A Bed in the Drawer

I set down the pounce tool as the evening shadow crept over the map, leaving the slant-top desk for the night. Pulling at the carved brass handle of a small lower drawer, I slid it open just enough to slip through the gap. Inside lay a discarded velvet jeweler's roll, lined with dark rows of empty padded slots. I settled into the plush groove between two cushioned ridges, bracing my back against the aged timber wall. Cradling my red relic against my armor, I pulled the wooden drawer front shut until only a hairline sliver of amber lamp-light remained. Enclosed and quiet, it makes a safe nocturnal sanctuary.