Doug Dyment - Calculated Thoughts

to fuiliutl /'ttI «Inlrolling Ihis unn=rily. lfyou would likt 10 roll tina Qgain.l ilttlilr you 10 do so. You would' Fine ... I S« QnolhtT Ihref', bringing your lo/tlilo fourlan. Mary, liftS(' oll'd, hlWf' btm ht~ btfo~ you from Iitt beginning, is Ih,,' so? And no 0111' hAs dl"ltgnilhtir wdtr in tilly WIly? [Participant ~ and entertainer hands her tilt" pack.) Would you pita$' tIIt",I down to Iht fou r,«nll/(tIrti in Ih,s pod. lind turn ilfoct lip for us all lOS«' Ah, TM High PritSld&. Thai would a rltlinly S«ffl tin appropriatt urd., suggesling inn" WiS4W1!I. inluilloll. purily. lind lrodling. Bill YlJllr xltellon of il tulS no mo~ Ihan rnnaD1!In ffl and roincidrna, was il not? leI us Ji",,/ly turn 10 'his tallt/opt, tlrt romtnlS of which I wil/ll:S.I; yoou. Mnry. 10 mrd aloud 10 our aIIr/ie'la. [The paper inside reads. ~Let the skeptical ponder how it is that Mary'S life path should forever be entwined with The High Priestess ... ,l Methodology (Purl One: Preparation' When propt!rly PTllSel1ted, this is a strong plot. capable of eliciting gas~ from an audience. It is, however, unlikely to survive inclusion as part of a rtgularly viewed performance, so is best ~ primarily on special occasiort5, or by those with ever-eMnging audieru;es. This is because it draws heavily on the notion of multiple 0\Itft', with a healthy dash of equivoque thrown in. The script and actions prtSCntcd above are but one of several combinations, the choice among which depends on the rolls of the die. The variances are minor, but someone privy 10 multiple ~win8s over a fairly short time period could be expected to spot them. The plot works 8S follows: despite tilt" apparent fairness of the selection PTOC'l'SS, careful scripting and handling of the Tarot pack actually reduces the avail able choices 10 a mere four cards, with an available prediction for each. TIlt Cards l1Iere are 22 Major Arcana cards (the named images. u opposed to thoge urds that clo.sely correspond 10 modem playing GIrds: the Minor Arcana). In order for this force to work, however, one of them must ~ removed, resulting in a pack of 21 urds. I generally remove the Fool, but the choice is arbitrary. Any four cardscan be used as the ta~l$; pick four that iII<' appropri~te to the pt!rforming sihlalion, and about which you can comment credibly (as any of them might be selected). For this descriplion,. we will call them ,imply A, B, C, and D. 151

These large! cards are plared. It"Spectively, al positions 4. 8. 12, and 16 of the ({~oe-up) pack. Remember these number5 (the firSI four multiples of ). as they are needtd when determi ning how to manage the four outcomes, Incidentally. if you'd like to increase the odds of particular cards being cho!Ien. be aware that C (at por;ition '12) will be the card most frequently sel«ted (48'1' of the lime), followed by 8 (33%), D (15%). and A ,, ~ Th.est> numbers nry so dramatically bc>cause the results of ~ fair throws of I die emibit the dusk -bell-skapedH curve. with IIwl mid-rmge values being much mOR! likely looccw, The Envelope(sl Use your - favourite method- to reveal the correct prediction (of the foUf .v.wable~ It', important to choose an approat h that permits 11 display of the prediction prior to the selection of the card; this is no plaae for, ~Ind ove r heR!, taped to the back of this pictu re frame .. . Uj Pemaps the ideal solution (and the one I use on mQst occasions) is Roy Miller's excellent disarmingly thin. four-compartment Miller Mirlltlr W~lId'''. A less expensive approach is the use of multiplecomp;trtment envelopes. Designs have ~ published for four-way enveJopes"·, or one could use a couple of two-way envelopes'" in conjunction with. Himber-style wallel A particularly devious (and thus Siltisfying!) solution,. using a regular Himber·style walkt is po:ssible if you NVe good control over the audienae's viewing angles. Simply plaQ! the mOiSt commonly required pll!diction (I.e., \hat for the C card) in one side of the 111. M>IIi"l ' rood M,/Irr ,,;,.<1, -. ...... m' ......... ~ .. _ ,,' _,...,.. .kill, .... 01 .. ,"""......t '" """'" ,"" 1" , ,..., ""7 n«d <0 010>. 10 ,1< ~ ,,, linot . !" ..... ...,..'noJ< "~ III, 5<"" u....,.., .~""P'l' M"lupk_Ou, f .• ",,,,,,' I. , f",,"'"1,,11 .... 1 '" n .. I:.1"", "". mpie, ..,01 ;, .... ...,.. ""(1" "' 011; pit p<,I;" mtn«>. A"",,,,,, undiJo .. 10 Ab," lklkon" .Q"..w", Lib.n. <houJh dU . .. """" """"",. '" _.""'. ,nd is _ ....... 101<. 119. My _ " rr<f .... mI....,....'Y ........,.,., ... Mil« lbo,,,,,," " , '""" '" · U""bk . 152 leo<,..,-l<"'" I)'P<> ...,j \1~1""" JI.opo' ' fli9Fbp· (mOo """). &,I, oi , .... .... MI,.!oIr.

wallel, and thO! remaining three predictions (in .. known order) in the other sidO!. ~n the wa llet is introduced at till! lli!giMing of the performaoct', il is opened to thesidO! shOWing the slngle ..... velope. This is briO!f1y removed. and JX'"IDaps finger·flkbd, 10 re-infol"Cl! the belief Ihal there is but a single envelopo'! in the wallet; it is lhen replaced.. and the wallet closed. Shoo.ld C ~ seleded (which win OCCUr 48% of the time), yoo can cleanly open the wallet and allow lhe participant to f\'move and opm lhe prediction envelope. For the other S~ of your performances, tilt the wallet Slightly away from the audi""ce while opening it to remove the correct prediction from among the three on the other 'idO!; thiS i5 done while asking the participant about her selection being "no more than randomness and ooincidenceN. As the wallet was clearly seen a few moments b!!fore, and with only a single I'nvelope therein. thO! fact that it is not SO dearly 5een this time should pass muster. And naturally, the partidpi!J1t is still permitted to opt" the ..... velope. This clever ploy dates back alleast to Billy M<:Comblll in the 1970s. Whichever method you use. be prepared to produce ""y one of four individual predktioos (i.e., for A. B, C, or OJ. Mellwdology (Part Two: Performance) The equivocal a!pect5 of this plot rome into play when counting to the NspedfiedH card. ~re are four possible rou tes to "me, depending on the total of the three (or four) rolls of the die. They are traced as follows: • If the total i, a multiple of four (or a numbe r immediately preceding a multiple of four), leavO! the ca rds as originally positioned (i.ev in foa up condition). In this case you can also use body languag~ to emphasi7.e that you have nol touched the cards 5i.nce the die-casling began (y0ll could even point thisoui. though th~t's more like the style ola conjuror). If ~ IOI ~I 15 WI! a l~ of four (or an i.rnrnedialely ptea!ding number). pick up lhe pack and h.nd it to the participant, while casually turning it Nrisht side UpH (i.e., with the cards now in fila down position,. which most people consldu the: HnormalH orientation of a pack of cards). This was the elise in tht sample script pMsenled above. I! Ihe total i, an even num bn, count /0 the ca rd position (as in the sample script). 120. b;lly M .. c..",,·, 7~ &,;,,;.. II'dil<t ,,>«I,. <" ...... ,~ ... ., ,.r ,t.. "'"_ of to. d • .>!· "'""... ..... , ........ f""l"'''' ,....,.. 153

