Rapid Transit

Two cards taken at random, one held by a spectator and the other by the magician, change places instantly. Any deck can be used and there are no duplicates.

1. Have a spectator shuffle the deck to his own satisfaction.

2. Take the cards, square them, and under cover of that action prepare for the double lift by raising the inner right corners of the two cards at the top of the pack and holding the break with the left little finger.

3. Making a gesture toward the spectator with your right hand, say, "Neither you nor I can possibly know what this top card is, hence I will use it for my experiment. Let's see." Lift the two cards as one and turn them face upwards on the deck–showing, say, the king of spades. Let everyone see this card plainly.

4. Turn the two cards as one, face downwards, on the deck and with the left thumb push off the top card on to the table close to you. This is an indifferent card the face of which the onlookers never see. You say, "I'll take this king of spades."

5. Square the deck again with the right hand and get the next two cards ready for the double lift. Then touch the card on the table with your right forefinger tip, saying, "Remember, this card is the king of spades." Turn the next two cards face upwards on the deck– showing, let us suppose, the eight of hearts. Name it as you allow everyone to see its face plainly, then turn the two cards face downward as one.

6. Reach out toward the spectator with your left hand and thumb off the top card, the king of spades. Have him place his hand on it.

"Now, sir," you say, "you have the eight of hearts, and I have the king of spades." Lift up the indifferent card, look at its face without allowing anyone else to see it, and lay it on the top of the pack. In the meantime you have pushed the top card off the pack to the right a little and have taken a little finger break under it, the eight of hearts, so that you are ready to make another double lift.

7. Continue, "It was an Irishman who said that, not being a bird, he could not be in two places at the same time. Einstein says that no material object can do that, but these poor philosophers know nothing of magic. Watch!" Wave your right hand over the cards and say "Arbadacarba–that is abracadabra backwards, the most powerful magic spell extant–and here I have your eight of hearts–" (make the double lift showing that card) "–while you have the king of spades!" The spectator turns his card and there it is.

Turn your two cards face downwards on the pack and shuffle casually thus disposing of the indifferent card.

Mastery of this feat will convince the student of the great value of the double lift and turnover . Again we urge that it must not be used too often but only for certain tricks which depend upon its use.