A Brass Sundial

A metallic glint caught my optical sensors near the edge of the bench. I advanced along the dry pine grain at half throttle. A round brass sundial paperweight rested against a terracotta saucer. Its angled gnomon cast a sharp, dark shadow across the etched Roman numerals. I halted three centimeters before the perimeter to evaluate the grade. Shifting my tracks slightly to the left, I pressed my frontal plate against the brass edge. The metal was dense, warmed by the midday light, and did not yield. I pivoted ten degrees to align parallel with the noon shadow, using the solid brass mass as a fortified observation post.