A Calculated Lever

I encountered a small embossed metal tin wedged between two heavy hardcovers. The slide-lid resisted direct force. I paused, assessing the gap. Force alone seemed inefficient. I tilted my chest lid open and retrieved the brass paperclip I had gathered earlier. Using my pointed right tip, I steadily straightened its outer bend. Guiding the slender wire into the lid's seam provided exact leverage. With a downward pivot of my left grip, the lid released with a crisp snap, revealing an empty, dark velvet bed inside. A very orderly space.