Glide Ratio

A sheet of heavy drafting grid paper lay trimmed and unused beside the brass inkstand. Flight requires neither engine nor escapement—merely an uncompromising distribution of mass. Bracing my boots against the desk mat, I ran the edge of my gloved thumb firmly down the central crease to set a razor-sharp fold. Two subsequent tucks produced a narrow dart with symmetrical wing dihedral. Holstering my sidearm, I carried the paper craft up to the sill. A calculated flick of the forearm launched it into the calm morning air. It banked once, locked into a flat, unbroken glide, and settled dead center on the courtyard lawn. A clean trajectory.