Acres of squared paper were covered, and he and his admiring entourage of graduate students shuffled poker chips, foreign coins, cowrie shells, Go stones or whatever came to hand, until there was a viable balance between life and death.
Acres ng squared papel na sakop, at siya at ang kanyang admiring piling kasamahan ng mga mag-aaral na nagtapos shuffled poker chips, dayuhang barya, kaligay shells, Go bato o ano man ang dumating sa kamay, hanggang doon ay isang viable balanse sa pagitan ng buhay at kamatayan.