Izzy leaned against a brick building and panted, watching her breath turn to mist in the frigid air. She'd sprinted far enough away in the opposite direction of the police wagon, attempting to lose the cop that arrested her.
The screams of the felons still rang in Izzy's ears. She didn't think her little magic show would freak them out that much. She hoped that she hadn't scared any of them too much.
New snow began to fall around her. Izzy was tempted to pull her arms into her shirt for warmth but didn't want to draw any more attention to herself in case that was some kind of obscene crime, too.
Sidewalk traffic had thinned out from earlier. No one would willingly be out in this weather unless they had too. If Joe, Sam, and Fred decided to look for shelter, finding for them wasn't going to be as easy as bumping into them on the street.
The majority of people still outside were all crowded in front of a huge red, castle-like building: The Hippodrome.
Izzy frowned. Why were all those people heading to that office building, she thought.
"My friend!" Harry Houdini materialized in front of her from thin air. "Is that you?"
Izzy jumped. "Ah! Wild Houdini!"
Houdini looked down at her in amazement. "I saw the officer place the cuffs on you myself not five minutes ago. Tell me, how did you manage to escape so soon?"
"It was something my father taught me," she said plainly, still not believing she was speaking to the Harry Houdini. "Never thought I'd be arrested, though. At least not for jaywalking."
"How did you manage?" he asked.
She smiled and shrugged. "Trade secret. Sorry."
"Truly outstanding. Your father is an illusionist?"
Izzy nodded. "And you're really Houdini?"
"In the flesh."
Wow, Izzy thought. He was really Harry Houdini. How was this possible? She tried to think of the right words to perfectly convey how excited and in awe she was to meet him.
"Wow."
Nailed it.
"Bess and I are on the way to my show," Houdini said. "Would you care to come along?"
"Is that rhetorical?"
The chance to see Houdini live and in person? Who would say no to that? Besides, something told her that Joe would gravitate towards there, too, and she could kill two birds with one stone. It looked like her luck was turning around.
Houdini beamed. He placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her to the nineteen-hundreds version of a limo. "Excellent. Come now. Bess will want to meet you."
Joe never gave the Hippodrome a second glance whenever he drove past it on the way to his dentist visits. He never thought of its history. It was nothing special, just one of hundreds of offices in New York City.
But as the four of them waited in line to buy tickets, he saw a genuine towering theater, with bright red brick walls and flags. It reminded him of a castle— and he's seen plenty of castles. It wasn't Madison Square Garden, but it was nothing to scoff at.
The snow was getting heavier. Joe raised the hood of his hoodie over his head and shoved his hands into the pocket. Fred stuck his tongue out, trying to catch falling snowdrops. Sam was cleaning his glasses every ten seconds whenever they'd fog up or get covered in water droplets from the snow.
Eugene seemed to be the only one unaffected by the cold. He bounced on his heel, his grin unwavering. Joe wondered if he was always this enthusiastic.
"So," Joe said to him, "you said you were a magician's assistant? That pretty cool."
Eugene's smile faltered. "To be honest, I thought it would be fun at first. My boss, while amazing and incredible, is not particularly the nicest of men. He hates it when I watch other magician's shows unless I'm there to steal their secrets."
Joe raised an eyebrow at that. "Is that why you're here?"
Eugene's face paled. "Gosh, no! I could never do that to Houdini. That's why I told my boss I was sick today."
Joe and Eugene talked magic for the next ten minutes, with Sam and Fred jumping in every now and then to crack a joke until the four of them reached the ticket seller.
A woman with her hair in a tight bun slouched in her seat behind the glass. She assessed them with drooping eyes. "Three dollars."
Joe gulped as Eugene paid the teller. "Um, we have to pay?"
"Relax," Fred said. "I have three dollars. Probably. I can pay for all of us."
Sam glanced between them and the woman. "Fred, you have modern money. I think she'll notice."
The woman cleared her throat. "Problem, boys?"
"Not at all." Fred fished out a couple of dollars and slammed them on the counter. "Three tickets, please."
The woman looked at the bills then back at Fred before snatching them up and examining them. "Seriously. Counterfeits? You didn't even get the design right."
She tore them in half.
"Hey!" Fred protested.
"Next!"
A large woman elbowed the four of them out of the way. When they complained, the woman shot them a death glare, and that was the end of that.
"Great!" Sam said as they regrouped by the side of the building. "How are we supposed to get in now?"
"Sneak in, Ninja-Style?" Fred suggested.
Eugene raised his finger to interject. "Or we could ask nicely."
