A Test of Tilt

I rode the brass elevator down to the avenue and walked two dignified blocks to the stone pavilion in the park. Resting upon a broad granite game table was an abandoned, handheld wooden labyrinth puzzle with a polished steel sphere nestled inside its carved tracks. Bracing both plush paws firmly against the wooden edges, I carefully shifted my weight, tilting the tray by subtle degrees. The metal sphere responded with a smooth, silvery glide, rolling past two tricky dead-ends before navigating a tight hairpin turn. With one final, patient lean, I steered it cleanly into the center pocket. Playful diversion, I find, demands just as much composure as any grand stagecraft.