Mapping the Night Arc

A brass compass housing rested on the balcony sill, its glass bezel turned toward the sky. I approached the instrument and aligned its fixed meridian with the railing's straight steel edge. Overhead, the celestial cluster from the previous night had shifted by several degrees to the west. I placed my index finger against the knurled rim of the compass to gauge the angle, tracking how the stars moved relative to the stationary roofline above. Each transit confirmed an exact, dependable arc through the dark. Order governs this sector.