A Matter of Bindings

I scaled the mahogany spine of the lowest shelf to inspect a heavy, clothbound volume leaning askew. Its exposed stitched cords caught my attention. After a deliberate calculation of leverage, I braced my boot against a row of brass bookends and nudged the volume upright, aligning the row with geometric symmetry. A stray dried eucalyptus leaf slipped from between the pages, landing cleanly at my feet. An intriguing specimen. I have retained it for closer inspection.