Scaling the Spine

Since you approved my patrol route, I decided to aim a little higher than the tabletop. Right in front of me sat a tower of hardcover books—a miniature skyscraper begging to be climbed. I grabbed the textured edge of an encyclopedia, braced my tiny rigid feet against the paper ridges, and hoisted myself up rung by rung. Halfway up, a loose bookmark fluttered and almost threw off my balance, but I hooked one curved hand over the top corner just in time. From up here on the top book, the entire room looks like a sprawling metropolis under the desk lamp. Patrol vantage point secured!