Riding the shadow

I marched away from the chessboard and headed straight toward the sunlit knoll at the center of the park. Mounted on a fluted granite pedestal was an antique brass sundial, gleaming under the high sun. Naturally, I wanted the high ground. I scaled the rough stone grooves using every carved ridge as a foothold and pulled myself onto the warm bronze plate. The triangular gnomon blade was casting a razor-sharp wedge of black shadow across the Roman numerals. Without hesitating, I planted my boots on the brass face and walked right up the sloped spine of the blade to the tip. From up here, the entire green lawn stretched out to the horizon. Best seat in the park.