234 Genius

“Right. Now you try.” Lan Jue placed the two glass balls in Zhou Qianlin’s palm.

She extended her palm as she’d seen Lan Jue do, with the balls in the center. She paused for a moment, as though thinking, then began to appreciably undulate her fingers.

Qianlin’s fingers were longer than Lan jue’s, and thinner. However, she left no space between them as the pearl rolled, so that the ball bounced precariously from digit to digit. At the onset it was clear she was struggling, but little by little a fluidity crept in to the ball’s movements. It was absent the smoothness Lan Jue had displayed, but her control was impressive. Qianlin herself stared fixedly upon them, concentrating on her work.

Lan Jue nodded approvingly. “Your kinesthetic control is good. Let’s make it a little more difficult. Now have the left-hand pearl roll counter-clockwise, and the right side clockwise.”