into her palm and closed her fingers around it.
"Don't open your hand." I said. I signed "'don't open" to be sure she understood, otherwise the trick would be ruined.
Then I turned to Destiny. "Are you sure you have no quarter for me?" I asked her, with Tyler signing to Echo. Destiny shook her head again and I triggered her right arm to come up slowly and then opened her hand. Echo held on to Tyler, but he was just as mesmerized as she was by Destiny's lifelike movements. They both leaned to see that there was a quarter in her hand. The next part was simple. I opened Echo's hand and there was no quarter in hers.
"Holy smokes, how did you do that?" Tyler asked, very much impressed.
"A real magician never tells," I said.
The truth was when I had straightened up Destiny in the chair. I had placed the quarter in her hand and closed it. When I had put it in Echo's hand. I had plucked it out as I closed her fingers. I had that quarter hidden in my own hand.
"Uncle Palaver would have a finny dialogue with her now, accusing her of hoarding money. She'd deny it and then he would reach under her chin and lo and behold," I said, opening my hand to reveal the other quarter. "he'd find another,'
Echo laughed and clapped her hands in delight.
Tyler nodded, looking very impressed. "You're fast," he said. "I'm not going to play cards with you. That's for sure." He looked sincerely impressed with me, which encouraged me to continue.
"This is a magic quarter," I announced, holding up one of the quarters. Tyler told Echo.
I was ready to perform the simple straight pin and quarter trick. I had already placed the straight pin in my hand, hidden between my first two fingers. I showed him his quarter again and he turned it over and studied it a moment before handing it back. "Just an ordinary quarter?" I asked,
"So?"
I placed the coin over the straight pin and after I pretended to run my other hand magically over the coin. I then raised the coin to a standing position, raising the straight pin along with it. It looked perfectly balanced on its edge. It was simply leaning against the straight pin. Keeping the pressure on the pin balanced the coin and made it seem as if it stood in midair.
Echo clapped her hands in delight. I told her to wave her hand over the quarter the way I did. She did so hesitantly and, when I released the pressure on the pin, the coin began a slow falling back onto my fingers. I then handed the quarter back to Tyler.
"Thanks for use of your magical coin. Mr. Monahan." Destiny said, nodding her head. He looked from me to her and laughed.
"You're terrific."
"It's all very basic stuff," I said. "My uncle was something to watch. People would swear he performed miracles. He really was on television, too. you know."
"I bet." He looked around the motor home and then at Destiny. He turned to Echo and signed. "See. I told you it would be fun. April is a very good magician, isn't she?"
She nodded and smiled at me.
"I guess now we can tell Mrs. Westington everything." Tyler said. "She'll understand and she won't be upset, especially after she hears from Echo about the doll and your magic show."
"Yes, you're right," I said. He was clever to have us do all this first. I was angry, at myself for suspecting him of any other motives.
He looked at Destiny. "Are you going to sell her, too, when the attorney says it's all right to do so?"
"Oh, no, I can't do that." I replied quickly.
"It might be hard explaining that doll to everyone when you cart her about in your car," he said. "Especially when they see how realistically created she is."
"I don't care. I can't give her away or sell her to anyone," I said, surprised myself at how much panic was in my voice when I said it.
"It's just a doll. April."
"I know, but it was my uncle Palaver's most cherished possession. It has meaning no one else can appreciate."
He thought a moment and nodded. "Okay. Let's see if Mrs. Westington will let you bring her into the house."
"It's not that important yet,"
"Don't open your hand." I said. I signed "'don't open" to be sure she understood, otherwise the trick would be ruined.
Then I turned to Destiny. "Are you sure you have no quarter for me?" I asked her, with Tyler signing to Echo. Destiny shook her head again and I triggered her right arm to come up slowly and then opened her hand. Echo held on to Tyler, but he was just as mesmerized as she was by Destiny's lifelike movements. They both leaned to see that there was a quarter in her hand. The next part was simple. I opened Echo's hand and there was no quarter in hers.
"Holy smokes, how did you do that?" Tyler asked, very much impressed.
"A real magician never tells," I said.
The truth was when I had straightened up Destiny in the chair. I had placed the quarter in her hand and closed it. When I had put it in Echo's hand. I had plucked it out as I closed her fingers. I had that quarter hidden in my own hand.
"Uncle Palaver would have a finny dialogue with her now, accusing her of hoarding money. She'd deny it and then he would reach under her chin and lo and behold," I said, opening my hand to reveal the other quarter. "he'd find another,'
Echo laughed and clapped her hands in delight.
Tyler nodded, looking very impressed. "You're fast," he said. "I'm not going to play cards with you. That's for sure." He looked sincerely impressed with me, which encouraged me to continue.
"This is a magic quarter," I announced, holding up one of the quarters. Tyler told Echo.
I was ready to perform the simple straight pin and quarter trick. I had already placed the straight pin in my hand, hidden between my first two fingers. I showed him his quarter again and he turned it over and studied it a moment before handing it back. "Just an ordinary quarter?" I asked,
"So?"
I placed the coin over the straight pin and after I pretended to run my other hand magically over the coin. I then raised the coin to a standing position, raising the straight pin along with it. It looked perfectly balanced on its edge. It was simply leaning against the straight pin. Keeping the pressure on the pin balanced the coin and made it seem as if it stood in midair.
Echo clapped her hands in delight. I told her to wave her hand over the quarter the way I did. She did so hesitantly and, when I released the pressure on the pin, the coin began a slow falling back onto my fingers. I then handed the quarter back to Tyler.
"Thanks for use of your magical coin. Mr. Monahan." Destiny said, nodding her head. He looked from me to her and laughed.
"You're terrific."
"It's all very basic stuff," I said. "My uncle was something to watch. People would swear he performed miracles. He really was on television, too. you know."
"I bet." He looked around the motor home and then at Destiny. He turned to Echo and signed. "See. I told you it would be fun. April is a very good magician, isn't she?"
She nodded and smiled at me.
"I guess now we can tell Mrs. Westington everything." Tyler said. "She'll understand and she won't be upset, especially after she hears from Echo about the doll and your magic show."
"Yes, you're right," I said. He was clever to have us do all this first. I was angry, at myself for suspecting him of any other motives.
He looked at Destiny. "Are you going to sell her, too, when the attorney says it's all right to do so?"
"Oh, no, I can't do that." I replied quickly.
"It might be hard explaining that doll to everyone when you cart her about in your car," he said. "Especially when they see how realistically created she is."
"I don't care. I can't give her away or sell her to anyone," I said, surprised myself at how much panic was in my voice when I said it.
"It's just a doll. April."
"I know, but it was my uncle Palaver's most cherished possession. It has meaning no one else can appreciate."
He thought a moment and nodded. "Okay. Let's see if Mrs. Westington will let you bring her into the house."
"It's not that important yet,"
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