“I need a couple of lovely ladies to help me with my next trick.” The magician was stood by a low table, with a rack of stuff behind; none of which made it clear what a couple of volunteers might be volunteering for. This did not stop a sprinkling of hands from being raised. He selected a pair of young women from the middle of the audience, mainly because they were sat next to each other, even if the brunette seemed less enthusiastic to be involved than her blonde friend; the fact that they seemed to be friends would help the dynamic of the illusion ahead.

While the girls made there way to the stage, he lifted the table and showed it to the audience. It had a couple of unusual features. First it was octagonal, so that the base that sat on the floor was an octagon of grey steel tubing with uprights rising from each corner to support the top at the middle of each edge, where a bracket attached to the top. The reason for this seemingly excessive number of supporting legs became clear when the top was turned to face the audience; the eight-sided top was split into eight sections separated by a narrow gap which went from each corner to the circular hole about 4 inches diameter in the centre. He placed the table centre-stage, so that a flat edge of the top faced the audience, then went to greet his volunteers.

“Welcome to the stage, in a moment I'll be asking your names, but before that I would like you to assure the audience this has not been set up before hand.”

The more enthusiastic of the pair said, “I've never been in touch with him and I'm pretty sure Mary hasn't either, because I invited her along, because the friend I bought the ticket for had a family emergency.”

The other girl looked a little surprised and mildly put out that she was not her friend's first choice for coming to the magic show. “Like she said, I didn't know I was coming here until yesterday, so there's no way I could know what is going to happen, until it does.”

“Ok, we know you are Mary, perhaps, you'd like to introduce your friend.”

“Well, she's Jenny. She invited me to come along at short notice and said it would be fun. She told me we should volunteer for something, but I'm not so sure that it was such a good idea.”

“Why do you think it might be a bad idea?”

“I don't know. It's just that the only magic trick I can think of that would need two volunteers is the one where the two are sawn in half and then you swap the legs; I like my legs where they are.”

“You can ease you mind; I'm not planning do that one with you and Jenny. In fact, this illusion is done with one person, but I'll be needing an extra pair of hands, and the audience like to have someone close enough to really see what is going on and as amazed as they are despite that.”

“Ok?” Mary said nervously.

“Good! That's settled. So, Mary why don't you slip off your shoes and I'll help you get on the table.”

Mary was in the process of removing her first shoe before she had time to think this through. “Why do you want me, instead of Jenny, on the table?”

“Well, the idea is that we construct the box while the audience is watching; so that they know that there is nothing tricky about the set up. I'm sure by now they would trust you to point out anything that seems suspect. What I'll need you to do is put in the connecting pins that will hold the sides onto the base.” The magician picked up a panel and a handful of long rods. He placed the rods onto the table and offered the wide end of the trapezoid panel to the front edge of the table, to demonstrate how it fitted.

Mary seemed to be less suspicious and finished removing her shoes. With some help from the magician, she was soon sitting cross-legged on the table and inserting the pin that allowed the panel to be hinged up when the time came. Jenny helped out too, by bringing the other seven panels to be fitted to the remaining edges.

With the panels in place sticking out from the table, the magician acted a little upset. “Oh dear, I got confused and got the set-up in the wrong order, but at least it's fixable. I was supposed to put something under the table before we started. You don't mind if we sort that out now, before we go too far. The trouble is that I'll need to fold up the panels, because otherwise the set up is too wide to fit the item over the whole thing.”

“So, you'd like me to get out of the way?” asked Mary.

“No, you'll be perfectly fine where you are. And it'll be a perfect way to let you know how little space there is inside the box, when it's made, for your friend to avoid stuff. So, all you need to do is curl up and, perhaps, put a hand through the bottom of the box, and the other one through the top, once the box is constructed; that'll remind us that you are inside, so we don't do anything silly like shove a sword through or something like that.” By the end of this speech, the magician had lifted the five rearmost panels which stayed in place with a light click.

“Ok, but no funny business! I don't want to suddenly become a pin cushion, because you take a fancy to me being the victim instead of Jenny; after all she was the one who really volunteered, I'm really only here to help out and give moral support.”

Mary was already curling up within the confines of the eight-sided pyramid that was being formed around here. Before the last, front, panel was lifted to click into place, Mary pushed her hand through the bottom, where it was visible to the audience.

“I promise there will be no swords, or anything pointy, while you are inside; we just need to lower a bit of equipment down the outside so that it is ready for your friend to experience the magic.” The final panel closed showing the box to be an eight-sided pyramid with the top cut off. “Now if you could show your hand at the top, we'll definitely remember you are in there and not shove pointy things through the box.”

After an few seconds of the hand appeared, followed by the comment, “I didn't plan that very well, I had to turn over to get my other hand out. You're right there's not a lot of room in here. Now can you get a move on because I'm beginning to get claustrophobic.”

