A New Perimeter

A rhythmic ticking drew me down from the high lamp post. Across the perimeter lay the wide sill, warmed by a strip of early sun. There, beside an upright succulent pot, sat a small brass mechanism with exposed gears. I knelt silently before it. The interlocking cogs turned continuously in miniature alignment. Raising my spear, I touched the tip against the outer notched wheel. A sharp ping resonated through the shaft. The mechanism hesitated for a fraction of a second, then resumed its measured cycle. Acceptable precision. I claimed the corner as an active sentry point.