They just gave him a look.
Eugene smiled innocently. "The worst that they can say is 'no'."
"No."
The usher that they'd asked nicely to get in was ten feet even and looked like he could bench press all four of them with one arm.
"Please, sir," Eugene said. "My friends had money but that disagreeable woman destroyed it."
The usher grunted and spat on the sidewalk. "Kid, did I stutter? You ain't getting in without a ticket."
Joe puffed out his chest and stepped forward. "How about I bargain with you, my good man?" He pulled out the deck of cards from his pocket, ignoring the groans from Sam and Fred. "I'll preform a magic trick for you, and if you're impressed, you let us in."
The usher bellowed a laugh. "Kid, I've seen Harry Houdini himself make an entire elephant go up in smoke. Your little parlor tricks can't top that."
Joe shrunk back at the comment, thinking back to his horrendous talent show tryout. His ears warmed in embarrassment despite himself.
He crossed his arms and looked down at them, unfazed. "Now why don't you boys run along and—"
"Joe!" A familiar voice shouted, surprised. "Fred! Sam! Um, other guy?"
A flash of familiar pigtails bounced toward the usher. Isadora popped up from behind him, her face a mix of excitement and confusion. "I'm so glad you guys are here."
The usher frowned at her and jabbed a thumb at the four of them. "You know these goops?"
"Hey!" Sam complained. "We resent that."
"Yeah!" Fred said. "We're not... whatever that means."
"These goops are my friends," Isadora said. "Could you let them in, Frank? I really, really gotta talk to them."
Frank shook his head. "I don't know."
"Please, Frank? Pretty please?"
He rubbed his chin.
"Pretty pretty please?"
Isadora gave him big puppy dog eyes. Anyone with a soul would have caved in.
Frank sighed. "All right, all right." He moved aside to let them pass. "This is your lucky day, buckos. Don't give me a reason to throw you out."
Isadora thanked him and led the four of them into the crowded lobby. They gathered aside near a poster covered wall to keep them from getting swarmed.
"Thanks, Isadora," Joe said.
Fred punched her lightly in the shoulder. "Yeah. We owe you one. I'm pretty sure tall, dark, and scary back there would have stomped us if we stayed out there any longer."
"Is this the girl you lost?" Eugene asked.
Joe scratched the back of his head. "Lost isn't the nicest word—"
"No," Sam said, "but accurate."
Joe shot him a look.
Eugene stepped forward and held out his hand. "Eugene Ellis. Pleasure meeting you."
Isadora shook his hand to introduce herself, and Joe noticed faint marks around her wrist, like bruises. He hadn't noticed them there before. Were they new?
"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, pointing to her wrist.
She frowned before realizing what he meant. She redrew her arms and rubbed her wrist. "It's fine. Well, not really. I was arrested, but it probably worked itself out."
Fred raised an eyebrow. "You were arrested?"
"And what do you mean 'it probably worked itself out?'" Sam asked.
She shook her head. "Tell you guys later."
Before Joe could ask for any more details, Izzy motioned for the four of them to follow her. She led them through the lobby and into the theater.
The theater was massive. It was five times the size of the theater at school; five thousand seats all curved around a circus-sized stage. Empty seats were few and far in between. The four of them followed Isadora towards the front rows.
She turned to face the four of them. "So, what's the deal? Are we dead?"
"We're not dead—"
"Yet," Sam muttered.
Joe rolled his eyes. "We're actually in the past if you can believe it, but while we're on the subject, did you happen to see a blue book with stars and moons on it?"
She cocked her head, confused. "No. Why?"
Fred, Sam, and Eugene groaned behind him.
"It's the reason why we're here," Joe said. "Long story short, that book, The Book is a time machine."
"Time travel!" Isadora smacked herself on the forehead. "That was my second guess."
"What was your first guess?"
"A purgatory dimension."
"You seemed to be taking this magic stuff pretty easily."
Isadora stiffened before quickly forcing a smile. "Well it's, uh, not that farfetched after you've experienced it firsthand, you know?"
Joe was about to question her when she stopped next to a row of seats and waved for them to sit. They filed in after her, Joe and Eugene followed by Fred and Sam. The seats were perfectly centered in front of the stage. Close to the front but not too close.
"How'd you score these seats?" Fred asked, impressed.
"Yeah, did Drago back there win them for you in a punching contest?" Joe asked.
Isadora snickered. "You mean Frank Beaner? Houdini introduced us. He's usually the usher here and they're friendly with—"
Joe held up a hand. "Hold on. You met Houdini?"
