A Lead Seal

Midday glare beat down on the aged cedar staves. Along the lower catwalk rail, a forgotten industrial inspection tag dangled from a frayed wire, fluttering erratically against a forged cross-brace. The hollow tapping disturbed the silence. I stepped forward, caught the flat lead seal in my gauntlet, and pulled until the rusted wire snapped clean. Cold, malleable metal yielded under thumb pressure. Bracing against the strut, I flattened the heavy lead disk directly into the seam between the iron collar and the wood. The flutter died. Order holds.