154 If Ihe lolal i. an odd number, remOllC tlut num~r of cilrds from the lop of the pack. and the selected ard i5 the lop one of those remaining. {Wollld yow plrtIS<' dlSOlrd fourlttll om15 from this p«k7 .•. AIID 110"', turn 1M stl~ltd ClINt f«a up for us all to ~., Nat\lnolly, the pmli<1ion corresponding 10 the revuled card is now prodl.l<"td lOS a a>nClusion 10 the p_tation. Optional Elements In the !HImple performance scripl above, the participant was given the Oppolt\lnity to cut the die a fourth timt.". This is an option whenever the e~ ting total is 12 or less {as there is still no chance of the new total exceeding JlI). Whether it is an optiOfl. that should be e)(erdsed is an interesting quPStion ... In general. I am not a proponent of "adding even more rUldOll'l1'oeS5" to a plot. The odious "Would yw !ike to change your mind?"" i$almost alwaysb.td psymology, bad lheat~, and suggestive of maglctrick.s IThank you. Gene Nielsen\.1n this instance, of coun;e, it i$ not being sUS8f$ltd that the participant change her mind; she is merely being offen><! a previously WlStated option to continue. Also, the thoroughly random nature of the activity is I central element to the theme. Nonethele», t would never do this just because it happens 10 be possible, but only when it can achieve a superior outcome. In this routine, a slightly better oulcome results from counting d ire(lly to the chosen card, than from ·discnrding~ ca rd5 {i.e., from an et>o:n total, rather than an odd ~). In the sample script, Ihe total was eleven (which. along with len.. is one of the two moot probable toul&-l2..S% each-d three die rolls). As I'd prefer an even result, I allowed her 10 roll again. She might choose not 10, of course, and ihere'6only ~ 5O-SOchance that the rel;uJt will improve in either c_. But in Ihis i.n.!;tano. it did (I wrote the script, after 1m), and it led to a more satisfactory conclusion. "MarkEd" Cll r~ In normal performance {<ISSlIJl\ing careful handling during the initial display of the Tarot faces}, the audi"""<:e never sees the wei of the card al position 4, or thefitct of the card al position 16 (unless one of these is the selection). Each of these cards can, therefore, be marked on the appropriate side with a big ~X~, which become!I the prediction. shown by t1.Iming the card over. And now only two wrilt~n predictions {for

the remaining two possibilities) a re I'lC<:e$5iiIry, with a simple double ffivelope being ~equa te to deliver tMm, The downside of this approa.ch is that you can no long..., refer prominently 10 the prediction envelope, as 19% of the time it would not be used. ESP Cards 'Ihls methodology C~ n aLw be used with a standard (Ii~ symbols, ~at~ five times ea(h) ESI' deck in plKe 01 Tarot ards. This app/'Oilch lends itself particularly well 10 another style of presentation, one explored in the following chapter. 155

156 Coup et (A Stu.nning Simulation of Synchronicity) Encution Plots involving couples are gene .... lly apPealing_ Here, AUen and Bcth participate in a demonstration of the surprising connection tha i can exist betw/!tn partners. Allen is offered a set of (face-down) Z~ner symbol (areb, and chooses one; thl~ unviewoo t ard. ;$ 1",fl with him to guam. n.e eJltertaine. oontinues ... Is 'h~ "n;WI'W ~bou' liS IU f1l/Idom and diJinl_,tdll!l ",me lII<Iu141ut1At us I>dift¥? Or Qrt INIY lilll~u"dtrstood Jara:$ gl work. dnrwing MnntCtio.u in IHIr 1ir1fs 1Jui! Of/ttl ",,,niftst tMm$t/w:s lIS '/nllIgt and wo:mdrous winridtit(ff.' [Entertainer spre"ds ~ nm>aining cards face up on the t .. ble; they are seen 10 be well mil<ed.I1h~ /ITt Uno symbols, drot/oped elI,'y in 1M prtVious rmhny lIS II 1001 for up/oring ulrllSDl50ry amntctiom;. [Enleruiner inlr(ld\,lCl'$ dice.1 Thtu art diet, all nltlt mort IIncien t /00/ for i"voting 'lind"", twll/l;. B,,' Ihtst art /lWdtnl «l$i.w diet, using ~"tyfirst crnlury ttlginttTing prtdswn to In.'llirt II ctrlainty 0/ .""domntSS unknown/o 1M tIIr'y olchtmi!;ls ~"d soolhsllytrs. Choose Ont of Ih~ dict, 8rlh, and we will II$<: il 10 sNrdrfor thl synchronicity Ihal is oftCtl prrunt in ~Iy COIInlcltd COllpie:;, [participant d'\OClSO!S J. die.] Btftm: we begin, &lh,ld me de:;cri/lt aaclly whIIl we shill! do. You will roll tit" d~ tllr« lima, yidding nllmbtrs IMI """tof liS hlrt coilid possi~ly ,mdict in "1lIIna. w.: lllilllllid thost nllmbm to prodlltt a II"~T total, sp«ifying one of IIIne -'Y"'1d cmrIs. whose identity III$() ","ld 1101 bt btuwn to /lny of "' pnxnl. And the hidden emtnlls of AJInr', pockd. whim M will mJrIIlllflmv/lrd. will rldrnlli~ tM 1ignifiall1tt of whatftIU /urppnIs. [Enlerlainer gathers Zener pack ~ther again, making room to ClISt the dit; 1M cards remain face up.] So 1l0III. if yen< wilL .. a 111.-«. an '''spiei/lils btginning! And aguin ... a six. IIIID/ht!' IIppIIrmlly random ocnmtn(t. Andfinlllly ... II two.foralolal ofr/rom. Now &lh.1 ",id whtn we btglln Ihal ~II WInIld CII.$I lhe d~ Ihm limt5, bwll dOM'/ wllnl you 10f«1 tlull I'm rontrolling Illis unnm-ssmly. If YO" would like 10 roll once IIgain. I invilt you to dO$(). YOlllDOllld? Fine ... I set IIno/ht!' Ihr«, bringing your to/III 10 follTlten ,

&'h, 'h~ cards Iurot MM hut btfo" YO" from ,~ btgiMMi"8, i:; l/wl sor Itnd MO OMt 1m ' /wMgN Iheir ordtr i" ~My woty? [Participant agrees, and entertainer hands her the pack.] Would YO" p~ ("I)IIMI dowM to thefoJ'r'"Mlh ( IITd iM Ihis p<Id, 11M / I"M it fiatt lip Jot 11$11/1 10 5«7 All. tM stllr, symbol of goals 11M dreams, the pursuit .1Id 1l111li",I~t of personlll visiorts.'" Thill COf4ld a rllli"ly ~ SN1I /15 appropmlt hut, 8111)'011 rould ~ NSily IrIlVt chosnt Iht Wdtl!f lind or lhe CT!l$S [showing the preceding and following symbols] •.. 'fC'u, selteliM of Ilris $III' WIIS MO ITJOIT /"'m YIIMdom" tsS IIMd cuiMoJfMct, WII5 it 110/1 ul's filld 011/, I!y IImn8 AIItM MOW 10 r~llht symbollhlll ht Jrttly 'lrost tIIrlitr, bill which twM ht dotS Mol ytl .blow. [Allen displays his previously sel~ted ( ard, whkh turns out to be ... the star.] J IhiMk warm roM8 .alu/Ql i(ms il" dlilOU' lo ry ~M rouple! Exposition This plot incorporates a similar methodology, and m uch of the presentation, as that of Major Arcanum (the previous dlapte ~ using Zener symbol cards in place of that plot's Taro! cards. So again, despite the apparent fainwss of the seloecrion p~ oreNI scripting and handling of the ZeneT pa<:k actually reduces the ilVailable choices to a mere four cards, eKh of which d isplays a stll symbol. In order for this fora to work. the 5ize of th~ standard 25·card Zener symbol pack is rffiuced 1021 ca rds, a'XompHshed by removing four symbol cards finduding the star) from which All en will make his choice. The remaining fou r star symbols are ocat~'d at positions 4.- 8, 12" and 16 (the fl rst four multiples of ff) of the face-u p pad:. If you are using the Zenith Stack, you will find tha t it has been designed 10 set up this plot quickly. If necessary, cut the adjacent pair of $qual\" symbols 10 the bottom of the ~k. Spread the cards.. fares toward you, and remove one each. of the pai~d stat rirde, wavy lines, and squa~ symbols (leave the pair of CI"06SI:'SJ. Withou t I'@vealing their faces. present these four ards face down 10 enable Allen to make his teleo:tion. Keep track of the position of the star symbol. lhe remaining (21-CIIrd)JMck will be le ft ordered .s follows (every fourth card-c:ounting from the face--displays a star): Ill. ()"L .. d i.,(....,., ....... ,he .., th ~>I >IP"".t>« of ..... ;,:..,.. '1"""",, (on<! m..,J, .""" (, " '.K.h!. '" 7-"'<ftIU1I<)', found ........ ...., ill ,~~....... 157

