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.He said, apologetically: "I'm just one of those lazy people.I believe theycall it 'independent means'."This was true enough for an idle moment.The Saint could have exhibited a bankaccount that would have dazzled many men who called themselves wealthy; but itwas on the subject of how that wealth had been accumulated that severalpersons who lived by what they had previously called their wits were inclinedPage 98 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlto wax profane.Mr Naskill sighed."I don't blame you," he said."Why work if you don't have to? Wish I was inyour shoes myself.Wasn't born lucky, that's all.Still, I've got a goodbusiness now, so I shouldn't complain.Expect you recognise the name.""Naskill?" The Saint frowned slightly.When he repeated it, it did have afaintly familiar ring."It sounds as if I ought to know it --"The other nodded."Some people call it No-skill," he said."They're about right, too.That'swhat it is.Magic for amateurs.Look."He flicked a card out of his pocket on to the table between them.It was the.ace of diamonds.He turned it over, and immediately faced it again.It was thenine of clubs.He turned it over again, and it was the queen of hearts.Heleft it lying face down on the cloth, and Simon picked it up curiously andexamined it.It was the three of spades, but there was nothing else remarkableabout it."Used to be a conjurer myself," Naskill explained."Then I got rheumatism inmy hands, and I was on the rocks.Didn't know any other job, so I had to makea living teaching other people tricks.Most of 'em haven't the patience topractise sleight of hand, so I made it easy for 'em.Got a fine trade now, anda two-hundred-page catalogue.I can make anybody into just as good a magicianas the money they like to spend, and they needn't practise for five minutes.Look."He took the card that the Saint was still holding, tore it into small pieces,folded his plump fingers on them for a moment, and spread out his hands-empty.Then he broke open the cigarette he was smoking, and inside it was a three ofspades rolled into a tight cylinder, crumpled but intact."You can buy that one for five bob," he said."The first one I showed you isten.It's daylight robbery, really, but some people like to show off atparties and they give me a living."Simon slid back his sleeve from his wrist-watch, and glanced out of the windowat the speeding landscape.There was still about an hour to go before theywould be in Torquay, and he had nothing else to take up his time.Besides, MrNaskill was something novel and interesting in his experience; and it was partof the Saint's creed that a modern brigand could never know too much about thequeerer things that went on in the world.He caught the eye of a waiter at the other end of the dining car and beckonedhim over."Could you stand a drink?" he suggested."Scotch for me," said Mr Naskill gratefully.He wiped his face again whileSimon duplicated the order."But I'm still talking about myself.If I'm boringyou --""Not a bit of it." The Saint was perfectly sincere."I don't often meet anyonewith an unusual job like yours.Do you know any more tricks?"Mr Naskill polished a pair of horn-rimmed spectacles, fitted them on his nose,Page 99 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmland hitched himself forward."Look," he said eagerly.He was like a child with a new collection of toys.He dug into another of hissagging pockets, which Simon was now deciding were probably loaded with enoughportable equipment to stage a complete show, and hauled out a pack of cardswhich he pushed over to the Saint."You take 'em.Look 'em over as much as you like.See if you can find anythingwrong with 'em.All right.Now shuffle 'em.Shuffle 'em all you want." Hewaited."Now spread 'em out on the table.You're doing this trick, not me.Take any card you like.Look at it-don't let me see it.All right.Now, Ihaven't touched the cards at all, have I, except to give 'em to you? Youshuffled 'em, and you picked a card without me helping you.I couldn't haveforced it on you, or anything.Eh? All right.Well, I could put any trimmingsI wanted on this trick-any fancy stunts I could think up to make it look moremysterious.They'd all be easy, because I know what card you've got all thetime.You've got the six of diamonds."Simon turned the card over.It was the six of diamonds."How's that?" Naskill demanded gleefully.The Saint grinned.He drew a handful of cards towards him, face downwards asthey lay, and