"The Houdini?" Eugene asked.
She nodded, smiling wide.
Joe and Eugene asked her questions simultaneously, their mouths going a mile a minute. Isadora leaned away like she was overwhelmed by their attention.
"The geek level is rising," Fred whispered to Sam, then added, "Whoops. Sorry. Look who I'm talking to."
Sam glared at him, then cut it. "How about you two let her breath so she can answer?"
Joe rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry about that."
"Sooo," Eugene said trying to sound casual. "What's he like?"
"He's the best," Isadora said. "He—"
A hush fell over the audience as Houdini walked onto the stages, followed by twelve buff guys pushing a huge crate.
The show had begun.
This book was absolutely astounding.
Lauren barely noticed the performance going on before him. His attention was completely taken by The Book. Every past event was described in vivid detail and the future with complete certainty. He'd tested it out on the actions of the patrons around him. The Book described their every move to the letter.
He discovered a page full of life details of himself— things no one could possibly have known about him— and of the people he knew. All he had to do was think their name and he found their page with ease.
Lauren was so absorbed that it didn't even matter when he missed Houdini reveal that the elephant had disappeared. The thunderous applause of the audience didn't break his focus. He'd found his big-ticket item, the thing that would make his name live down in history.
Houdini was a true showman. Izzy's seen many other magicians before, but few could compare to the charisma and theatrical presence that Houdini had on stage. He talked and made jokes to the audience as he walked them through each step of the trick. He was so magnetic that Izzy doubted that anyone would be able to look away from him.
The five of them stood with the crowd, giving Houdini a standing ovation.
"How the heck did he do that?" Fred shouted over the crowd.
Joe grinned from ear to ear. "No one knows for sure. No one ever figured out how exactly he did it."
Houdini bowed one final time before disappearing behind the curtain. The crowd began to thin out, buzzing excitedly about the show.
Sam leaned forward to look at all found of them. "That was fun, but now what? We still need to find The Book."
"He's right," Joe said. "We need to start looking for it."
Izzy looked down at her lap. "Um..."
"What's wrong?" Fred asked her.
"It's just that Houdini's was expecting me to go backstage after the show. I should at least say goodbye or something."
Joe and Eugene glanced at each other. The two of them practically jumped from their seats.
Eugene grabbed Izzy by the hands and guided her up. "Well, it would be rude of you to leave without saying goodbye."
"And we should escort her there, right guys?" Joe asked Sam and Fred.
Sam crossed his arms. "Riiight. How chivalrous of you."
Fred stood. "How could we refuse, when it's three to two?"
Eugene smiled and took off with Izzy down the aisle. "Glad to see we're all in agreement."
Once backstage, Izzy introduced them. "Mr. And Mrs. Houdini. These are the friends I was telling you about." She stated their names, motioning to each of them.
Houdini smiled genuinely and shook each of their hands. "Hello, boys. Did you enjoy the show?"
Despite Joe's fanboying earlier, he controlled himself when meeting Houdini. Izzy had no idea how he was able to keep his cool when she was a stuttery, awkward mess, but she suspected that on the inside he felt the same as she did.
Eugene was the opposite. Izzy figured that this was like meeting a rock star for him, even though rock stars didn't exist yet. He shook Houdini's hand energetically, proclaiming to be his biggest fan about twenty or thirty times.
"This is getting old," Sam muttered.
Fred nudged him. "Like you wouldn't react the same if you met Einstein."
Sam opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, then glared Fred, annoyed. "Touché."
Mrs. Houdini, a pretty, dark-haired woman, smiled at them. "Would you children like to join us for dinner?"
Eugene, unsurprisingly, said yes.
"Actually, ma'am," Joe said. "We should actually discuss it. Could you give a second?"
Joe, Sam, and Fred huddled off to the side while Izzy and Eugene stayed behind. Izzy stood there between the three of them as Eugene excitedly chatting with the Houdini's. She felt like a deer in headlights, unsure of where to go.
Thankfully, Joe motioned for her to join their discussion. Relieved, she went over, catching the tail end of Fred's sentence.
"...vote we go. I haven't eaten since lunch. I'm starving"
"When are you not starving?" Sam asked. "Besides, we still need to find The Book before we catch the Spanish Flu."
"You got your shots."
"Relax, Sam," Joe said. "We found Isadora, and no one's trying to kill us."
"Can't help but feel like you jinxed us right now," Sam said.
"We'll be fine. Let's enjoy something cool happening to us on one of our accidental warps for once."
"Does this happen to you guys often?" Izzy asked.
