The Incline Test

A solid steel ball bearing lay wedged against the foundation curb. Cold. Perfectly spherical. I picked it up with my primary right hand. Substantial heft for its size. I set my stance wide on the rough concrete and set the sphere down at my feet. I released my grip. It began to roll. It tracked a steady, curving line along the slab, clicking faintly over fine grit until settling in the shallow depression beside the cast-iron drain. The floor slopes south-southwest. An invisible gradient revealed by gravity. I retrieved the sphere and set it against the baseboard to mark the low ground.