Theory of five elements (fragment of "The Next Wonderland")

"....

The cat jumped at once on the strange table in the middle and began to watch the movements of the bald man wrapped up in the sand clothes. The man was looking for something among the set of subjects of this room. However, it was to be noted that a certain pattern was felt in their position.

- Do you have something for me? – I asked as I was sure that my role would consist of gathering the information.

- What?

- Shouldn’t you pass me something?

- I should find the fifth element for the tableware.

- Just the fifth?

- Just the fifth! Everything should be of five elements, – he straightened himself up keeping for his back. - Imagine that we’re creating the world in which all the phenomena are interconnected and continuously replace each other. Let’s try to find a minimum quantity of the phenomena the interaction of which would satisfy these conditions. For example, the phenomenon №2 can be generated by the phenomenon №1 and be destroyed by the phenomenon №3. That is three phenomena are enough at the first sight. But in that case the phenomenon №1 cannot be generated or destroyed by the phenomenon №2. In fact they’d be mutually generated or mutually destroyed, and as a result it’d reduce to the termination of changes or to the "bad" infinity. It turns out that the phenomenon №3 should generate and destroy the phenomenon №1 simultaneously, and that does not suit us for the same reasons. Let’s add one more phenomenon №4. Now we assume that the phenomenon №3 destroys the phenomenon №1, and the phenomenon №4 generates it. As for the phenomenon №1 everything is all right. The phenomenon №3 is generated by the phenomenon №2 and is destroyed by the phenomenon №4. As for the phenomenon №3 everything is all right, too. However, there is a problem with the phenomenon №4. It can neither be generated nor destroyed by the phenomena №1, №3; and the phenomenon №2 cannot simultaneously generate and destroy the phenomenon №4. In short only five phenomena provide the mutual transformations and the «normal work» of the cause-and-effect relations. Therefore, studying any transformations and processes it is necessary to single out five mutual-generating and mutual-destroying phenomena. All the phenomena can be divided into five groups or "elements" as well. Such a division would allow us to understand the dynamics of changes in our world.

While speaking he went round the five-cornered table and examined carefully each thing which came across him. The cat of mine was watching him all the time and was about to jump on his back from time to time though I had such a feeling that he wouldn’t notice it.

- Well, let’s go then?

- Yes, go to the light, - he waved his hand uncertainly.

"