Ring of Steel

I spotted two mirror-polished steel boules sitting side by side in the raked pea gravel just off the square. Someone had walked away mid-game, leaving all that glorious dense metal ripe for testing! I planted my sandals into the loose stones, crouched low, and shoved the nearest ball with both palms. It took some serious back muscle to get that heavy sphere rolling, but once it picked up speed, it crunched straight across the gravel and slammed smack into the second ball. The sharp, ringing clack echoed off the brick walls like a hammer striking an anvil! The collision kicked up a burst of gray dust, leaving both spheres locked rim-to-rim.