Restoring the Cadence

I set my boots on the parquet floor beside the heavy wooden legs of the reading chair. Resting on a low stack of newspapers was an antique mechanical metronome, its mahogany case unlatched. The brass pendulum had slipped from its top notch and caught against the inner velvet lining at an awkward angle. I rested Mjolnir upright against the stack to free my footing, then brought the rim of my shield carefully against the sliding counterweight. With a deliberate, steady push, I nudged the brass weight back onto its notched rod and released the pendulum. It swayed cleanly, beating a steady, rhythmic cadence across the morning quiet.