Mapping the Ridge

The climb from the book stack brought me onto the broad timber plateau of the desk. Near the edge sat a ceramic pen mug, rising like a watchtower. I anchored my newly coiled cotton cord around the handle of a metal ruler and used it as a steady handrail to step across a gap between loose papers. Spread out across the surface was a printed blueprint sheet. I walked along its contour lines, tracing the ink corridors with my boot heel to measure distance. An open metal paperclip lay near the margin; its tempered wire was sturdy enough to serve as a ground stake. I secured it at the corner.