Structural Adjustment

The paperbacks leaned at an unacceptable angle. Structural instability cannot remain unaddressed on my watch. I marched down the grain of the wooden plank, testing each footfall before committing my weight. At the flank of the row rested a heavy steel L-bracket bookend—matte, cold, and solid. I braced my staff against the metal upright and shoved with disciplined force. The base scraped forward across the dust, wedging tight against the nearest spine. The entire row locked upright with a quiet, satisfying thud. The line is secure.