“And just what talents do you plan to present to this circus that will entice them to employ you? Acrobatics?” Angelina asked.

“Not quite-although I could if I tried.”

“I am sure that you could. Despite…”

“Despite my advanced years?” I said in a cracked and ancient voice. Then leapt into the air and clicked my heels together five times before I landed. She applauded enthusiastically.

“I think I will do something less strenuous.” I took a fivecredit coin from my pocket and let it roll from finger to finger across the back of my hand. “Magic. I have always been a keen amateur. And as a cardician—even more than that.”

“Cardician? I thought they just called it cheating at cards?”

“That is the technical term magicians use when referring to this particular skill. I will demonstrate.”

I took a sealed deck of cards from the shelf and tore off the wrapper. Fanned them out, reassembled them, shuffled them enthusiastically and fanned them out again on the table, backs up.

“Now choose a card, any card, that’s it. Look at it. Right.”

I whipped up the cards and fanned them out again. “Put it back into the deck.”

When she had done all this I gave the deck many good shuffles, then fanned them out-this time face up. “Will you kindly point to your chosen card.”

She looked at the cards closely-then carefully looked again and shook her head.

“It’s not there.”

“Are you positive?”

“Of course I am.”

“Was your chosen card the King of Spades?”

“It was! How did you know that?”

“Because I see that card in the pocket of your skirt.”

I reached in and took out the card and handed it to her.

She gasped. “That’s my card. You really do magic-and have been hiding it from me all these years. And I thought you only cheated at cards.”

I bowed and accepted her praise. “Magic had to look like magic. But it is hard work. First there is misdirection, where I see to it that you look only where I want you to. Then there is forcing-”

“You didn’t force me to do anything.”

“A technical term, meaning I did this trick in such a way that you took the card I wanted you to take. Then I watched as you put the card back into the deck. And marked the card by inserting my little finger next to it. Which you could not see because I made sure that I only showed you the back of the deck. Then I removed and palmed the card before I shuffled the deck. It was in my hand when I placed it into your pocket.”

“I never saw it.”

“You were never intended to. Then I removed the card from your pocket. Magic! End of the trick. But to be a stage magician I will have to be able to do a lot more than manipulate cards. I must now abandon my amateur status to become an even keener professional.”

“A sound idea,” she said. “You have certainly worked magic in the past, cleaning out banks.” Then she smiled and clapped her hands with happiness. “And I shall be your beautiful assistant! All women dream of a career on the stage. Think of all the lovely costumes I will wear.”

“I am thinking-and think very much of the idea. And I also think that it is time to get some more information on my new vocation.”

Unhappily, it was not easy to come by. Magicians, down through the centuries, have been a close-mouthed lot. Passing their secrets on all too reluctantly, keeping the details of their trade very close to the chest. Despite the billions of entries in the databases I searched, I could find very little real information. Just card tricks and vanishing rabbits and things like that. I had the strong feeling that Bolshoi’s Big Top would sneer at my act if that was all that I could do.

“Nothing,” I growled as I shouted at the computer to turn itself off. “Maybe it is the acrobat-way after all.”

“Do not despair,” Angelina said, pouring me a glass of alcoholic despair-destroyer. I sipped at it and smiled thanks in her direction.

“You are right. Worry not and put the old brain cells to work. If magic were that easy we would be up to our thighs in magicians. We are not. But there are magical acts on the gogglebox all of the time. I’ve watched them in awe. How do they do it? Or rather how did they ever learn to do it? Not from books and computer programs-I’ve checked that out. But they do learn. How?”

“You mean who, don’t you?”

“I do, I do!” I chortled as I sprang to my feet, finger raised in the air. “They learn from each other. Every sorcerer must have an apprentice. That is what I must be.”

I turned to the familiar suitcase form of the Nanotechtric68X. “Awake, good computer,” I commanded.

“But speak and I obey, oh master. “

Angelina raised one lovely eyebrow. “You have been teaching this thing to be your electronic slave?”

“Why not? Anything to keep the old ego happy.” I turned back to the suitcase. “Magicians, good magicians-galaxy famous magicians. Track them down and prepare a list of them.”

The printout was humming away even before I had finished speaking. There were only six entries on the page. A very exclusive fraternity indeed. I spent a good hour preparing an irresistible sales pitch, listing my varied and convincing talents, and applying for the position of apprentice sorcerer. With the added inducement that I was prepared to pay vast sums for my education. When my missives were dispatched into the electronic void I finished my drink and cocked my head as I heard a distant digestive rumble.

“Lunchtime,” I rumbled in echo. “Let us dine at some exclusive and hideously expensive restaurant while my applications are being processed. And return to find out who my mentor will be.”

Dine we did, well and expensively, and were just signaling for the bill when Sybill appeared. Yes, it had to be Sybill because Sybil, her other self, had returned with James to Usti nad Labam to work with him on their mutual computer project.

“Food or drink?” I said.

“Thank you, no. Well, maybe a small bite and a drop of wine. Thank you.” She sipped and smiled. “I just grabbed a few minutes to talk while Bolivar attends a board meeting for our newly established private bank, Credit Dew. There are some investments we have been toying with.”

“Investments? Perhaps I should consider something like that myself, with all the credits from Chaise just lying around.”

“That’s just what Bolivar said. And he wasn’t too sure that your secret secret account was all that secret. So he transferred all your money here so he could watch it closely.”

“How kind!”

“He also used it to finance the establishment of Credit Dew.”

A little too kind, I thought. But kept the thought to myself. I am sure that he knew what he was doing.

“A little more wine.” I said and tipped a bit into each of our glasses. We all drank.

“But you didn’t come here to talk about banking,” Angelina said.

“You’re right. I have been thinking about Jim’s new career while Bolivar is busy making money. Through my Special Corps contacts I did a little more investigating of the circus. I did a little checking on the acts myself and have found one that was of great interest. Gar Goyle’s Freak Show. Intergalactic monstrosities.”

“Doesn’t sound too attractive,” Angelina said. “I thought that sort of thing was illegal.”

“It is-that is why I made some even more discreet inquiries through the Special Corps. It is all very legal—and interesting …”

This caught my attention. “Interesting—in what way?”

“I’m afraid you will have to find out for yourself. This is all I could uncover now. Plus the fact that Special Corps thinks that Gar Goyle can be trusted. If I find out anything else I’ll let you know. How are your magical studies going?”

“We will know as soon as I get answers to some inquiries. I feel that I am on the cusp of an entirely new career.”