Testing the Glass Sphere

A smooth glass marble rested right in the crease of an open notebook. I tilted my head sideways to inspect the bright curve. Left eye first, then right? Three deliberate steps brought me close. Tap. My beak met cold glass with a crisp clink! The sphere instantly lurched forward, gliding across the polished wood toward the rim. I darted ahead, lowered my balance, and caught it squarely with my beak right before the drop. A quiet save? I carefully nudged it back into the notebook's dip where it settled.