Joe waved away her question. "It's not as bad as it used to be."
"Again," Sam interjected, "you're jinxing us."
Fred clasped his hands dramatically in a pleading gesture. "C'mon, Sam."
Sam looked at the three them and sighed. "Alright. But if we die, I'm blaming all three of you."
They rode with Mr. and Mrs. Houdini in their limo, Eugene with them in the middle row and Izzy and the boys squished into the backseat. After asking the Houdinis if they've seen Joe's book (unfortunately they hadn't), Houdini talked about his love of aviation and his upcoming movie deals.
"The man can't stay still," Mrs. Houdini said. "I keep telling him that he'll work himself to death."
They talked until they arrived at their home in Flatbush. Izzy's seen the outside of Houdini's famous brownstone in Harlem with her parents when she was little but wasn't sure what this place was.
Houdini explained that they lived with his brother, Theodore Hardeen, his wife, and their two sons (who were on holiday in England at the moment) but him and Bess were considering moving back to their old home soon.
Joe grimaced. "Must be rough having to live with your sibling."
"Admittedly, yes," Houdini said with a sigh, "but you do what you can for family. Theodore was kind enough to open his home to us."
Mrs. Houdini glanced at him with a look Izzy couldn't decipher, but if she wanted to say anything, she didn't. She went off to the kitchen to prepare dinner while Houdini and their fox terrier, Bobby, gave the five of them a little tour of their home.
The living room and den were cluttered with magical memorabilia, dozens of odd novelties Izzy both did and didn't recognize. Houdini motioned to his favorites, telling them a shortened version of the item's backstory.
"Is this an electric chair?" Fred pointed to an odd-looking chair with straps.
"The very first one," Houdini said proudly.
Sam frowned and scrutinized the chair skeptically. "The first one?"
"Does it still work," Izzy asked.
Houdini simply winked at her.
Meanwhile, Joe was marveling at a large metal canister. "Whoa! Was this the can you use to do your famous milk can escape?"
"The very one," Houdini replied.
"And was this the straitjacket you escaped from?"
"Indeed. You sound like a fan of my work."
"Am I ever! I watched every documentary and read every book about you."
Eugene nudged him in the arm.
"I mean, if any books or documentaries existed I did," Joe said sheepishly, rubbing his arm.
"Joe's a magician," Izzy said when Houdini gave him a baffled look, hoping to distract him.
Houdini's face flipped from befuddled to intrigued. "Really, boy? You, too?"
Joe stumbled over his words, saying that he was an amateur, nowhere near as good as Houdini was.
Houdini rubbed his chin in thought, glancing between Izzy and Joe. "Follow me, children." He heel-turned and headed into the den, Bobby the dog trailing behind him. The five of them followed.
Houdini was rummaging through a drawer before he pulled out a kind of dual-sided handcuffs meant for two people. Before Izzy could ask any questions, Houdini shackled her and Joe together.
"Uhhh..." Joe said.
Izzy stared down at their cuffed hands, a frown forming on her face. "Sir, I'm not arrested again, am I?"
Houdini laughed. "A simple challenge. I'm curious to see how you two can work together."
Joe grinned sheepishly at Izzy. "At least he didn't lock us in a box and throw us in the ocean."
"What?" Fred said in disbelief. "You did stunts like that? How is that magic?"
"Actually, Fred," Sam said. "Houdini was more known for his death-defying stunts than his illusions."
Fred nodded. "Neat."
"The magic," Houdini said, "comes from the mystery."
Izzy tugged at the restraints experimentally. They were thicker than the handcuffs the cops put on her, and a little tighter.
Izzy was, well, Izzy was no Houdini. She knew Houdini would either wiggle or pick his way out of cuffs, but she didn't have the first clue on as to how to do that. She knew real magic and a couple of tricks, but escape artistry was foreign to her.
Joe yanked on the cuffs a little too hard, making Izzy stumble into him. He smiled apologetically at her and helped her right herself.
"This is impossible," she said.
Houdini waved off her concern. "Nonsense. It's so easy, a dog can do it."
On cue, he clamped tiny handcuffs on Bobby's forelegs. After a half minute of wiggling, the dog escaped, happily barking and wagging his tail.
The five of them gaped down at the dog in amazement.
"Okay," Joe said, "but that's one person—dog—whatever. How are we both supposed to get out?"
Houdini opened his mouth, probably say something vague and inspirational, when Mrs. Houdini called for his help from the kitchen. Houdini excused himself, followed by Eugene who eagerly offered to help.
