visitation, she would ensure that the stopper on the tube in your room was removed and at the appointed time she would call your name through the tube from the kitchen. It was an essential part of the plan. The projectionist had to be sure you were awake before he began to run the film. No doubt it was Sadie who took some of your wife’s perfume for Le Page to use.’
‘The iniquitous girl!’ cried Hordern.
‘Do not be too hard on her. What she did, she did for love or affection and we all know what fools that powerful emotion can make of us.’
Hordern’s face broke into a wry grin. ‘How right you are, Mr Darke.’ He leaned forward and held his arms out to his daughter. She slipped easily into his embrace. ‘I think that my acquaintance with the angels has done me the world of good. I have learned that while I have breath in my body, I should care for the living. I will be patient about the rest.’ Father and daughter hugged each other in silent joy.
‘Time we were on our way, Edward,’ said Darke with a smile, pulling the policeman towards the door. ‘If we hurry, we can catch the first train to town and indulge ourselves in the dining car.’
Demo version limitation, this page not show up.
Demo version limitation, this page not show up.
7
THE ILLUSION OF THE DISAPPEARING MAN
It had to be tonight. He had planned it down to the last detail. There was no reason for a delay and, in fact, in order to survive it was imperative that he act now. He just hoped that his nerves held. Working the scheme out meticulously in an abstract form was one thing, but putting it into action was another. He was entering fresh territory now. He had never killed anyone before.
‘I don’t understand your fascination with this so-called magician, Merlin the Magnificent, and why you have to drag me off to the theatre to see him.’ Carla sat back in the cab and shook her head in mild disapproval.
Luther Darke, who was sitting opposite her, leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. ‘Because, my sweet, I know you will be thrilled and fascinated by the fellow. And he is not a magician. He is an illusionist. There is a great difference.’
‘And what, pray, is the difference?’
‘Well, magic is mysterious and inexplicable. There are suggestions of the supernatural about the concept of ‘magic’ – the black arts and its accoutrements. An illusionist can easily explain all he does. They’re tricks, you see. Innocent bits of business to fool the eyes. The illusionist is in essence doing something quite ordinary,quite practical and workmanlike, but because you don’t know what he’s doing and how it’s done – making a dove appear from out of thin air for instance – you are amazed. But you are only amazed because you are ignorant of the mechanics of the deception. If you did know how it was carried out, you wouldn’t think it was very special at all. So you see, it’s a far cry from magic; it’s more … scientific. When you turn the tap on and water gushes out, you don’t say, “Ooh, that’s magic,” because you know about the plumbing and pipes and so on. But some natives in darkest Africa would think of it as magic. It’s the illusionist’s job to disguise the inner workings of the illusion.’
‘You seem to know a great deal about the practice.’
Darke beamed. ‘It’s one of my interests. You know how the unusual and inexplicable fascinate me.’
Carla returned his smile. ‘Yes, I do.’
The Golder’s Green Hippodrome was full that evening, but Luther had managed to secure a box for the two of them. Within minutes of taking their seats, the orchestra struck up with a rousing overture. The first half of the variety show featured fairly mundane run-of-the-mill entertainment: jugglers, a couple of singers who duetted in the most strangulated fashion, a droll comedian in a very loud suit and a troupe of performing dogs. By the interval Carla was decidedly bored, and so Darke whisked
‘The iniquitous girl!’ cried Hordern.
‘Do not be too hard on her. What she did, she did for love or affection and we all know what fools that powerful emotion can make of us.’
Hordern’s face broke into a wry grin. ‘How right you are, Mr Darke.’ He leaned forward and held his arms out to his daughter. She slipped easily into his embrace. ‘I think that my acquaintance with the angels has done me the world of good. I have learned that while I have breath in my body, I should care for the living. I will be patient about the rest.’ Father and daughter hugged each other in silent joy.
‘Time we were on our way, Edward,’ said Darke with a smile, pulling the policeman towards the door. ‘If we hurry, we can catch the first train to town and indulge ourselves in the dining car.’
Demo version limitation, this page not show up.
Demo version limitation, this page not show up.
7
THE ILLUSION OF THE DISAPPEARING MAN
It had to be tonight. He had planned it down to the last detail. There was no reason for a delay and, in fact, in order to survive it was imperative that he act now. He just hoped that his nerves held. Working the scheme out meticulously in an abstract form was one thing, but putting it into action was another. He was entering fresh territory now. He had never killed anyone before.
‘I don’t understand your fascination with this so-called magician, Merlin the Magnificent, and why you have to drag me off to the theatre to see him.’ Carla sat back in the cab and shook her head in mild disapproval.
Luther Darke, who was sitting opposite her, leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. ‘Because, my sweet, I know you will be thrilled and fascinated by the fellow. And he is not a magician. He is an illusionist. There is a great difference.’
‘And what, pray, is the difference?’
‘Well, magic is mysterious and inexplicable. There are suggestions of the supernatural about the concept of ‘magic’ – the black arts and its accoutrements. An illusionist can easily explain all he does. They’re tricks, you see. Innocent bits of business to fool the eyes. The illusionist is in essence doing something quite ordinary,quite practical and workmanlike, but because you don’t know what he’s doing and how it’s done – making a dove appear from out of thin air for instance – you are amazed. But you are only amazed because you are ignorant of the mechanics of the deception. If you did know how it was carried out, you wouldn’t think it was very special at all. So you see, it’s a far cry from magic; it’s more … scientific. When you turn the tap on and water gushes out, you don’t say, “Ooh, that’s magic,” because you know about the plumbing and pipes and so on. But some natives in darkest Africa would think of it as magic. It’s the illusionist’s job to disguise the inner workings of the illusion.’
‘You seem to know a great deal about the practice.’
Darke beamed. ‘It’s one of my interests. You know how the unusual and inexplicable fascinate me.’
Carla returned his smile. ‘Yes, I do.’
The Golder’s Green Hippodrome was full that evening, but Luther had managed to secure a box for the two of them. Within minutes of taking their seats, the orchestra struck up with a rousing overture. The first half of the variety show featured fairly mundane run-of-the-mill entertainment: jugglers, a couple of singers who duetted in the most strangulated fashion, a droll comedian in a very loud suit and a troupe of performing dogs. By the interval Carla was decidedly bored, and so Darke whisked
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