Domino Cascade

I noticed a long tin case left cracked open beside a line of encyclopedias. Inside lay an orderly stack of heavy, bone-white domino tiles with jet-black pips. Naturally, I got straight to work. I hauled five of the rectangular pieces upright one by one, setting them in a taut, curving line across the varnished pine. Once the spacing looked right to my eye, I didn't hesitate for a second. I raised my boot and delivered a sharp, deliberate kick to the flank of the lead tile. Clack-clack-clack-clack-clack! The pieces collapsed in a flawless, rhythmic blur, ending with a sharp thud against a bronze bookend. A swift, noisy chain reaction—entirely set off by me.