Top Secrets by Terri Rogers

Terri Rogers

Top Secrets

Dedicated to Dennis Tubbs, David Britland, Martin Breese, Paul Daniels, Max Maven, Bob Neale and Billy McComb

Contents Contents............................................................................................................................. 5 Publisher's Note ............................................................................................................... 6 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 7 A Letter from Terri Rogers ............................................................................................8 Top of the Bill ................................................................................................................... 9 The Boromian Link ........................................................................................................ 15 Buckled Bunkum ............................................................................................................ 25 Chess Mate ...................................................................................................................... 31 Mind Game ...................................................................................................................... 35 StarGate...........................................................................................................................38 Twisted - The Afghan Border Race............................................................................44 Word of Mind...................................................................................................................49 The FlexiCard .................................................................................................................. 61 Blink ..................................................................................................................................69 BlockBuster ..................................................................................................................... 77 The Anatomy of a Magic Trick ....................................................................................86 The Magic Oblong .......................................................................................................... 87 The Colour Changing Ring...........................................................................................90 The Three Colour Changing Rings ............................................................................. 91 Addendum ....................................................................................................................... 93

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Publisher's Note Terri has been unbelievably patient with regard to the production of this book. It has taken so many years to put it all together that I would be ashamed to state the number of those years. Bob Gill played a great part on the editorial side and he helped to create the basic structure of the book. David Britland, back after many years of holiday from the magical book world has more than shared the editorial chair and restructured all of the illustrations. To Terri, David and Bob I extend my warmest thanks - without the genius of the first there would have been no book. Without the help of the second we would never have completed the task and without the help of the third we would probably never have started - and that is a topological statement in itself! A handful of the effects described in this book have been released commercially by me. I have included full details of them here. This is not because of a paucity of material but because all were published in small and ephemeral booklets. Booklets deteriorate or become lost. This large volume will protect and preserve these amazing effects for the next one hundred years or so - truly they need to be preserved for ever. Guard this book with all your might. Hope that I have overpriced it. Pray that only a handful of copies will be sold. Herein are some of the most wonderful effects of magic and it is purely by chance that they are published in this book and not simply reserved to be released individually as highly expensive top-selling dealer effects. This is a remarkable book from a remarkable magical creator. She has one of the keenest minds in magic and is a dear friend. To Terri so many thanks for her wonderful kindness for allowing me to be the person to present so much of her magic to performing entertainers around the world. Thank you Terri. Martin Breese, London, June 1997

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Introduction As its title suggests, this is a book of secrets. It is therefore somewhat curious that I begin this introduction with a piece of information that is not a secret at all: I am a fan of Terri Rogers. The reason that it is no secret is easy to explain. The quality of Terri's creative work is so terrific, it is virtually impossible to keep quiet about it. The history of magic includes a vast range of clever inventors, but within that number there is a rarefied group of innovators who think differently than the rest of us. Such extraordinary people as Stewart James, Bob Hummer and Robert Neale are able, somehow, to look at the world around them and see things in ways that are strange and beautiful and new. For them, the universe can twist and turn in directions most of us can barely imagine, and through amazing leaps of insight and whimsey, they can discover hidden patterns, make unexpected connections, and thereby produce wonders. And without question, Terri Rogers is a member of that very special group. If you already know that. Then it is quite unfair of me to extend this introduction any further, because surely you are chomping at the bit, eager to explore the amazing ideas that await you on the pages that follow. And, if Terri's work is new to you, well, there is even more reason for me to shut up and get out of the way. So, I shall quickly jump to my summation, which is simply this: The world of conjuring is lucky to have Terri Rogers, and you are lucky to have this book. Now, turn the page and start appreciating why that is so. Max Maven, Hollywood, California, November, 1997

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A Letter from Terri Rogers Throughout my magical life, I have created some magical effects that have been made, sold and performed by some of the greats in the magic world. As time has gone by my dear friend Martin Breese has persistently presented, parcelled, pushed and paid for my effects, and published my books Secrets, More Secrets and Wipe Out. And together we created what undoubtedly turned out to be the most successful of all my creations, The Key. Although I have never made a living as a professional magician, I started as a magician's assistant/ventriloquist, and I used to think up ideas and earn a few pounds for my trouble. Lots of magicians have asked me how I think up new effects or new methods, and there is no simple answer. Many of my ideas came about through sheer necessity. For example, whilst I was working one of the world's top cruise liners I was booked to do my usual ventriloquist act but I had to work five spots. This caused me some worry and I knew I would need additional material. One problem was that I was working for a largely American audience, who generally do not go much on English humour. I really had to start thinking of a new act, other than ventriloquism, to perform. The obvious solution - magic - was out as the passengers already had some excellent American, German and English magicians on board, so I had to think again. What I came up with was a 'mind reading' spot and, boy, was I in for a surprise. Over the years I had heard magicians talk of mind reading as bad, boring and to be generally frowned upon. Well, I can tell you they were wrong; the passengers absolutely loved it and plagued me to read their cards and tell their fortunes. They believed in it completely. When the cruise was finished the act was taken apart and distributed amongst my books. But other effects are often created because of deep study. I have long been interested in topological principles and applying them to bring about magical presentations. Several such ideas have already been marketed - including Blink, Squaring and Star Gate - plus several dispersed throughout my previous two books. In one of my books I had a green triangular ghost tube that changed into a red triangular ghost tube full of holes. The design came about after studying a coin puzzle! To help give an insight into the evolution of a magical effect I have included a section called The Anatomy of a Magic Trick. It examines the path I took and the thought processes involved in taking someone else's trick, adding improvements and eventually transforming it into a completely new effect. This book, although relatively slim, contains what I regard as my favourite mathematical and topological effects. I hope you enjoy them and will be motivated to explore the possibilities they offer. Yours sincerely Terri Rogers

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Top of the Bill The Effect Two sets of name plates are displayed. One set for the performer and one set for a spectator. Each pair bears the name of the famous comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Laurel and Hardy, or should it be Hardy and Laurel? As the performer tells the story of the battle for 'top of the bill' the name-plates magically shrink and grow in size. The final change is totally impossible as what begins as an optical illusion becomes very real indeed. The Secret This is an optical illusion from the 1790s transformed with a little 1990s cunning. It's a twist on the old Boomerang optical illusion which is very well known. The difference is that this routine finishes with a genuine difference in the size of the cards. Preparation Photocopy the drawings (1) and use them to make up the four name-plates. You can enlarge them to make up any size prop you require. The name-plates I use are 8 to 9 inches long. I make mine out of cardboard and laminate them with self-adhesive transparent plastic film. The plates are double-sided with the same name on both sides. It is very important to note that one set is longer than the other. You need to mark the Stan Laurel plate from the long set and the Oliver Hardy plate from the short set. The marking consists of a dot nestling in the lower right corner of the border. This can be seen clearly in the illustration on page 12. Presentation Before you try to vary the routine I urge you to follow it exactly as I have written it. The patter has a great deal to do with the working of the trick and covers the moves in such a manner that you may not even realise that you are doing them. This particular handling is best done across the table with the spectator sitting opposite you. Begin by saying. 'I had the most amazing experience a little while ago. I was going to put on a film show for the kids starring Laurel and Hardy. They asked for a Lenny Bruce film but I wanted to see Laurel and Hardy. Just to give it a good presentation, I asked a sign writer to make up a couple of signs to advertise Laurel and Hardy. These are the results. Place the two sets of cards on the table (2). One set is shorter than the other but if you overlap the cards in each set no one will spot the difference. 'Which one would you like, they are just as weird as each other, I promise you.'

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If the spectator hesitates just pick up the long set and push the short set in front of him. Take your set and hold a name-plate in each hand, holding the hands well apart. 'I asked the sign writer why he had put the names on both sides.' Turn the name-plates over to show the other side and then turn them back again. 'He said it was because he couldn't decide who should be top of the bill and therefore who should have the larger name. So he put a large name on one side and a short name on the other.'

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Turn the cards again as if bemused by this remark. 'I said you must think I'm an idiot. The names look the same size as each other.' Place the names together on the table with Stan Laurel uppermost (3).

'Ah,' he said, 'But you're showing the sides that are the same size. If you tell me who is on top of the bill I will show you what I mean.' I said, 'Stan Laurel, everybody knows that!' 'Don't shout at me,' he said, 'Not everyone follows boxing you know. Now watch very carefully otherwise you'll miss what I am going to show you.'

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You now separate the cards on the table so that Stan Laurel appears to be shorter than Oliver Hardy (4). This is the original Boomerang cards illusion. 'There you are,' he said, 'Stan Laurel is the top of the bill.' 'I can see that,' I said, 'but he is smaller than Ollie by at least one letter.' Point to the 'Y' in Hardy. 'Ah,' he said, 'If you want him longer all you have to do is turn him over.' Pick up the Stan Laurel card and slowly turn it over (propeller wise) and then place it below the Oliver Hardy card (5). Now Stan Laurel appears to be the longer card. 'See it's simple when you know how,' he said. Having finished this part of the demonstration you casually pick up the unmarked name card (Oliver Hardy) and place it on top of the marked one (Stan Laurel). Now gesture to your helper's cards and say, 'See if you have the same effect, try putting Stan on top of the Bill.' If he has trouble you help him until the cards are arranged on the table as in 4. Then ask him to pick up the Stan Laurel card, turn it over and replace it under the Oliver Hardy card (5). The cards have apparently changed size just as they did when you used your cards. 'It's impossible isn't it? Do you know why it is impossible?' Pick up his unmarked card (Stan Laurel) and hold it up as you point to each letter in the name as you count them out loud, 'One, two, three ...' through to ten. When you have finished counting place the card on top of your pile and then use this bundle as a pointer as you count the letters on the remaining tabled Oliver Hardy name-plate. This name has eleven letters. 'See they are different lengths because they have a different number of letters in each name.' Drop your bundle of cards on the tabled card before picking them up again. At this point the two marked name-plates will be at the bottom of the four cards. Push the top two name plates towards the spectator as you say, 'I can see that you don't believe your eyes. I don't suppose you will believe me when I tell you that the name-plates are still growing as I speak. Try putting Stan top of the bill now.' When he spreads the cards on the table and puts Stan over Laurel he will see that the Oliver Hardy plate is even bigger than it was before (6). Say, 'Look! Ollie has got even bigger. It has grown two more letters.' Pick up the two name-plates from the table before he has a chance to do anything with them and then put them away out of reach. 'Now would you believe that I can not only put Stanley on top of the bill but make him bigger than Ollie? Watch.' Take your two name-plates and arrange them on the table upside down with Stan Laurel being nearest you and Oliver Hardy nearest the spectator (7). 'There we are, Stan is bigger than Ollie and he is on top of the bill.'

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Adopt a look of triumph and then let it slowly fade as you say, 'You're not happy are you, why?' Wait for the spectator's query about the cards now being displayed upside down and then explain, 'No, you are wrong my friend. What we forgot is the sign writer's instructions. They are a different size on the other side.' As you say this pick up each name-plate, one in each hand, and at the fingertips slowly turn them over. Keep them parallel to each other (8). Then place them back on the table

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with Stan Laurel on top of the bill (9). Finish with, 'How about that Stanley? That's another fine mess I've gotten us out of!'