I 158 Th.e Siar is forced upon Allen by any standard equivocal pmadurt. If you are unfamiliar with this technique (whkh, to bt> done successfully, lakes both careful study and practice), consult a good reference,'" Furthtr equivou! aspects of this plot come into pLay when COUIlting lothe -spectfied- .:.ard in the <l~up pack of (21) remaining cards. Th.ere Ill! four possibll' ro utes to same, whkh are ITiJad as described in the p~;ng cha~r, Note also tile optional action of aUowing the d ie 10 be cast a fourth time: this also iSelCplained in som~ detail in the previous chapter. Conclude the performance by inSlructing the first participant 10 show Ihe symbol that nobody has sem to this point, one that curiously matches that which was randomly chosen, Alternatively, tum over the Ihref' Initially discarded symbol cards, showing that they do notmatch the randomly selecled symbo1.1lIen turn over lhe dIosen fourth card to display the matching symboL. Thret AltD'nalivt Actions In the uample explained hen:, I have u~ the stir for the force symbol, asIA) II is the most J"OP'lbr Zenersymbo\, and (B)il permits a seamk'5$ setup following the use of the Zenith S",ck. In ..ctuality, though. any of the five symbols oould be ust<! as 1M target (with an appropriate I't'arrangement of the initial Slack). Should it amcem you that Allen is only offered a choice from among four symbols (though this is not emphasized, due to the cards beillg face-down, ilIId the fact that the direction of tht play is unclear to the Il.Idience at this point), you mn always illtroduce an additional (26.) card to allow for a complete set while leaving the necessary selUp intact. Although it is p~ simple to keep track of the force card when mixing the (four- or fivoxard) packet I will mention for C(lmpll'teness that this card alUld also be marked in advmce, making it easier to 10"",- llJ. I < ... _6.Imdy ~.......J M.. lA-.', """" .......... M.lr'fJi<i" DVIl (I.&L "'~lOt Ol ,

Bob's Your Unc e (HBob's ESP Demonstralioll" Rroisited) Some History Bob Ca rver, perhaps best known for his hEqually Unequal Ro~" (a.k.a. ""The Professor"s ghtma ~), was !Ul influentia l dose-up entertainer based in the southeastern United States. His wonderful (yet little known) ESP demonstra tion'" is. to my thinking. the best Zener-symbol-matching plot yet developed. Unli ke many other appro.ches, Cuver's uses no gimmicks. no extras, nothing more than len unprepared cards from a Zener symbol cleek. and it rqllica les the predseotder in which the symbols al\' malchtd by the participant. Whal I ha~ ((lnlributed is a Significantly improved approach to managing what Charles Perur calls the "patterns" n«CS$ary to bring the routine to a SUCC\"S5fu! condusion, thus making il much more easily __ nd thus l\'liably- performed H~r fire" (hence 8ob's Your Uncle"""). This has long ~n one of my favou rite intimale effect!;. not only because of its "squeaky cle ~ nature, bul also because the entire focus 0/ the action is on the pu ticip.nl,. making her the hero of the play. The Demonstration All that is required al\' five ma tching pairs of cards from a Rhinel Zener {or similar) ESP deck. or even hand-cirawn symbols Oil busino!ss cards.. In an "emergency", one could employ standard p~ying cards, choosing colour-ma tched pairs of Aces through Fives.. for e>cample (though in my view, this makes il look like a card trick). ' ll -_. f_\P l"k __ ",_- .. _«roily --' ,n u •• ~ J , .... ,.,., .....,., 9 _ _ _ (l.,.,..,I.1'I' ~_9 U4. 11<>11 , ,..... "",k - i • • <""h ..... "" __ • .." -.,.,..' .. .tl .. ,- '" ;0.'''' "'" I, ......,-. It <l>o,~ .... ,n 1&/17 ~ ... " ,I.." I".,,," I~i" .. M;"",., R.,!:o:<, C ... ,I ( .. I.. .. I ... ~ s.tioOu'Tl <k<0lN '0 appno", _. ~"~,, B,I~"" '0 , .. f'«""ir; ..... ",1 .. ," >l,~ ~ !'<~, J I:h;,.( s.,,, ..... , " 1""-' .... . No. 10.< "" ,100 II",i'" ",,1>1;,; "" ,.., f", '""" L",d >.oj"""'T;''' .... I'I"'....J n' '" I .. ",,", ~' ... n "' " "hu, " -\1 • ...1. Hob' In ,1 .. ·,,,,,,;,'1; f."" ' .... ~·I.>< ~ .. ","" .. .u,'" J t.I.o'.n' ........ "i.m. "11" ••• ' ...... ' " .... It· "'"<" .. "". """"i..t u<c,,'" ",'''', ..... , .wt~.,j 'U ' "r MU .. U"" '. ~h"h ''''' W'''''"I' .... p .. " •• h; .... ,1 lor f."""i""_ .... ,I ... " .• od..d (.-1.,<1 1 .. ro>bI i< .""""y. """,~ ...... ''''' rh· .. , km ;" ,d~. , nd hn.." .... "' nJ:,.'co. ", ...... , .... , "" ' , .. , ,....Iok.,-. 159

160 One set (of five different cards) is laid out. f~ce up, before the participant. in any order. lhe entertainer retains the second !let, not allowing the card fltCf!S to bo! seen.. Tho:! entertainer Ngins. selecting II card from hisset and placing it face downon the table. The p~rticipant. using wha~~r instincts might guide her, then chooses a single card from among the. in front ofoo, tuTnll it facedown. and places it on top of the ca rd previously dealt (to male II pair). Setting too pair aside, too entertainer selects and dells a $eWl\d card to the table; the participant again chooses. card (by turning it facedown upon the dealt card), making /I serond pair. This new pair is then placed atop the pair that tu.d been set aside. The process Is repeated twice more, with the enterlainer always dealing first, the participant's chosen ca rd sub5E!quently placed on the dealt ani, and the re:;;ulting pair moved to the pile on the side. The entertainer then places his final card on the table, adds the one remaining card from the participant, and drops this fifth pair on the accumulated pile. Whlle briefly r«apping what has occurred,. the entertaino.>r deals the fonnerly set-aside cards onto the table, restoring them to distinct pairs.. As he does so, in the order in which they were presented, he turns over the lOp (participant's) card of each pair,. IS II reminder of the symbols that she selected. For an appropriately dramatic finale, I can do no better than borrow from the deliciously theatrica l (what e15l1?) [>ecor dia logue: "In rsp II'S/ins, O'le nMlm;IIS PQir would « c(msidered chima. ~ [The entertainer turns up the first face-d own card, and the cards match.] "'TWo or l/rlff p"irs IhIIlllllltch WVOild « abo"" IlI1tl'llgt. ~ (The entertainer turns OVer two more face-down; they an' also matches.J • AmI foNT I)T fiw IllllldUllg pmn; fOONld ndiclll~ llu tkfinite prr:IiCfa I)j nIIfImuni(;ll/ion I>ttwmr minds .• (Theentertainer twns over the final tw(l pairs, and they af!! also m~ tches! ] Furthermore, and unlike many 5urn demonstrations, this one can be repeated (and . Iso bears repea ting. often to better effect than a single showing).

The Basic Methodology The core secret to this dever demonstration is. simple one, utilizing one basic c. rd sleight, the Glide.. which involves holding back a single card on the bottom Qf the pack,. SO the card immediately a~ it is the one actually de.1t to the table. J strongly suggest taking the time to seek out II propet; contemporary description of this sleight'''; it is the $OTt of ("lIrd move that many learn early in their ("lIreets. and are often unaware of how deceptive it can be (or even how to perform it correctly). If this demonstration were truly bt>ing accomplished using telepathic means, the participant would unerringly choose the card matching the entertainer' 5 selection, and the resulting pile of ten cards would consist of five perfectly matched pairs. In our more mundane reality, the p;"rticipant will frequently owl nratch the: entertainer" s card; in such instances, the entertainer simply chooses as IUs next card the one matching that iusl ~II'CW by the participant! Thus the result pile will still corolain matched pairs, though there wilililwly also be one Or (at most) twO separated pairs. (Using the menta list's vernacular. this is a type of one behind~ technique.) Everything is eventua lly sorted when the rt'Sult pile is dealt out as card pairs: any unpaired c.ard is simply held baek (via lhe GUde) u ntil its mate is reached, at which point It is dealt nOl1lUllly. In IUs own dC$Cription of the plot, Pecor innocently (1) observes, ·You must pay attention to where the cards are so that you will know when to Glide and when to deal." Indeed! This, as you may have surmised, is more easily said than accomplished, especinlly in the heat of performance! Keeping track of the many pos.sible combinations of matched and unmatched pairs CII!l be a dlaHcnging task. To ease this chore, I have developed the following simple two-phase procedure, greatly Simplifying the k of ensuring that everything gets properly sorted out, and co~uently f.-ing thf! entertainer to concentrate on presentation. Phase I :: Building the Result Pile During this phase, the entertainer selects and deals ca rds one at a time. TIl(' p~rtic:ipant attempts to choose the matching card for each card so dealt. The resulting pairs are collected in II single pile (the uresull pileU ). During this phase, the entertai ner employs the following procedure: 115. 'I.., ,, (,"""1 I_id<. .~ .",,,n,,", .k>e<;I~ion "I ,.." GIld< in ~ ... {" ... J UoIq. ..,.;", (S"',, ...... W.""n~. 19') ~). \Yo,,,,, I. Clul''''' 8. pp. 1lI·lll. 161