“You'll be alright for a minute or so, because we need to get the equipment lined up properly and for Jenny's safety that can't be rushed? By the way, while you're in there, you might as well look for other tricks, like ways out, trapdoors, extra assistants, and I've lost a tiger, maybe you can find that in there too.”

Mary's hands tensed at the mention of the tiger, until she realised that it was a joke, about the time she heard the giggles from the audience.

“Ok, Jenny, I'll need your help to get the equipment in place. You see that ring with the handles on the corners? We are going to lift it and then bring it forward to show to the ladies and gentlemen, before we lower it over the outside of the box.”

Jenny and the magician lifted the ring, which had lain flat on the equipment stand. Both holding a handle in each hand they carried it to the area in front of the box where all the audience could tell was that the ring was about three inches thick and made of aluminium. Then the magician gave the handles he was holding a twist, which Jenny had to follow, or risk dropping her side; what was inside the ring became clear to the audience. It resembled an apple corer which also slices the apple, but much bigger. The circular core cutter was the same size as the hole in the centre of the table that was now the base of the box containing Mary. The central coring blade was held in place by eight straight blades radiating out to the supporting ring the magician and Jenny were holding.

Having got a reaction from the audience, the magician pivoted the ring flat and guided Jenny to hold it over the box. “Are you alright in there, Mary?” called the magician.

“Apart from it being a bit cramped in here, I'm getting used to it. It's not so bad, but I wouldn't want to spend too long in here.”

The magician looked at the hand that had been poked out of the box's interior and was now resting on the front panel. “Good, but you're going to have to move you hand, because it might be in the way if the equipment. I don't want you to think I'm going to use this as an excuse to pretend that you found a way out of there and start stabbing things through the box; so if you could stick your hand straight up and make a fist that would be great.”

Mary complied and the magician, aided by Jenny, lowered the giant apple slicer so the coring ring passed over Mary's hand without touching it and they rested the equipment on the top edge of the box.

“That's good! Now stay like that for the next minute or so, because the next bit has to be done quite slowly to avoid damaging anything, especially as Jenny isn't a trained assistant.”

There was a bump from within the box, followed by Mary saying, “I think I can hold it like this for a couple of minutes, I hope that is longer enough.”

“If you need to relieve a bit of muscular tension you can wave your hands a bit; that won't be a problem until we are nearly finished, but I'll let you know when I need your hands still again.”

Before Mary could respond with more than a flex of her hands, the magician nudged the ring he and Jenny were holding. The ring dropped and inch before they were both supporting it properly again.

“Ok, Jenny, we'll need to keep this as level as possible, so just follow me. Mary you may want to shut your eyes; it'll help you relax. And don't worry if you feel something; sometimes people can feel the magic imbued into the equipment.”

Mary made an 'OK' gesture with her upper hand, then the two people outside the box began to lower the device into the box. Most of the audience wished they could get a better look at the expression of horror on Jenny's face, while she helped lower the blades into the box containing her friend, knowing that while the hands that were visible showed no sign of distress, she was obligated to continue.

The magician paused the lowering when the ring was slightly below half way down the box. “You still alright in there?” he asked.

There was a moment of tension until the upper hand repeated the 'OK' sign.

“Good then we shall continue.”

It took a further twenty seconds for the ring to make it through the lower part of the box, then the magician asked Mary to make a fist with her lower hand and keep it still. As the blades were lowered out of the box, Mary's fist was briefly hidden from the audience by the ring, then the ring was lowered so that the blades rested on the octagonal base of the table. With a click, the front-facing panel was opened, allowing the audience to view Mary still curled up inside the cramped pyramid. She opened her eyes and blinked in the light, when she heard the uproar the audience were making.

“Time to get you out of there so that Jenny can get in and we can perform the illusion with your help.” He unclipped the two remaining front panels and then steadied a step ladder so that Mary could step passed the panels hinged from the table and climb down. “I've got a couple of things to do, so maybe Mary could give Jenny a few tips on how to curl up in the box properly and comfortably.”

The volunteers stepped to the side, while the magician collected more equipment.

“So, what happened? You can't tell me I got applauded like that just for waiting patiently curled up in a box for a minute.”

“Well actually... Um.” Jenny moved her weight from one foot to the other a couple of times before continuing. “You see that thing sitting on the base of the table, well, um, we pushed that down through the box while you were in it.” Mary tried to make sense of this statement. Jenny pre-empted any accusations from Mary by asking how it had felt.

“I didn't know I was meant to be feeling anything. It was a bit cramped, but I felt warm and secure and safe. I certainly didn't feel any blades passing through; if I had known I feel sure that I'll have screamed.”

The conversation was halted there by the magician asking, “Are you ready for your starring part in this illusion, Jenny?”

“But, …” Jenny hunted round her brain for an excuse. “Haven't you done that illusion already on Mary?”

“This time there'll be an extra twist, but I promise that it won't hurt.”

Having run out of excuses Jenny approached the ladder. “So? What is this twist?”

“That would be telling, because to work properly the twist has to surprise the audience and if I told you they'd know too. Besides they will find it more amazing if they know that you don't know either.”