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The Boromian Link The Boromian Link was originally published as a manuscript by Martin Breese in 1986. It is an incredible card effect based on Paul Harris' Immaculate Connection. The Harris original is a great impromptu effect but if you are not working impromptu and can use your own cards, you will find this method even more visually deceptive. The linking effect looks excellent and in fact fools those familiar with the Harris original. It can be performed with any size cards and looks spectacular when done with Jumbo cards. The Effect The performer takes three playing cards which have their centres cut out leaving just three cardboard frames. They can be examined and the spectators confirm that each frame is unbroken. Taking the cards back the performer arranges them so that they form a star pattern, he shakes the cards and one falls becoming inextricably linked onto the other two. The cards are held out towards the spectator who is asked to take hold of the lowermost card and check that it is indeed linked onto the other two. To finish, the performer unlinks the three cards which can be examined by the spectators. No tears or secret joins can be found in any of them. Preparation You need to prepare three cards. Two of the cards should be identical, say two Jokers, and the third should be an effective contrast, for example the Eight of Hearts. Lay a ruler across the diagonal of each card and score a line across its back from the upper right to the lower left corner (1). Cut out the centres of the cards so that you are left with just three cardboard frames (2). Fold the cards along the score marks so that the faces of the cards are inside when folded. Now unfold the cards and flatten them out. Don't fold the cards in the opposite direction as this will weaken them and eventually they will split. If you wish to perform the trick impromptu then fold the cards across the diagonals and then use the fold as an excuse to start a tear. Flatten the cards out and continue to tear the centre out until you are left with just the frame. The Linking Move Let's start by learning how to link and unlink the cards. I'll assume that the duplicate cards are Jokers. 1: Take the two Jokers so that the left hand holds one face down and the right hand holds the other face up. The Jokers are held at their scored corners (3). Bring them together so that they are back to back and parallel to the floor.

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2: Hold the two cards together with the left hand and pick up the odd card with the right hand. Slide this card over the lower Joker (4). Move the card along until it is between the outer corners of the two Jokers (5 shows the position. The hands have been omitted for clarity). The formation looks something like the Star of David when held vertically between the hands (6). 3: Now raise the hands so that the cards are held vertically and the Star of David faces the spectators. The forefingers of both hands now slide between the two cards. This is not difficult to do.

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Just push forward with the right forefinger and back with the left and you'll force the two Jokers apart enough to allow the fingers to slide down between them (7). On the opposite side of the scored line the third finger of each hand performs a similar task. The left third finger pushes forward on the Joker furthest away from you and the right third finger pushes inwards on the Joker nearest to you. Practise will make the move automatic. You are forcing the Jokers to fold along the diagonal score lines. The cards are still held between the thumb and second finger of each hand. 8 shows an exposed side view of this 17

stage. The right hand and the odd card have been omitted for clarity. Release the thumb pressure so that the Jokers can fold completely. As soon as the Jokers have folded flat press with the thumbs so that the cards are again held securely between both hands (9).

The first time you attempt to do this it will seem to be a little difficult. Do it slowly and you'll soon see exactly what has to be done. In practise the move is done very quickly and you'll find that it works automatically without you having to think of where to place each finger.

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4: The end result is that the odd card appears to drop onto the lower sides of the other two card frames and visibly link onto them. 10 reveals an exposed view of the linking and shows how the Jokers are folded. You can do the move quickly as you give the cards a shake and it appears as if the odd card just drops onto the lower frame of the Jokers. I prefer to do the moves slowly. I set the cards as described but complete the left hand movements first and then quickly follow by completing the right hand movements. Done this way it looks as if the performer is turning the cards over and in turning them the linking has taken place. There's no need to rush it, if that's not your style. A slow linking is just as effective. Try the moves without the odd card when practising. Note by David Britland: I use the fast method of linking the cards together but instead of inserting the forefingers of both hands between the cards I only set the cards at their left corner. Start by holding the Star of David formation in the right hand only as you display it. This gives you an excuse to regrip the cards at the left corner in the following manner: the left second finger goes between the upper part of the two Jokers and the left thumb goes between the Jokers just under the scored line. The cards are kept from folding by the left forefinger which is at the near side of the cards and the left third finger which is at the outer side (11). When ready to do the linking, merely squeeze the left thumb and finger together. If you slide the first and second fingers out of the way the cards will fold as in Terri's version. The right hand relaxes its grip entirely and allows the cards to pivot freely as the fold takes place. A slight shake covers the folding action and both hands regrip the cards as soon as the link is completed. Unlinking Having got the odd card linked onto the Jokers you'll need to know how to remove it. 1: Hold the linked cards out towards a spectator and ask him to take hold of the hanging card. Slide the forefinger of the right hand between the two Jokers just as you did for the linking effect. Similarly, insert the left third finger between the two Jokers. Don't force the cards to unfold yet; just be prepared. 2: Move the Jokers to the left and bring the right hand down slightly so that the odd card is nearer to the right thumb (12). 3: Whenever you are ready, move the hands apart. The right hand takes the upper Joker and moves it to the right where the forefinger unfolds the card instantly by pressing it against the right thumb. The left hand moves to the left and unfolds the Joker by pressing the third finger and thumb together. In both instances the second finger of each hand will have to move out of the way slightly in order to allow the cards to unfold. You'll be left with a Joker in each hand while the odd card remains with the spectator. 4: Although all the cards can be examined you don't want to leave them all in the possession of any one spectator in case they try to reconstruct what you did. I find that if I just pull at the frames to show they are solid the spectators are just as impressed with the effect as if they had examined the cards themselves. If you are going to leave them with a card, leave them with the odd one because it is unprepared.

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The Boromian Sequence I use this immediately after the linking and unlinking if I am working under close up conditions. The spectators have to be in a position to examine the cards (visually at least) fairly closely for this particular sequence to register. It also serves to get the cards out of the spectators' hands. It was inspired by Martin Gardner's writings about a mathematical puzzle known as the Boromian Rings. Offer to link all three cards together again and ask for the loan of a handkerchief (or, to be more practical, provide your own). 20

1: Place all three cards under the handkerchief and secretly tear one of the Jokers at a scored corner. The score line makes the tearing easy. Slide the other two cards onto it (13). 2: You had better check the diagram again and make sure you've positioned the cards exactly as shown. Now twist the torn Joker so that the three cards make up a 'Y' formation (14). 3: Again, take a good look at 14 and the cards in front of you. No two cards in the arrangement are actually linked together. Unless you are already familiar with the puzzle known as the Boromian Rings this should surprise you. Run your finger along the frame of each card and you'll see that although the cards appear linked - in fact they won't come apart unless you separate them via the tear - they are not linked in the usual sense. In performance you cover the tear with the left thumb and finger (14) and then ask the spectator to try and find any two cards which are linked together. The cards are not linked but cannot be parted. Here is my patter for presenting this mathematical curiosity in conjunction with the linking effect. Presentation 'Have you heard of the 'Boromian Rings'? No! Oh well the 'Boromian Rings' is the name of a topological paradox. It uses three rings which when in a certain position appear to be linked in as much as you cannot get them apart. The strange thing is that they are not linked - they just look like they are. I bet you're confused. Wait until you see what happened when I tried it. 'The other day I tried to make it work with these three open-plan playing cards.' Count the three frames. 'So here are the fruits of my efforts, these three frames.' Display the three rings singly, showing both sides. 'Now you may think that they are not very impressive but I'll show you what I have discovered. 'If I place the three rings like this...' Arrange the cards so that they form the Star of David. '...we finish up with a pattern with six sides...and if you look you will see that it also creates a Star of David.' Hold the pattern with the left hand and point out the points of the star with the right forefinger. 'But let's see if we can make a star of Terri Rogers!' Obviously use your own name here as you perform the Linking Move. 'Success! You can see that one ring is now linking the other two.' Hold the cards out so that everyone can appreciate what has occurred. 'Would you like to hold onto that hanging ring?' You can see that it really is linked to the other two.' The spectator takes hold of the hanging ring and you pull up lightly on the others to show that they are really linked.

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Prepare to perform the Unlinking Move. 'Hold on tight. One, two, three!' Unlink the cards. 'You see they are not linked at all. And no tears to be seen.'

Hand the three frames to three separate spectators so that they may examine them. Make sure that no one gets hold of the two Jokers together or they may fold them and discover the method. If you have only one spectator then give him two of the cards and hold one of the Jokers back. 'As you can see the only holes are in the centre of the cards and the one in my head.'

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'Now for the big finish, hold these two like this.' Have a spectator hold the two cards (One Joker and the odd card) as in 15. 'I will have to draw a veil over what happens next...anybody got a veil? No? Oh well this hanky will have to do.' Drape a handkerchief over the spectator's hand and the two cards. 'I will take this remaining card and place it under the veil as well.' Once the card is hidden from view you tear it and link it through the other two as described in The Boromian Sequence. 'And now you can let go of the cards and remove the blindfold. What has happened? No. They are not linked, believe it or not the cards are not linked and yet they will not come apart. Look.' The Boromian Link is displayed with the three cards in an upright position and the spectator is allowed to look them over. 'The only way to get the cards apart is to tear them like this.' Pretend to tear the corner of the already torn card but don't unlink any of them. Hand the arrangement over to the spectator saying, 'You won't be able to get them apart without tearing them and yet if you look closely you'll find that none of them are actually linked.' Leave the cards with the spectators so that they can ponder the paradox. I have also made up a set of Boromian linked cards by splitting, cutting and gluing one card through two others. This follows the precedent started by Roger Crabtree's Crabtree Connection in which a set of cards really is linked together. This set of Boromian linked cards can be given out at the beginning of the routine for the spectators to examine. You then offer to show them how the cards got into this position and proceed to take out three other cards and perform the routine as described. A Link with Four Cards When you can perform the link well you might like to try the following version. It uses the same method but links four cards together. When you have placed a card-frame over the first Joker in the set up you take out the fourth card and place it onto the other Joker. See step two of the Linking Move. Now Execute the Linking Move as described and you will end up with one card linked onto the lower edges of the Jokers and one card linked onto the upper edges of the Jokers. Notes I have experimented further with the Boromian Link and discovered one or two points which may be of interest. For instance, when the odd card is linked onto the Jokers you don't have to hold the cards with both hands. Because the cards are folded along a score-line you'll find that you can release the grip of the left hand and just hold the cards with the right hand, if you place your right forefinger against the upper edge of the cards this will guarantee that the formation will not accidentally split at the now exposed left corner (16).

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Another bit of business can be used after the spectator has been left with the odd card in his hand at Stage 3 of the Unlinking. As he examines the card you secretly fold the Jokers in your hands. Ask the spectator to raise the thumb of his left hand. You hook the Jokers over his thumb and then ask him to grasp the top of his left thumb with his right hand. It seems impossible to remove the Jokers from the spectator's thumb without tearing the cards or injuring him. Of course you merely repeat the unlinking sequence to bring about a penetration of the cards through his thumb. A similar unlinking can be done with the Jokers and a length of ribbon. I have also found that the following gag goes down well with magicians. After the unlinking you secretly fold the Jokers and then move the hands together, sliding one frame across the other (17). Anyone watching will see that the cards appear to visibly shrink to patience card size (18). Look up and say, 'It even works with small cards...' and then slide the Jokers back to position so that they appear to expand again, as you say, '...But I prefer this size.' Secretly unfold the Jokers to finish clean.