pored over the backs for two or three minutes before he sat backagain with a rueful shrug.Mr Naskill chortled."There's nothing wrong with your eyes," he said."You could go over 'em with amicroscope and not find anything.All the same, I'll tell you what you've got.The king of spades, the two of spades, the ten of hearts --""I'll take your word for it," said the Saint resignedly."But how on earth doyou do it?"Naskill glowed delightedly."Look," he said."He took off his glasses and passed them over.Under the flat lenses Simoncould see the notations clearly printed in the corners of each card-KS, 2S,10H.They vanished as soon as he moved the glasses, and it was impossible tofind a trace of them with the naked eye."I've heard of that being done with coloured glasses," said the Saint slowly,"but I noticed that yours weren't coloured."Naskill shook his head."Coloured glasses are old stuff.Too crude.Used to be used a lot by sharpers,but too many people got to hear about 'em.You couldn't get into a card gamewith coloured glasses these days.No good for conjuring, either.But this isgood.Invented it myself.Special ink, and special kind of glass.There is atint in it, of course, but it's too faint to notice." He shoved the cards overthe cloth."Here.Keep the lot for a souvenir.You can have some fun with yourfriends.But don't go asking 'em in for a game of poker, mind."Simon gathered the cards together.Page 100 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"It would be rather a temptation," he admitted."But don't you get a lot ofcustomers who buy them just for that?""Sure.A lot of professionals use my stuff.I know 'em all.Often see 'em inthe shop.Good customers-they buy by the dozen.Can't refuse to serve'em-they'd only get 'em some other way, or buy somewhere else.I call it acompliment to the goods I sell.Never bothers my conscience.Anybody who playscards with strangers is asking for trouble, anyway.It isn't onlyprofessionals, either.You'd be surprised at some of the people I've had comein and ask for a deck of readers-that's the trade name for 'em.I remember onefellow."He launched into a series of anecdotes that filled up the time until they hadto separate to their compartments to collect their luggage [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.He said, apologetically: "I'm just one of those lazy people.I believe theycall it 'independent means'."This was true enough for an idle moment.The Saint could have exhibited a bankaccount that would have dazzled many men who called themselves wealthy; but itwas on the subject of how that wealth had been accumulated that severalpersons who lived by what they had previously called their wits were inclinedPage 98 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlto wax profane.Mr Naskill sighed."I don't blame you," he said."Why work if you don't have to? Wish I was inyour shoes myself.Wasn't born lucky, that's all.Still, I've got a goodbusiness now, so I shouldn't complain.Expect you recognise the name.""Naskill?" The Saint frowned slightly.When he repeated it, it did have afaintly familiar ring."It sounds as if I ought to know it --"The other nodded."Some people call it No-skill," he said."They're about right, too.That'swhat it is.Magic for amateurs.Look."He flicked a card out of his pocket on to the table between them.It was the.ace of diamonds.He turned it over, and immediately faced it again.It was thenine of clubs.He turned it over again, and it was the queen of hearts.Heleft it lying face down on the cloth, and Simon picked it up curiously andexamined it.It was the three of spades, but there was nothing else remarkableabout it."Used to be a conjurer myself," Naskill explained."Then I got rheumatism inmy hands, and I was on the rocks.Didn't know any other job, so I had to makea living teaching other people tricks.Most of 'em haven't the patience topractise sleight of hand, so I made it easy for 'em.Got a fine trade now, anda two-hundred-page catalogue.I can make anybody into just as good a magicianas the money they like to spend, and they needn't practise for five minutes.Look."He took the card that the Saint was still holding, tore it into small pieces,folded his plump fingers on them for a moment, and spread out his hands-empty.Then he broke open the cigarette he was smoking, and inside it was a three ofspades rolled into a tight cylinder, crumpled but intact."You can buy that one for five bob," he said."The first one I showed you isten.It's daylight robbery, really, but some people