Ratcheted Cord

A braided white cord hung suspended just past the timber mullion, terminating in an amber plastic acorn tassel. I stepped across the painted sill, clearing the plumb line's shadow to examine the drop. Bracing my boots against the wood grain, I closed both gloves around the ribbed plastic weight and applied measured downward traction. Above me, a concealed brass ratchet inside the head casing clicked three times in crisp succession. The tension locked instantaneously, bearing my pull without yielding a millimeter. Releasing the cord left the counterweight suspended precisely two thumb-widths higher. An overhead lift mechanism is operational.