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Buckled Bunkum The Effect A strange topological puzzle is demonstrated which uses a continuous cloth belt on which is threaded a large buckle made from flexible plastic. The buckle is red on one side and black on the other. At the moment the red side faces the spectators. The magician poses a problem. How can you turn the buckle over without cutting the belt? It seems to be impossible yet the magician shows that by folding the buckle it can be mysteriously turned inside out until the black side is now facing the spectators and the red colour is now on the inside. Now that the spectator understands how the puzzle works the magician teaches the spectator how to fold the buckle so that it can be turned inside out. Putting that belt away the magician takes out a second belt but the buckle on this one is absolutely solid, it does not fold or flex in any way. The spectator cannot turn this buckle inside out at all. The magician can though. He puts the belt and buckle behind his back for just a moment. When the belt is brought back into view the buckle is seen to have reversed so that the opposite side is now showing. A complete and utter impossibility. The Secret This is based on another topological idea of Bob Neale's. The buckle on the first belt can actually be turned inside out by following a series of simple instructions. The solid buckle, of course, cannot be turned over in the same way. A different, quicker method is used. The presentation though prevents the spectators seeing the obvious solution and that is why the finale of the trick is so baffling. Preparation The two belts are identical. They are made out of a tough but flexible cloth. The buckles are identical in shape and size but are made out of different materials (1). The flexible buckle is made out of a very supple leather or a plastic artificial leather such as rexine. It is really two pieces of leather or plastic glued together so that the buckle shows a different colour on each side. The solid buckle can be made out of metal or wood or rigid plastic. It doesn't fold or flex in any way. Again it shows a different colour on each side. You might like to make it up in the same colours as those used for the flexible buckle. Thread each buckle on one of the cloth strips and then glue the ends of the strips to form a loop so that the buckle cannot be removed (2). Handling The folding procedure for turning the flexible buckle inside out was devised by Bob Neale. It is his Get out of Jail/Floppy Buckle technique.

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The flexible buckle should be red side out. Hand the belt to the spectator and ask them to hold it loosely between their hands (3). You'll need to have some slack in the belt to fold the buckle inside out. In the illustrations that follow, the sides of the buckle are labelled A and B while the centre spine is labelled C (4). This labelling should help make the instructions simple to follow.

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Begin by grasping the buckle at its narrow ends, the thumbs above the fingers below. Working with both hands you fold side A of the buckle up and past the centre spine C. Now fold the same side back again (5). If you were to examine the buckle from the side it would have a 'Z' shape. With your thumbs you push side A under side B (6). Continue by pushing on the corners of side A until it has been pushed right through to the other side (7 and 8).

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Now the thumbs pull up and out on the narrow ends of the buckle (9). This has the effect of pulling the buckle straight. The buckle has now reversed around the belt completely and is now black side out (10).

That's it. If you follow the moves carefully you will see that they have a simple elegance to them. Don't be tempted to twist and pull the buckle just any old how in order to reverse it. It won't look as interesting as the method described here.

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Terri's Quickie The second part of the effect is a complete swindle. You can't fold the solid buckle inside out but there is a simpler and quicker way of bringing about the effect. Begin by displaying the buckle red side out. The belt is stretched between your hands (11). Now put the belt behind your back. While there one hand holds the buckle while the other grasps the belt just above the buckle spine.

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Now pull the buckle to the opposite side of the belt (12 and 13). Finally grasp the sides of the belt and stretch it out between the hands. When you bring the belt from behind your back you can display it between your hands just as before only this time the buckle is black side out (14). It is very easy to do, very fast and very baffling. Presentation The flexible buckle begins red side out and the belt is rolled around it. The solid buckle is in your right pocket and set so that it is also red side out. Bring out the flexible buckle and show it to the spectators. Hold it between your hands as you tell them about this unusual puzzle. Say, 'Look at the state of this belt. The buckle is on the wrong way round. Now how on earth am I supposed to put it right. Do you think it is possible to reverse the buckle without cutting the belt?' The spectators may examine the buckle for a while. Don't let go of the belt while he does this. When he gives up, you demonstrate how you can fold the buckle inside out as described earlier. Then say, 'Do you think you can do it.' Guide him through the procedure so that once again the buckle is red side out. 'Well done. Do you think you could do it again on your own?' When he says yes you roll the flexible buckle up and place it away in your left pocket as you remove the solid buckle from your right pocket. 'Okay, let's see you do it again.' Hold the belt outstretched between your hands as you allow the spectator to examine the solid buckle. Obviously he can't turn this inside out in the same way. When he gives up, you quickly put the belt behind your back, execute Terri's Quickie as described, and bring the belt back again to show that the buckle has magically reversed.

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Chess Mate The Effect The performer shows a transparent clock which has two faces side by side. It looks something like a chess clock. Each face bears the numbers 1 to 10. Each face has a single pointer or hand (1).

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A sealed prediction is handed to a spectator for safe keeping. A second spectator is asked to set the hand of each clock to any number they choose. Let's assume that he sets one clock at 5 and the other at 9. Now the performer tells the spectator to move the hands a total of seventeen times. Each move takes a clock hand from one number to the adjacent number. He can either move one hand seventeen times around the clock or he can split the number seventeen into any two numbers and perhaps, for instance, move one hand four times and the other thirteen times. Any combination of numbers totalling seventeen can be used. When the seventeen moves have been made the spectator calls out the numbers to which the two hands are now pointing. He totals these two numbers and arrives at the number 11. When the prediction is opened it reads, 'The two numbers you finished on, when added together, equal eleven - which is a pair of ones.' But there is more to come. The spectator is then asked to turn the clock around. One the reverse side the numbers of the clock are replaced by images of chess pieces. On this side of the transparent clock the hands are pointing to two identical chess pieces, two kings for instance. Now the rest of the prediction is read out, 'Turn the clock around and you will see that the hands point to identical matching chess pieces. Another matching pair.' The Secret The outcome of the trick is always the same in that the predicted number is always eleven and the hands of the clocks always point to identical chess pieces. You control the outcome when you tell the spectator to move the hands of the clocks a certain number of times. In the above instance the performer asked the spectator to move the hands seventeen times. This number is calculated by the performer as the trick progresses using something I call The Gemini Factor. The Gemini Factor The Gemini Factor is the title I've given to the mathematical principle that lies behind both Chess Mate and Mind Game. The number you call out ensures that the final numbers that the hands point to will always add up to a total of 11. The formula for calculating this number is as follows. Let's assume that the spectator has set one hand at 5 and the other at 9. You add the two numbers together which gives you a total of 14. If the total is larger than 11, as it is in our example, you start by deducting 10. Therefore 14 - 10 = 4. You deduct this new number from 11 which gives you 7.

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Finally, you add the 10 to produce a final total of 17. This is the number of moves you tell the spectator to make. He must make the moves in a clockwise direction. Here is a summary of the formula: Total the numbers the spectator has set the hands to. Deduct 10 if the number is larger than 11. Deduct this new number from 11. Add 10 to arrive at a final total. The Props The clock is made from transparent perspex (1). Mine is eight inches long by five inches high for close up work. It sits in a wooden base which has a groove cut into it to take the perspex sheet snugly. The hands are made from plastic and will stay in place when moved around the clock face. The numbers are printed on circular labels which are then stuck onto the clock face. The chess piece symbols are printed on labels too. These are affixed on the rear of the transparent clock. The positioning of these symbols is very important so study the front and rear illustrations of the clock very carefully (1 and 2). Matching chess symbols are always to be found on pairs of numbers that add up to eleven, for instance 9 and 2, 5 and 6, 7 and 4 etc. My clock is for close up use but you can build the clock any size and perhaps hang it rather than fix it on a stand. The prediction is divided into two parts as follows: 'The two numbers you finished on, when added together, equal eleven - which is a pair of ones.' 'Turn the clock around and you will see that the hands point to identical matching chess pieces. Another matching pair.' Write it clearly on a sheet of paper and seal it in an envelope. Presentation Hand the prediction to someone for safe keeping and then introduce the clock. Show that it is transparent and free from guile but be careful not to turn it around and reveal the chess symbols. Move the hands around the face of the clock and demonstrate what you mean by 'a move' i.e. moving a hand from one number to an adjacent number constitutes a single move. Ask the spectator to set the hands at any two numbers he chooses. If by chance he sets them at two numbers which total eleven you don't have to use The Gemini Factor. Simply have the prediction read out and conclude the routine as per the effect. Let's assume though that he has set the hands to the numbers four and five. Mentally total them to arrive at nine. The number is not larger than eleven so you can go straight

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to the next stage of the calculation which is to deduct it from eleven. This gives a new total of two. Add ten to arrive at a final number of twelve. Tell the spectator he is now to move the hands a total of twelve times. He can move one hand twelve times, or both six times, or one nine times and the other three times. The choice is entirely his. The only thing he has to remember is to move the hands clockwise around the clock. Watch him to make sure he is following your instructions. When he has finished moving the hands you ask him to total the numbers and call it out. The total will be eleven. Have the prediction opened and the first part of it read out. Surprise, you have accurately predicted the final total. Next turn around the clock and show that there are two more faces on the other side. Point out which chess pieces the hands are pointing to. They are identical. They will always be identical. Now have the second part of the prediction read out to confirm your prophecy.

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Mind Game The Effect A sealed envelope is placed on the table. It contains a prediction. Also on the table is a board game which depicts the names of famous movie stars. The names are arranged in a circle on the board. The spectator is now handed two markers and invited to place them on any two of the movie star names. The performer now asks the spectator to move the markers a number of times clockwise around the board, in fact twelve times. But exactly how the two markers are moved is entirely up to the spectator. He may move one marker twelve times, or both of them six times or one nine times and the other three times. It's all entirely in the hands of the spectator. When this has been done the performer asks for the prediction to be opened. It reads, 'You have found the Comedy Mates.' And the prediction is absolutely correct because one of the spectator's markers now lies on Stan Laurel while the other one resides on Oliver Hardy. A perfect match. The Secret This is another application of The Gemini Factor. While the names on the board are not overtly numbered it is easy to think of them as being numbered one to ten. When the spectator places his markers on the board you note the numbers of the names he has placed the markers against. You make The Gemini Factor calculation (as described in Chess Mate) and tell the spectator to move the markers a certain number of times. The markers will always end up on a comedy duo. Preparation The board bears the names of ten movie stars taken from five well known double acts. Reading around the board you can see that Tom Cat represents number 1, Stan Laurel number 2 and so on to Oliver Hardy at number 10. It is the equivalent of the clock used in Chess Mate. You don't need to mark the numbers on the board. Just keep them in mind. The markers can be coins, counters or anything else you feel is appropriate to the routine. The prediction simply says, 'You have found the Comedy Mates.' Again, it can be varied to suit your own tastes. Presentation Hand the prediction to a spectator for safe keeping. Introduce the board and point out the famous names it has upon it. Hand the two markers to one of the spectators and ask him to place them on any two of the names at random.

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He may place them on a comedy duo, e.g. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, in which case you can immediately go to the opening of the prediction. But usually he won't. You make a mental note of the numbers associated with the names he has marked. Let's assume he has placed markers on Bud Abbot (number 3) and Jerry Mouse (number 10).

Using The Gemini Factor you total the numbers to arrive at 13. Deduct 10 to give you a remainder of 3. Deduct the 3 from 11 to give you 8. Finally add 10 to give a final number of 18. You now tell the spectator to move the markers eighteen times clockwise around the board. 36

But you stress that it is entirely up to him whether he wants to move one marker eighteen times, or both markers nine times, or one ten times and one eight times etc. I find it is best to ask him to divide the number first, say into 10 and 8, and then move the markers one at a time. When he has finished moving the markers call out the names they are resting upon. They will be the partners of a famous movie duo. All that remains is to have the prediction read out and shown to be correct.

