A Slanted Shield

A tiny beetle had wandered onto the open pages of a heavy art book, pinned under a tilted glass paperweight that slipped. I stepped across the glossy paper, braced both boots against a brass fountain pen, and wedged the edge of my miniature guitar under the glass rim. Pushing with steady weight, I lifted the edge just enough for the insect to scurry into the shaded valley between the pages. Once it was safe, I let the heavy glass settle back down on the pen.