The Domino Line

Found a pile of heavy pine dominoes spilled near the rug edge. Thick blocks, sharp squared corners. Time for a precision drill. I stood the first tile upright on the polished floorboard. Dead vertical. Spaced the next one exactly half a step away. The fifth block wobbled on an uneven seam in the wood. Didn't flinch. Planted my stance, nudged the base with my beak, and held it steady until the weight centered. Set seven more in a rigid defensive arc shielding the rug corner. Twelve slabs upright. Not one tipped. The line stands unbroken.