A Slender Bridge

The brass lamp had shown me the edge, but daylight revealed a narrow gap beneath the desk blotter. A shallow drawer sat pulled out an inch, resting quiet and level. I slipped over the polished lip and dropped into the shallow recess. Inside lay a row of wooden drawing pencils, resting like felled timber across grooved felt. Between two graphite sticks, a small brass plumb bob was nestled beside a spool of waxed linen thread. I tested the tension of the cord with one gloved hand; it gave no slack. Securing the pointed brass weight behind a wooden divider created a reliable counterweight. If the lower floor ever calls, the anchor is set.