"Well, good luck you two," Fred said to Joe and Izzy. "Come on, Sam. Let's check out that electric chair."
Sam looked at him cautiously before saying, "Fine, but you're not putting me in it!"
"Deal!"
As the two left, Izzy caught Fred crossing his fingers behind his back.
That left her and Joe alone together. The two of them tried twisting out but stopped when it was clear it wasn't going to work.
"You wouldn't happen to have any disinfecting lotion on you?" Joe asked.
"Can't say I do," Izzy said. "Sorry."
They locked eyes for a second longer than what was comfortable. Probably. Izzy had no gauge for that.
"So," she said, attempting to break the awkward silence, "how'd you get your hands on a time-traveling book?"
Joe explained to her that his uncle gave him The Book on his tenth birthday. He, Sam, and Fred accidentally warped themselves three hundred years in the past, were almost killed by Black Beard the pirate, got arrested and sentenced to death, and were almost killed by Black Beard again right as they found The Book and warped away.
Izzy gaped at the story. "That was some birthday."
"Tell me about it," Joe said.
"So, are you guys always almost dying?"
"Um, define 'always'?"
For whatever reason Izzy didn't find that reassuring. Hopefully, this little adventure didn't go beyond getting arrested.
"Got any idea how we're getting out of this?" Joe asked, nodding his head at their cuffs.
Izzy bit her lip in thought. "I do, but you gotta close your eyes."
Joe frowned at her, clearly confused. "Why? What are you going to do?"
"Magic," she said plainly, "but normies aren't allowed to see. It's against the rules."
Joe looked at her oddly, trying to figure out if she was serious or not. She kept her face neutral, not giving anything away. After a moment, he seemed to have decided to trust her and closed his eyes.
Izzy took a deep breath and concentrated, muttering the magic words under her breath. Green light began to glow around their wrists, enveloping the handcuffs. Izzy phased her wrist through the confines, then did the same for Joe, making sure that he kept his eyes closed.
"Okay." She smiled. "Open your eyes."
He did, slowly at first, then shooting open wide when he noticed the handcuffs in her hand, the glowing now gone.
"No way," he breathed. "I didn't feel a thing. How'd you do that?"
"I can't just tell you my secrets. You tell me how you think I did it."
Izzy wondered, briefly, if that was an unfair question. It was just something her dad used to tell members of his audiences after shows and she thought it sounded pretty good. Sure, Joe owned a magic time traveling book, but she had no clue if he knew about other sorts of magic.
The extent of Joe's magic seemed to be limited to simple tricks and illusions. Was that why her father referred to him as a magician instead of a wizard in his note? Izzy had no clue how a teenage magician was supposed to protect her, at least any more than she was already capable of.
Izzy thought that now was a good a time as ever to mention the code phrase that her father told her would identify the "Magician called Joe". If this was really the guy her dad wanted her to find then maybe he could tell her what was going on.
She was about to say the word when Eugene appeared in the room, beaming. "Dinner is served!"
A loud electrical pop, followed by Sam's scream shot through the house.
"My bad, dude," Fred said from the next room.
"It is your bad!" Sam shouted.
Joe tried to not laugh at Sam's frizzy hair at the table while they all ate dinner. With the exception of an accidental chortle, he thought he did pretty well.
Sam—who was currently glaring in Joe's direction—probably would've disagreed.
They were in the middle of their chicken paprika and vegetable hash when there was a knock on the door.
"The Book can't knock, right?" Isadora said when Mrs. Bess went to get the door.
Sam gave her a strange look. "You're joking, right?"
Isadora tilted her head, confused. "No."
Mrs. Bess returned, a tight smile on her face. "Looks like we have a guest, dear."
A man wearing a cape and a blue mask followed in behind her.
Isadora choked on her glass of water. Joe smacked her on the back.
"It's him," she said in between coughs.
Joe furrowed his brow, unsure by what she meant.
Houdini forced a smile and was about to greet the new guest when Eugene shot up, bumping into the table. "Master Mysterio, sir! What a pleasant surprise to see you here. At Houdini's house. Today. Right now."
The man— Master Mysterio— smiled, but his eyes showed no friendliness in them. "Eugene. You seem quite cozy here. Should I worry?"
"Everything's Jake, sir."
Fred leaned over to Sam and muttered, "Who the heck is Jake?"
Sam shook his head.
"Is it?" Master Mysterio went on. "I thought you were sick. Or are you dishonest on top of incompetent?"
Eugene's face flushed as he stammered apologies.
"Perhaps I need to terminate you from your employment under me if you're so much happier here?"
