Chapter 23 twenty two

Harry.Although Houdini is famous for his escape technique, in fact, many magicians before him or in his contemporaries were great experts in escape technique. Houdini stood out from the crowd for one simple reason: to accept the challenge.Whenever he performs in a town, he often invites locals to come out to challenge him, and test his ability to escape with the devices or locations they provide (maybe police handcuffs, maybe the detention center in the town). It is this rivalry, the human versus human element of the performance, that makes Houdini great and enduring.He thrives on these challengers.

So do I.Moorek thought to himself as he walked into the door of the apartment.After escaping from the Harlem River, he did a little reconnaissance before returning to his lodgings.But even now, what happened this afternoon still makes him tremble.In the past, before the fire accident, when he was doing regular shows, he would usually put a little bit of danger in his performances, some real danger.This concept was instilled in him by his master: If there is no danger, how can it attract audiences?For Moreke, the biggest mistake was boring the audience who came to see you perform.However, he did not expect that this special program would turn into a series of challenges and adventures. The police were more powerful than he expected.How had they guessed that he was going after the woman from the Riding Academy?How did they know where he would drown her?They first trapped him at the trade show, and later found the Mazda and launched a chase.The distance was so close that he had to rush the car into the river and escape in a nick of time.That's right, he will continue to accept the challenge, but at this time he can't help but feel a little suspicious.He has made some preparations for the next performance, but now he wants to prepare better.Moreover, until the moment of the final performance, he will stay at home and not go anywhere.

What's more, he still has something to do now.This has to be done for yourself, not for those audience VIPs.He drew the curtains and put a candle on the mantelpiece, next to a small wooden box with intarsia.He struck a match, lit a candle, and sat down on the rough cloth of a cheap sofa.He adjusted his breathing, inhaled slowly, and exhaled slowly. slow, slow, slow Focus on the candlelight and let the thoughts drift into meditation. Throughout the history of magic, performers throughout the ages can be roughly divided into two factions.The first faction is composed of hand magicians, comedy magicians, prop magicians and illusionists, and features skilled physical skills to entertain audiences.

The second faction is more controversial, and they study the supernatural occult.Even in today's scientific age, many magicians still insist that they really have supernatural powers, such as reading minds, moving objects with telekinesis, predicting the future, and even communicating with spirits. For thousands of years, quacks and psychics have claimed that they have the ability to summon the spirits of the dead as a way to comfort bereaved families.But before the governments of various countries began to stop this kind of fraudulent behavior with laws, many decent magicians came forward to expose and publicly revealed the inside story of some tricks that would make people mistaken for supernatural phenomena, in order to protect those kind people who are easy to be deceived.Harry.Houdini personally dedicated much of his time and fortune throughout his life to openly challenging the false mediums.But ironically, there is only one reason why he did this: he has been unable to heal the pain of his mother's death, and only longs to find a real psychic so that he can communicate with his mother's soul.

Moorek looked at the candle, at the flame.Staring intently, praying only for the spirit of his soul mate to appear and stroke the yellow candlelight to give him some hint.The reason why he uses candles as a medium of communication is because it is fire that takes away his loved one forever. Wait, did the fire flicker?Like yes, like no.He couldn't tell. In his mind, the two schools of magic were in conflict.Of course, Moorek was well aware that the programs of a good illusionist were nothing more than a combination of physics, chemistry, and psychology.However, there are inevitably some contradictions in his heart. Perhaps, magicians really hold the key to the supernatural world: after all, God is also an illusionist. The souls of our loved ones are held in the palms of our hands, and then, in a different form, are returned to a mournful and hopeful audience.

It wasn't entirely impossible, Morek told himself.he At this moment, the candle flame really flickered!Yes, he definitely saw it this time. The candlelight fluttered slightly towards the wooden box, although it only moved a centimeter away, but this was most likely a sign of the appearance of the ghost of his deceased lover.It is not these devices or techniques that summon her, but a thread of connection that exists between them.Such magic will only appear when he is fully concentrated and fully aware. Are you coming?He whispered: Are you here? He breathed very softly, lest the breath he exhaled would blow on the candle and cause it to flicker.What Morek wanted was positive proof that he was not alone.

Moorek sat for a long time, lost in a state of meditation.Finally, the candle burned out, and gray smoke swirled up to the ceiling before disappearing. He glanced at his watch. It's time to prepare for the next performance.He packs the costumes and props he should bring, arranges or wears them, and then carefully puts on his makeup. The reflection in the mirror told him that he was now that character, ready to take the stage. He walked to the door of the apartment and looked out the glass window.The streets were deserted. Then, he opened the door and walked into this spring night to start this last performance.This time the program will be right, it will definitely be more challenging than the previous performance.

