This is Tervil, a prophetic demon. The effect is one of prophecy. Six or seven years have passed since Annemann first produced his Dead Name Duplication test, one which has since found much favor because of its directness in working. This test uses much of the original technique but the picture to the audience is far different.

I shall describe the working along with the effect as presented. I hardly think it necessary to describe pellet switching to readers of these pages for it has been detailed before. Three papers are used. They are about 2 1/2 by 3 3/4 inches in size. Fold them once the long way and. then twice the opposite way. This makes a billet just right for finger palming. Two of them are opened and dropped on the table. The third is in trouser pocket as a dummy.

You announce that you will write a prophecy of what someone is going to think. Pick up one of the papers and write a three-word prognostication. It doesn’t matter what you write. You will understand that in a moment. The prophecy is folded and tossed on the table. You say “That is what I am sure is going to happen”.

The second, unfolded paper is handed a spectator who is requested to write down, as they come to mind, any color, any number from 1 to 99, and the name of any city in the world. During this interval you finger palm the dummy. The spectator folds his written thoughts and you take the paper from him. It is handed directly to another person for initialling, this person passing it back for its owner to hold high above his head. BUT, when you took it from the writer you switched it for the dummy and that was initialled and given back to the first person to hold high for everyone to see.

As the situation stands now, your “prediction” is on the table. The spectator holds what he believes to be a record of his thoughts, and finger palmed you have the billet actually bearing that person’s writings. Pick up your “prediction”, saying “I said I was going to attempt a feat of prophecy, and try to pass beyond that veil which hides the future. All of you must realize that though but a few minutes have passed I did put down in black and white what I felt sure was going to be said.” This patter sets your audience and serves as a necessary stall. At its start you have have picked up the blank from the table, switched it and have casually opened the paper upon which are the spectator’s choices. As the patter makes the action natural you gesture with and glance at the open paper, all of which suffices to give you the information thereon. at once you refold and walk towards another person at a distance oppositely. He stands, you saying, “I want you to take charge of my prophecy. It is only right that my audience check on every detail throughout.”

May I get away for a moment ? This last person is given the billet you just have read. It actually is that written by the first man now holding a blank. But — don’t make it apparent that you have opened, looked at, and closed the paper as you talked. The patter takes care of all angles, the audience is watching and listening to you, and it is perfectly natural for you to glance at your own (?) prophecy anyway, just as long as you don’t make it decidedly apparent that you HAVE TO or MUST do it.

This half minute procedure can make or break things. And don’t worry or be self conscious. It may seem bold or brazen to you, yourself, but after becoming accustomed to its working you’ll find out that even magicians won’t know or remember that the paper has been opened.

The first person still holds a blank (he’s holding it high “for everybody to see” and it is a subtle manoeuvre which prevents his ever opening it) thinking it his own. The person last approached at a distance is standing with your prophecy clenched in his hand. It’s really the paper belonging to the first man and containing his written thoughts. And YOU know, due to “business” what those thoughts are. That’s another very important “return” from the action of opening and closing the paper during the resume. So far the procedure from the view of the audience has been direct and clean. There has been nothing done to confuse and at this point the trick is over except for the unbelievable climax.

You take the paper from the first person. The dummy has been ditched after giving the last person your (?) paper. Your hands are empty. You open this paper, look at it for a split second, and then read aloud his written thoughts. This is pretense for you are naming the items just gleaned from the other paper. You point directly at the man and ask if he believes it possible for you to have known beforehand what he was going to think. Make this definite and outstanding. Then have the other person read what you foretold. Approach him as he reads, take the paper, take a bow, pocket both, and go on with the act.