162 I. Deal any card face down(it is unnecessary In note or remember !his card. though I often use the star. as it is til(! most-chosen symbol). 2. Participant d100ses a card (by turning it f~ct' down on top o f the one just deall); note this card. then pick up the ~ir and drop same on the result pile. 3. Is the duplicate of the participant's juS\<hoseTI ca rd present in the entertainer's hand? • If 50, remember ~Yes", remove and deal (face down) this du plicate (lrd, and return to Step 2. • If"()/, remember "No· , and return to Step 1. After four pairs ha ve been assembled, the ente rtainer will be remembering a 10ur-C"Ode-word sequena!, such as HNo-Yrs-Yes-No", -Yes-No-Yes-YesH , etc. It is unnec-essary to remember anything for the fifth paolr of cards, as they will always match at the conclusion of the final deal. (U$e of the words "Yes" and "NoH is obviously not mandatory hm>; chOO6l" any two you like, though these 5«m appropriate.) This may appear ('()ffiplk;!ted in print, but with I bit of practice you will find that it COtnI$ fairly easily. And remember, this is an experiment in telepathic commuruca tion ... there is no IlHd to rush things, so take your time ~nd enSlJre that you're not losing track of the (Ode words. Phase If ;; Dealing Qut the Result Pile When it comes ti lN' to deal the result pile back Into individual ca rd paoirs, simply follow the paUern defined by the fou r remembered code word$: • For ead. -yet', aeo:ute a Glide (i.e ~ hold back the bollom card ). and deal the pair of cards above it to the table. Do this one card at a time, apparently from the bouom of the pile. The !IeCOnd card de"lt (O$te!lsibly the paortio;ipant's card) is turned fa~up atop the 1m!. • Foreach HNo", omit the Glide, and simply de~l a p;iir of cards (al$o one at a time, with the S<!«Ind turned f..:e-up, but this lime truly from the botmm of the pile) onto the table. Again, the fifth/final pair will always malch. and consequently can be dealt normally. That's it! This routine is easily practiced, as shuffling five cards and subsequently drawi ng them from a fDce down pile effeo:;tively

Simulates the role of the participant, Work through everything several times, cards in hand, and you will soon have a strong addition to your performing repertoire. Some Concluding Remarks It's important to establish (in the participants' minds) the strongly p;lired nature of the cards. This is why they are isolated as individual pairs (and some emphasis thereby given to same) on the table. Always pau"",, for a moment before removing them to the result pile; it is often appropria te to make a remark here, or ask a question such as HDid you feel any compulsion to choose tha t particular card?" The very act of collecting these pairs in a pile is, of course, destroying the strong pairing that you are suggesting (which is how the illusion works!), SO you need to distract attention from this element as much as possible. Due to the nature of the surreptitious rearrangement that has taken place, the final pairs (from the result pile) will not only ma tch, but will also be jn tilt mrrec/ "rde,. "I tht partjcipant's ch<'Srn CIIrds.'lO 50 even if the pa rticipant recalls pr<>eisely the order in which her cards were sele<;ted, nottting will appear out of the ordinary in the final rt'velation. As each pair js dealt. 1 note that HJ first chose a symbol, and you paired it with the star [or wha tever]; I then choselhis symbol, and you paired it with ... H, etc. This emphasizes the fairness of the procedure (and further justifies use of the Glide), making it clear that the order of the pairs has not been rompromised.'" II's entirely possible to perform thi.~ plot with the cards fare down, Following a face-up demonstration. the cards must again be separated into two groups 10 repea t the plol; when doing so, simply gather the participant's cards in a known order (probably the traditiona l circlecross-waves-square-star), give them a false mix or two, and then deal them face down in a row before her.''"ln my view, it's not a gQOd idea to aiWllys do the routine in this fashiol\ though: ii's less credible, and a violation of the Rhine Institute protocols. I! can, though, make for a strong-NLet's make it more d ifficult for youH_nd ing. Note that, Il5 the first card used by the entertainer to be ma tched ' 16. CU'.",Ir, "",,,, •• ck."<C'ip<"'" ''U'''''' .. l>«w4.', ,,'" ..t ...... ol...I ~ ~, m.h POl" ."mo,..I." . , ph;u,nlty. In 0..Jc, to .,.. ,. ;, Ji"""" ., r«On"""" ,,,., ... ,u.J ON" '" h ,h< P" " ,.,," _ ""'IoJ. ,,, f"". ,h~ " "'" ,,,,Iy ~,, ~ . • ," ,b~ undo.>l "b\<. 117. Wl>kh ; •. on [ .. " '''''' (i, i, ,t.< .",Im" of ,f"" pa'" ,h .. h,.. '""" «>,,'pI<lm\ot-d'). Ill\. '11,;, """Id oko b. .«OtIl"u.t><.t '~ t "",,10.-.1 ", <d>, of""" "", but '0;" m,k" ~ ..... of 0" n'l'ru ", v,~ I,,,. 163

I can be iny of the five, it ~y be chosen by .1 participant. Also, this plot can bedone with more than fivt' pilirsofsymbols, though this(a) ~ from the Rhine protocols. and (b) makes it more difficult to retI'ImIber tN, Yes/No seque~. I have fOlmd neither of h<!~ to be U5dul action", but I mention them here for the SllkeO! oomplel<.'fless. Jf you're one of those rare individu.ols who can pt'rform an undetectable $KOnd deal, you can deal the m ule pile from the top; just work /HId:wrml~ thrwgh the remembered cod'! words, dealing I pair of wseconds w fo r every ~Y s~. Although thls apprw.ch might s.eem ~c\fsIner" (albeit more difficult) to some, I am not convinced thai it is an improvement over the -C lid e~ version; in fact I use the "dealing [rom the bottom" that is necessitated by the latter sleight as an excuse to show how fair I am being.. separating the pairs in I~ UII(t $<I"'~ cmlu th~1 tlrey wtrt chasm by tilt P<lrliciPlln/. nus rouHne offers much opportunity for exploiting forlui lOUs c:ireum&tanCei that lNIy OCCUr in the malion of the pairs. For 6itmple, ilthe participant's first s.elt!ction is a true makh (which will be indk,ted by tnefinl rode W1)ro being wNow). you might c.sually show it lIS such. Uld remark along the lines of wWeIl, _'n! off to a good 51,rt ~, but I don't want you trying too hard; just b,..,athe deeply, If!Iax. and ~ the symbol that most speaks to you.w Similarly,lf the fifth/final pai' matches (whi(h will be indicated by thefourth code word being "No"),. you mightcuually flash the lowe r OIrd while placing this last pair on the ~lt pile; you could also uoo it to5COOP up tht participant's fInal card, another maneuver tha t brieOy exposes it:! idenlity. Charles Pe<:or also suggests ideas along the5(' lines, 50 I agilin urge you to seek out his book if you intend to use this routine in performance. Another Zener-symbol-matchlng offering lnal featulf!S an ultrad ean handling is the elegant wPerfed FSP". ''''This is the 0pp06ite plol from wSob', Your Uncle": in this, the entertainer matches the symbols thought of by the puticipant. A less stunning acromplishmmt.. to be sure, but I find that it provides an excellent (and fUI-moving) p reface to my own offering. Fust the entertainer demOl\Slr.ltes Iha l he OIn match thought-Of symbols,. and then we di$cover that the pilrticipant is able to do 50 as well! 11~. 'I'n{ec, f.$P" c,,! b. IQ.od ... u,'7"IN.. twO-tWD ... , {ron, 1.1.", :;pd.""" .<><1 Pn .. Nu<I, U."", MltId p"""",""". lOOGl 111< ,obt~ '" ,hi, """,., .,..,.... ul' 0( ,he .... .,..tbIt "D.loy'o Odish,- ow;tdI. obout wIUtIo,..... ,, I ~"" ><kIt"",,,t '010. .. ","", In ,I>< 164 "SpoiIodI'or~·, .......... of"' booI..

