Robyn wasn't sure exactly what had happened- it all seemed like a long, bizarre dream. She remembered the wringer- what a stupid mistake that had been- and the next thing she remembered, she was standing on stage, in front of a paper shredder, beside the Magician, with her feet in a bucket of confetti. When the crowd started applauding wildly, she smiled and raised her hand, and the curtains fell. The next thing she knew, the Magician was offering her a job, she was signing a contract, quick introductions, and then being escorted off to wait in the green room while the rest of the cast and crew did the post-show cleanup. Still not sure exactly what was expected of her, she had just finished sweeping up the floor, when Marisal danced in to change into her street clothes.

"Oh, hey there Robyn! I'm glad you officially joined the team- it was sort of awkward when Laurel used you as a prop in the last show. She owes you a cup of coffee- or a drink, if you prefer."
Robyn started to say, "Thanks-" but Marisal smiled and cut her off. "I should probably be helping out there myself, but I'm sort of playing hooky tonight, so I can show you the ropes. Hitomi knows, I'm pretty sure, so don't worry, I won't get into trouble. I mentioned it to her and saw her nod, anyway. Don't feel bad she whisked you back here and left you alone. She's our stage manager, and runs a tight ship. Hey, we'll be fine as long as we stay out of the way. Let me give you the grand tour of the place."

She gently took Robyn's arm and led her to the door in the back of the green room. Despite the mile-a-minute dialogue, Robyn found herself genuinely liking Marisal's bubbly personality. "We call this room 'the closet' but it's really our costume shop. Laurel does the costumes, mostly. Personally, I think it's because she wants to make sure the cloth isn't where the blades go when she gets cut in half. I wouldn't want to resew a costume after every show, either..." Robyn let herself be shown around, paying attention to her new workplace. Eventually, they ended up in a medium-sized room off to one side of the warehouse.

"... and we call this 'the test room.' It's where we work on some of the newest stuff the boss comes up with. So- any questions?"
Robyn blinked, amazed at the chance to get a word in edgewise. "Umm- so what exactly will I do in the show?"

Marisal smiled, "Don't worry. You'll fit in. We're going to have you stand-in as an assistant for a few of the illusions until you get the hang of things. You'll figure out what you like, and do, best. For example, Hitomi's our escape artist- she's got nerves of steel. Like I said, Laurel likes getting sawn in half, as well as doing costumes. I'm the dance choreographer for the show."

"Well, which tricks do you do?..."

Marisal beamed. "Hehe- you know, you might call me a claustrophile. When there's a box, I'm usually inside it. Oh, hey Robyn- I know how you can help me!" She turned to the cloth-covered table in the middle of the room. "The Magician's just about got this one perfected and wants me to practice a bit."

Marisal whipped the cloth away. Beneath it was a black box, sitting on a metal table so highly polished, it reflected like a mirror. Robyn blinked, as Marisal continued: "Tada! Okay- climb in! Just kidding, this one's for me. The box is 30 inches square, but the sides are made of a bunch of smaller panels stacked together. They're all sandwiched between some really stretchy rubber."

"What's it do?" Robyn pondered.

Marisal beamed. "I'll show you!" She opened the top and the front. "Let me climb in..." She put one foot on the table. "Wait, these jeans are too tight, give me a moment." Marisal slipped off her sandals, then unbuttoned and peeled off her jeans. "I need a bit more flexability once things get started here." She hopped back up on the table and crouched down in the box.

"Okay, take a look at those two wheels on the side of the table. I'm not totally sure on the mechanics of it, but they spin magnets in the table that turn gears in the corners of the box." Marisal closed the front, and it clicked, locking in place and engaging the gears. Robyn walked over and eyed the wheels. "Robyn, go ahead, close the lid and spin the wheels- you'll like this... and so will I."

Robyn looked at Marisal smiling back at her as she closed the lid. Like the front, it clicked in place, engaging the gears. She reached down, and turned one of the wheels, very slightly. There was another clicking sound. "Mari, what happened?" Marisal giggled from inside. Her voice was slightly muffled by the walls of the box. "Oh, come on, you'll need to turn it a bit more than that."

Robyn turned the wheel a full turn, and several clicks came from the box as she did so. Something about it had changed... it was a little more narrow than before. Mari laughed from inside. "Those wheels make the box compress. It's self-working- someone from the audience can do it. Go ahead, turn 'em both!" Robyn complied, turning the wheels several times. The box began to shrink noticably. Robyn guessed it was about two feet square, now.
(To be continued...)