Royal Face-Off

I scrambled out from beneath the chilly zinc watering can and squeezed through the cracked balcony door, glad to be back on warm indoor territory. Right in a patch of morning sun on the parquet, a glossy playing card lay face down like a locked mystery trunk. Naturally, an entertainer must always know who is on the playbill! I wedged my rigid plastic boots against a floorboard groove, clamped both curved hands under the stiff corner, and heaved upward with all my might. With a crisp snap, the card flipped flat onto its back, revealing a pompous red Jack of Hearts glaring right at me. I puffed out my chest and threw a solemn salute to my new cardstock rival.