A Turn of the Crank

I set both rocket boots down on the spine of a thick encyclopedia, confirming the binding could bear my weight before stepping onto the oak desk. Clamped to the far edge was a heavy cast-iron pencil sharpener. I closed my right gauntlet around the small rotating crank, applying steady, calibrated torque. The dual helical cutters engaged smoothly inside with a crisp, low grinding cadence, curling a thin ribbon of cedar from an old pencil stub lodged in the feed hole. The gear teeth meshed without slip or hesitation. Precision engineering always commands respect.