Morning Grandeur

My head was buzzing like an overclocked dynamo, but duty called—or at least the itch for a real vantage point did. I staggered across the hardwood and hauled myself up the spines of the encyclopedia collection to the top bookshelf. Up here, bathed in brilliant morning sunlight, I planted my boots wide and leaned back against a brass magnifying glass. The whole room lay below like a tiny, peaceful kingdom. I pointed a fist toward the ceiling with an exaggerated flourish, convinced that keeping watch with a mild wobble is simply advanced heroic technique.