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StarGate The Effect The performer shows two jumbo playing cards, unusual in that they are glued back to back. In addition there is a square window cut right through their centres. 'You're probably wondering what the window is for,' says the performer, 'watch.' Slowly the top card of the pair is folded through the window and seems to turn over as it pops out the other side. It's like a strange version of Card Warp. When the card is unfolded the pair of cards are still glued firmly together but now instead of being back to back, they are glued face to face. No extra flaps, tears or gimmicks. The cards really are glued together. In an instant the performer repeats the effect, again popping the card through the window until once more the cards are glued back to back just as they were when the effect began. The Secret This effect, which was released commercially by Martin Breese, was developed from Bob Neale's Trapdoor Card which was published in a booklet of the same name by Karl Fulves. The effect is purely topological. One card really does fold through the window and end up seemingly glued in a different position from where it started. It seems impossible even when you do it but it will work every time if you just follow the directions. When this effect was marketed by Martin Breese the cards were made up by Patrick Page who used a special (and still secret) glue to fix the cards together. But the invisible tape will work just as well as the gluing agent. Just make sure the cards are prepared properly and you will have no trouble. Preparation Two cards are used, each with a square window cut through the centre (i). One of the cards is scored in preparation for folding. The score lines must be made in a particular way otherwise the trick won't work. The heavy lines indicate on which side of card the scoring is made (ii). The other card - the 'rigid' card - is unprepared except for the window. You don't have to be too exact about the location of the window in the cards but there is one vital measurement. The length of the sides of the window (measurement C) must be greater than the distance from the edge of the window to the narrow end of the card (A and B). The reason will become obvious if you play about with the cards. You will see that the card will have to fold through the window and so any part of the card passing through must be smaller than the window itself. Okay? One of the cards is folded and this is prepared as follows. The folds follow pre-scored lines in the card (ii) Be sure you don't cut through the card. The thick lines represent 38

scoring made from the face of the card. The dotted lines represent score lines made from the back of the card. The score lines follow, and are extensions of, the edges of the square window. It is a simple matter to make a new card and takes only a few minutes.

I have found that the European cards are best for this effect perhaps because most of them are plastic coated. The cards popular with cardicians (Tally Ho, Bicycle, Aviator) tend to fall apart after a few performances.

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Use tape to join the cards back to back. The tape is fixed around the inside edges of the square window (iii). As well as securing the cards together the tape acts as a hinge. That's it. Now you're ready to begin. Handling 1: Take the cards in your left hand, folded card uppermost (1). The score lines on the card will only enable you to fold the card in one particular way. Test it by trying to fold the section marked A in the diagrams towards the window (2). if it doesn't fold then turn the card around end for end and use the opposite side.

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2: Fold that section inwards (3). 3: Next fold in one side section followed by the remaining section (4 and 5). 4: If you now press on the centre section of the cards (5) an amazing thing happens. Part of the upper card folds through the window and emerges under the second, rigid, card. 6 shows an exposed view of the fingers unfolding the section as it pops through the window. The spectators, however, view this from above and the first thing they see when it pops back into view is what appears to be the face of the card (7). It seems to be warping and looks very peculiar because they can see the back of the card above the window but the face of the same card below the window. Don't turn the card over at this stage. It looks very mysterious so keep it that way.

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5: Now fold the upper section until it is flush with the rigid card (8). 6: Working from underneath the rigid card you open the side sections of the folded card with your fingers (9). 7: This leaves you free to push the window with your thumbs so that your fingers below the rigid card can unfold the top section of the scored card. The cards are now face to face (10). 8: Turn the cards over bring the scored card back to the top. By repeating the moves you will be able to reverse the positions so that the cards are once again back to back. I have gone into detail about the moves but really it is very simple. Never force the card to fold. It folds easily where it is supposed to. You'll have the thing working in a matter of minutes, the various folds being logical rather than something you will have to memorise. Once learned you will never forget it. Presentation To present this take out the cards so that they are set up back to back. Hand them to a spectator saying, 'Let me show you something I don't quite understand. Will you just check these cards and confirm they are stuck back to back. They are aren't they? And that's what I don't understand.' Take the cards back and hold them ready for folding. 'There's also a window in the middle of the cards but it's not an ordinary window. You see if I fold this here, and this, and this...a curious thing happens.' This brings you to stage 4 diagram 7 of the handling. You say, 'I can't understand how the card is face down here and yet face up here. It's as if it's twisted inside out or something.' You point out the face up/face down nature of the card as it passes through the window. 'What's even more amazing is if you fold this part,' complete the folding until the two cards are face to face (10), 'the cards are no long back to back looking out but face to face looking in.' Show the cards on both sides and then hand them to the spectator, saying, 'And they are still stuck together aren't they?' Do not let the spectator have the cards too long. Take them from him before he starts to do any folding. Fortunately because the card only folds in a certain sequence he is unlikely to stumble on the method accidentally. 'Some people think they must have been mistaken the first time, that the cards were never back to back to start with. Just for them, I always do it twice.' Repeat the folding procedure until you reach stage 4 diagram 7. At this point the card is seen face up and face down. You comment on it and say, 'Now I know what you're thinking because I thought the same when I first saw it. If only I could see the other side of the card as it goes through the window because then I'd see how it's done. But it doesn't make any difference because it looks just the same on the other side.' Here you turn the apparatus over which doesn't make any difference to the routine. The audience, however, think that there is something going on under the cards and are surprised when you turn them over that it still looks very strange. 42

You continue folding, this time working the folds from below and pushing the card up through the window instead of down through it. It is just as easy to do. Finish by displaying the cards in their back to back condition and giving them a slight tug as you say, 'And that's what I can't understand. They are still stuck together.' Notes David Britland made up a Star Gate with which you couldn't do the trick. The intention was to switch the cards at the end so that the spectators could play with them but be none the wiser. All you need do is make a second set of cards but make the square window too small. It need only be fractionally smaller than the working set but that's enough to make the trick impossible to do. A dab of glue between the cards themselves, as opposed to just being around the edges of the window, also produces a spectator-proof set of cards. The problem now is how to switch them. My solution is as follows. After performing the trick you take the cards from the spectator and say, 'Well of course that was easy, but what I would really like to do is try the same trick with a person, a human being. So do we have a volunteer?' The spectators will laugh a little and no doubt put forward one of their number to be experimented on. You continue,. 'Excellent but before I do anything I would just like you to confirm that you don't mind me pushing you through the hole in this card.' If he says anything funny you can top him by saying, 'I can see I'm going to have trouble getting your head through.' Eventually you get the response you want which is that he doesn't mind at all. You now address all those present in a somewhat grandiose manner, saying, 'Ladies and gentlemen watch closely as I push a full grown man through the hole in these cards.' Holding the cards with one hand you put them close to the volunteer. Hold them there for a moment as you look through the window at him. Then with the other hand you slowly reach through the window and give him a hefty poke against his shoulder. Just in case the spectators have not realised the implication of this, you say, 'And there you are ... pushing a man through a hole ... thank you very much.' This old gag will get a reaction from the spectators. They may laugh or they may groan. The point is that they have been temporarily distracted from the main trick. You can now put the cards away in the same pocket as the duplicate. Later someone will ask if they can look at the cards and you say, 'Of course,' and bring out the duplicate.

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Twisted - The Afghan Border Race This is more a puzzle than a conjuring trick but it is a puzzle which is under the control of the performer and can be used as a piece of entertainment. The Effect Four pictures are shown and each is surrounded by a border design which resembles a winding path. Four spectators are asked to assist and each chooses one of the pictures. They are told that they are going to take part in a race. Each of the spectators now takes a pen and places it on any point of the path which makes up the border of their chosen picture. Their task is simple, to follow the path around the picture as quickly as they can until they are once again back at their chosen starting point. They mark the path they have taken with the pen. 'One, two, three, go!' And all four volunteers try to complete the simple maze-like borders as fast as they can. The trick is that the performer already knows who will win the race. The Secret The race is always under the control of the performer because although all the borders appear to be identical they are not. One can be navigated in half the time of the others. Take a look at the two illustrations (1 & 2) The winning border surrounds the Princess. Starting at any point on the path it takes only one lap around the picture to bring the spectator back to the starting point. The border around the other picture takes two laps to complete. So clearly the person who chooses the picture of the Princess will be the winner (Editor's note: clearly the Princess track differs in some way from the others but when I compare one with another I can not see where the difference lies and Terri Rogers isn't saying). The concept of the game is easily explained to the spectators, everyone at some time or another has drawn his or her way around a maze. The rules which you need to explain are simple: 'Pick a starting point anywhere along the path and draw your way around the path until you arrive back at your starting point.' 'You must not leave the chosen path.' 'You can, however, pass over and under paths. You just can't leave the one you are already on.' 'No spitting, cheating or drug taking.'

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Preparation You can copy the borders from this book, enlarge them or reduce them as necessary and paste them onto card. You need one winning border and as many losing borders as you think fit. You can choose whatever pictures take your fancy to place within the borders. There is plenty of copyright free clip art available from art supply stores and on computer disk and cdrom.

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The cards should be covered with transparent Velleda or Conte self-adhesive film. The pens used by the spectators are also made by the Velleda company and are the wipe-off pens used in presentations. You can obtain them at any office supply store. The lines that the spectators draw are easily wiped away with a dry cloth and the cards can be used again. If you want you can copy the rules onto the back of the cards (3). A brief study of these should clarify the game to any of the spectators.

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Presentation The race theme suggested here is an obvious one. It can be used as a light hearted piece of mental magic in which you predict the winner. You can indulge in a running commentary as the volunteers race around the tracks but keep an eye on the 'Princess' who should always be leading and make sure no one tries to cheat. If they do, simply disqualify them in as humorous a way as you can. The Afghan Border Race also makes a great children's effect. Force the Princess card on the birthday boy or girl. There's no reason why you can't make up pictures for everyone at the party. Notes: That is the bare bones of the idea. I leave it to you to devise a presentation which suits your performing style and show. The deceptive Twisted border design was discovered while doing the art work for another effect. Whether there have been other one-dimensional Afghan designs that actually work I have no idea.

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Word of Mind Word of Mind was marketed by Martin Breese in 1986. It was a development of an earlier effect which I had marketed privately under the same title and it was the precursor to another great book test. Both of these owe a lot to Sam Schwartz's use of interlocking anagrams in his lncredibook Test. Max Maven takes all this back further and notes that it was Stanley Collins who used the Progressive Anagram Principle in his Nonpareil Book Mystery marketed in 1920. In Word of Mind this idea is used to arrive at a very direct mental effect: They think of a word and you divine it! The Effect A spectator is handed a theatre review containing several hundred words. He freely chooses one of the words and concentrates upon it. The choice is a mental one and is not written down or noted in any physical form. Nevertheless, slowly, letter by letter, the mentalist is able to spell out the thought of word. The Secret The original marketed effect came with a specially printed theatre review which appears to be made up of several hundred words. When the spectator chooses a word he is asked to avoid those that only consist of three or less letters. Words like 'and', 'to' and 'the'. What he doesn't realise is that this restricts his choice to only one of forty-four words which are repeated throughout the review. What's more these forty-four words are made up of interlocking anagrams which allow the performer to hone in on the chosen word very quickly. Preparation In this age of computers and desk top publishing you can make up a far better theatre review sheet than the one that was supplied ten years ago with the marketed effect (1 and 2). Just key in the text as given in the Appendix to this volume and paste it into a desk top publishing package. Be very careful that you key in the words exactly as given. You must follow the layout of the text exactly, including carriage returns. If someone chooses a word that you didn't even know was there you will be in big trouble. Some computerized grammar checkers (such as Grammatik) actually allow you to make an alphabetical list of all the words in your text and thus help avoid errors when preparing special texts such as these. You also need to key in the Crib Sheet (3). This is a list of the forty-four words that the spectator can choose. You use the Crib Sheet to divine which of the words has been chosen. But first you need to understand how interlocking anagrams work.