like to show off atparties and they give me a living."Simon slid back his sleeve from his wrist-watch, and glanced out of the windowat the speeding landscape.There was still about an hour to go before theywould be in Torquay, and he had nothing else to take up his time.Besides, MrNaskill was something novel and interesting in his experience; and it was partof the Saint's creed that a modern brigand could never know too much about thequeerer things that went on in the world.He caught the eye of a waiter at the other end of the dining car and beckonedhim over."Could you stand a drink?" he suggested."Scotch for me," said Mr Naskill gratefully.He wiped his face again whileSimon duplicated the order."But I'm still talking about myself.If I'm boringyou --""Not a bit of it." The Saint was perfectly sincere."I don't often meet anyonewith an unusual job like yours.Do you know any more tricks?"Mr Naskill polished a pair of horn-rimmed spectacles, fitted them on his nose,Page 99 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmland hitched himself forward."Look," he said eagerly.He was like a child with a new collection of toys.He dug into another of hissagging pockets, which Simon was now deciding were probably loaded with enoughportable equipment to stage a complete show, and hauled out a pack of cardswhich he pushed over to the Saint."You take 'em.Look 'em over as much as you like.See if you can find anythingwrong with 'em.All right.Now shuffle 'em.Shuffle 'em all you want." Hewaited."Now spread 'em out on the table.You're doing this trick, not me.Take any card you like.Look at it-don't let me see it.All right.Now, Ihaven't touched the cards at all, have I, except to give 'em to you? Youshuffled 'em, and you picked a card without me helping you.I couldn't haveforced it on you, or anything.Eh? All right.Well, I could put any trimmingsI wanted on this trick-any fancy stunts I could think up to make it look moremysterious.They'd all be easy, because I know what card you've got all thetime.You've got the six of diamonds."Simon turned the card over.It was the six of diamonds."How's that?" Naskill demanded gleefully.The Saint grinned.He drew a handful of cards towards him, face downwards asthey lay, and pored over the backs for two or three minutes before he sat backagain with a rueful shrug.Mr Naskill chortled."There's nothing wrong with your eyes," he said."You could go over 'em with amicroscope and not find anything.All the same, I'll tell you what you've got.The king of spades, the two of spades, the ten of hearts --""I'll take your word for it," said the Saint resignedly."But how on earth doyou do it?"Naskill glowed delightedly."Look," he said."He took off his glasses and passed them over.Under the flat lenses Simoncould see the notations clearly printed in the corners of each card-KS, 2S,10H.They vanished as soon as he moved the glasses, and it was impossible tofind a trace of them with the naked eye."I've heard of that being done with coloured glasses," said the Saint slowly,"but I noticed that yours weren't coloured."Naskill shook his head."Coloured glasses are old stuff.Too crude.Used to be used a lot by sharpers,but too many people got to hear about 'em.You couldn't get into a card gamewith coloured glasses these days.No good for conjuring, either.But this isgood.Invented it myself.Special ink, and special kind of glass.There is atint in it, of course, but it's too faint to notice." He shoved the cards overthe cloth."Here.Keep the lot for a souvenir.You can have some fun with yourfriends.But don't go asking 'em in for a game of poker, mind."Simon gathered the cards together.Page 100 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"It would be rather a temptation," he admitted."But don't you get a lot ofcustomers who buy them just for that?""Sure.A lot of professionals use my stuff.I know 'em all.Often see 'em inthe shop.Good customers-they buy by the dozen.Can't refuse to serve'em-they'd only get 'em some other way, or buy somewhere else.I call it acompliment to the goods I sell.Never bothers my conscience.Anybody who playscards with strangers is asking for trouble, anyway.It isn't onlyprofessionals, either.You'd be surprised at some of the people I've had comein and ask for a deck of readers-that's the trade name for 'em.I remember onefellow."He launched into a series of anecdotes that filled up the time until they hadto separate to their compartments to collect their luggage [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]