Excerpt King -Size Travelers
424 STEPHEN HOBBS
This is why you remove the button from your rear pants pocket If the
button is there, it is very easy to get caught up as you try to secretly load the
card into the pocket. If you are wearing jeans, this won't be a problem.
"Instead what I do is place the king in my hand like this and simply squeeze
it away." Ta1ce the king in your left hand, fingers on the face and thumb on
the back. Rotate the left hand palm up, turning the king face down. Retake
the king with the right band in overhand end grip. Briefly flash the face of
the king again. Now comes a very nice vanish of the last king - superior 10
the usual "bird cage" style vanishes that one might expect at this moment
The palm-up left band comes over to take the king. The outside edge of lhe
left first finger comes into contact with the outer end of the king. Fig. n.
From this position several things happen. The king is allowed to snap up
into right-hand palm position. At the same time, the left band turns palm
down, pretending to grasp the card in a rather obvious palm. Fig. C.
Fig.B
Fig. C
'(_ Labyrinth 1999 LABYRl NTH Ll5
As you do this, your body turns to the left and the left hand is raised almost
to chest level - the arm extending away from the body. The back of the tcn
band is toward the audience. The right band casually drops to your sic.Jc.
Crumple your left hand, vanishing the card.
Note a slight inconsis1.ency in the previous sequence: you are placing the
king perpendicular 10 your left hand, but taking it away as if it were hide.Jen
completely by the hand. This always goes unnoticed.
The Productions. The productions will occur in fairly rapid succession.
The order of the production of the kings will be: left rear pocket, right rcnr
pocket, right front pocket, and left front pocket.
Drop your left hand to your side so that it is in a position mirroring 1ba1 of
your right band. Slide both hands around your hips and u p along your
backside. As this occurs, the right hand retains the king in palm position
When both hands are behind your back, toss (or transfer) the king from lhc
right hand to the left hand. The non-verbal implication at this point is 1hu1
you are patting your pockets, looking for the cards.
Without pausing, bring your right hand to the front of your body and 1w1
your front pants pocket and then your outer breast pocket (even if you nrc
not wearing a jacket). Where are those cards? Tum Lo your right, 1imit1>1
your movement so that the left hand is seen apparently pulling tl1e card from
your rear pants pocket as it comes into view. You arc, of course, jusl
producing the card transferred to the left hand behind your back. (You mny
find that you have time lo actualJy put the card in your pocket before you
reach this stage, which means you do not have to act like you arc doing so.)
Tum so that your right side faces the audience. Cleanly show your right
band empty, reach into your right rear pocket, and remove the ki11N
previously placed there during the routine. Place this king with tJ1c king in
the left hand.
With a clearly empty right band, reach into your right front pocket with ju,1
your first and second fingers and remove the king plac.cd in that pocklI
before the routine began. Transfer the two kings in the left hand 10 the right
hand. Show your left band empty, reach into the lcfl front pocket with your
left first and second finger, and remove the last king. Finis.
Presentation: UsualJy, I lry 10 integrate a pcrfonncr' s prc.<;cnla1io11 into lhl'
description of tJ1e effect. After writing tJ1is routine in 1ha1 manner, 1 dcciclcd
that tJ1e now of Greg's pcrfonnam:c style was lost. The ahove descrir,111111