□□□ Fire and Phantom are the best soul mates. □□□ Flashes, candles, and blazing flames are all favorite sets for escape experts □□□ The venerable spectator, fire, is the toy of the devil, and the devil and magic have always been inextricably linked.Fire can illuminate or dim, fire can destroy or create. Fire also has the ability to transform. That's the focus of our next show, which I'm calling Burnt Man. □□□ This community elementary school is located near Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village. The school building is an old and elegant limestone building, and its appearance is as humble and rustic as its name.But few people know that some extremely wealthy or well-connected families in New York City send their children here to learn to read, write and count.

The reason for the school's reputation is not only that it is a very high-quality educational institution (if this usage can be used to describe an elementary school), but also an important cultural and artistic venue in the city. For example, at exactly eight o'clock this Saturday night, there will be a music concert here. And Ralph.Pastor Swenson was on his way to the concert at this time. He has walked through Chinatown, Little Italy all the way, and survived to Greenwich Village without any harm along the way, and was harassed by beggars for money as many times as the average person, and now he has almost forgotten all about it up.He stops at a small Italian restaurant, eats a plate of pasta (he only knows the words noodles and ravioli on the menu in Italian), and, since his wife is not around, orders a glass of wine.The food was delicious, and he sat in the restaurant for a long time, drinking the forbidden beverages on weekdays, enjoying the street scene in front of him, watching the children playing on this lively and exotic street.

He paid the bill, felt a little guilty about using church funds to pay for the drinks, and continued north of Greenwich Village.Along this road, he came to a park called Washington Square.At first, he thought that this place was the epitome of Sodom, but as he went deeper into this messy park, Pastor Swenson found that the only real sinners were teenagers who played music in public places and made it unbearable , and those who drink openly without being wrapped in a paper bag.In his moral system, he believed that sinners must be sent to hell (like the gay male prostitute in the hotel who kept him screaming so loudly), but he also discovered that these offending people are not so evil. Unforgivable sin, unlike those who are doomed to hell and never get out.

Halfway through the park, however, he felt more and more uneasy, thinking of the man next to the hotel in overalls with tools in his hand.Reverend Swenson believed that he had seen this man again just now, not long after he left the hotel, in the reflection of a shop window.At that moment, he immediately looked back, but saw no workers, only a thin man in a dark sports jacket, staring at him from behind.As soon as the pastor turned his head, the man turned his head away and walked towards a nearby public restroom. Am I paranoid? Maybe, after all, this person seems to have nothing to do with the worker just now.But as the pastor left Plaza Park and walked north on Fifth Avenue dodging hundreds of inline skaters on the sidewalk, he felt being followed again, as if someone was watching him from behind.This time, he caught a blond man wearing heavy glasses, a brown sports coat and a T-shirt.Reverend Swenson noticed that his eyes were indeed looking where he was, and that the man had crossed the street to the sidewalk on the same side of the road as he had just done. Now, however, he believed it was his own paranoia.These people looked completely different, and it was impossible for all of them to follow him.Relax, he thought, and continued down Fifth Avenue, which was packed with people out enjoying the spring evening, toward the neighborhood elementary school. Pastor Swenson arrived at the community primary school at about seven o'clock, half an hour before the school opened.He put down his briefcase and folded his arms across his chest.Then he thought, no, he should hug the briefcase.So he picked up the briefcase again.He wandered along the wrought-iron fence of a garden next to the school, looking nervously back in the direction he had come. No, no one.No worker with tools, no man in sportswear, he now Excuse me, pastor? He was startled, and immediately turned around, and saw a big man with dark skin and a beard that hadn't been shaved for two days standing in front of him. Um, is there something wrong? Are you here for the concert?The person said, compared to that community primary school. That's right.He replied, trying to suppress his uneasiness and keep his voice from trembling. What time does the concert start? Eight o'clock, but the gates will open at seven-thirty. Thank you, pastor. You're welcome. The strong man smiled and walked directly to the school.Reverend Swenson remained alert, gripping nervously by the handle of the briefcase.He checked his watch.The time is now seven fifteen. Finally, after five seemingly endless minutes passed, he finally saw what he was waiting for, the reason why he came here all the way, a black Lincoln limousine with a government license plate.The car was parked on the street in front of the community primary school.In the twilight, Pastor Swenson narrowed his eyes and carefully looked at the number on the license plate.Yes, this is the car Thank you, Lord. Two young men in black suits got down from the front seat. They looked left and right, observed the passers-by on the street (glanced at him as well), and then showed expressions of certainty. One of them leaned over and said something to the people in the back seat of the car through the slightly lowered window. The pastor knew who the young man was talking to: Sue Andrew.Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Constable.Grady.Grady and his wife came to the recital because their daughter was also in the show.In fact, this prosecutor was his mission in Sodom this week. Like Saint Paul, Reverend Svensson went into the unbelieving world to reveal the error of their way of life and to Bring them the truth.However, the method he intends to adopt is tougher and firmer than Paul's: he plans to assassinate Charles Grady with a pistol in his briefcase.At this moment, the briefcase was being held tightly by Pastor Svensson, like the ark of the covenant in the Bible.