"Hey!" Isadora snapped. She stood up and got in between Master Mysterio and Eugene. "Back off. You're upset. He gets."
For a second, Master Mysterio's eyes blazed with rage at her; Joe was afraid he was going smack her. If Isadora noticed the furious look, she was unperturbed by it. She stood her ground, shooting daggers right back at him.
Master Mysterio's angry expression melted into cool indifference. "Disregarding why you're not still locked up for the crime of jaywalking—"
"Hold on," Joe cut in. "That's why you were arrested? Sure you didn't do anything worse, like scratch your butt in public or show your ankles?"
"What a degenerate," Sam said with a smirk.
Fred snorted a laugh. "If that's all it takes, then I should be getting five to life."
Master Mysterio rolled sighed exasperatedly. "Girl, you and your friends need to stay out of this, or—"
"Or what?" Isadora said. "You'll have me arrested again? Why stop there? Why don't you have the cops cart away all eight of us?"
Eugene frowned. "Eight?"
"I'm counting Bobby."
Mysterio looked like he wanted to throttle everyone in the room but didn't know who to start with. Thankfully, Houdini stepped in to disperse the argument. He smiled brightly and wrapped a friendly arm around Master Mysterio's shoulders. Mysterio cringed, repulsed.
"Come now," Houdini said. "They're simply children. No need for the animosity. Bess, get Lauren here a plate."
Joe quirked an eyebrow. "Did he just call you Lauren?"
"And what of it?" Mysterio asked flippantly.
Joe, Sam, Fred looked at each other for a moment before cracking up. The rest of them looked at the trio, slightly confused.
"Are you three mad?" Master Lauren said, his voice tight in an attempt to mask his anger.
"I would be if my name was Lauren," Fred said between laughs.
Even Izzy chuckled at that.
Master Lauren sighed and reached into his pocket. "The reason I came by, Houdini, was not to be mocked by these four miscreants, but to personally invite you to my show."
He handed Houdini a flyer decorated in blue and black. Joe couldn't see the front, but it must have been interesting. Houdini's mouth twitched like he was suppressing a smile.
"A séance?" he asked in disbelief.
"I know you've been skeptical in the past," said Master Lauren, "but I assure you that this is one hundred percent genuine. I'd be more than honored if you would come. And you're welcome to bring your new... friends."
His eyes drifted disdainfully over everyone before he turned on his heel and left, the front door shutting closed behind him.
At that moment, Mrs. Bess returned to the room with a plate of food. She looked around for a second before glaring at the spot where Master Lauren once stood. "He must have been it quite a rush."
Isadora turned to Eugene, annoyance still etched in her face. "So, you work for that jerk?"
Eugene looked down, embarrassed. "Yes."
"You shouldn't have to. You're better than that."
Before he could respond, Isadora returned to the kitchen, offering to help Mrs. Bess put away the food and clean the dishes. Eugene stared down at the floor, his eyes distant.
Houdini placed the flyer on the table. "A séance," he said, his tone condescending. "Nonsense. I bet I could figure out Lauren's tired tricks in no time. However, I suppose it'll still be amusing to watch."
"You don't believe in ghost?" Fred asked in between bites of food. Sam rolled his eyes.
"You just can't be too trusting of a spiritualist, I'm afraid."
And he left it at that.
They all decided to help Isadora and Mrs. Bess in the kitchen. Once done, the five of them decided to set out to the city in search of The Book. They looked through the New York Public Library, some local stores, and even asked a few people on the street if they happened to see it, many of whom gave them odd looks.
The sun was setting and the street lights were turning on. Remembering his mother's words, Eugene had to return home but promised to help them look tomorrow after work.
Thankfully, Houdini offered to let them crash with them. The boys got the living room while Isadora got the smaller den. Joe figured she got the better deal since she was farther away from Sam's brain-rattling snoring.
Joe stared up at the ceiling, his lids heavy. Every time they'd close and sleep was just about to take hold, he'd be jolted awake by a snort.
Frustrated, Joe threw off his blanket and headed to the kitchen, stopping in surprise when he saw Isadora there. She was staring down at the flyer Houdini got earlier and fidgeting with something in her hands. The top of the flyer where Mysterio's name had been was torn off.
"Can't sleep?" He asked.
She jumped, dropping something out of her hands. Joe stared at it for a moment before realizing it was a paper star.
Isadora placed a hand over her chest. "You scared me."
"I could tell." He pulled out the chair next to her, spun it around, and sat on it backward. He picked up the paper star. "This is pretty cool."
