Small Magic

The sign outside the tent said, "Miss Mystery: Small Magic illusions with audience participation: Maximum audience two."

Judy approached the tent and was about to enter, when she noticed a smaller sign on the tent flap. "Do NOT enter unless invited."

As she paused and wondered if she should go and find her boyfriend, Mike, a friendly voice can from inside.

"Come in my child!"

Considering herself invited, Judy lifted the tent flap and entered. As she dropped the flap, she noted the opaqueness of the fabric of the tent and wondered how the owner of the voice had known she was there.

Most of the interior of the tent was dim, lit only by spilled light from the illumination of the central feature of the circular tent; the table about four feet in diameter covered in a dark red cloth.

The occupant of the tent sat on the other side of the table. She gave the impression of being in her early thirties and friendly, although the lighting made it difficult to see who she was. As Judy's eyes became more accustomed to the dim light she discovered that the woman was dressed in stereotypical gypsy/fortune teller costume and the lower half of her face was masked by a crimson veil with patterns woven in golden thread. This accentuated her startling green eyes which sparkled with power and mischief in the red gloom.

Judy stood uncertainly just inside the tent's entrance.

"You have come to see and experience some magic." The woman, undoubtedly Miss Mystery, said; a statement, not a question.

"Well, yes. But I wondered if I should get my boyfriend, so he can see it too."

"Why not, experience some magic; just the two of us. If you like it and think he will like it, come back with him and I will show you something different when you return."

To Judy that sounded like a plan. Besides she felt like she had been walking around the showground forever and the chance to sit down would be welcome.

"Come sit with me!" Miss Mystery said, indicating a chair about a quarter of the way round the table from her place. Judy sat in the chair. The woman seemed to study her, despite the shadowy lighting.

"You have experienced magic before, Judy."

"Um, yes. How did you know? And how did you know my name."

"A magician can sense these things. And how I know your name; a magician does not reveal her secrets. Tell me about your previous magical experiences!"

Finding her more forthcoming than usual on the subject, she told the woman about the time she had been saw in two by her boyfriend under the supervision of one magician and hypnotised and floated round a theatre auditorium by another.

"It is good to have someone in tune with the magic." The magician leaned back into the darkness and brought into the light a machete, which she placed carefully onto the table, so that it barely made a sound that could be heard over the muted murmur of the showground outside.

Judy eyed the muted gleam of the iron blade. "What's that for?" she asked.

"If you were naïve, I might tell you that it was there to make sure you pay when I am done. But with your magical experience, you need to know it is part of the magic. I shall tell you no more."

The woman leaned back again and this time placed on the table another piece of apparatus; it was placed between her and Judy towards the centre of the table.

The lighting made it easy to see that this item was a wooden base with a pair of wooden rods at each end. Each of these six inch tall rods had a groove in facing the corresponding rod at the other end. The pairs were separated from each other by a quarter inch and from the other pair by six inches.

While Judy looked at the rods, Miss Mystery leaned back and retrieved a pair of wooden squares, which she placed on the table between herself and Judy. "Please slot these between the rods, my child."

Judy picked up the one on top and looked at it. It was a thin panel of wood, six inches square and the perfect thickness for the grooves in the rods. The other feature of this panel, and its mate, was a rectangular hole about an inch by four set just over an inch from one edge. Judy began, "Umm." But was interrupted.

"Place the wood between the framing posts in whatever orientation you like. Just please make sure that both are in the same orientation, my child."

Judy inserted the panels so that the edge nearest the slot was at the bottom.

"Put your fingers through the slot, my child, so that the top of your palm rests in the slot nearest you. If you tuck your thumb under and put your hand through until your thumb touches the wood that should be the perfect position."

Judy followed the instructions and changed her position slightly as Miss Mystery turned the equipment a bit, so the Judy could see her fingertips.

"Are you ready, my child?"

"Ready for what?" asked Judy.

Before those four syllables were completed. The magician had picked up the machete, slotted it into the gap between the panels and pushed it all the way down.

Instinctively, Judy pulled her hand away, only to find she had her palm topped with the squared off stumps of her four fingers. She was horrified, mostly by the suddenness of the magic, but noted the lack of blood. Realising that she did not need immediate first aid, she turned her attention to the table and the device that had done the work.

In the slot she could see the dull gleam of the iron blade and on the table the other side of the contraption she could see three fingertips resting on the red tablecloth.

With deliberate slowness Miss Mystery drew the panels from the device she had just used to chop off Judy's fingers. She showed both sides of each panel to Judy, allowing Judy to assure herself of lack of trickery or blood, before returning them to their former place in the darkness behind her chair. The machete remained upright between the vertical rods on the base; also bloodless. The blade and the frame soon followed the panels into the dark. The only things that remained on the tablecloth were Judy's fingers.

Judy looked uncertainly at her detached fingers and wondered how she was going get them back. The thought crossed her mind that she might have to snatch them from the table and run to find the first aid point where an ambulance could be called. She wondered how long it took for reattached fingers to gain full function; if they ever did.

She was about to voice her concern, when Miss Mystery leant forward and put a finger to her lips; this seemed to quell Judy's urge to speak.

Reaching behind herself again, the magician brought forward a soft leather glove. She peeled back the wrist, revealing a pale grey furred interior. She continued to turn the glove inside out until the openings of the fingers were clearly visible. Picking up each finger in turn she put it under her veil and kissed the severed end before inserting the digit into the appropriate finger of the glove. She then turned the main part of the glove back to normal and held it out so that Judy could insert her mutilated hand.

Judy cautiously inserted her hand. It felt odd because normally she would feel her fingers slip into the fingers of the glove. She persevered until she could feel the edges of the finger holes press between her finger stumps and her thumb was in place. The woman leant forward again and kissed Judy's wrist, before she began peeling the glove from Judy's hand, which emerged completely intact and working.

"Wow! That was some trick!" enthused Judy.

"I enjoyed it too. You're the most satisfying customer I've had all day. You've just made the whole day worth it." Miss Mystery seemed similarly pleased with the illusion.

"Umm, how much do I owe you? I don't remember seeing a price outside."

"Pay what you think it was worth, my child," the woman said dropping back into character. "Usually, I insist on at least ten, but I like you so pay what you like."

Judy looked in her purse and dropped a twenty on the table. As she left, Judy turned and said, "I'm going to find Mike, that's my boyfriend."

"Good, my child," Miss Mystery replied. "I hope he is interested, because I would like to see you again."

"When I tell him what you've just done, wild horses wouldn't keep him away," responded Judy as she let the tent flap fall into place and went to find her boyfriend.