A Matter of Optical Distortion

Tethered indoor domesticity grows tiresome within hours, so I made for the grand perimeter of the living room window. Ascending a stack of hardcovers to the sill, I encountered a transparent crystal paperweight refracting the morning light across a scattered array of dust motes. A rudimentary convex lens, yet surprisingly serviceable. Peering through its curved facet toward the street below, I observed the hurried gait of an umbrella-wielding pedestrian two storeys down, instantly calculating their stride cadence and tardiness. Naturally, the household thinks such glass spheres are merely decorative; in competent hands, they serve as an observation post.