The Set-up
I perform this effect in the hand of the spectator, it's much more powerful this way, and removes the suspicion and anticipation of when the effect takes place. The trick is performed nearly immeadiatly, but the story I use to encompass this effect ties this illusion into a nice neat mental knot. I start off by telling the spectators that I would like to show them a trick with romantically tied cards.
Very Special cards that I keep protected in my wallet. I then pull out my Jardonnet wallet where I keep my optic wallet inside the bill fold section, it fits nicely, and removes the suspicion that it is gimmicked in anyway. (Note: perform this before you perform the Jardonnet card to fire wallet routine)
The Story:
I start off opening the optic wallet to reveal the cards. I ask the spectator if they know where the Jack and 9 met? The answer of course is The CLUB. As they are suited clubs, chuckle. I tell them that this is actually a story of intrigue, mystery, and royalty. A story about Jack the son of a great King. Jack unbeknownst to his father the King has snuck one of his handmaidens into his bed chamber the 9 of clubs. Jack had to devise a secret way of hiding her, knowing that the King would have the maidens head, if he had ever found that his son Jack was sleeping with his concubine.. Jack designed a trap door that was secretly installed into his bed. And set a candle in the hall that would flicker the light on the shared ceiling, if someone were to walk past. This giving him enough time to trigger the trap door and hide his lover.
Once you tell this story you then ask the spectator to open their hand and to represent the bed chamber. You then openly retrieve the Jack from the wallet and place him face up in bed. I then ask the spectator to cover half of the Jack with with the other hand explaining that castles get chilly at night he needs blankets. (This keeps the spectator from turning the card over prematurely, and gives them a sense of control) You then knock on a table or door in a pattern rap rap a rap rapp! This is the secret knock annoucing her arrival, she lights the candle in the hall (Now remove this card under cover as explained in the trick and slip this card face down ontop of the Jack and underneath the spectators hand/blanket) and she enters the chamber and climbs under the covers. You then explain one night while they were in bed together the king came down the hall. (I hold my hand a foot above their hand with my fingers splayed open capturing the light and casting a shadow) This shadow represents the king and flicker of light from the candle, and as the shadow crosses the en-raptured cards I wiggle the fingers to show the flicker of light. You explain that the King crossed the candle and the light flickered. - I then ask the spectator if they felt that. The trap door was just activated. You then invite them to remove their blankets/hand. ( It's important to let them turn the card over without instruction) They will shreik in amazement, and then they will wonder where she went. Continue to hold onto your composure and reveal nothing, their natural curiosity will turn the second card eventually. This for the 2nd shreik of amazement.
Now you may retrieve the cards from the spectator, open your wallet and place the card back into the optic wallet, but in reverse lining up the secret. This shows the cards unchanged but protected. You then put this trick back into your normal wallet and start something else or close your performance.
The Optic Wallet is a simple self working working trick, but clever enough for me to develop a better performance and story to increase the power of this effect and add a lot more enjoyment for the spectator.
Re-worked by Jason Ring
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