The Magicians of Elephant County by Adam Perry

Author:Adam Perry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2018-08-29T16:00:00+00:00

Emma

Seeing a celebrity up close is kind of a disappointment. In person, Quinton Penfold looked like a pirate who had survived an explosion in a teen fashion store.

You don’t realize how silly a full-grown man looks wearing thickly caked black eye makeup and a bunch of scarves until they’re standing right in front of you. Quinton jingled when he walked. He had more jewelry around his neck and wrists than my sisters own (combined), and his greasy hair was practically screaming, “Hey, buddy! Shampoo me!”

He smelled like baked beans.

I wasn’t impressed.

Quinton snapped his fingers and his hand erupted in flames. A dove appeared and flew around the store, resting on the counter next to Zug.

Duncan’s reaction to Quinton was a little different than mine. He went all weak in the knees, and blubbered and shook. Everyone in the store felt embarrassed for him, and I moved closer in case he passed out.

“What can we help you with, Mr. Penfold?” Zug asked. “It’s an honor to have you in my store.”

“The honor is all mine! Elephant is such a remarkably quaint town. Sometimes the biggest talents come from the humblest beginnings, so I’ve come to extend an invitation for young Duncan and Emma to assist me in a trick during my presentation at the convention tomorrow.”

“Forget it,” I said. “We’re already performing.”

“I’ll do it,” Duncan said.

“Duncan,” I whispered.

“It would be an . . . um . . . honor, sir . . . um . . . just to be in your . . . um . . . presence.”

“Well, you can count me out.” I stomped my foot. Duncan was totally not sticking to our plan.

“But I can’t do it without you, Emma,” Quinton said. “You’re a co-magician, every bit as important as Duncan.”

“Nope. Not happening.”

“Please?” he begged. He held out a hand, his fingers covered in rings, each more tacky than the last. You won’t believe this, but he even had two on his pinkie. Yuck.

“I need both of your assistance with a trick. You don’t need to practice. Simply follow some instructions and everything will work out fine for everyone. You children are the reason we’re here, after all, and my publicist would be eternally grateful if I could get some video of myself performing onstage with you.”

“Sorry,” I said.

Quinton clutched his heart, stumbling backward.

“Your resistance has wounded me, young lady. I seek only to help all of our careers. Very well. I will see you, master Duncan, at the show tomorrow.”

He clapped his hands and in an explosion of smoke, ran awkwardly out of the store, tripping a bit on the floor mat and setting off the little bell above the door, his dove watching from the counter like a forgotten child in a grocery store.

Before the end of our shift, that stupid bird pooped six times on the carpet.

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