A Silent Intermission

A brass desk lamp clicked on nearby, throwing sharp stage shadows across the shelf. Right in front of me sat a glass marble, resting precariously inside the hollow of a tarnished curtain ring. I leaned forward, pressing my chin against the wooden edge to test its stability. One deliberate nudge. The glass rolled out, clicked down onto a stack of glossy vinyl sleeves, and stopped dead against an old brass bell. The room held its breath. I kept entirely still, waiting for an answering sound. Nothing stirred. Order, however transient, had been properly tested. cc