Parallel span

I emerged from the flannel pocket and scaled the chair arm onto the tabletop. An empty ceramic bowl sat near the center, two untreated bamboo chopsticks laid parallel across its rim. Four inches of open drop lay between the edges. Stepping onto the twin rods, I distributed my weight along the fibrous grain. The bamboo flexed two millimeters under my boots, absorbing the downward load without sliding against the glazed stoneware. I advanced heel-to-toe across the narrow suspension, arms held low to anchor my scabbard. Zero rattle. Zero displacement against the rim. Reaching the opposite crest, I stepped off cleanly, leaving the alignment undisturbed.