Gather round, friends, it’s story time. A foolish but cross my heart true story happened last night at the World Famous Magic Castle™ right here in Hollywood, California.
Yes, I went back. When I tell you that Eugene Burger was there, you’ll understand why. For those of you who haven’t had the sinister pleasure, imagine a fiendishly skilled hybrid of Rasputin and Santa Claus. Nuff said.
The close up room seats about 20 people, so we were all clustered together. There was a pretty blonde selected to sit at Eugene’s table. Now, you have to understand, darling Eugene’s voice can growl from hellish pits that would terrify Hieronymus Bosch. (He is a sweetie, really, and universally adored.) Eugene did a card trick, which had a story about the Spanish Inquisition. Don’t ask, it’s his trick and I’d only mangle it anyhow. The thing is, all he was doing, physically, was folding two cards together then magically turning one inside out while he told a story. If anyone else did it, it could be dull. It was transfixing, because it was Eugene, and the story was so good.
Here’s why you’re reading this; when Eugene got to the part of the story about torture, when he actually folded the cards in half, the pretty girl gasped in horror. Loudly, and involuntarily. When one card magically twisted in his hands, the girl gave a little yelp of genuine fear. When Eugene, playing Torquemada, tore the cards in two, she almost screamed. So much so that her friend in the back called out, “She’s vegan, she can’t hurt anything!”
That’s magic for you. I’m a vegetarian too, but I can tear paper.
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You shouldn't be so cavalier about ripping up playing cards.
Experiments have shown that playing cards can feel pain, fear, deja vu, and a vague sense of ennui.
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