Ring of Light by Isobel Bird Page A

with Wicca?
    â€œWe have a magician coming in today,” explained the nurse. “He needs an assistant.”
    â€œOh, that kind of magic,” Annie said.
    Mrs. Abercrombie raised one eyebrow. “Is there another kind?” she asked.
    Annie reddened. “No,” she said. “I guess not. I just didn’t know what you meant.”
    â€œSo how about it?” said the nurse. “Do you feel like being sawed in half or pulling rabbits out of a hat, or whatever it is this guy needs?”
    â€œIf it means I don’t have to change thirty beds, sure,” Annie answered.
    â€œThen come with me,” Mrs. Abercrombie said, standing up. “I’ll introduce you to the wizard.”
    Annie followed the nurse out of the office and down the hall toward the recreation room. She had no idea what she was getting herself into, but she figured it couldn’t be any worse than changing sheets. Besides, she thought, you might learn a few tricks.
    When they entered the room, Annie saw that a black curtain had been hung up at one end of it. There were several boxes sitting in front of the curtain, and a man was taking things out of them. He was short, with fiery red hair and a little goatee. When he saw Annie and Mrs. Abercrombie he gave them a big smile and waved them over.
    â€œCome in,” he said. “I was just starting to set up.”
    â€œAnnie,” Mrs. Abercrombie said as they approached the man, “allow me to introduce the Amazing Rudolpho.”
    â€œYou can call me Rudy,” the man said, shaking Annie’s hand. “Rudolpho is just my stage name.”
    Annie suppressed a smile as she greeted the magician. He was a funny character, like something out of an old-time stage show, and she liked him instantly. Even his name made her laugh to herself.
    â€œI guess I’m your assistant for the day,” Annie said.
    Rudy grinned and clapped his hands. “And what a beautiful assistant you are!” he said happily. “Tell me, how do you feel about snakes?”
    When he saw the look on Annie’s face he waved a hand at her. “Just kidding,” he said. “But I might ask you to hold a dove or two if that’s okay.”
    â€œAs long as it isn’t a reptile I’m okay with it,” Annie answered.
    â€œI’ve got to get back to work,” Mrs. Abercrombie said. “I’ll be back at eleven when it’s showtime.”
    After the nurse left, Rudy gestured to the boxes he had been unpacking. “Why don’t you help me set up,” he said to Annie. “I can explain what we’ll be doing as we go along.”
    He turned to a box and pulled out a wand. When he handed it to Annie it suddenly burst to life, and flowers came shooting out the end. Startled, Annie jumped back.
    â€œYou have to be prepared for anything this morning,” Rudy said, laughing.
    He showed Annie how to retract the paper flowers back into the wand, and she placed it on the table that he had already set up. Then he took out some more items, showing her what each one did before putting it in its place on the table. There were rings that seemed to pass through one another, scarves that could be pulled out of a closed fist or even Rudy’s mouth, and the standard magician’s hat with a false bottom for hiding things in.
    â€œThere’s nothing too tricky here,” Rudy told Annie as she surveyed the props. “I’ll just ask you to hand me things when I need them. Otherwise you can just stand there and look mysterious.”
    â€œDo you do a lot of these shows?” Annie asked him.
    Rudy nodded. “I mostly do birthdays for five-year-olds,” he said. “But I like to visit the older folks when I get a chance. As you probably know, it’s not exactly a barrel of laughs in a place like this.”
    â€œI get that impression,” said Annie, arranging a deck of cards and some handcuffs on the