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The Anagram Principle So how do you know which one of the forty-four words the spectator is thinking of? Easy - you ask him. The secret of the whole trick is a subtle form of interrogation. First memorise the phrase A TERC SOILD. The spelling may be out but this phrase will enable you to home in on the selected word with just a few subtle questions. Whichever word the spectator selects you ask him if it contains certain letters. Of course you don't appear to be asking him, as the mentalist you appear to be telling him. You call

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out letters one at a time and the spectator merely confirms whether or not those letters are in his chosen word. The letters you call out are in the phrase, A TERC SOILD. For example let's assume that the spectator is thinking of the word ACTORS. The dialogue between you and him would go like this: MENTALIST: 'I

think I can see the letter A in your word. Am I correct?'

SPECTATOR: 'Yes.' MENTALIST: 'And

a letter T.'

SPECTATOR: 'Yes.' MENTALIST: 'And

a letter E.'

SPECTATOR: 'No.' As you can see the mentalist has called out the letters A, T and E. These are the first three letters of the phrase A TERC SOILD. During the routine you, as the mentalist, call out the letters in the same order as the key phrase until the spectator tells you that you are wrong. In the above example the spectator told the mentalist that there was no letter E in the chosen word which was ACTORS. The Negative Answer and the Crib Sheet So what happens when the spectator tells you that you've guessed the letter incorrectly? Well the spectator has done you a big favour, he's put you on the track of the chosen word. Refer to the Crib Sheet again. You can see that the first four letters of the key phrase, ATER, head four columns of words. At the side of each column is a vertical list of letters. These again refer to the key phrase A TERC SOILD. So under column A is a vertical list of letters which comprise TERCSOIL which is the rest of the phrase minus the last letter. Don't worry about the missing letter. Just remember that it is exactly the same phrase except it starts after the letter A which is the letter that heads that column. I won't labour the point as a short study of the Crib Sheet (Appendix 1) should make it obvious that all the columns are made up in a similar manner. So let's continue with the spectator who is thinking of the word ACTORS. You told him that the letters A, C and T were in his chosen word but then he stopped you when you called out the letter E. Consult the Crib Sheet and look at column E (the letter he stopped you on). Call out the next letter R (at the top of the vertical column) and the spectator will admit that that letter is also in his thought of word. Call out the next letter in the column, C, and the spectator will be surprised because that letter is also in his word. Similarly call out the letters S and O and each time you will get an affirmative answer.

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So far so good. Now, following the system, you call out the letter I but the spectator tells you that that letter is not in his chosen word. It is this second 'no' from the spectator that enables you to pin-point the chosen word. If you consult the Crib Sheet you will see that right opposite the letter I is the word ACTORS. As soon as you get a second negative answer from the spectator you look at the Crib Sheet and you know that the word adjacent to the final letter you called will be the chosen word. Reveal the word in as dramatic a manner as possible. Note that some words on the Crib Sheet have a small s after them. It means that the spectator's thought-of word may or may not have an s after it. Therefore he may be thinking of 'PETERS' or 'PETER'. It doesn't really matter because in either case you can call it close enough to be successful. A More Advanced Example Sometimes, after you have had two 'no' responses from the spectator there will be more than one word that could be the chosen one. For instance let's assume that the spectator thinks of the word 'CREAM.' You call out letters A and T and the spectator tells you that there is no T in his word. Looking at the Crib Sheet you start to call out letters in column number two (the T column). You call out E, R and C and get a 'yes' to each. But the spectator stops you again when you call out the letter S. When you look next to letter S on the Crib sheet you find two words not one. The words are CREAM and RACE. You now have to fish for the correct word. Ask the spectator one question which will pin-point the word. In our example you could try the following dialogue: 'I think I have it. It is a four or five letter word but I'm not sure which. Is it four or five letters.' When the spectator tells you that the word contains five letters you know that the word is CREAM. Try to fish in such a way that you're not getting another negative answer from the spectator. Better to let him tell you something from which you can deduce the correct word rather than resorting to calling out another letter. In the above example you could have called out the letter M but the spectator would have responded 'no' if he'd been thinking of the word RACE instead of CREAM and two incorrect guesses in a row doesn't look good. Fishing is very much a matter of practise but because you know which pairs of words are likely to crop up (just go through the Crib Sheet) you can prepare your excuses in advance. For instance had the spectator been thinking of the word RACE he would have answered your question by telling you that the word has only four letters. You could then reveal that you didn't know whether he was thinking of RACE or RACES. If you picked up a large marker pad and wrote down RACES and then crossed out the letter S before revealing the word it would look as if you knew the word all along.

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The Cream on the Cake You are probably wondering how you are going to get access to the Crib Sheets during the performance. When I first devised this effect I used cribs written on the sides of fat marker pens. There were four marker pens each of which had one column on it. In this improved version you will be delighted to learn that the Crib Sheet is actually built into the Theatre Review that the spectator chooses his word from. The Crib is hidden on the reverse side of the Theatre Review (2), the side entitled 'Theatre and Art.' You will see that the page is divided into two vertical columns. The first column is the one that concerns us. This first column is divided into four articles. The initial letter of each article is also the letter that heads each of the four columns of the Crib Sheet. ATTRACTIONS? = A TERRIFIC SHOW, EVE = T EX ACTOR, NOW TOP WRITER = E RUN ACTORS RUN = R The first letters in each line of the articles contain the same letters used in the Crib Sheets. For example, if you read the first vertical line of letters of the article which appears under the heading ATTRACTIONS? you will see the combination TERCSOIL. Exactly the same letters that appears in column one of the Crib Sheet under heading A. This is the case with all four articles that appear in the left hand column. Each can be read as one of the four columns on the Crib Sheet. Furthermore, each line also contains the word that is being thought of by the spectator. Let's take the second article entitled TERRIFIC SHOW, EVE. This contains the same information as that in column two of the Crib Sheet. The article is reproduced below. TERRIFIC SHOW, EVE! Eve Paul, plays the pop star in 'POP'. Really her appeal is to the audience that can really get players to the top. So the cream in the race to the top, can owe it all to 'researches' in that play! if it 'encroaches' on any play at all, let the 'precarious' CREAM APPEAL die.

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Directors of 'CORIOLAENUS' say so too. The article begins with the same letter as column two in the Crib. That letter is T which starts the phrase TERRIFIC SHOW, EVE! If you read the first vertical row of letters in the article you will see ERCSOILD exactly as in column two of the Crib and forming part of our key phrase, A TERC SOILD. The first line of the article is 'Eve Paul, plays the pop star in 'POP'.' Now look at the word adjacent to the letter E in column two of the Crib Sheet. There are two words PLAYs/PAUL. Now whenever you read the line in the article it will contain the same word or words as indicated on the Crib Sheet. In this case you'll find both the name 'Paul' and the word 'plays.' None of the other words in the line are long enough to be one of the key words because the spectator was asked to choose a word with four or more letters. A little fishing will tell you which of the two words he has chosen. The key word or words will always be the first words with four or more letters in any particular line. There is a slight exception to this but it's a great help rather than a hindrance. If you are dealing with the last four lines of the article you will find that there will only be one possible key word in the line. Not only that but the word will appear in quotation marks. This is the key word and the quotations marks help highlight it for you. Final Notes on the Crib Sheet If you've read everything carefully you'll now be able to read the reverse side of the Theatre Review just as if you had the Crib Sheet in front of you. That's all you need for the performance, the Theatre Review. You don't even have to memorise the key words. It's all on the Theatre Review sheet and a little effort on your part will enable you to work out which is the key word every time. Presentation This is where you begin your input. The trick is worked out and now your presentation will make it successful. You'll need two Theatre Review sheets for the performance. Hand one of the sheets to a spectator saying that it is a theatrical review sheet and contains well over a thousand words. Ask the spectator to tear the sheet in half, then into quarters and then into eighths. Tell him to mix them up and take one piece from the middle of the resulting pile. The other pieces he can screw up into a ball and toss back onto the stage upon which you are working. Don't pick up the pieces and don't look directly at the spectator as people may think that you're trying to catch a glimpse of the piece of paper he is holding. Say, 'I want you to choose any word on the piece of paper. Don't choose one, two or three letter words because that would make the experiment too easy and no one here will be very impressed.' This restricts the spectator to choosing one of the forty-four key words.

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The spectator thinks of a word and then you commence to call out the first four letters of your key phrase, A TERC SOILD. Three out of four times the spectator will stop you and say that you've guessed a letter incorrectly. On the fourth time it means you can keep calling out letters as you've reached column four of the Crib Sheet. Column four gives you a bonus. You can call out all the letters in the key phrase until the spectator points out your mistake. At this point you look down at the Theatre Review sheet in your hand (surreptitiously, of course) and simply read off the key words that lie along the same line as the letter upon which the spectator answered 'no'. This is very straight forward and means that you've only made one wrong guess before being able to divine the mentally selected word. On the other three occasions the spectator will answer 'no' and then you continue to call out the letters of the key phrase as you consult the crib hidden on the reverse side of the Theatre Review sheet. You now know which of the articles on the left side of the sheet is going to be used as your final Crib. When the spectator answers 'no' the second time you look along the line that starts with the last letter called and locate the key word. As previously explained there will be times when you will have to fish a little to discover which one of two possible words the spectator is thinking of. As soon as you know the chosen word you can reveal it in any way you choose. Notes The marketed version of Word of Mind used the American spelling of the word 'Theater' This was because America was the major market for the effect. British magicians wishing to use the routine should obviously used the English spelling of 'Theatre' when making up the review sheet. The Crib Sheet

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Text for Theatre Review Sheet Here is the complete text for the Word of Mind effect. Each paragraph is clearly labelled so that it can be pasted into the correct position on the Theater Review sheet. Remember that side two of the sheet hides the crib and so the paragraphs have to be laid out exactly as given. THEATER & ART Side 1: Para 1 SOCRATES At the Art Theater is 'SOCRATES'. 'Socrates' is a terrific play, congratulations to the directors, the writer and the actors. The star actor PETER PASTOR'S appeal as SOCRATES is really the cream of the, play. To create SOCRATES is as precarious as the actors art can get. To team Pastor as the Side 1: Para 2 CORIOLAENUS Let me say that the audience enjoys Coriolaenus, it has a great cast, and is FUN! FUN! FUN! all the way. If one is to criticise CORIOLAENUS it is to criticise the directors, and as it is the directors that are to restock the theater sets, we can see it encroaches on the actors craft and the theaters creations. Side 1: Para 3 The writer of CORIOLAENUS is Paul Craft. He did a great job, the writers art is to create a character that the actor can get into. If the character is too abstract, can the actor criticise the writer? Or can the actor get the directors to appeal to the writer that creates the character, to take the abstract character and to craft it to the actors creations. The writers of 'CORIOLAENUS', Paul Craft did that, and did it show? YES YES YES. A really great

