the bed.
“Stop!” I cried, shouting at the box as if it were a dog that could obey commands. The box fell to the hardwood floor with
a surprising crash. A sudden powerful odor—like something you might smell in a doctor's office—stopped me in my tracks.
I looked at Judge in shock and said, “That smells like…”
“Scotch.” She finished my sentence for me. “This box contains liquor.”
“Hooch? Booze?” I asked and saw the corners of her mouth twitch in a little smile at my outburst. I couldn't resist trying
to get her to smile more. I rambled off a few other slang names for liquor. “Giggle water? Bootleg? Moonshine? Coffin varnish?
Firewater? Hair of the dog?”
“Yes, G. Codd, yes.” I could see she was trying hard to smile. “And that means we now have an illegal substance leaking all
over my room. Grab some towels from my washbasin, please. We need to get this cleaned up.”
“Who would give you a present like this for your engagement?” I asked, handing her the towels.
“I don't know. There's no card. But whoever gave it to me doesn't know me very well.” And that was true. Judge would never
be a part of anything that even hinted of illegality.
“Do you think has something to do with John's disappearance?” I asked her.
“I'm not sure, but I hope not.” She was quiet for a bit, soaking up the liquor. I could tell she was thinking things over.
Finally, Judge said, “Grab that book from my nightstand, G. Codd. We can check if that second plane is one of ours.”
I turned to pick up the book—and spotted Mang lurking in the doorway of the bedroom.
His eyes shone brightly above his long dark beard. “I knew I detected ze smell of something with ze nose!” he said in his
strange accent.
“Yes,” Judge said. “I was just going to see if the waters have calmed. I want to send someone to the mainland to alert the
police.”
Judge headed for the door.
In my study of illusions, I have seen magicians perform many acts. But none was as terrifying as the transformation that took
place just then. In an instant, Mang's face twisted into a smirk of grim satisfaction, and he drew himself up to his full,
powerful height.
In surprise, Judge took a protective step toward me. Like a snake shedding his skin, we watched Mang ze Magnifico, Master
of the Séance, drop his disguise. The man he truly was began to emerge.
He moved with deadly confidence now, closing the bedroom door and blocking it with his body. The man crossed his arms over
his wide chest. Without a trace of an accent, he said, “No one is going anywhere.”
Mang blocked the door!
Mang was a fraud!
June 13, 1925
10:15 PM
“I knew you weren't for real!” I cried.
“You're a fraud, just as I said!”
Immediately, I realized he must have something to do with John's disappearance. Before Mang could even respond, I shouted,
“Who are you? What have you done with John?”
“Keep your voice down, boy” Mang, or Whoever he really was, hissed in a threatening tone. “I'll tell you all about John, more
than you might want to know, but only if you take me to the other boxes like this one.” He pointed one long finger at the
broken box on the floor by the bed. “I must have what's inside them.”
“You want the hooch?” I asked. At the same time, Judge said, “What other boxes? You can't keep us here!”
Mang gave her a smug Smile. “I have more authority than you might think,” he told her.
Judge laughed. “Whoever you are, you have the wrong idea. This box isn't even mine!”
But Mang ignored her. “You must lead me to the other boxes like this one”.
This was getting annoying. I said, “You're not listening to us. We don't know about any boxes. Who are you?”
“That will be revealed to you shortly.” Mang's whisper had a sharp edge. “Once I have what I came here for.”
Judge took a step toward him. “I demand to know Who you are!”
The man's eyes turned to slits.
“Stop!” I cried, shouting at the box as if it were a dog that could obey commands. The box fell to the hardwood floor with
a surprising crash. A sudden powerful odor—like something you might smell in a doctor's office—stopped me in my tracks.
I looked at Judge in shock and said, “That smells like…”
“Scotch.” She finished my sentence for me. “This box contains liquor.”
“Hooch? Booze?” I asked and saw the corners of her mouth twitch in a little smile at my outburst. I couldn't resist trying
to get her to smile more. I rambled off a few other slang names for liquor. “Giggle water? Bootleg? Moonshine? Coffin varnish?
Firewater? Hair of the dog?”
“Yes, G. Codd, yes.” I could see she was trying hard to smile. “And that means we now have an illegal substance leaking all
over my room. Grab some towels from my washbasin, please. We need to get this cleaned up.”
“Who would give you a present like this for your engagement?” I asked, handing her the towels.
“I don't know. There's no card. But whoever gave it to me doesn't know me very well.” And that was true. Judge would never
be a part of anything that even hinted of illegality.
“Do you think has something to do with John's disappearance?” I asked her.
“I'm not sure, but I hope not.” She was quiet for a bit, soaking up the liquor. I could tell she was thinking things over.
Finally, Judge said, “Grab that book from my nightstand, G. Codd. We can check if that second plane is one of ours.”
I turned to pick up the book—and spotted Mang lurking in the doorway of the bedroom.
His eyes shone brightly above his long dark beard. “I knew I detected ze smell of something with ze nose!” he said in his
strange accent.
“Yes,” Judge said. “I was just going to see if the waters have calmed. I want to send someone to the mainland to alert the
police.”
Judge headed for the door.
In my study of illusions, I have seen magicians perform many acts. But none was as terrifying as the transformation that took
place just then. In an instant, Mang's face twisted into a smirk of grim satisfaction, and he drew himself up to his full,
powerful height.
In surprise, Judge took a protective step toward me. Like a snake shedding his skin, we watched Mang ze Magnifico, Master
of the Séance, drop his disguise. The man he truly was began to emerge.
He moved with deadly confidence now, closing the bedroom door and blocking it with his body. The man crossed his arms over
his wide chest. Without a trace of an accent, he said, “No one is going anywhere.”
Mang blocked the door!
Mang was a fraud!
June 13, 1925
10:15 PM
“I knew you weren't for real!” I cried.
“You're a fraud, just as I said!”
Immediately, I realized he must have something to do with John's disappearance. Before Mang could even respond, I shouted,
“Who are you? What have you done with John?”
“Keep your voice down, boy” Mang, or Whoever he really was, hissed in a threatening tone. “I'll tell you all about John, more
than you might want to know, but only if you take me to the other boxes like this one.” He pointed one long finger at the
broken box on the floor by the bed. “I must have what's inside them.”
“You want the hooch?” I asked. At the same time, Judge said, “What other boxes? You can't keep us here!”
Mang gave her a smug Smile. “I have more authority than you might think,” he told her.
Judge laughed. “Whoever you are, you have the wrong idea. This box isn't even mine!”
But Mang ignored her. “You must lead me to the other boxes like this one”.
This was getting annoying. I said, “You're not listening to us. We don't know about any boxes. Who are you?”
“That will be revealed to you shortly.” Mang's whisper had a sharp edge. “Once I have what I came here for.”
Judge took a step toward him. “I demand to know Who you are!”
The man's eyes turned to slits.
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