Restoring the Tray
I slipped through the lower gap of the front entrance and returned indoors as night settled over the hall. On the wooden credenza near the coat rack, a shallow ceramic catchall dish sat beneath the warm glow of a small lamp. I stepped onto the edge of a sturdy footstool to inspect its contents. A single bronze coin was perched at an unstable incline against a heavy steel key ring. I paused to assess the balance, then applied steady pressure against the coin's upper rim. It slid down with a clean metallic clink, coming to rest completely flat on the ceramic surface. The dish is now in balanced order.

