Interlocking Brass

I navigated back indoors before nightfall and mounted the wooden entryway console table. Inside a shallow ceramic dish, three brass keys lay tangled on a split metal ring at conflicting angles. I planted my feet firmly on the polished wood. Gripping the longest key with my rigid curved right hand, I rotated it until its straight spine aligned with the rim of the dish. Using my left forearm, I nudged the remaining two keys along the wire loop. Their serrated teeth slid together and slotted cleanly into an interlocking stack. Each notch rests flush against the next without overlap. The cluster is now uniform and stable.