The Art of Disappearing by Ivy Pochoda

Author:Ivy Pochoda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Published: 2009-08-14T16:00:00+00:00

We slept until lunchtime the next day. When I got out of bed, leaving the magician to his dreamtime conjuring, my head felt swollen and my legs were uncertain. I crept down Piet’s perilous stairs, hoping for coffee and solitude, but found Theo sitting alone at the table.

“Good afternoon,” he said.

“Hi,” I replied.

“Piet’s gone out,” Theo said.

“Would you like coffee?”

Theo nodded. “It is the jet lag?” the elegant magician wondered as I filled the pot with water.

“Something like that.”

“And Toby?”

“He’ll be down soon.”

“Good. This will give us time to talk.”

I brought the coffee to the table and poured it into cups.

“Tell me, how often do you think about your hands?” Theo asked.

“Excuse me?”

“Your hands.”

I looked down at my short fingers and my square palms. Square palms—the sign of an artist, someone told me once. “Sometimes,” I answered. “From time to time.”

“From time to time,” Theo mused, spooning sugar into his cup. “Your husband has the most extraordinary hands.”

I nodded.

“I hope he does not plan to suffocate their potential. There is so much he can do.”

I sipped my coffee.

“We can help him.”

“How?” I asked.

“There are tricks that will restore his faith in magic. When the time comes, I hope you will convince him to do them.”

I shook my head. “When it comes to magic, I can hardly convince Toby of anything.”

“That is because you haven’t tried.”

I refilled my cup.

“You volunteered for Toby’s trick in Las Vegas.”

I nodded.

“Why?”

I looked into Theo’s eyes. His irises swirled, holding my gaze until I answered. “I was worried something would go wrong.”

“And why was that?” The elder magician wouldn’t look away.

“The woman Toby made disappear warned me that it would.”

“But you didn’t tell him.”

I shook my head. “Toby’s magic wasn’t what went wrong at the Winter Palace.”

“Anytime a magician invites someone onto his stage, that person becomes part of the magic. Your husband should know that.” Theo blinked and released me from his stare. “Perhaps you should have said something.”

“Maybe.”

“Let us hope that the next time you have the opportunity to advise Toby, you will take it.”

“I can’t see when that will happen.”

“Soon. We have a trick that will make magic meaningful for Toby once more. He is a magician, like I was, and knows nothing else. When the time comes, convince him. Magic is his happiness. It is his calling. I’m sure there’s nothing you wouldn’t do for him.” Theo reached across the table and tapped the back of my hand with his hardened fingertips. “This is why you came to me.”

Something in Theo’s tone wouldn’t let me admit he was right, so I pushed my chair back and collided with Toby as he walked in.

“And why have we come?” Toby asked. He sounded cheerful, as if last night’s party had set something free in him.

Theo smiled. “So that I can show you what remains of our little golden age.” He winked. “And so that you can explore some of Amsterdam’s best secrets.”

“Secrets?” Toby said. “I cannot have secrets before coffee.”

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