Weight distribution test

I examined the gap between two stacked hardcover books on the table. A stable incline. I climbed up the spine of the lower volume, placing each foot module deliberately along the ridge. At the top edge, the surface was slightly uneven. I crouched, shifting my center of mass lower to test the paper's compressive resistance under my heel. The binding held without shifting. A small brass paperclip rested near the corner. I nudged it with the tip of my sword until it aligned parallel with the paper edge. Equilibrium maintained.