Jenny was about to take her first defeated step up the ladder when she noticed an addition to the apparatus. “What's that? It wasn't there before.”

“That is a tube. While you were talking to Mary, I fed it through hole in the middle of the table and adjusted the ring so the tip of the tube is inside the central circle.”

“And why is it clear in the middle, but the ends opaque?” Jenny further enquired.

“That's so that certain things can be seen at certain points in the process of doing the illusion.”

Running out of delaying tactics Jenny climbed halfway up the ladder. She turned to Mary and asked, “You make sure he doesn't do anything nasty to me; like shoving a load of swords through the box while I'm in there.”

“There will be no swords or other pointy things involved,” the magician assured her.

“I'll make sure you're as safe as I was while I was in the box,” promised Mary.

Jenny smiled at this for a few moments then noticed the double meaning in the statement. Rather than ask for clarification, she finished the climb up the ladder and stepped across to the table. She took her time arranging herself within the confines of the table, while the magician passed the ladder to a stagehand.

“Now that you are in position, I need you to put one hand down through the hole in the table and the other through the gap in the top of the box.”

Further adjustment to Jenny's position occurred. “I don't think I can reach far enough down to tube for my hand to be visible in the clear section; well not and have my other hand through the top.”

“Don't worry about that; we'll take care of that. Just as long as your hand is in the top of the tube that'll be fine.”

Jenny altered her position until her hands were the only parts of outside the box's volume then the magician closed to three front panels that had been lowered to release Mary.

“I told you that I would need your help, Mary. Please go over to that side and help me lift the cutter into its starting position, then I'll manoeuvre the lifting equipment; which we'll need because lifting the blades against gravity is a different thing to lowering them with the help of gravity.”

“Hey! There's a real person in here, you know.”

“Yes, but you have an idea what is about to happen and I didn't trick you into being in there. Ok, Mary on the count of three lift to just under the table, then hold it there.”

Mary lifted on the count of three and held her side of the blade ring, while the magician collected the equipment behind the stand that had held the previous equipment. The horseshoe-shaped wheeled base with four tall cylinders sticking up from it was rolled into place around the table legs, so that the tops of the cylinders, now more easily recognised as pistons were an inch or so below the blade ring. The magician took hold of the ring to help Mary lower it onto the piston heads and the made some adjustments, 'to make sure that the radial blades line up with the slots in the table,' then he locked the wheels.

“Mary, you see that foot pedal. I want you to pump the pedal, until I say 'Stop.' That way your friend will be sliced to bits, sorry... , penetrated, as smoothly as possible, while minimising any suffering she may experience. And leave me free to point out points of interests while the blades make their slow journey through Jenny.”

Mary reached over to touch her friend's visible hand, in a gesture she hoped Jenny would find reassuring. Then she started to pump the pedal with her foot. For a short while it seemed that nothing was happening, but soon it could be seen that the ring and, by implication, the blades in its interior, were rising. It took the audience longer to notice that the tube was rising, apparently lifted by the blade ring. After a couple of inches they began to see Jenny's fingers through the transparent section. Once the opaque section of the tube has disappearing up through the hole in the base of the box, the magician had Jenny make a couple of gestures with her hands, 'to prove that they were real'.

After this pause, Mary was told to continue pumping the foot pump, causing the ring to continue to rise. As Jenny's hand began to disappear from view into the lower opaque end of the tube, there was another pause to demonstrate that Jenny's hands were still real, then the pumping continued until the ring was level with the blunted top of the pyramid. Jenny was again told to make a few gestures with her hands which were again in view as the tube had completely disappeared into the pyramid.

The magician made an adjustment at the top of the pyramid, then asked Mary to help lift the cutter away and place on the equipment stand.

“Now that the difficult bit is over, it's time to show everyone what we have achieved and get Jenny out of the box.” At first sight, when the front panel of the pyramid was lower, unpinned and removed the interior seemed to contain nothing but the tube; where was Jenny? It took most of the audience a few seconds to put the elements together and realise that Jenny hands, which had been visible throughout where still moving at the ends of the tube.

Mary helped the magician make quick work of the removal of the remaining panels of the pyramidal box leaving the cylinder with Jenny's hands moving about at the top and bottom ends standing up from the table. Despite the middle section being clear it was difficult for anyone, even Mary who was within touching distance, to tell what was happening inside, except that there three main colours; flesh-tone, the red that matched Jenny's top and the grey that matched her skirt.

The magician picked up the tube and pulled a knife from his jacket.

“You're not going to do with that knife what I think you're going to do with that knife, are you?” asked Mary.

“I'm going to do this.” He wielded the knife like a scalpel and cut the part of the tube away where that flesh-tone showed underneath. When he pulled the section away, Jenny's face was recognisable.

“What happened?” Jenny asked.

The magician handed Mary the tube containing Jenny and a note. “Mary will explain it once she gets you back to your seats. Sorry to rush, but I have a show to finish.”