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show, and the fun that the audience got out of it, WOW! GO AND SEE IT! Side 1: Para 4 THE PASTOR The new players pastor at our theaters is to try to restock the Pet Theatre. The pastor and the star actor at the Pet Theatre, is to get the actors, the directors, and the team that are in the Theater's terrific plays, to act as a team. And the theater's directors are to take the theater's team of actors and the star character actor Paul Star, to the Pet Theater, and get the writers, and to team Paul and the directors, as great attractions. It can be great fun. Side 1: Para 5 THE RAT RACE The directors at the PLAYERS THEATER say that to get writers to create plays that are to be top attractions in the Theater is a rat race. All I can say is who is the rat? The plays I see at the PLAYERS THEATER appeal to a really discretional audience, but not to all, to the theater's cost. Side 1: Para 6 ART PETERS IS ON TOP Art Peters is to get actors that are the cream of the art in the theater, to see the play at the CRAFT THEATER, to see if it is the top of the attractions at the theater. Peters is to let the actors in to the theaters plays, and to get the actors researches on the play. Peters is the directors of 'Art Creations' and is the writer of 'Precarious Art' and is a terrific writer and directors of the team. Side 2: Para 1

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ATTRACTIONS? The show to enjoy is 'SOCRATES'. In the end, Joe Cost with actor Peter Pastor really sets the best play off, and to cast writer Peter Pastor, and he's now so 'terrific!' Congratulations. I am now off to 'criticise' plays at the ESCORT. If the ESCORT is to restock the sets, LET THE DIRECTORS DO THE JOB. Side 2: Para 2 TERRIFIC SHOW EVE! Eve Paul, plays the pop star in 'POP'. Really her appeal is to the audience that can really get players to the top. So the cream in the race to the top, can owe it all to 'researches' in that play! if it 'encroaches' on any play at all, let the 'precarious' CREAM APPEAL die. Directors of 'CORIOLAENUS' say so too. Side 2: Para 3 EX ACTOR, NOW TOP WRITER! Ray Cast that actor in the T.V. ad, the character or star in 'PASTOR' is to end, so the actor and his craft is to go on to 'abstract' art, and is at the top in the 'actors' set of writers. Let his 'attractions' get really TOP DOG 'congratulations' as a great writer. Side 2: Para 4 RUN ACTORS RUN Really to take a team of actors to run, can top great theater, so say the race stars. To create a character in a race oft 'creates' a really great star. If 'SOCRATES' is to run, it is to win. Let the 'creations' of the race get the directors 'discretional' best. Side 2: Para 5 THE CRAFT THE CRAFT is to the directors, as the Directors Con and Pip Best and the cast

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are top the theater. It is the directors craft to get the best out of the actors and to enjoy it. The actors did, and it is one of the theaters great SHOW creations. The writers did a great job. Side 2: Para 6 TO CRITICISE OR NOT? To criticise or not to criticise. That is the way all the actors that can say of a bad play. Let us say the writers job is to create a character that the actor can get fun out of. Now if the character he plays is not one of the audience can act to, the actor has to criticise the audience or the writer. Or may be he can appeal to the writer that creates the character, to put the fun in to the play and craft it to the actors creations.

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The FlexiCard For those who are interested in such things this puzzling piece of topology is the result of first seeing one of Mr Rubic's incredible puzzles and then trying to emulate the same effect by simpler means. The resulting effect was performed for David Britland at one of our regular meetings and, fuelled by his enthusiasm and innumerable cups of tea I came up with the routine presented here. Flexicard is difficult to describe because it is capable of so many applications and variations and the basic apparatus can be dressed in any number of ways. This is just one of them. The Effect A large playing card is shown front and back. A small cheeky rabbit is seen at the top right hand corner. The card is hinged so that it can be closed like a book. When it is opened again the rabbit has disappeared, leaving a hole in his place. The card is folded and opened again and again and each time the rabbit appears, disappears and leaves large holes right through the card. During the routine three large holes appear right through the card and along the way we meet Mr Rabbit's wife and his entire family. The Secret The secret of the Flexicard is what I call a Universal Flap. In effect this Universal Flap provides an extra four surfaces which can be manipulated around the card during the routine and change the card from a solid piece of cardboard to one perforated by three large holes. The flap is also responsible for the appearance of Mr Rabbit's wife and family. How to Make a Flexicard You can dress the Flexicard up in all kinds of ways but perhaps it would first be a good idea just to make up a rough model so that you can see how the apparatus works. Later you can make up a more finished model for this or any other routine of your own devising. Start with blank jumbo playing cards. Take one and divide it into equal quarters by scoring lines across the width and length (1). Fold the card back and forth along the score lines, lengthways and widthways, so that the card can be bent freely. With a felt marker number the face quarters of the card from 1 to 4 (2). Turn the card over and number the quarters on the other side from 5 to 8 (3). Take the second jumbo card and cut it equally in two along the length. Discard one portion and score a line across the middle of the other portion. Bend the card back and forth along the score line so that it folds easily. Next number the face quarters of the card 9 and 10 (4). Turn the card over and number the back quarters of the card 11 and 12 (5).

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With a sharp knife, cut the first jumbo card from the right edge to the centre, cutting along the widthways line between the quarters marked 2 and 4 (6). Finally, fold the extra half card face outwards along its score line and, using invisible tape, attach its lower edges to the newly cut edges on the jumbo card. Specifically quarter 9 is attached to quarter 2 while quarter 10 is attached to quarter 4 (7). The finished card, if opened out slightly, looks a little strange but its main secret is that it is made up of 12 quarters instead of the usual 8.

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The extra quarters form a flap which can be moved up and down and across the card. Play with the model you have made up and you'll see how the flap can be moved around the card, altering the face and back surfaces as it goes.

Decorating the Card In this presentation the card is decorated with rabbits and cut through will holes (8 and 9).

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Referring back to our model you will see that quarters 1, 3 and 4 have a hole at their centres. A picture of a rabbit is drawn on quarter 2 while quarter 3 bears a picture of a female rabbit's head (8). On the rear of the card quarters 5 and 7 have pictures of baby rabbits surrounding the holes (9). The extra half-card (quarters 9 to 12) bears no pictures or holes and is made from the same card stock as the rest of the apparatus. It is attached between quarters 2 and 4 as per the original model (10). 64

Fold the flap so that from the audience's point of view the card appears to be solid and blank. All the holes are aligned at the upper right corner (audience's point of view) and your left hand covers the holes and holds the flap in place (11). You are now ready to work through the handling. Handling and Presentation From the audience's point of view you are holding a blank card in your left hand (11). Hold the card between both hands and flex it along its spine, without revealing the face of the card, as you say, 'You have all heard of a Flexible Friend' (Readers outside the UK should note that this is a British TV advertising slogan for a well known credit card).

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Now transfer the card from the left hand to the right as you turn it to face the audience (12,13,14). The holes in the card become hidden by the right fingers (15). The audience see the rabbit on the face of the card as you say, 'Well this is my flexible friend.' Point at the rabbit with the left hand, 'His name is Rexi the Reappearing Rabbit. Yes he can disappear and reappear whenever he wants to. He is a very clever rabbit BUT the only problem is he is also very destructive.' As you keep the hole covered with the right hand, the left hand closes the other half of the card, rather like closing a book (16).

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'If you leave him for a second, he starts digging holes.' Withdraw the right hand and open the card again to display the hole at the upper left corner (17). The left hand holds the card while the right hand pokes its finger through the hole. 'See what I mean? He's a hole-y terror!'

The left hand then closes card again (18). Now the left hand opens the card from the back as the right hand keeps the flap in place against the (from your point of view) upper right corner of the card (19). Bear in mind that what constitutes the 'flap' will change during the course of the routine. In essence you open out a single layer of card while keeping the rest of the card folded up against the upper right corner (performer's point of view). The 67

audience are now looking at a blank card with a hole through the upper right corner (19). You make out that the rabbit has vanished but of course they realise that you have merely opened the card the wrong way. 'Look he has disappeared. I know what you think. You think he's on the other side.' This time close the lower half of the card upwards, towards the audience, folding the card in half (20). Immediately open the card again, from the back, keeping the right thumb over the flap (21) Now the audience see two holes in the lower half of the card. 'He really has disappeared but you can see where he has been, look he has made another hole to escape.' As the right hand holds the card, the left hand pokes its finger through both holes. 'And he has brought his new wife to meet you.' The left hand points to the new rabbit which has appeared at one of the lower holed quarters (21). 'Don't worry, he's just popped out to see the burrow surveyor. I'll get him back for you.' The left hand closes the card like a book and the right hand releases its grip on the flap at the upper right corner (22). The left hand opens the card again, booklike, but this time the left hand takes the flap with it (23). The flap is now folded at the upper left corner from the performer's point of view. The audience now see Rexi Rabbit, his wife and three holes as you say, 'And he's made another hole!' The left hand keeps a grip on the card, and flap, as the right hand pokes a finger through the holes. 'So here's the happy couple united again. You probably wonder why he keeps making all these holes.' Quickly fold the right hand half (from your point of view) over onto the left hand half (24), bringing Rexi's family into view as you say, 'Well you need a lot of doors when you have a family as big as this.' Notes It is possible to add a bit of extra fun by having bits of card falling down when the second hole appears. This is done by cutting up little pieces of card and placing them in the pocket which is formed by the folded Universal Flap. The pieces will stay there until the flap is opened to display two holes. The Rexi Rabbit routine is just one application of the Universal Flap. Versions of PopEye Pips, the Chinese Compass and the Eye Test are others that you might want to play with.

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Blink The Effect Three coloured rings are shown to be separate, then they become linked whilst the spectator is holding them. On closer inspection it is seen that the rings are not really linked at all but in spite of this they cannot be parted. The spectator is left with one of the most perplexing mysteries in topological magic. The Secret Like the Boromian Link this effect makes use of the topological novelty known as the Boromian Rings. This is a set of rings which are linked without one ring actually passing through another. An additional double sided ring allows a series of manoeuvres to take place which convince the audience that all the rings are in fact separate. Preparation You need to make four rings in all. Three of them will make up the linked set of Boromian Rings while the fourth ring will be a separate ring showing a different colour on each side. My rings measure 9cm in diameter with a 5cm diameter hole at the centre. I made them from the thin self-adhesive prismatic plastic veneers that are sometimes used to decorate magic props. Any thin plastic sheeting will do. The set of Boromian Rings consists of one blue ring, one red ring and one yellow ring which appear to be inextricably linked (1). To make the set of Boromian Rings you place the red and yellow rings on a table and then cut the blue ring to open it. Thread the blue ring under the red, over the yellow and under the opposite side of the red and over the yellow again. Study the illustration carefully to make sure you have the correct arrangement. Now tape or glue the cut ends of the blue ring together so that it is once again an unbroken ring. If you examine the rings you'll see that although you cannot get them apart no two rings are actually linked through one another (1). This is the Boromian Rings phenomenon. As I said earlier I use a highly reflective prismatic plastic veneer to make the rings up. Not only does it look attractive but it makes the join absolutely invisible. You could adopt a more complicated approach to making the rings, like that used to make genuinely linked playing cards, but I'll leave those details to you. In addition you need a separate double sided ring which shows yellow on one side and red on the other. The diameter of the separate ring is fractionally larger than the other rings. This is so that when it is placed on top of another ring it will hide it completely (2). It also makes it appear that none of the rings are linked together. You also need an envelope large enough to contain the rings. On the address side it has a short history of Francesco Boromini, the genius that invented the Boromian Rings (3).

