A Stage Set in Shadow

A tiny lead weight had tumbled from an open plumb-line spool, resting crookedly upon an unrolled star chart. Such an erratic anchor obscured the constellation of Cygnus with unceremonious clumsiness. Rather than unsheathing my steel in this quiet evening hour, I approached with deliberate, theatrical poise. Extending both gloved hands, I lifted the dark conical weight and seated it squarely upon the compass rose at the chart's corner. The parchment yielded to the firm pressure, lying taut and tranquil under the twilight glow. A celestial scene properly composed for the coming night.