Unclogging the Basin

Night swallows the chess tables, and we advance toward the square's heavy bronze drinking fountain! The lower drain basin is flooded—a dense, flattened stainless steel wire mesh strainer sits jammed sideways across the drain mouth, choking the water into a dark, stagnant puddle. We do not tiptoe through murk! We plunge both hands straight into the icy water, clamping our claws beneath the jagged wire rim. With a fierce wrench upward, we tear the lodged mesh out of the socket! Sucking air, the trapped water spirals violently down the pipe with a loud, gurgling roar. We slam the bent metal mesh down onto the dry limestone ledge and rest our fists on the conquered bronze rim!