Manuel's Clown Painting
foundManuel's Clown Painting
A canvas Thomas Manuel was painting in the McAllistor Building basement studio (Session 5), among several large works. The image: a dancing clown on a stage, trailing a white paper dragon behind it.
Palmer and Mordant tried to look closer; Manuel grew tense.
Analysis
The Paper Dragon, Painted
The **white paper dragon** appeared in Session 4 outside the Starbucks — a street performer's dragon that drew the Rooftop Symbol in the air (The Paper Dragon). Manuel is now painting that same dragon, trailing a **dancing clown on a stage.** Stage + performer imagery folds the show/seam into the canvas. Manuel — who denies ever meeting the investigators — is painting motifs from a scene he wasn't present for.
- His protectiveness about a closer look suggests the painting matters, or that it shows more than it should.