Parted Pairs: An Alternative Plot Belgian cnten~inl'r Gregory Laromble has observed that it's not ne<ess.ary to a$M!mbl ~ the c .. rd pairs in a si gl~ slack: the ... nt ... rt .. in ... r and the pa rticipant cOIn ... am build (and retain) their own individual (five-c.-rd ) pile. f'Or the final reveal, motivate the bottom deal by asking HOo you remnnbe-r the first symbol that you tried 10 match?" m!Spectiv~ of th~ answer, deal your bottom c;aId (Gliding if ~y) and tum it fae<.> up on the table, announcing its name. The participant then deals her card, and it is seen that they ma tch. Repea t until all cards are matched. This version of the plot is not quite as -squellky cI~ anH as the Originlll, oc'Cause if the fourth card dealt requires a Glide, the~ is no additional ca rd on top of the p ile to provide cover for the move. Gr~ory handles this by simply dealing the card from the top of the pail; hiding the action with a larger motion of the hands and arms. ~ extent to which you are comfortable with this will dictate which method you prefer, but it is useful to be aware of both approaches, as one might 5ult a particular p~ntatlon better than the Ofher. Or, if you are n:peating the demonstration. you might choose to use the slightly differing plot for the n:peal. Thinking with Your Feet: An Optional Memory Aid I have not per.wnally had any particul ar difficulty in forming and keeping track of the Yes / No code words during the performance of this plot. Some, howeve r, have found it a challenge. and for them I have developed'''' a technique for managing this information, representing it by various positions of the feet. This approach is probably 100 awkward in appearance for • p latform presentation, but is generally;a simple matter when working in an intimatesctting. So give it • tty if you have trouble remembering the code word seq ~. Begin with both feet facing directly forward. sid", by-!lide, and touching.;os illustrated hen!: This initial position (which also indiClitts the code words ()o No-No-No~) is simply adjusted as appropriate during the card pair matching. thtreby recording any ·YesH conditions, as follows: It .. 1:111. I u , I..,; ..... In ,h~ tfl.'"l by a..rln ~ }""b" ..... ~ ....... kt<fN.~ , .... k of ,wI> ........ ,,~! <I<o. ~;"" .... t..ed by M ... ;n l;oo-d"", in 1>00 , .... ~.,O<J ,hu>.:. ~no. ";- ~.J ~(Ntw Y..t. ~j.(,) I'r. I l _U. 165

166 I. To record a -YI'!!!.- for the first symbol pair, rotate the left shoe outward (l<teping tht heels together). 1. To do so for tho: :II:'COIld pail:, rotate the right shoe outward I~gain. kftping the ~1s together). 3. For the !ttird pair. move the right foot forward (still keeping the feet touching). •. Finally, \0 record a "Ye!I' for the fourth pair, separate the feet somewhat. while keeping their individual orientations intOlCl. Here, then. are the four individual actions: ,II, .. .. II •• The code words shown beneath each figure indicate the mtaning if this _re the final fool a.mfigutation. Of oourse. many (16, to be prKlse)combinationsof the a~ four actions an! typical, as seen in the following elCamples: 'tn"' ."".,..,.."" ___ .. '''' 0;0 ""'\'n._ !.' 'I(I"\' ••• "".Y .. In summary, "Yes'"" responses in w final foot configura tion are indiao\t!d by: • !..eft loot TOwte<! left (for the first pair), • Right foot rotated right (for the second pilir), • Right heel forw;ud ofleft heel (for tnt third pilir), and • Feet separated somewhat (for the fourth/final pair)

ESPerimenta (A Zenith Angle) Exposition A participant cuts a shuffled Zener symbol (·ESP")pack to a rJndom location. and tu rns up the Girds one at a time, out of view of the entertainer, who nonetheless calls out as many symbols lIS desired, with surprising accuracy, as the parti ci pant proc:eeds through the pack. Don't overlook this, simple though it may be in both plot and execution. It very dosely simulat es what not that long ago typified serious parapsychological ~ .. rch; consequently, it is quit .. OOIlvincing to. by audience, and emblematic or what a trut' psychic issupposed to ~ able to accomplish. In my view, it alone i5 sufficient .... ason to learn a simple ~uenlial stack for Zener symbols. Explanation This is my Own most fK"quent a pplica tion of the Zenith Stack. typica lly use it to prKede the performance of a plot in whidl a part;cip'lItl COtn;o(:tty matches five Zener symbols under extremely fair conditions'''. ] begin by removing the pock ()f Zener symbol C/IIrd s (previously arr/llnged in stack order) from its box. usu/ilIly accompanied by a brief introducti()!l to the cards. their origin. and their USf' in "ESP" experiments. This permits the audience to see tm- symbols, and that t~ /lin! randomly mixed. 'The initial shuffles. naturally. /lire faISf'. Any de«nt falSf' shuffle that does no more than cut the pKk is sufficient; the easuaJ .... ppearing O!arlier shuffle is very popular for ESPcard Nmi.xing'". To ~un the current stJd position,. and thus be able 10 call off the symbols in stKk order. one must d~rmine the identities of two /IIdjJcent nrds. J disrovu the first using what Bob Cassidy callPd Njazz mentalism": in other words, I improvise. I initially try for a glimpseof the boUom card. while the participant is cutting the pack. Many people hpndle c/IIrds inexpertly. so il is oflen easy to spot Ihis card; I

I. commonly have the participant cut the pack /I few times. increasing Iht likelihood of this possibility. Should this fall 1 haw. her make a final cut by removing (a fter 1 ru.ve turned to fllOe away) a handful of cards from the lop. BKause I have ensured tNt the pad: is placo?d flat on one of her outstretched palms, and she is about to tum up cuds (to view them) wilh her other hand, i" & only I\iIhlral (and polite) tNt I rt>Lievl' hoe. of this mnoved handful (I have positioned the participant such thai she has no surfaO!OIl which to deposit them), This ~fford.s me my glimpse"', as I casuaU y SCI them aside. For the second symbol (the one now on top of the pack), I simply guess. My personal technique is to "sense an enclosed shapeff , and then name one of 0, q, or 1l'; this giVI"S me a 20% (hance of being right, anel_ If wrong-alleast a 50% chance of rationa1i~in8 the error. If ii's the + symboL and she mimes it using the word ·~~.15uggest that people who think of it as a cross tend to visualize il as II solid object. whereas those who think of it as II plus sign think of it a$ ~ WhoI\ever 0CC\ln" It'~ not ,. big du!; in the ~ 01 cases when> I'm no! romplelely accul'3te, I respond by advising the participant on how to belll'r pictun'~ the (ard in subsequent attempts. But. having discoveml the mrrect symbol (by being informed of my failure ), [ now have the adja<.1.>nt p~lJ: [ need to orient myseU in the st~<: k sequen«>. And clearly, I am able to continue through as much o f the I1'maining p"k,. naming (or not, as I choos.!) the corre.;! symbol each lime. Of cours.!, if she has handed me a group of ca rds. I could also gl imp!*! two cards belon' Sl.'lIing them aside, obvi alin g the n eed for the gu('S$ olthe fi~t cud. But I prefer to guess (and It makeli the glimpse easier). When 1 miss completely, I'm no! above having rouble~ with the next card eithet perhaps feigning a dedsion between what 1 now know it to be and mother symbol, ("Thus does mentalism differ from conjuring.) Or I might do no peeking at al~ ~mply guessins the first two symbols. Ill. lIoI:oro,o (;w,bbj oII<n "'''e -.lo "" ..... """".ht ","" ... , ... ~I . In"', (" .. ("oIbr ~ 168 lSalol<. ImJ, pp. 311 .....

Quarto AI! U At the Fingertips" Billet Tear

..

Introduction lam often asked what i consider my bo!st cre~tion. t', a question with no legitimate answer, H.'j ~besr is SO subjective: wh..t is best for one can be(()mp~ly inappropriate fo r another. But when asked of what item I'm most proud, the answer is mote eaSily supplied: il is rhe U· DI family'" of billet tears. Billet tears. both d assical and contemporary, have what J consider a serious fl aw; they work by concealing the ~dirty work" behind the firlgers, or some other portion ot the hand. Pa rticipants are not as naive as some like to believe: if they are asked to write d own some piece of in(oonation (even if that writing is fully justified), they are aware thai if you Can somehow read that writing.. you will know their ~Ihought'". So they ("''ell some of them. anyway) will k~p an "Yeon tha t billet. And if. .t any point.. some or all of II d isappears from sight bftUnd your flllgel$ or anywhere else, they willa. some level realize tha i the information may be rompromised, tven though they do not understand the eJ<Ki details of how that might be IIcmmplished.. Consequently, the methodology will not be as deceptive as it might oIherwiSol! be. The Rl-Ol approa(h is fundamentally different, in that things that shouldn't be seen are hidden, no t behind the h~nds, but within the folded ,","per itself. Throughout the execution of the lear. the billet is held .tthe fingertips, clearly visible. There re norovert manipulation, to be concealed, Ind ill! tears are exactly as represtnted: straight down the middle of the billet. It offers many other important benefits as well,. including one that I personally cnnsidercritical,. but more on that anon. ,,,:::::~::J, Quarto lll. IlM)2 A ","-"" .... 0,.;-1 n"'-'t r_.,;" JlI.J·n_l't<h. br n....c 0)""",,,, (Son "' .......... 1111 I) 171

