Royal Road to Card Magic The

you turn the pack face downwards] and no doubt you are certain that every card in the pack is facing downwards. Actually every card but one was turned. One card remained face upwards, while the others rearranged their molecular structure, disintegrating for a fraction of a second, and passed through the throughth card.
    'This concept is so revolutionary that the average person cannot grasp its implications. For this reason, I offer proof.'
    Spread the pack face upwards on the table. The chosen card lies face downwards among the cards. Delicately push this card forwards with the right forefinger. Have the spectator name his card and slowly turn it over. 'One card did not turn with the others. That was your card. You see, I applied
throughth
- and that's the consequence.'
    Insidious Dr Fu Liu Tu
    In this urbane feat the celebrated Chinese magician Dr Fu Liu Tu comes to your rescue and reveals the name of a chosen card.
    Before you start, secretly purloin one of the aces from the pack that you will use for this trick, and on it draw six Chinese characters, copying some
real
Chinese writing. Do not trust to your imagination and draw some nondescript hieroglyphics that you think look like Chinese. Since the trick is such a good one and you will do it often, it would be a good plan to have an extra ace thus prepared. Carry it in your wallet and when occasion arises secretly add it to your deck. Place this card at the bottom of the pack, face upwards.
    1. Ribbon spread the cards face downwards on the table, bunching the bottom cards so that the reversed card will not be seen. Have someone draw a card and show it to all.
    2. Gather the pack and hold it in your left hand in position for an overhand shuffle, holding it so that the reversed card cannot be seen. Undercut about half the pack and begin an overhand shuffle, inviting the spectator to replace his card wherever he likes. When he places his card at the top of the portion in your left hand, drop the cards remaining in your right hand on top of all, placing the reversed card above the selected card.
    3. 'Here's a curious thing I stumbled on to the other night,' you say, spreading the cards from your left into your right hand. 'There's a card in the pack ... ah, here it is!' When you come to the reversed card, cut all those above it to the bottom. Remove the card with the Chinese characters with your right hand, holding it face upwards with its outer end sloping towards the floor so that all can see the cryptic characters.
    4. Turn the left hand back upwards and point to the writing with the index finger, at the same time glimpsing the chosen card, which is now at the top. 'That was written by the celebrated Chinese conjuror Dr Fu Liu Tu, and it reveals the name of your card.' A little anxiously, ask, 'Do you read Chinese?' The spectator assures you he does not. 'Ah, that's a shame,' you say. 'Well, I'll have to translate for you. It says here that the card you chose is the ten of diamonds!' Here you name whichever card you glimpsed.
    5. Insert your left little finger under the top card (the chosen card). Casually drop the 'Chinese magician's' card face upwards on top of it. Grasp the two cards, as one, at the ends between the right thumb and middle finger. Lift the two cards about 25 mm (1 in), then drop the left thumb under the deck and flip the deck face upwards on the left fingers. Place the two cards at the face of the pack, cut the pack and the chosen card is reversed at the centre.
    Little attention is being paid to what you do, for so far as the spectators are concerned the trick is over. Now you say, 'Do you know how Dr Fu Liu Tu knew the name of your card?' When there is a general disclaimer, spread the pack face downwards in a long ribbon, showing the chosen card face upwards at the centre of the spread. 'Very simple. The card is standing on its head.'

CHAPTER 12

The Pass

    The first exposition of the principles of card magic was published in 1769 by the French writer Guyot, and he it was who first laid down the dictum that mastery of the pass is the first requisite of the art of conjuring with cards. His actual words were, 'Before risking an attempt at these kinds of recreations, you must know how to make the pass.'
    All succeeding French writers on the subject followed his lead and insisted that the pass is the first essential. Professor Hoffmann, whose book
Modern Magic
, published in 1876, was the first scientific treatise on magic in the English