Free Abby Carnelia's One and Only Magical Power by David Pogue Page A

remember anyone doing this particular effect before. If I may be so bold: what else can you show me?”
    She looked at him. “You mean, like, another trick?”
    He nodded, smiled, and looked at her expectantly. Abby stared down at the table.
    â€œThat’s pretty much it, at this point,” she finally said. “I don’t really have anything else. I mean, that’s ready.”
    â€œThis is your only effect?” he said, his eyes drilling into her.
    She looked up. “Well, yeah. I’m kind of new at magic.”
    â€œFine—fine. Then I’ll tell you what: let’s work on your egg demonstration, shall we? I believe that we should work on the trigger. If I may speak frankly, the trigger is much too subtle. When you reach into your hair in that way, the audience can’t see what you’re doing. And the trigger gesture is not even directed toward the prop. Massaging thetemples might pass in a mentalism routine. But here, it just looks like you have a headache.”
    Abby was stunned—and a little annoyed. Her face showed it.
    â€œMiss Carnelia,” Ferd added hurriedly. “My intent is not to insult or belittle your efforts here. But I feel that you could benefit from the fruits of my experience. If you’d prefer not to hear it, then I shall make myself scarce and ask your forgiveness. Now, shall I continue, or not?”
    She took a deep breath, and then nodded.
    Ferd reached out and fingered the egg on the table.
    â€œLet’s try it again, shall we? With a different trigger, now. Show me something more visible. More direct.” He smiled and leaned back.
    Once again, Abby stared hard at the table.
    After a moment, Ferd leaned over, rolled the egg a few inches closer to Abby, steadied it, and gestured with his hand.
    â€œ
Let’s see it again,”
he said deliberately.
    Abby unsteadily reached for her earlobes again. But Ferd interrupted.
    â€œNo! Not the ears. I want you to find a
different
trigger!”
    Abby couldn’t look him in the eye. “I—I can’t.”
    Strangely enough, that seemed to be just the answer Ferd was hoping to hear. He suddenly seemed to be incrediblyfascinated. His round body seemed to swell up as his juices began flowing.
    â€œMiss Carnelia. Are you telling me that the effect won’t work if you choose a different trigger?”
    For the longest time, Abby had looked forward to sharing her secret with someone who really knew about magic. That, after all, was why she was here. This should have been a moment of triumph, joy, and happiness.
    But instead, Ferd was creeping her out. She wasn’t sure how comfortable she was spilling her guts to him.
    â€œAha—evidently not,” Ferd went on. “Then let me ask you another question. In the name of our mutual interest in this great art, would you consider revealing your method?”
    â€œMy—method?”
    â€œTell me how you do it,” Ferd said, his face intense. He was leaning forward so far, she could feel his breath. Without even being aware of it, she was pushing herself back in her chair as far as she could go.
    â€œCome on, Abby. Tell me. Tell me what the
earlobes
have to do with the
egg
. Tell me how the egg spins!”
    This guy is losing it,
she thought. Ferd persisted. “Tell me how your family treats you when you perform this effect!”
    It was as though he could see right through her.
    â€œTell me
how long you’ve had this power.”
    Abby’s jaw dropped. She gripped the sides of her chair so hard that her knuckles went white.
    â€œHow—how do you
know
that?” was all she could manage. She kept her grip on the sides of her chair.
    He nodded, leaning back at last, and beamed broadly, a big happy bullfrog.
    â€œAbby. Listen to me. I worked to build this camp. I helped to design it. Before that, I ran the magic programs at two other performing arts camps. I’ve trained hundreds of