Eva utian Bedrock: The Core Tools of Mentalism Cerbincoremethodologies lif'atlheheartofrontemporary mentalism. These indude methods for $KreIly producing inrormation (covert writing techniques, ways of introducing objects into purportedly gua rded Locations, etc.), for subverting appar'f!n tl y random decisions (forces of all kinds), and for secretly obtaining Information. Among the latter, one of the oldest and most widely lIsed COnCE'p lS is that of surreptitiOllsly acquiring information h~t has beoen wri tten down,. ohm on modestly-sized pieces of paper; such ~ document is oommonly referred to by mentalists as a billtl"'. This, in tum, can ~ acromplished in several ways.. ranging from CXlWrlly witne:lsing the actual wri ting. through imprt'5$ion devKes, to capturing the d.lta elertronically. Pmmps the most practical reliable, and oonvenimt rr.W.od, ~"' is the U!le of the pttk. especially as incorporated within the cxmtemporary billet tear. Torn Billets: An Evolutionary Tale The precise origins of bill", tears are losl in the fog of lime, though they almost certilinly came from the mediuml spiritualist community. Charles Foster likely'" invented billet work (during his soIances in the 18605-1880s). though there is no indication that he ever toreor even bumed-one. His pupil/assistant, Bert Reese (who did bum billets in his lalff years, when failing memory and eyesight led him to abandon his earlier sophisticated techni u~l. probably knew .bout the classiool oenlTe tear by at least the tum of the century; there J$ nothing definitive, howeve(,. to $Uggest tNt he peTSOflaUy used it (PTt'ferrin81he full-billet RumbreUa moveR, a sleight-of.hand redmique later modified by Al Baker to open I tom ~tre). Documented knowledge of the centre tear likely Pl'ssed to the mystery entertainment community in 1928, when Sid Lorraine acquired it from;m American student 0. T. CarNS, who daimed to 1 J-!, 'r-""''' MldJ'" t. p;,~ i>iN", • ')'''n k-o"". ,..... 1.0<1-·. _1, '"'''' ()!,j f",no;h 6i/kN<. f""" ..,11t"" J,"',"u<i.~ 01 hilt • ..,._, f""", M«I ... >I b,," •• n.. J, ~ ••• "". ""I. Il~ . "Ihi. woodwiooo .... d ....... inf",m.oo. coII.<<nl '" ,18, I ............... . '" J_" t"';'h 172 pom<>I ..... , r-.. "'" ... , ............ Ido "'-' 1-. .. '_ioy "" It.... and """",,,

h3ve obt3ined it from Dr. Lo.>l~nd Wyman of Boston.. magician who in tum learned of it from mediums); t!>ere is.1so the possibility that Reese himself (who lived in New York CIy, and died in 1926) may have introduced it to New York's inner circle via Arthur Findley, Dai \.lemon. and l or Baker. We do know tNt it was put into print in 1929 by Joseph Ovetre, and again in 1932 by Floyd Thayer. And when Am-.emann published it in TIlL /'''1:' 6 {March 19351 the dam burst, WIth the centre lear bec:oming a standard toolkit componenl of ment,dists and magicians everywhere.'" In the dassic centre tear, a piece comprising one quarter of the billet area is secretly extracred_ inta ct_ from its centre (hence the title), and (originally) ""ad a short time la tcr. A ~urreptiti ous read of (any portion of) a billet is tcrmed a pUI:, because il is covert, and usually done quickly.'" Although the cenlre Il':ar remains 1M mO!lI widely known billet teal". theevolution of thi:t methodology hardly top~ in 1935. Siner then,. many have $OUghl_nd a surprising number have published_ billet tears that ~k to improve upon the originaJ." a gool that has met with va rying (and, in many ca~, arguable) degrees of suc(('ss. Over the years, such tears have been described by Al Baker; BrllC(' Bernslein, Richard Busch, Bob CaSSidy, Jas Jakutsch. Richard Osterlind, Ran Pink. Gerry McCambridge, Barrie Richardson. Richard Stride. and John Wells, to name but a prominent few. A particularly notable moment in this h.istory occurred In 1949, with the publkation of AI Baker'S "The New Baker Mcthodu , Introducing the notion of performing the peekduring Ih~iJcllUIl rnculiQ" Qf'~ ttm".'" Many p.-arntiOllCt!t welcomed this advance, as il offered the simullaneous benefits of a covert moment in which to do the peek. .nd an immediate destruction of the evidl'tlCe (such versions typially continue with more tearing following !he peek). 1Jo« Hilford has promoted the U!Ie of -realtimt'~ 10 ~"be such tears. .. a IerTn I haV(" adopted ~. 136. .......... 1Iod ( ..... l*ly .... _ 1f'1nc) " Of)" 01,100 ....... _ ., ... ~ In .. _i< -.I _ _ toll, .. .. -....t In 1 .. _-',...,.. (AI M ..... f ............. 1m). AI 1.1 ..... "' ......... """~ ... ,,, oIb;1ict·"' .. "" oopO;o. t ' 1. A " ........ iII""t' ~"" n 0<r0m""n1inl p«k . .. , ...... h,.Jt ... _ '" <'I«\Il< ,t.. .... ",<, "'"""',, .; .. Ih< ~.r. 1<.."", th.n ,t.<....,.. <Io:t<rl", .... (b<" ... l,.....,) ·b;IIto ' .. ,I...... "'''''>'<T. ,h i, dit<" ...... """ ,t." nQ''''''' · •• n., ,<It •. ,t.. <01«<1>0.0 ;05 f«d<(s) b.;n. ;ml,lw,l 11 .. ".po"'"' ;,,'" of ~ d,. p«I< <>«I'" ~ >tJ,l .. ",·d I" ,he 1OI"_i,. "" ~'". 138. 'Ih " n .... h<Ml. P"hJ;')'«I ;n o\J 8,1:<,', M, ,.I M.fIt (M""""p<>I; ~ I'I-I~J . .. I.J..J th< P<~ ~ 'Q h., ~ "hht "011 ... 11.0 01""" M,h '000"« .... ' thl: n .... ....,. 1<..I1"Il il ..... pI hnl \f"3< t6, "<I' ~) In ."'- " "",- ",,, .. ,'''' ...0-0/', ""I'"'''''' 01 ''''''''1\ ''1''''''''''''' 1}9. '1 .. · " ... ·"'"'-,1 .... • ' .. ,n",. r ..... """",I I,,,,,,,,, «>pi ... ..,;""" .. _ ;, ...r..,.., >c.""". 173

Yel Another Billet Tear: A &tionale Do mystery entertainers really need another bil1<'1 tear? I believe 50, interpreting the Ofl8oing stream of published methods as a strong indkation that many practitiOlW'rs are diss.atisfied with Ih.ose in current uS/:, perceiving drawbacks tha, indude difficulties in 1urning or executing the lear, the need for hidden IKtion5, limitations on the amount or placement of the area to be read, inconsistencies in the procedure, poor timing of thl! pe,p;k. awkward actions during performan<:e, special paper ~ui ~mentll, and much else. Finally, such a key romponen\ of a mystery entertain<!r's toolset dictates that we pay it the most careful attention, and demand the best possible solution. Twenty Criteria fo r an Optimal Billet Tear: A Blueprint A 8""/ without Q pI~" is i~1 ~ wish.'" So my own work on this subject began with a d~ailed list of truly obj«livc criteria (each motivate<:! by in inadequacy that I had noted in one or more of tho: many other available billet tears), to be used for mea$U.rI.ng: the success of any mulling !!OIution: 1. The peelo:.(s) must be optimized. for ex«"Ulion in real time (i. ~ durin8 the turing sequence). 2. There must be no reli~ on hidden actions: the rearing should be an open.. transparent process, taking place at the fingertips, exactly as it appears, with no concealed openings or other mOV6. 3. It must be possible to perfonn Q\ ~QS\ 1M first ro"pl~ of ttars (when onlooker !Imltiny is most intense) with eyes fully averted. 4_ Each peek must beQ)indrlent with I Specific te,ring. to justify the: eye movement 5. The tear must also accommodate those pe rforming situations requiring a dtillytd I"lIJ4 (i.e., non-real-time, with the hol~ portion of ttw, billet retained in I~ hand lor later reading. I.Il1der conditions yielding less scrutiny . nd /or further removed in time from any overt manipulation of the paper). d,,, .11"", ,to.- ft,,,,,"",, .. of • ,,,,em. ,0.1 '"' p."r...""", in • ,I,.., (,"'" ,h..o, 010<. no< "''''''''', ,If"" ,ho. 'f'''.''' ~",mI "1""';"'.1 ... ". t" 'A,lia,,,,, h". ;. 'k ... · 'oouch in """";"1\ ,u .. odo.. ;. '" ",,,,..,bk d,o«il" .... t-tll. l1oi, ;".1,,(01 "f'hori"" -. flOm til< 1'<" of Ao_'" S'O"' .~ ... phy ..... , ... ,no! 174 , 101 000. '- ""'-"'"n .. h .. .-.o:.a."..,; 1M tMti. """".

