //It is a room. The entrance is a pristine white square wall encapsulating a rather small white door, visible only by its gloss varnish and the sparkling brass door knob it holds firmly in place. This is a sharp contrast to the towering straw walls. Seems like it is going to be a dazzling start to this special day for Pao //On the horizon miles away from the glistering sea, small round objects are sighted falling from the sky. They make silent miniature explosions as they disappear into the calm water surface below //X is occupied with his conscientious analysis from the treetop. A Phenomenon. Yes, a Phenomenon will take place today. But where? And when? To whom. X surveys the sight before him. Each explosion made his heart skip //Pao turns the door knob. A flood of white light rushes forward and drowns his senses. He could not have seen or felt the vicious swirling that was in motion at the corner of the room. It was like a tornado running on the spot //At this moment, Whao and R entered the room. This invited the next rush of color and all three of them were enveloped by a bright expanse of yellow. Soon, they will slowly make out the figure of a yellow orb sitting silently before them. It is almost the height of the square room, as tall as the towering straw hut walls.

//No, this is not the real Phenomenon. It has already arrived, X can sense. He shifts his cap swiftly in the sequence of 1/2R, 2L, 3/4R and 1/2L*. A yellow orb. A giant one. That is the real Phenomenon //Elsewhere, miniature yellow orbs were settling in the crop fields around Pao’s hut. Now tilt your head to the right and squint your eyes. Those hills and valleys in the distance aren’t spared either. With a mighty telescope, you might be able to spot one peculiar yellow orb which looks slightly different. Ah. Can you spot R inside? I wonder where he will eventually land. We all wonder //Oh no. Whao has taken a bite off the giant orb. It doesn’t look any tasty from the look on his face. But what can you really say about Whao’s facial expressions, knowing that he is pretty much nonchalant. What is your personal opinion about putting foreign objects into your body? //PE are running around frantically in the crop fields. One PE, however, is staring oddly at three yellow orbs snugged comfortably in a pea pod hanging from a branch. It is already odd enough that being a pea pod, PE has only one pea. Yellow peas was pushing it, no?

//And finally, Pao walks up to the giant orb. He can sense a low humming from the inner depths of the orb. Raising his feeble hand, he gently smothers the surface, which felt very smooth. It was as if Pao knew that somehow, this action will reveal the orb’s true appearance. Then it happened. Three numbers 353 slowly appeared on the surface of the orb. The number 3 looks quite like the right eye of Pao! What does 353 represent? We have to find out.

* X has a habit of concocting different permutations of cap-shifting when he is in deep analysis mode. The numbers indicate the extent of cap-shifting, with 1 being a full 180 degree shift, R&L=right & left. This cap-shifting action aids my observation and deduction, X says.

You can buy a printed copy of Phenomenon No. II – o R B at the shop