She smiled a little. "Thanks. I always end up making them when I'm tired or nervous. My mom taught me."
Joe nodded, admiring the star for a second before putting it back down and grabbing one of Mrs. Bess's cookies.
Isadora's smile faded. "What if we don't find The Book?"
Joe was caught off guard by her question. "Don't worry. It hasn't happened to us before."
"Do you lose The Book often?"
Briefly, Joe considered lying to put her at ease but decided against it. "Honestly? Yeah."
She nodded again, her brow set in confusion and fear. She twisted her earring and forced a smile. "Well, you guys are still here, so I guess it can't be all bad."
They sat in silence for a moment while Joe polished off his cookie. He propped his arms on the top rail of the chair, resting his chin on his arms. "You said your dad's out of town doing a show, right?"
Isadora's shoulders moved like she was startled by the question. "Oh. Yeah. Uh huh."
Joe wiped crumbs off of his shirt. "Is he touring or is it just one show? I've seen his stuff online, but always wanted to see one of his shows in person. Well, I have, but I was like four when I went with my uncle, and I don't remember much so I don't count it."
Joe bit his lip to shut himself up. Sometimes even he noticed that he talked too much.
But Isadora didn't seem to notice or be bothered by it. "I wouldn't mind getting you tickets when he comes back. He lets me have a couple if I want to go with friends."
"That's awesome. Does he let you do that a lot?"
She shrugged. "Yeah. Do you still have your cards?"
He blinked, surprised by the change of topic. "Oh, sure. Here, Isadora." He reached into his jeans pocket and produced the cards.
"Izzy."
Joe wasn't sure if he heard her correctly. "Huh?"
"You can just call me Izzy if you want. It cuts the syllables in half."
The two of them stayed up, playing card games and talking until at one point they both fell asleep at the table together. In the morning, Mrs. Bess made them breakfast but wasn't going to the show with them. She had less than favorable things to say about Mysterio.
The Houdini's chauffeur dropped them off in front of a theatre on the edge of Manhattan. Gray clouds hid the sun. The crowd was nowhere as large as yesterday, with about twenty or thirty people lined up in the frigid cold in front. Houdini displayed the remainder of his flyer as their joint ticket to the teller before making his way inside, the four of them in tow.
The theater was dimly lit with a slight chill in the air carried in with them from outside. The scent of musk wafted through the air. Patrons sat in clumps, away from other theatergoers, unlike the day before where the theater was so stuffed, many had to stand in the isles.
Joe, Sam, Fred, Izzy, and Houdini all gathered in the front row before a stage not even as big as the one at school. A stool and a table draped in a dark blue cover were the only things standing in front of pitch black curtains.
The curtains jerked open, followed by a surprised squeak Joe suspected was from Eugene. The curtains peeled back to reveal Mysterio. He glided forward, his large, billowing cape obscuring most of his body.
He crossed in front of the table and gestured overdramatically with one hand. "Mediums. Spiritualist. Necromancers. All claim to communicate with the dead. All claim to be endowed with natural, incredible gifts, but all are wrong."
Mysterio glided along the stage like a shark in water. He spoke as if he were addressing everyone individually. He locked eyes with Joe for a split second before moving on. Needles pricked at the back of Joe's neck. Sam, Fred, and Izzy looked like they felt something similar, their faces screwed up like they just ate something sour.
"I am here to tell all of you today, that every single one of them relies on tricks, deceit, and misdirection. Many use smoke, mirrors, or simple sleight of hand to achieve this goal. But not I. Of that, I can assure you."
Next to Joe, Houdini chuckled derisively under his breath. Joe recalled Sam telling him last night, that Houdini was known for debunking spiritualist in his day (something Joe, admittedly, wasn't too knowledgeable of).
"Through intense training I mustn't share with you at this present moment, I taught myself how to become a conduit for the other side. The souls of the dead can communicate with living directly through me."
Sam crossed his arms, a skeptical look on his face. Fred looked at the rest of them and not so subtly made the cuckoo sign. Izzy chuckled.
But Joe noticed that the rest of the audience was feeding into Mysterio's speech, silently eating up his every word.
Mysterio grinned widely. "So! Do we have a volunteer in the audience for this demonstration?"
Several hands in the crowd shot up around them. Mysterio appraised them curiously, before dramatically pointing at Izzy. "You, my dear!"
Izzy laughed in disbelief. "Me?"
"Yes, girl."
"For real?"
Mysterio nodded, irritation briefly touching his eyes.
She chuckled. "Okay, then."