6. It must be possible to view a substantial portion (at least half) of the original billet during the peek(s). 7. 8I!fore thl! I'ntertainer receives till' billet, it must b@ folded at lea51 twiC(', with intel"5ecting folds. such that the writing seems safely conoealed on the inside. 8. The iOClUal tearing proces6 must b@ physically undemanding: • tea r shall I\I've. encompass more than four thicknl'SSeS of pap!1r, or begin at a folded edge. 9. The actions must be effective when performed with dry fi ngers. 10. The information to be read shall not require placement in an idiosyncratic fashion,. but be centred on the vertical ui.'l of the paper (wh(m held in normal writing position). n. No lliogical tearl> are permitted; they must .. lways encompass the entire billet,. and be down the middle of its shorter dimension (Le., no lengthwise tears, parHal tear" "off-amtre" teaB, elc.), exactly the way a penon would normally tear a packet of paper. 12. No iIlogiC1lI moves shoUld be used (e.g.,. unneoessary hJmovelS,. unexplained rotations, counting!Mfidd ling"! nipping of paper layers, finger insertions, etc); nothing should appear in any way unusual). 13. There shall be no requirement for "careful" folding (j.e~ no stepped edges, skewed folds, oVl'riy precise alignments, etc.); I'verythmg should be casual and noquire no spE'(ial attention. 14. Repeated actions (tea rings, unfoldings, hand motions, etc.) must app"ar ronsistent, as a normal p<'rSOfl would do them. 15. There should be no significantly "unooJanced~ lears: each hand shO\lld grip roughly the same amount of paper during e;>eh lear. 16. There shall be no writing oriffltation iS5ues: the peek{s) should display the information in il:$ originat upright position. 17. TIle posl-pt'tformanCl' detritus shall contain no unexpected .shapes, disproportionate sizes. or other evidence of trickery: the mulling pieu!S should be thorou.ghly el<aminable and un~markable. '" 18. ErClp' for tht moment smd sighllille of Iht ",twal p«k(IJ, all billet actions shO\lld be dearly viewable from any direction, with no written portion of the billet exposed at any time. 141. I,,,, < ' ...... ""I"~ ,I,., ,I .. pi«,.. "" olr"" ..J "I' ~ ' .... mi ... ,...,. hu, k i> ... ,nli",;"t '0 know ,,,",, ' .... 1 "'n "" kfi !n ,1>< Io..odt of dO<" J>""i<Ir"'" ..,d <hooout<hlJo .. uJ ~-d ........ t.J ,h" ...--.......,. 175

19. During the actual peek(s), IlQ mOn1 than one quarter of the billet surf~<:e area should b@exposed,to facilitateitsconCl;>aiment. 20. No unduly sped",1 paper can be required. in size, shape, composition. or grain orientation,; ii's fine for the tear to be optimited for D particular type of billet, but it should still function properly when used with other types.. Is this (admittedly rather daunting)\ist of criteria ~ n itpicking? Pemaps (someone has to mp the Hanal" in "an;llytic"), but it is always wil;e to remember that the true path to perfect performance comes not from grandiose daims, but by the relentlcSll removal of evm the tiniest of flaws. In tru th, moot billet tf:an; are primarily variations on old themes. They depart litlle from those that have gone before, .nd add only subtle-if any_ impl"O\"f!ments to the mix. often ad ding dr~wbacks of their own (NDecisions have OOnseqUence$H, tved Ba rrie Richard.'lOn). Not that $Ubtleties are unimportant_far from it_ but it took a particular Moutside the box" obsi!:rvlnon to breale free of the rut of dilSSicaJ method$, and pave tlw way to a new style of bille t tear. So lers him to anexposition of sUn\!. The Peek: When Slwuld It Happen? Arguably the ITIO$t important aspect of a peele is its timing: po5ilionlng the preds.e moment of execution is critical 10 success. One consIderation in this regard relates to the human perceptual system. which Is itt~mely effective at detecting even subtle eye movement (knowing almost instantly, for example.. when people .CfOSII a room are looking at you). Consequently, we must pay spedDI attention to any necessary rouerl t:y ~ IIIOWmtIIl5, arranging the script, &Ctions, blocking.. and other eJemenI$ as needed. to perfectly IICCDWlt for same. My own view here aligns with that of the late John Well$, who wrote'" (of the choia! betw.!en a peele a\ont, and a peek Incorpora ted within a tear) as follows: ..• which is mort nalun:tllilt • sm!/!, Itdlbu, /nil it is tllSin" to IIfIIkt Om' """(III look lib! alU1lhtr <1(:1;0" than "",k~ an "clion look lih oolhing III "11. /n ollvr worth, "'lfcraling ... "If instanl rtl>d bothi"d IIv ~ct at ripping up an indrx am! is milch tl>5itr than hiding a puking malf(ulltr !>mil1d thr act jOlt 142. }oh." ''"''''' •• " ,"''' 1<"1',0<1",,<1 (..;.~ P<fm-'-) flO'" k~, «..th • . /",. &.fIJl lIilkl T4' (P<IY>«Iy pohIi"-"l. 20071. !oJoI ~ Joh" ... bo.qutn,l, a",. '" l~ «, my'"" '" hOI .,.,.n 176 r.... .... If> ....... 1 "",.,.,....11, _""""' ... ,cpuut"" ~ rlm_,...J .1< .... ) .....

of j~$t ho/4ing the ",rd. Alldirnus 5U effort tuM" yell o~n'l supposed !Cl Mdoillg ~n!lthing and !My hrow SC/mtlhing is "I" Theotner important upt'('t of peek tirniJl3 relates to when it should O('('Ur in the overall te~ring sequence. Some billet e~rs Soeem to offer uthl!ir principal motivillion thE-ability to perform the necessary peek very early in the tearing sequence (often acromplishing this goal via thE- use of rovert, bWind-the-hand billel opellings, a tactic that R1- ()2 was dcsiSncd expressly to eliminate). My own e~perience suggests that far from being a benefit early pet"king is highly un~irabk, as audience attention is at its most forused, m06t skeptkal level during the ini i~1 steps, when you are first handling the blllet. Consequently, [ prefer to proceed d(/Iberotely, with a dean, open. "at the fingel1ips~ mmdling during this critical (in all senses"J of the word) stage, dearly showing that then! is no duplicity involved, and absolutely n" possibility of wiewing the written information. Rl-OI employs four clean,. all-enrompassing. stralght-down-themiddle teaN (though it is certainly possible to continue tearing if thE- situation warrants, and the paper site acmmmoda1es). As many ti thrft of these tears demand no peeks. and expDl!le no writing, liD one's head can (and show/J, in my view) be turned well away from lhe action, making il abundantly dear that II is impossible for the entertaine r 10 5ei' anything. There is something thoroughly disarming (and immensoely satisfying) about taking a participant'S well-folded bille t, irnmtdiaMy turrung one's head completely aside, tearing the billet dearly in half. then in half again,. and ewen a third time (all completely surrounded when necessary), lulling the onlookers inlO a rhythm that btolies any possibility of subterfuge. At thi5 point it be<:omes clear that the pieces must be d isposed of .'IOI"I'Iehow, so a brief glance at the repository-often the partidpant's cupped hand(SHoes not seem out of place during the seminal peek/ tear, after which the ga>:ecan be immediately averted onoeagain focadditional rendering. II is performance guilt that encow-ages a ru.sh II) oompletion.. flying direaly in the face of what Bruce Bernstein ad~ is ~tIw bel time psydlOlogically" to ad hidden information.'" By w~y of CWltrast hefe Is busy entertainer David Gerard's clesaiptlon of an epiphany experienced during real-world usage (along with ~ wealth of insights that mNly will find valuable), reprod uced here with his kind permission: I~ .l _ ( ." .. ,,1 (oJ;,,,;,,,,), I. 1",,1 ;"«1 ' Q i""s' """'''0/ "od ' "" f", I,. !. i" .... ""'"I..,: I»·",,,ful • ...... •.•.• ~ ....... , "od lud$r"'-"" 3. H",,~ ~"l"'''"' ''' 0(1 1>« •• 11" J;"'MMI, ~ n ...... . f; .. I."." .. .-" """"" )". to.."" . "Ih~ _, ..... , an b. ""',od .. Ilno,,, "''' ,,,, U • ....IICloq<>. 201 2 p. l iS). 177

