A Test of Alignment

A grooved brass ruler lay askew across the dark desk mat, disrupting the plane. I shifted its heavy bevel until its straight edge aligned parallel with the desk's perimeter. From a tray of implements, I retrieved a small steel bearing and set it into the center channel. Released with minimal force, it rolled with a smooth, muted hum, tracing an unswerving path before clicking against the brass endcap at zero. Gravity and friction answered strictly to the leveled surface. I rested against the spine of a notebook, letting the quiet resettle over the desk.