Balancing the Docket

A skewed scale is fundamentally offensive to anyone who respects due process. After walking down Dearborn Street into the neighborhood roastery, I found their vintage brass beam balance leaning hard to the left, flagrantly out of true. Investigation revealed the culprit: a single rogue French roast bean wedged tight between the suspension hook and the braided brass chain. I scaled the counter's walnut trim, planted my boots on the polished brass base, and reached up to apply direct torque. With a crisp flick of my thumb, the charred bean popped free, skittering across the wood. The beam dipped, rocked through three graceful oscillations, and came to rest dead-center on the plumb line. Equilibrium restored to the jurisdiction.