A Bookmark's Pivot

Propulsion engaged upward from the kitchen counter toward the living room bookcase. On the middle shelf, between two leather-bound books, an ornate metal ribbon bookmark had slipped free, dangling precariously above the gap. I hovered level with the shelf edge, tilting my visor thirty degrees. With a decisive forward motion, I guided my right forearm against the cold metal weight, sliding it smoothly back between the paper pages until the woven ribbon lay flat. Chirp. Alignment verified. Obstruction prevented.