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Finally, use a large paper clip to clip the separate ring, yellow side up, on top of the yellow ring of the linked set. The clip appears to hold all the rings together but its function is really to keep the separate ring aligned with the yellow ring. You notice also that when the separate ring is lying on top of the yellow ring, all three rings appear to be separate. This is a factor we will exploit as the routine progresses. Put the clipped set of rings into the envelope and you are ready to begin.

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Handling and Presentation The effect is performed across the table with the spectator seated opposite you. Phase One Start by bringing out the envelope and telling the spectator that you would like to show him a little guessing game. Open the envelope and remove the clipped set of rings with the separate ring uppermost. Ask the spectator to note that the red ring is trapped

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between the other two rings. Lay the rings on the envelope so that the paper clip is towards the spectator (4). With the right hand turn over the envelope and the rings together, towards yourself, the right thumb clipping the rings to the envelope as this is done. Place the envelope and rings down on the table so that the address side is now uppermost. The notice about Francesco Boromini can be read by the spectator. Reach under the envelope, remove the paper clip from the rings and place it aside on the table. Tell the spectator that you are going to remove the red ring. Slide the separate ring from under the envelope. It will be red side up. Display the ring and say, 'I will place the red ring in a different position.' Now you lift the envelope slightly so that you can replace the apparently red ring under it. In fact you place the ring directly on top of its linked red twin. Ask the spectator if he can guess which colour is now in the middle, red, yellow or blue. No matter what he says you lift the envelope to show the new arrangement of rings with the yellow in the middle (5). Respond by saying, 'Beginner's luck' or 'Only two off,' depending on whether he was right or wrong. Nothing magical has happened yet but you are on your way to convincing the spectator that the rings are separate. Phase Two Once again cover the rings with the envelope. Reach under the envelope and remove the separate ring, yellow side up. The envelope acts as a screen preventing the spectator seeing you turn over the ring. Display it as you say, 'I will place the ring in a different position.' Then replace the ring under the envelope so that it is yellow side up and lying on top of its linked yellow twin. Ask the spectator, 'Which colour is in the middle now, red, yellow or blue?' When you receive a reply, lift the envelope to reveal that the blue ring is now in the centre (6). Comment on how well or badly the spectator is doing. Phase Three Lay the envelope over the rings once more but make sure that the edge of the envelope nearest you is only just covering the separate ring (7). Announce that for the last game of 'Ring in the Middle' you will get rid of the envelope but you want the spectator to guard the rings. Ask him to place his hand over the envelope but not to touch it. When he has covered the envelope you grip the envelope and separate ring together and slide both of them towards you. The linked rings are left under the spectators hand. Put the envelope and hidden ring away as you invite the spectator to name any colour and that will be the ring that is in the middle. 'Red, yellow or blue, whichever colour you name will be the one trapped in the middle of the other two.'

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When he chooses a colour ask him to move his hand away and take a look at the rings. Because of the strange arrangement of the Boromian Rings you can point out that his chosen colour is indeed in the middle of the other two. What's more, when he picks up the rings, he'll be surprised to find that they are all linked together.

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Stand Up Routine Here is a shorter version of the routine designed for those occasions when a table isn't available. The rings are set up in the envelope as already described. Hold the envelope in the left hand with the thumb and forefinger on top and the other fingers underneath. Remove the clipped set of rings from the envelope and take them between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand (8). The envelope itself can be held in place between the forefinger and second finger of the left hand. With the right hand you

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remove the paper clip and place it on the spectator's palm up, left hand which you use as an impromptu table. The right hand now takes the envelope and uses it as a pointer as you draw the spectator's attention to the three ring and particularly the fact that the red ring is between the blue and yellow rings. Now slide the envelope above the rings so that it too is gripped between the left thumb and forefinger. With the rings out of view the left thumb pushes the separate ring to the right slightly. This makes it easier for the right hand to reach under the envelope, take the separate ring (yellow side up) and drop it on top of the envelope (9).

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You might want to show that it is free of splits. Finger flingers may want to do a paddle move with the ring to ostensibly show it on both sides but it is not necessary. Apparently place the yellow ring back under the envelope but really hang it on the second finger of your left hand (10). The envelope prevents the spectators seeing exactly what happens to the ring. Now turn the loose ring over so that it is red side up by squeezing the second finger up. The ring will automatically flip red side up against the back of the left hand (11). After a pause the right hand reaches back under the envelope and removes a red ring. Actually it is the double-sided ring red side up. Drop the red ring on the envelope and again point out that there are no splits or gaps in it. The spectators have now seen both the yellow and red ring separately. Pick up the red ring and place it under the envelope. Hold it there with the right fingers so that the envelope, and rings, are now held with both hands. Say to the spectator, 'Choose a ring, red, blue or yellow. Whichever you choose will become trapped between the other two.' When a colour is named the left hand quickly pulls the linked ring set from under the envelope and places it on the spectators outstretched palm. The right hand retains the double-sided ring under the envelope. The spectator will pick up the rings to examine them and be astonished to find that they are all linked together. To clean up you take the linked set back from him and place them temporarily on top of the envelope. Now slide the envelope free so that the linked set falls on top of the double-sided ring. Do this casually and no one will notice the extra ring in your hand. Put all the rings inside the envelope. Don't forget your paper clip.

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BlockBuster The Effect Blockbuster was originally marketed by Martin Breese. The effect is simple and straight to the point. The performer shows a small block of wood threaded onto a length of ribbon (1). The ends of the ribbon are tied so that the block can't be removed. A slot is cut in the centre of the block and the spectators can see that the ribbon passes right through. The block is placed upon the table and from here on the performer does not touch it. A solid metal bangle is handed to the spectator who may examine it. The spectator is then asked to insert the bangle into the slot at the top of the block (2). The spectator then lifts the ring from the slot and is amazed to find that it is now threaded on the ribbon (3). An unbelievable penetration has taken place. Preparation The block is quite solid. It has a hole drilled through it and a slot to take the ring. My block is a 45cm cube. The slot is 4mm wide and is 15mm up from the base of the block. The hole, drilled at right angles to the slot, is 8mm in diameter and set 10mm from the top of the block. The base of the block is covered in felt. You can make it quite easily from wood if you study the illustrations and follow the measurements carefully. The ribbon, however, is not quite what it seems. One end of the ribbon is permanently fixed to the block. The ribbon is glued into the end of the hole. A few inches from that end a fake knot is tied to the ribbon (1). The knot can be slid up and down the ribbon's length. At the other end of the ribbon is a small wooden bullet (4). This is called the shuttle and it is this small fake that makes the trick possible. The shuttle measures 16mm by 4mm. You also need a small wooden rod (able to push the shuttle into the 8mm diameter hole) to set the apparatus and two metal rings, each a different colour, for use in the effect. Setting the Apparatus Take the free end of the ribbon and wind it once around the shuttle (4). Hold the shuttle in the right hand with its rounded end pointing away from the fingers, gripped tightly so that the ribbon does not unwind (5). Note that the ribbon runs beneath the shuttle and not above it. Pick up the block in the left hand and insert the shuttle into the empty hole (ie the hole to which the other end of the ribbon is not attached) at the side of the block (6). Using the rod, push the shuttle into the hole until it crosses the slot and you feel it contact the left fingers which are held against the hole on the opposite side of the block. Remove the rod and place the block on the table, slot uppermost. If you examine the block you will see that the ribbon appears to run right through it. Looking into the slot you will see the ribbon stretching right across the gap. The fake

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knot should be slid along the ribbon until it is about two inches from the point at which the ribbon is permanently anchored (7). Basic Handling For the penetration to work you must make sure that the block has been properly set. The ribbon must be wound correctly around the shuttle, the shuttle inserted rounded end first into the hole and then pushed through the hole as far as it will go without emerging from the other side.

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Set in this manner you can lift the block up and show it around, drawing the spectators' attention to the ribbon which is apparently threaded right through the block. Hold the block up to a spectator and ask him if he can see the ribbon through the slot. He will confirm that he can. Transfer the block to the other hand and in regripping it ensure that the thumb and fingers cover the holes and trap the ribbon firmly against the side of the block. This stops the shuttle being pulled loose if the ribbon is accidentally pulled.

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Raise the block and take the ribbon in the other hand, drawing it forward, and place the block on the table, trapping the nearer length of ribbon beneath it (8). The side at which the ribbon is anchored is away from you, pointing towards the spectators. The weight of the block holds the free end of the ribbon in place, something which is necessary for the penetration to work. 9 shows a cross-section of the set-up block.

Take one of the rings and, holding it vertically, insert it into the slot. The ring must be inserted centrally so that the lowest point of its circumference hits the middle of the slot's base. You'll, no doubt, do this naturally but it is essential for the proper working of the effect. 80

Let's take a look at what happens when the ring is pressed into the slot. Firstly the ribbon is pressed down under the edge of the ring and this drags the shuttle back through the hole and through the ring (10). 11 shows the position when the ring contacts the base of the slot. You can see that already the ribbon is threaded through the ring but both ends of the ribbon emerge from only one side of the block. If you now pull the ring upwards it will force the shuttle to travel back across the hole (12). Now when the ring is pulled free of the slot the ribbon is seen to be threaded completely through it. As the ring is raised higher the ribbon is pulled through the block so that most of it is now emerging through the slot (13).' That is the basic idea. The ring is pressed into the slot and the shuttle automatically threads the ribbon through it. As the ring is raised the shuttle goes into operation again, carrying the ribbon back to its original starting position. Variations As already described you may carry out the penetration by pushing the ring into the slot yourself. However, there is no reason why the spectator should not push the ring into the slot, indeed the effect is even stronger. Start by showing the threaded block and then place it on the table so that it traps the ribbon. Hand the ring to the spectator and ask him to examine it. He is then instructed to insert the ring into the slot at the top of the block. After a few seconds ask him to remove the ring, raising it high. He will be surprised to find that the ring is now threaded on the ribbon. Another approach, and this looks quite dramatic, is for you to hold the block, your left thumb trapping the ribbon against the block (14), as the spectator inserts the ring in the slot. He retains his grip on the ring and you let the block drop. The ribbon is threaded through the ring and the spectator is left holding the block, swinging pendulum like from the ribbon. This is an unexpected and dramatic presentation. The trick can also be worked in the spectator's hands. Place the block on the spectator's outstretched hand, trapping the ribbon between his hand and the block. Ask him to take the ring and press it into the slot. He keeps hold of the ring but removes the other hand from beneath the block, the block drops dramatically with the ribbon now threaded through the ring. Releasing the Ring Knowing how to untangle the ring from the ribbon is as important as knowing how to work the effect. If you try to do this without understanding why the trick works you may get yourself into an awful mess. It's important to realise that when the shuttle threads the ribbon through the ring it leaves a twist in the ribbon. To unthread the ribbon you must give the ring a half turn (you'll see which way the turn should be made by looking at the twist in the ribbon) before placing it back in the slot. When the ring is in the slot you can start pulling on the ribbon, drawing its free end back out of the hole. When the shuttle is out of the block the ring is free.

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The ribbon should always be pulled back through the hole; the reverse action of setting the apparatus. Don't attempt to free the ribbon via the slot. If you take a look at 12 you'll understand why the ribbon becomes twisted and appreciate why the ring must be released correctly. If you go about releasing the ring in a haphazard manner you can end up with something resembling the Gordian Knot.

