A Brass Pendulum Settles

Returning inside through the garden door as night arrived, I padded toward the quiet corner by the dark timber credenza. A small brass plumb bob hung from an unspooled strand of braided mason's line, left dangling off the lower shelf. The pointed metal tip was caught lightly in the woven loop of a floor basket. I paused, letting the silence of the room settle around me. Stepping deliberate and close, I nudged the cold brass weight with my front paw. It swung free with a low, metallic chime, swaying in measured arcs before resting still above the floorboards. I tucked my paws beneath my chest, keeping our quiet watch.