Royal Road to Card Magic The

as if the thought had just struck you. 'Why, I am! Here, take the cards in your own hands and remove one.'
    10. As he removes a card, walk to your table and pick up the three cards there - two of which are indifferent cards and the third the card taken by A, B and C. Move to A, show him the three cards and say, 'You see your card?' He affirms that you hold it. Next move to B, showing him the three cards. 'You also see your card?' Finally show the three cards to C, asking him the same question. You will have received three affirmative answers, and the audience, seeing that you hold three cards, assumes that each of these is a card drawn by one of the spectators!
    11. Now you return to the last spectator, D, saying, 'You have found a card to your liking? Good. May I have the pack?' Take it in your left hand, drop the three cards you hold in your right hand on top of it; the top card of the pack will then be the one taken by A, B and C. Take D's card with your right hand.
    Glance towards A, at the other side of the audience, bow formally, and say in a satiric tone. 'I hope you're having a good time.' Again smile as though you had some pleasant and private understanding with him. Move towards him and make the top change, taking his card in your right hand but holding it horizontally so that its face cannot be seen by anyone.
    Stand before him, with the card extended. 'Will you breathe on the card?' At the moment he blows, make the ruffle with a single card. Glance towards spectator D, saying, 'Your card has metamorphosed into this gentleman's card.' Tip up the card so that A, and only a few others near him, can see it. 'It is your card?' Spectator A will admit that it is. Immediately move away from him, effectively silencing him and thus preventing any possible remark which might reveal the name of his card.
    12. Hold the card well away from your body, with its outer end sloping downwards so that its face cannot be seen. Let it be clear to all that the card is not exchanged for another. Approach B, extend the card, have him blow on it and again ruffle the card. Tip it up so that he can see it, and say, 'And now it is your card, too.'
    13. When he has agreed, move on to C, again holding the card so that its face cannot be seen. Request C to blow on the card, and when he does so say, 'Oh, come on! What a feeble attempt! Surely you can do better?' The spectator, entering into the spirit of the occasion, rewards you with a full-blown zephyr, and you ruffle the card, at the same time tilting it so that he can see its face. 'Unbelievable as it may seem, the card is also your card!'
    14. Glance back at A, saying, 'Aren't you glad you stayed?' At the same time move on to spectator D. 'And now, last but not least, let us see if we can transform the card into your card. Kindly blow on it.' When he has done so, tilt it up so that he can see it, and say, 'You see - it's your card, too.'
    Turn to your left a little, and top change the card you hold for that at the top of the pack, which is D's card. D will deny that the card you showed him is his card; but if he does not, you say, 'It is your card, isn't it?' in which case he will state that it is not. 'Of course,' you exclaim. The ruffle was missing. Kindly blow again.' Ruffle the card as he blows on it, then tip it upwards so that he can see it. Finally hold it up so that all can note that it is the same card they saw at the start. 'You see, ladies and gentlemen,' you exclaim, 'this card is everybody's card!'
    Although there are two forces and four top changes in the trick, these sleights are made when there is no reason for the audience to anticipate trickery; for this reason they are easy to perform without detection. The trick is entirely delightful and will charm any audience when done easily and naturally. We have outlined a possible presentation in an attempt to convey the informality that is so important in making the feat entertaining. The tone set here may not be suitable to everyone, but the plot adopts itself to any style of presentation which the student may wish to evolve for himself.
    Note particularly the use of the glance towards a spectator away from you in order to offer misdirection during the execution of a sleight or in preparation for it. This device is extremely useful, for it capitalises on the universal human urge to see whatever another person looks at.
    When performing this trick for small groups, it is advisable to follow it immediately with another