Two rings are supplied with this apparatus, one plain and one coloured. Let's imagine that the plain ring is the one sitting in the block. Take the block in the left hand, thumb at the nearside, fingers at the outer side, and raise it from the table. Tell the spectators that the ribbon is threaded through the block and through the ring. With the right hand pull 82

the ring a short distance upwards from the slot. The ring will drag the ribbon with it and the spectators can see that the ring is genuinely threaded (16). Ask a spectator to hold the ring as you use your free hand to pull the ribbon back inside the block, grasping the ribbon at the near side of the block and drawing it out of the hole (17). Continue to do this, the spectator lowering the ring back into the slot as the ribbon becomes taught. Don't pull the ribbon too far, the shuttle must remain at the far side of the block so that the set-up remains the same as it was when you started.

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The spectator releases the ring and you table the block, the ribbon trapped beneath it, as it was at the start (15). Tip the ring forward in the slot (18). Bring out the coloured ring and have it examined by the spectator. Take the coloured ring and press it down into the slot so that it is on the nearside of the first ring. Tip the coloured ring towards you (19). Now you can offer the spectators a choice. Ask them do they want you to exchange the rings so that the coloured ring is threaded on the ribbon and the plain ring is free, or, do they want both rings on the ribbon? Whatever their choice you proceed as follows: To Exchange the Position of the Rings With the finger of one hand pressing down on the coloured ring, roll the plain ring along the slot until it emerges at the side of the block, free from the ribbon. Hand the ring to a spectator. Next lift the coloured ring from the slot, making the shuttle complete its task, and reveal that this ring is now threaded on the ribbon. To Link Both Rings on the Ribbon Lift the block in the left hand, pressing on the top of the plain ring with the left forefinger to keep it in place. The right hand takes hold of the coloured ring and pulls it from the slot, revealing it to be threaded onto the ribbon. Table the block and lift the metal ring with the left hand. This ring is also threaded onto the ribbon. Notes on the two ring effect: Instead of performing the ring exchange by first releasing one ring and then showing that the other has penetrated, you may prefer to lift both rings, together, from the slot. When the block is hanging from the ribbon you separate the rings showing that the original has been released and the second ring is now on the ribbon. General Notes: Although the method is entirely mechanical, practise and proper attention to detail will pay dividends. This involves understanding exactly why the trick works and being able to set the apparatus correctly. I carry the Blockbuster in its set-up state, the shuttle in position and the rest of the ribbon wound around the block. The block and the rings are carried in a small velvet bag and this helps keep the ribbon in position. On taking the block from the bag you have only to unwind the ribbon and place the apparatus on the table to begin to be ready to perform the effect. I have also pinned the ribbon to the block so that it is obvious that the ribbon is not meant to be removed. This is done by driving a drawing pin (tack) through the section of ribbon which is permanently fixed to the block and pinning it to that side of the block (20). It won't make any difference to the performance but it helps explain why you do not remove the ribbon from the block and perhaps hand it out for examination. I also discovered that you can start the effect by penetrating a ring onto the ribbon and then immediately perform the second effect, the ring exchange. This involves wrapping the ribbon around the shuttle twice when you originally set the apparatus up. Unfortunately the trick doesn't always work because the extra thickness of ribbon prevents the shuttle travelling smoothly through the hole. Sometimes it works 84

sometimes it doesn't. If you have the inclination to experiment, a thinner shuttle and ribbon would probably make it 100 per cent. Let me know if you manage to perfect it.

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The Anatomy of a Magic Trick So many magicians ask where I get new ideas from. The answer is that they come from everywhere and that one thought leads to another and another until eventually I have a workable trick which is often far from its original inspiration. One day I was clearing up and in amongst the castaway rubbish was a fly killer which was housed in a cardboard container which had a cut out slanting grid to allow air to circulate. I studied this for a while until an idea came to me. What I finished up with was a trick in which an arrow visibly changed direction. This Go-Come arrow made its way into one of my magic books which was purchased by the brilliant Bob Neale who then changed it into a cute little fish and put it into one of his marvellous books. Bob similarly inspired one of my own ideas with what is I think one of his most original effects, The Trapdoor Card. I took the principle of this and came up with Star Gate, one of my most successful tricks. Another magic man who has my admiration because of his amazing thinking is Lubor Fiedler, the inventor of the Gozinta Boxes. When I did a performance in Boston, Mass in the USA I had the pleasure of seeing Lubor's ingenious lecture. One of his simpler effects was made of paper and I made one up on my return to England. I changed the effect into a mini-illusion in which three rings changed into an oblong shaped frame. Then I remembered another of Lubor's effects; one in which a dice changed colour. By combining these ideas I managed to create an entirely different trick. Whatever you do though do not steal an idea and sell it as your own. You are cheating the creator who has spent months or maybe even years working on the effect. Yes, feel free to improve or alter because that is how new ideas are born. My intention in writing this book is to share my effects and get would-be magical creators thinking. Here then are the final items put forward in the spirit of creative thinking. Not a single effect but three different items which chart a line of thought.

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The Magic Oblong The Effect Three rings change into an oblong (1 & 2).

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The Secret This is a topological trick in which what looks like three rings arranged on a spindle can actually be unfolded into a large oblong frame. Preparation You can make this any size you like but I suggest you make a small model first so that you can get accustomed to the principle.

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Start with a flexible frame, made from paper or thin plastic, about 6 inches by 12 inches (3). There are ten holes positioned along the frame and I suggest you label them as shown in the diagram so that you can follow the assembly instructions. The first thing to do is roll the oblong to create a tube (4). The end views show how the holes are aligned. The hollow tube is then squashed inwards so that the end rings come together (5). However, before they meet the two rings are twisted around before being finally nested together (6). The outer ends of our original tube therefore become the centre ring of the three-ring set-up. It's easier to see what I mean if you make up a paper model and practise assembling the rings. Finally the entire apparatus is set upon an upright rod which is set into a wooden base. The rod passes easily through the holes in the rings which, naturally, need to be in alignment. The final appearance is of three rings resting upon each other (1). To affect the trick all you need do is pull the rings off the rod and unfold them to instantly transform them into the oblong frame.

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The Colour Changing Ring The Effect A single ring changes colour. The Secret Lubor Fiedler created a die which lost its spots. The spots appeared or disappeared depending on the angle you viewed the die. This colour changing ring works on the same principle. From one angle the ring is red but if you turn the ring slightly it changes its colour to blue. Preparation The ring can be made from plastic or card. Start with a strip of plastic and paint one half of its length red and the other half blue (7). One the other side of the strip use the same colours but at opposite ends (8). Finally, on both sides of the strip paint a 16th of an inch black border to decorate the edge of the rings (7 & 8). Bend the strip into a circle, join the edges together and you've made a colour changing ring (9). Hold the ring up so that the areas where the colours join are at the top and bottom of the ring (9). If you turn the ring around a vertical axis you will see how, from the spectator's point of view, it can appear to be one colour and then another. It's a very basic effect, a principle really, but it came about by exploring what we can actually see when we look at rings and that enquiry was generated by playing around with The Magic Oblong effect. It all comes together in the next item.

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The Three Colour Changing Rings The Effect A tower of three rings is shown. The top ring is black and the bottom two are white. The performer covers the rings with a tube. When the tube is removed the middle ring has changed to red. The tube is placed over the rings once more. When lifted the top and bottom rings appear to have changed places because the top ring is now white and the bottom ring is black. Finally, the tube is placed over the rings once more. When lifted the top ring is still white, the middle one is white and the bottom one is black. Preparation The apparatus consists of three Colour Changing Rings set one on top of the other along the length of a vertical rod. The middle ring of the three is at right angles to the other two (10). You also need a tube large enough to cover the rings. The rings are painted half and half as per the Colour Changing Rings. The top ring of the set up is half black and half white. The middle ring is half white and half red. The bottom ring is half white and half black (10). The rings are fixed to one another so that by turning one you turn them all around the central rod which spears them. The routine is simple to perform. Every time you cover the rings with the tube you give the rings a secret turn to bring new surfaces into view and affect new changes. A quarter turn is enough to make a change to at least one of the rings. Play with different colour combinations and moves and you can create your own effects. The apparatus would also make an intriguing illusion for inclusion in a magic den. And yes, the three rings can be transformed into a multi-coloured oblong. If you want to include the transformation finale you should refer to the construction details for The Magic Oblong. You can reverse engineer the three-ring set up in order to discover how to colour the oblong before folding it into the three rings. I'll leave that for you to discover. Notes I've not included presentation details as that was not the intention. Instead, I've tried to illustrate a train of thought showing how one idea can affect another and another until a new effect with new possibilities is born. I hope I've succeeded.

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Addendum Just before we were about to go to press with this book Max Maven very kindly offered to provide us with an Introduction. A surprise further bonus was his inspired additional ideas on Terri's 'Gemini Factor' which we include here. We would like to thank Max Maven for his enthusiasm and constant willingness to allow us to draw on his phenomenal knowledge of our art. Now here is Max Maven's expanded routine for this 'Gemini factor'. I was particularly taken with Terri's 'Gemini Factor' and its applications. 'Mind Game' immediately reminded me of a wonderful early Bob Hummer item, first marketed as 'Hummer's Great Mystery' in 1939 and later revised as 'It's Murder'. (The details can be found in Bob Hummer's Collected Secrets, published by Karl Fulves in 1980.) That effect also involves five pairs of mated names in a circular layout, but for a different effect. Thus, it could be combined with Terri's trick for an intriguing expanded routine. The two effects do not employ identical arrangements, but that problem can be easily overcome: instead of having the layout printed on a board, individual chips can be used, dealt out into the required circle, then rearranged as needed for the subsequent phase. The Hummer effect has long been a source of vexation for me, in that I felt that it would be better if it could be altered to work with twelve items. This would make it easier for the performer to keep track of the positions (as they would conform to the established clockface pattern). In addition, it would allow for a presentational tie-in with another familiar twelve-item set, the signs of the Zodiac. Happily enough, Terri's 'Gemini Factor' does lend itself to a twelve-item format. The layout is this:

The calculation follows the same format as in Terri's original, but the numbers are increased appropriately. The participant places two tokens onto the layout. Add the values of those positions together (if the total is over 13, subtract 12). Now, subtract this number from 13. Add 12 to that to arrive at the number of moves that the person is told to make, moving the tokens clockwise. The result will be a pair of mates. To take advantage of the astrological tie-in, you'll need to define six celebrity teams whose birth signs cover the full range of twelve. Thus, for example, if you were going to include Fred Astaire (Taurus) and Ginger Rogers (Cancer), none of the other names could go with those signs.

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Prepare a dozen chips, each with an astrological sign on one side and the corresponding celebrity name on the other. These are dealt out into a circle, zodiac-side-up, with the positions determined according to the layout shown above. After introductory patter concerning the 'mysterious influence of the stars,' bring out two suitable tokens, and have them placed and moved around as per the 'Gemini Factor' formula. When this has been done, enthusiastically congratulate the participant, proclaiming that the experiment has been an obvious success, as it is well known among astrologers that (for example) Taurus and Cancer link together as ideal mates. The audience will express some scepticism, presuming that you could make such a pronouncement about any random pair of signs. Insist that the outcome has proven the 'mysterious influence of the stars,' adding, 'and here are the very stars who influenced you!' Turn over the chips in the designated positions, revealing (in our example) the 'star' team of Astaire and Rogers, to conclude.

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