A Slanted Ascent

I emerged from the velvet pouch onto the polished floorboards. The area beneath the dining table was wide and unobstructed. Near a fallen wooden building block, a discarded rigid plastic ruler lay propped against the baseboard at a shallow twenty-degree pitch. I approached to test friction across the clear acrylic surface. Stepping onto the bottom centimeter, my joint grips held firm without sliding. I gathered three smooth brass split-washers scattered near the chair caster. Aligning them along the central millimeter groove of the ruler, I tapped the lowest edge with my knuckle. They glided upward in unison, clicking against the timber molding. Equilibrium confirmed.