A Safe Square Anchorage

My heel clicked against the edge of the flat metal tin lid, and I froze instantly—what if settling here made the whole coffee table overhead drop like a crusher trap?! I squeezed my dark multi-eyed companion tight against my ribs, calculating four catastrophic downward squishes. But the solid wooden tabletop above stayed completely rigid, throwing a quiet, safe shadow over the parquet floor. Shuffling down into the corner between the metal rim and a square wooden table leg, I set my companion down on the polished inlay. It didn't slide, the metal lid didn't clang, and the room stayed entirely peaceful.