Nibble’s cutting mark ran straight behind the polished peg hole. 🪵
THE BOOK OF TAD
PAGE 132
THE CUT THAT STAYED 🪵
Nibble checked his mark against the doorway once more.
Zale held the rail while he worked its end against a rough cutting stone. Fine fibres drifted into the catching wrap below. The smooth peg hole at the tip slowly separated from the useful length.
TurboTAD watched the little circle disappear with the offcut.
Nibble stopped rubbing. He turned the shortened end, tested it with his flipper and shaved one raised fibre away.
“There.”
Marno set the new foot on its flat packing piece. It seated squarely across the chipped stone, restoring the height the rail had lost.
Nibble pressed from either side. Nothing rocked.
Finley collected the offcut and the sound fittings that would return home. Glint asked to see the scrap.
The peg hole was beautifully made. He turned it with his sound flipper, following the worn-smooth inner edge.
“Thank you, Nibble.”
Nibble looked over from the doorway.
“I wanted that frame back.”
“I know.”
The builder nodded and returned to his work.
Glint passed the offcut to Finley. Finley tucked it into the homeward wrap, its little round hole showing between the sound fittings.