Royal Road to Card Magic The

continue. 'I shall count the cards for you, and may I suggest that each of you remember one or two of them.' You must not explain why you want this done, for that would violate a most important rule: you must never tell an audience beforehand what you propose to do. Given this knowledge, it might conceivably fathom your methods.
    5. Hold the packet of ten cards face downwards in your left hand as for dealing, holding both hands well away from your body but not so high as to obscure your face. Push the top card off the packet with the left thumb and take it in the right hand, with the fingers at the face and the thumb at the back of the cards, grasping it at the middle of the right side. Count 'One!' as you do this and move the hands apart.
    Bring the hands together and push off a second card with the left thumb. Slide this in
front
of the card in the right hand, counting 'Two!' Continue in this way until you have counted the fifth card. When you push the sixth card into your right hand, and all the cards thereafter, allow the cards to project about 12 mm (½ in) to the left of the first five cards. You must not watch your hands as you make this count (figure 132). Instead, meet the gaze of several people in the audience in a friendly manner. 'Ten cards, no more and no less,' you summarise.

    6. Bring the hands down to your waist, with the right hand holding the cards in a horizontal plane. Bring both hands together casually and place the cards in the left hand, pressing the left little fingertip up against the lowermost card of the first five. This is why you stepped the ten cards into two packets of five. Square the packet with your right hand, taking and holding a break under the first five cards with the left little finger. Turn the left hand so that the break cannot be seen.
    As you do this you say, 'May I call attention to my right trouser-pocket.' Without ostentation, show that your right hand is empty in a natural movement, then thrust it into the pocket and withdraw the lining. 'Absolutely empty, a truly unfortunate circumstance which I shall be happy to give away absolutely free of charge.' Replace the lining and withdraw your right hand. Square the packet of cards in your left hand once or twice, then remove the right hand.
    7. Make an amusing remark and, as the audience reacts to it, palm the top five cards in your right hand. Grasp the remaining five cards in the same hand, at the ends near the right corners, between the index finger and thumb. Move the empty left hand away to the left, and hold the right hand absolutely motionless for the moment.
    'My trick is this, ladies and gentlemen. I shall place the ten cards in my left hand and cause them to pass up my sleeve, across the waistcoat from my left to my right shoulder, and down into the pocket which I have just shown you was empty.' Now unhurriedly place the five exposed cards in the left hand, face downwards, and move the right hand with the five palmed cards up the sleeve to the crook of the elbow, tugging at it as if to raise it a little. Any hurried action in the trick will destroy the illusion you are seeking to create, and you must not hurry the action in the mistaken belief that the sooner you get rid of the palmed cards the better off you will be. The contrary is quite the case. 'If you watch closely, you will not only see the cards make their mysterious journey, but hear them go as well.'
    8. Ruffle the cards in the left hand, at the same instant moving the hand up and down about 25 mm (1 in) to conceal the smaller movement of the finger. Tug a little at the left sleeve with the right hand. Hold this position as you say, 'Did you hear the card go?' Move the right hand smoothly and unhurriedly down to the right trouser-pocket, thrust it in and release the five cards it holds. Simultaneously grasp the outermost card between the tips of the right index and middle fingers, and draw this card slowly from the pocket, back outwards. Drop your thumb under it and lever it face outwards, calling its name. 'The first card, the five of clubs! Some of you will remember the card.' After a moment, drop it to one side.
    9. Square the packet in the left hand, then move your right hand back to the left sleeve, tugging at it. It is not unlikely that many of those watching will believe that you have removed a card from those in the left hand, for now they know what your trick is and they are alert to learn how it is done.
    'The second card follows in the path