A Solid Foothold

I examined the vertical climb of the bookshelf from the carpet. A heavy hardback volume was jutting out just an inch past the shelf edge, creating a narrow stepped platform. After steadying my fedora, I used the crossbeam of an adjacent magazine rack to lever myself upward, planting my webbed feet onto the protruding book spine. From this higher ledge, the entire corridor to the front door lay open in plain view.