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Finding "the green dome" was easy... you could see it from a mile away. I approached, pointedly ignoring the pandas that walked about all around the town, and who pointedly ignored me right back. (I could not help but notice two pandas, walking together, with the numbers "86" and "99" on their faces.) The ornate door opened, like my new home's door, before I had the chance to knock.
Inside the door... what else? Another panda. This one was smaller than the average panda... a youngling, maybe. He looked up at me, then turned, and trotted down a hall. At the end of the hall, a door opened automatically, and the panda trotted inside. Taking the hint, I followed the mini-panda into the room.
Unlike everything I'd seen in this goofy village, which looked like a Victorian's wet dream, the room I stepped into now was right out of the next century: It was overall round, with a high rounded ceiling. The walls had projected images of what looked like parts of the village. A strange multi-colored light show seemed to revolve around the room, mildly distracting, but soothing at the same time. And in the center of the room, was a large, black ball.
No, wait, it began revolving... it was a chair. And as it turned to face me, I confronted the first human being I'd seen since I walked out of my job that day. It was a man... a big bear of a man. He was dressed in a white suit, wearing black gloves and black shoes. I don't know what nationality he was, because his face was painted white... I mean Rinso white... and around his left eye was a number, painted in black: A number two.
This strange man smiled--I think--and said in a booming voice, "Welcome, welcome! So nice to meet you at last, old chap! How was your trip over?"
I started to answer him directly, but thought of a better response: "My trip to where?"
"Eh?"
"Where am I?"
"Where? Well, isn't it obvious?" The strange man stood up, and ambled over to me. Now I could see he was smiling.
"You're in the Zoo, my boy..."
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