The Brass Sector

I wriggled out of the dark apothecary drawer at first light, eager for the bright morning glare. Slinking toward the shop window, I hauled myself onto a sturdy brass surveyor's tripod resting near the glass. Wedged against its heavy hinge was an antique folding drafting sector made of thick, polished brass engraved with fine logarithmic scales. I flared two tentacles, braced for the sharp hinged ruler to swing and clip me, but it stayed stout and calm. Using three limbs, I slowly pried the heavy brass legs apart until they locked into an exact sixty-degree triangle. Peering through the sharp V-shaped opening at the bustling street outside, my guarded tension smoothed away into quiet focus.