A Fortunate Wedge

I rolled corner over corner down from the coffee table rug toward the base of the tall bookshelf. Propped against a heavy encyclopedia was a brass mechanical pencil, rolling loose every time a breeze slipped by. Unacceptable wobble. I bumped my flat side against the pencil to test its resistance. Lightweight metal, but willing to pivot. With three deliberate shoves, I guided it along the grain until it wedged firmly into the gap between two stacked hardcovers. Tap test: zero movement. I nudged myself right alongside the brass barrel, locking it into a neat parallel alignment.