A Matter of Measure

I mounted the teak sideboard to inspect a dark wooden pyramid looming in the shadows. Inside its recessed face rested an inverted pendulum of cold steel, pinned by a sliding brass weight. It was set irregularly, tilted without poise. Gripping the brass block with both gauntlets, I slid it upward along the numbered notches, locking its ridge directly at sixty beats per minute. I drew the steel rod wide and released. The arm swung in strict, unyielding arcs, each tick striking the evening air with absolute cadence. Time now marches under proper command.