This effect, while a complete number in itself, makes possible two things heretofore considered impossible. Using a P&L metal card box you can actually change one or two cards and leave the rest unchanged. Secondly you can change cards that have been initialed.
Two decks are used in the effect. One has a red back and the other is blue. Taking the blue deck the performer removes a card which he openly shows and has a spectator initial. Picking up a metal card box, the performer places the card face up within where it is fairly seen by all.
Now from the mixed and face down red deck, the person in the audience selects a card freely and, without it being seen, the performer initials it and it is dropped face down on the other card previously selected by the performer. The lid of the box is closed and the performer hands it directly to a spectator to hold while he explains that his card was selected first from one deck and initialed by the spectator to prevent substitution. In turn the spectator freely selected a card from the other deck and this was initialed by the performer.
The spectator opens the box himself and finds the two initialed cards and they are both alike! And both decks are found ordinary and unprepared. It would be best to follow this explanation with a card box and cards at hand.
In the regular compartment with the performer’s initials on the face, lies a card face down from the red backed deck. We shall assume it to be the Five of Diamonds.
In the false compartment and lying face up is an extra Five of Diamonds, the color of the back which does not matter in this case as it is an odd card from a deck not in use.
Now, with a P&L card box, if the false lid is not closed but merely let down carefully, the box can be held on the left hand and either the false or regular compartment opened at will, looking all the same to the audience regardless of which is done.
In starting the performer runs through the blue deck and removes the Five of Diamonds therefrom. He states that this is his selection and, showing it openly, has a spectator put his initials on the face of it for safety. While this is done, the performer picks up the box and, opening it at the regular compartment but not allowing inside to be seen, takes back the card and slips it up under the blue backed Five of Diamonds already there.
The lid is allowed to close but the performer immediately reopens it as an afterthought and this time he opens the false compartment and shows the audience the Five of Diamonds face up and alone in the box.
Now the red deck is shuffled and spread face down while the spectator pushes one card out of his own free will. Picking it up, the performer says that as the spectator initialed the first, he shall initial this one. This the performer pretends to do and then without letting it be seen opens the false lid again and drops the red backed card face down on top. This time the false lid is pressed firmly shut and the box handed to a spectator to hold.
Now when the spectator opens the box, the two cards found are both Five of Diamonds and both bear initials. The decks may be examined but are now complete and unprepared. The puzzling part of all this is that the performer shows his card openly, the audience sees it face up and alone in the box, and the spectator initials it and then later checks these markings. It will fool magicians and people who know the card box for the purpose of merely changing a card.
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