Read Online Horten's Incredible Illusions by Lissa Evans - Free Book Online
Authors: Lissa Evans
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on a moment.”
“And a black handkerchief can turn white !” shouted Clifford, trying to drown out the noise of wailing and rustling.
“Bleach,” said the old lady called Pam. “That’s how I turn my black handkerchiefs white. Or wash them in vinegar and leave them out in the sun.”
“I use tissues,” remarked her friend. “More hygienic.”
Clifford used the white handkerchief to mop the sweat from his forehead. “And now,” he said, “I just need a couple of moments to prepare my next trick.”
It was while Clifford was rummaging around at the side of the stage that Stuart heard a tentative knock on the outside door. There was a pause, and then a second knock, and since Stuart was nearest to the end of the row, he walked across to open it.
It was a small, pale woman in overalls, a large canvas bag slung over one shoulder, a coil of cable over the other. “The hall caretaker called me about an electrical problem,” she said. “Something about an EXIT sign that keeps going on and off.”
Stuart nodded, and pointed up at the flickering sign above the door. “It’s there,” he whispered, “but there’s a show going on at the moment.”
“Okay. Can I wait at the back till it’s finished?”
“I suppose so.”
On the stage, Clifford clumped back into view. “Sorry to keep you,” he said, “but I hope you’ll find it was worth the wait.”
The next bit of the act was a card trick, during which Clifford dropped the entire deck on the stage and had to spend about a minute and a half crawling around picking them all up again. After that, he sawed a teddy bear in half and then placed a small plant into a disappearing cabinet.
“And now we spin it around three times,” he announced, “open the door, and—”
“It’s still there!” yelled the small boy. “ Why’s it still there?”
Clifford slammed the cabinet door again, and gave a desperate smile. “There’s just time for the exciting animal finale,” he announced. “I’ll take a moment to set it up.”
He clumped offstage again.
April nudged Stuart. “What do you think?”
Wordlessly he shook his head.
Clifford reappeared carrying a large empty cage, which he lowered, with effort, onto the floor at the center of the stage.
“This cage,” he announced, “is secure in every way. Do not be afraid, ladies and gentlemen, that the wild beast inside will escape and cause havoc and mayhem in the audience.”
“But there’s nuffing inside!” piped up the small boy, indignantly.
Clifford actually looked quite pleased at the interruption. “ Aha! ” he said. “There’s nothing there at the moment, but I shall drape this magical and mysterious cloak across the cage”—he hung a silver cape over the front—”and say the magic word, and then we may discover that it’s not quite as empty as you think….”
For the first time, an air of tension gripped the audience.
“I fink it’s going to be a cheetah,” whispered the boy, “or a buffalo, or a great big, giant, horrible snake .”
“I, er … don’t like snakes much,” said April, sounding uncharacteristically nervous.
Clifford stepped forward. He rapped the top of the cage solemnly three times, shouted, “Abracadabra!” in a slow, booming voice, and then whipped the silver cape away again and stood triumphant.
The occupant of the cage gave a slight snuffle.
Without taking her eyes off it, April nudged Stuart. “Am I going mad,” she whispered, “or is that a hedgehog ?”
CHAPTER 14
“Yup,” replied Stuart. “That’s a hedgehog, all right.”
The hedgehog gave a sneeze, trotted straight between the bars of the cage, and rolled up into a ball near Clifford’s foot. Clifford bowed, and the faded purple curtains swung shut. Only Stuart and April clapped; the rest of the audience left rather quickly, everyone (apart from the small boy) hurrying past a money box labeled:
If you enjoyed
MYSTERIOSO the MAGICIAN’S act,
feel free to show your
“And a black handkerchief can turn white !” shouted Clifford, trying to drown out the noise of wailing and rustling.
“Bleach,” said the old lady called Pam. “That’s how I turn my black handkerchiefs white. Or wash them in vinegar and leave them out in the sun.”
“I use tissues,” remarked her friend. “More hygienic.”
Clifford used the white handkerchief to mop the sweat from his forehead. “And now,” he said, “I just need a couple of moments to prepare my next trick.”
It was while Clifford was rummaging around at the side of the stage that Stuart heard a tentative knock on the outside door. There was a pause, and then a second knock, and since Stuart was nearest to the end of the row, he walked across to open it.
It was a small, pale woman in overalls, a large canvas bag slung over one shoulder, a coil of cable over the other. “The hall caretaker called me about an electrical problem,” she said. “Something about an EXIT sign that keeps going on and off.”
Stuart nodded, and pointed up at the flickering sign above the door. “It’s there,” he whispered, “but there’s a show going on at the moment.”
“Okay. Can I wait at the back till it’s finished?”
“I suppose so.”
On the stage, Clifford clumped back into view. “Sorry to keep you,” he said, “but I hope you’ll find it was worth the wait.”
The next bit of the act was a card trick, during which Clifford dropped the entire deck on the stage and had to spend about a minute and a half crawling around picking them all up again. After that, he sawed a teddy bear in half and then placed a small plant into a disappearing cabinet.
“And now we spin it around three times,” he announced, “open the door, and—”
“It’s still there!” yelled the small boy. “ Why’s it still there?”
Clifford slammed the cabinet door again, and gave a desperate smile. “There’s just time for the exciting animal finale,” he announced. “I’ll take a moment to set it up.”
He clumped offstage again.
April nudged Stuart. “What do you think?”
Wordlessly he shook his head.
Clifford reappeared carrying a large empty cage, which he lowered, with effort, onto the floor at the center of the stage.
“This cage,” he announced, “is secure in every way. Do not be afraid, ladies and gentlemen, that the wild beast inside will escape and cause havoc and mayhem in the audience.”
“But there’s nuffing inside!” piped up the small boy, indignantly.
Clifford actually looked quite pleased at the interruption. “ Aha! ” he said. “There’s nothing there at the moment, but I shall drape this magical and mysterious cloak across the cage”—he hung a silver cape over the front—”and say the magic word, and then we may discover that it’s not quite as empty as you think….”
For the first time, an air of tension gripped the audience.
“I fink it’s going to be a cheetah,” whispered the boy, “or a buffalo, or a great big, giant, horrible snake .”
“I, er … don’t like snakes much,” said April, sounding uncharacteristically nervous.
Clifford stepped forward. He rapped the top of the cage solemnly three times, shouted, “Abracadabra!” in a slow, booming voice, and then whipped the silver cape away again and stood triumphant.
The occupant of the cage gave a slight snuffle.
Without taking her eyes off it, April nudged Stuart. “Am I going mad,” she whispered, “or is that a hedgehog ?”
CHAPTER 14
“Yup,” replied Stuart. “That’s a hedgehog, all right.”
The hedgehog gave a sneeze, trotted straight between the bars of the cage, and rolled up into a ball near Clifford’s foot. Clifford bowed, and the faded purple curtains swung shut. Only Stuart and April clapped; the rest of the audience left rather quickly, everyone (apart from the small boy) hurrying past a money box labeled:
If you enjoyed
MYSTERIOSO the MAGICIAN’S act,
feel free to show your
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