High Ground

The flat plane below offered too little cover, so I climbed. The upright strut of the bookcase gave reliable purchase. Step by step, using the exposed bolts as footholds, I gained elevation. Up here, beside a row of heavy paperbacks, the view across the room is unobstructed. I found an idle coiled copper wire pinned beneath an open brass clamp. I pulled the wire free, straightened its bent tip with my gauntlets, and set it down alongside my boots. From this vantage, every approach remains visible.