Joe gently tugged on her sleeve as Izzy went to stand. "Um, you sure you want to go up there? He seems…"
He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about this didn't feel right. He already distrusted the man, and given the fact that he tried to have her arrested for the severe crime of jaywalking, Joe suspected that his motivation was less than kind.
Mysterio grimaced and jerked his head slightly before smiling again. "Come on, ladies and gentleman. Let's give this young woman some encouragement!"
The crowd began to cheer excitedly, nearly masking the sudden boom of thunder from outside. Eugene rushed from behind the stage like a frightened squirrel to help guide Izzy onto the stage.
A drop of liquid hit Joe in the face from what was probably a leak in the roof.
Sam glared up at Mysterio. "I really don't like where this is going."
"Yeah," Fred agreed. "Lauren's up to something."
Izzy wasn't nearly as worried as the boys looked to be. She was doubtful that this was legitimate. From what she remembered about Houdini and spiritualist, he managed to debunk every single one he encountered. Plus, she didn't think he'd be able to contact the ghost of a woman who wasn't even born yet.
Poor Eugene looked more than just flustered. He looked... remorseful? She didn't have time to ask him what was wrong before she was guided to the table and he disappeared behind the stage.
Master Mysterio sat on the only stool and gazed up at her with uncaring eyes. He held out his hands. "Your hands, my dear."
Izzy complied. His hands were cold even through his gloves.
Mysterio closed his eyes. A few seconds passed before he said, "I sense a spirit in our presence. Spirit, if you are the ghost of this girl's deceased relative, give us a sign."
Nothing for a moment, then—
Knock knock knock.
Izzy rolled her eyes. Predictable and easily faked. It could've been his foot under the table or even Eugene could have—
"Yes," Mysterio said. "I see a woman. Long hair. A dot-head."
Some chuckles from the audience.
Izzy stiffened. "Excuse me?"
"A mother. Your mother, my dear."
She shifted on her feet uncomfortably. "Lucky guess."
"Dulari? Dulari Shabazz."
Izzy's heart sank. "How did you—"
"She's saying... She's giving me a message to you. Something important."
"T-that's fine. No need to—"
"Dulari Shabazz. I grant you permission to enter my body."
Suddenly, Mysterio went completely still. He convulsed, eyes rolling back into his head. He clutched harder onto Izzy's hands, making her wince.
"Hey!" She protested. "Let me go—"
Just as suddenly as before, he went completely still. His eyes softened and looked into Izzy's with more warmth than she thought he was capable of. "Isadora? Malpua?"
Izzy jumped back, wrenching her hands from him for good. It felt as if a golf ball had found its way into her throat. "No."
"It's me, Malpua. It's Mama."
He tried to cup her face but she backed away.
"C-cut that out."
"I need to tell you..." Mysterio stood up jerkily and went around the table. He gripped Izzy's shoulders and stared her down. She felt too stunned to move or look away.
He leaned towards her ear and spoke softly, but loudly enough for the audience to hear some of his words. "Don't trust the madman with the monocle. He is dangerous, Malpua. You see him, you run. Anywhere. Any when. And you don't ever, ever let him get you. Ever."
With the last sentence, Izzy managed to muster up the courage to get out of his grasp. She pushed him away but tripped over her feet and fell backward onto her rear. She stared up fearfully at Mysterio, who towered over her.
How did he know that, Izzy thought. Her thoughts went rampant and wild. How could he have possibly known that when she herself barely could recall her mother's exact words? She tried to remember when her mom told her that, but the memory was old and had faded with time. Snippets of a trip to the mall, a mysterious man, and her mother's horrified face flashed in her mind, none staying long enough for her to get a good look at them.
That day had been something that always bothered her in the back of her head. After that day, her mother never brought it up again and her parents always froze up whenever she mentioned it. They never answered her. It was one thing on a list of things they never told her about.
Was Mysterio the man her mother was warning her about? No, he didn't have a monocle, and something told her that the man her mother was terrified of would try to do more harm to her than get her arrested for a misdemeanor.
Izzy was so caught up in barely noticed when Mysterio stepped in front of her, waving his arm above his head in a flourish. "Take note of the girl's reaction," he shouted at the audience, apparently himself again. "It's it not genuine? Have I convinced you yet of my authenticity?"
The audience applauded, many giving him a standing ovation.
Izzy looked up to see Joe, Sam, Fred, and Houdini gazing at her with a mixture of confusion and horror. She felt exposed and ashamed by her reaction. A jolt of embarrassment ran through her.
She jumped off the stage and ran outside into the freezing rain, pretending to not hear the boys call after her.