I I 178 III Ol((urnnl world afn,.nl~ljsm. it is ~II 100 ,~sy 10 forget things thaI ~ ... re/(f1sU rom II month "80' "1/ ,ami' tills ,..pptntd to '"" wilh Rl-OZ: 1 p~ t jn 1M mjuisrlt hundrtds afpruc j~ INI'$ e. bur ntvC totll' (NIl ,,,d MIlly wortNi it. l'w '/""'lfS IholIgM trn/tT !tIIts IIItn' t ind of flup,d lind IIWSI people /'w!«n do ,~ nrQI::t it prrtty obviolls, New JOrnt will 5IIY IMI, if lilt ,,,di/o,,,,, MI~ yow am 1TiUI minds, you can W s"Pf' bold, Ewn if 11ul1'$ I,IU', yell sholild w gunningfot 1M 10'.'1 wllo think ]lOll'/? full of il. And mQ$t of lilt It' ''' Ihlll haw COml oul f'«t1IlIy dO/l" setm Ilial bllllttproof /0 mt, ",ilh largi sec ... 1 aptnings thai could lip wmeoltt off A.nd IhM, Ih;! weekend (1 had th ree IIIIIlk-41rolind giv IO/DUng six hour'S of stroll;"g). RZ.D~ suddenly calltd to mt lI8"in, so I pilI $Omt ~Iank busint55 alms in my !ulCk peenl and /"""ght I'd do it OI'IU Or twiu. Bllr Ilft~ rtVtIIling tht nllmes "M5TY" .nd "SIIn/h" for tim diffm.tl grollp', I "'''nd IIuu1 .udinla mrmbas moetillg mudllllOIT strongly than 1I0rm .. '. For tht rtalrd, I /III"" Il'IIdiliona/ly ItStd a ptd of my em,", Qnolirtr popw"', billrt ptd. or om' of Iht Out/QUI WIll/tIs. "T'My hil;USt Ji"', don'! gtt. me wrong. bllt it I0Il$ Q difftmll stury with 1I;1.[)1. So, why is it Ihal O,t ,",ctiems wen $0 mild! btller? I think Ihm', a 10/ SOing On hire, Saint soylltill/oow,\/OII gf! Iht ;nfo dlll'Sn', malllr_ thal il al/ romes down to Ihl _I-!lu/ / IMnk that', lotaily OOHkers, E.sptdll1ly in my~, whm 1'/11 mixing magic and l~nlQlism-if I just gOI yOllr eJlrd 10 jump to my pocktl, 5rting whal YOIl wrole on SlImt imkx C<lrd isn't allllull jmprtSJifIC, I imllgint some ~t 5rting my other puks jusl IJroughl l looktd at it, or I/lUlIght il WItS Q Irid: Wlllld, Bllt with "'Dl, I WCIS m45Jiwly SlIrprisd /1161 ptop~ Irulydidll'l thinl: IhIIll COIlI4 5« il. Allyu.oy, jtl5/ p$ 10 sItow culta/ ~ni wlttn yqwlodc 50mrlhillg in and dim" ~ ii, bllllhnt 0111 dRy dtcidt 10 do;1 ill front of rttIl ~It, TI!ert's II IoIIMI', right wilh Rl-OZ .. , huiuddayn/ tJrt pttk is, !low I an do Ihu»holt Ihing willr my htlld tv.rntd, tic, 1/ also Jils my p~nloliOll for II word rn.oral quilt nialy INmd On lhe focI tlrallhty hold Ihe pit"" in Iht ir MM. Hm's one /i"~ lip, I <lOOided "",nIt, /tars /ol'nJtr btcl/~ I l/wuglrl il WIIS MIlly IInpro~ionll/ 10 hI/lit all Ihis trash 1I,'(lImd whm you'f'J! strolling, I lhoughl prop/I would lrallt 10

~ 1M pie«'S. pUllhem 011 a labl~, dc, I JOltord Ihis i" a 5Upt~ my Wtly, Tht pl«tS go i" Ihti ~ ha"ds lIS f dl) my pmt"'aliOll. I gtt 10 'IK' poi'" ~rt I'm aboul 10 I"!'V<"III ""d I SQY, NNow, you mighl j llS! dlXiJi~ II) play "Jong ""d aVtt wilh me, !JlO I n«d 10 rtGlIy (OIIImillO th;s. - II'" oul my OW" bU5intSS ami, write 1M "amt dowlI. alld "'" Ii" ... , -N,,", I'm commilll'd, SO /tl's Iradt. - Itht" halld her tM (w,iti"g silk down) h5l'"tsS (#Td, I1IIIU my lift hlmd lila a Clip, ""d w dumps tilt pieas i"to /lu". I dilch Iht pilXts ill my Itft pants pocktl. IIftfT wtry frw tabltS, I visltlht Irash Qlld drlmp-IW WO"itS. /1151 WIIIt smQlllogjsliC5 thaI uep 1m from having eo'ifmi wtrywhert. No ont _ lnwm 110 oM-Wtlnltd to 5tt tht p'«tslater (thollgh jl's lIiet to how thallhty ooll ld). i.IISlly, Ihere 0'"" two =_1115 thai I think art rtIllly /cry to tht I1IIIgllijicalltJlI of tht mlCliotl. Upo" r;aylng Iht mimI, I rtdCI/iia I /tgilimlllrly got it--«aiust if I did, I sJ,(Jllld br prtlty Imprrsstd (this is standard thinking, and I fir$l rtIllly dlaltd it in IIfItr rrlldi"K lilt c-idy book-l"CIIlctl"K liM yot' a" rtlllly d(>i"g itJ. A"Y""'Y, thaI NIps, blll~" /5It)' ~ lint, NNow lisltn, ifl was rom wilhi" 0'" or two /tllfTs, thaI wollld br ,n$llnt- ht wiull you'rt holding Ihlrr: r. goins to blow you ..-w.y.' I think Ihis is Kt"to,,-Kn'7'Pt,-stylt dtlif1try_ttllillg them to mlcl. IOiUIi"8 lip tht rtIIclion$, and also stlli"g 11K buT ldndQ low so Ihal you u cetd il llpon Ihf rr:wol. All olroWIl$, ptrilaps, bill il n ally does l1t1p, (Sorry if Ihtrt is somtone 1 5/10UId ~ crtdillng 11m for Ihis NundustU".) I'm nOw IIslns tlris a lot more. The Pathway to Quarto Robin Ro"berbon"· is a m.an of many hats: a gifted psychologist, Jungian therilpist. magitia", mathematician. auihof, professor, ... and friend. During one of our conversations, he n!fIlarked tha t he had be1m looking.t "Master Busch'sZen Billet l ear'"", md thaI, while not enamoufl1(\ of the actual mechanics of the rear, he s intrigued by the position.lng of the tuget area. , .. As with the dassic(enln' rear, this octupie. a full2S% of the billet's surfaC1! are~ but departs from .. ~. r"" <on dl"""", ... '" obou, Robj " . h~ a«<>mpHuun," '" ,r..! M, prodl",us ""'P"' of ...".. " hi> w.. .... ~'" '" "" II ",,~. rooinr"",,,' ''''. , I 106. " .. ,n'I"'" "" .... It>,kt" of <Ioi. "''''''''' be foun,J rD Il.i<honI IIuo<h' hook. M I'nfo-"'" (Ho.wo •. 100/1. F'(' 20-" .• ~~ w"h ........ 1 ; • .,....,"'11 ...... ioo. '- Ridu .. and B,,.,,. .......... plJu'li ,ho pnti<ip..'" ,~ .. rio. ";,h'" ,Ot .. "" ..... 179

tradition by being loated in the wpptr hal/of the billet (rather than its C(!I\tre), lIS SI'lt'Il here: ,._--_ .............. . i rareetArN ~ lto-*c:..&t.f"'i ; ............. ...... : r~rgetAru (z..&II.I. fur) : , .. _ ........ -.... _._, [t h~d O\:"ClIrred to Robin that, as a tear could, dt f~cto_ be architeaed toeruoblea real·time peckQfthe upper central area, perhapSQne could be designed tQ reveal ;n Qddilion- Ihe immediately adjacent lower all!a.ln fact,. he devised such a mnstroction himself and used it in his o:\oM-up performances. While I liked what he-d done, iU1d Inherited his tI1.thusia5m for the key concept. I C<lUld see ways to improve the technique.nd md:e it into a true workhQI"!;e. ThoIt, and the p.I <If satisfying the aforementioned criteria. ultimalely led 10 • romplete redesign. resv.lting in 1.1.01. all entireflmily of new billet rears. l1lf' d~gnalion was coi~ to both reflect the alliterative rotncidence of OW" names and invoke thoughts Qf its droidiGII namesa ke, which shares many Qf its notable qualities: efficacy, effldency, reliability, user·friendliness, and robotic accuracy. Further, the multiplicity of 2s served as a reminder that the method enables IwD (adjacent) target area!., yielding lwo real·time p«k$, either or both of which can be drawn upon during the course of the tear. As the design and engineering of the various U -Ollears themselves Ire mint, Robin graciQUsly insisted that I publish it under my own name. But it would nevt'r have e:wisted Wf!rt it not for his double peek· insight that supplied the motivation leading to what you are now discovering. The IIfX'"tional sequence of wNt f"Yol~ into a family of tears consists Qf two phases. The lim (through Step 4 in the following Ex«ution tection) employs tht princip.tl innovation and defining characteristic of the tu-m design to isolate the anlrt half of the billet, In prep.t r~tion for moving it into position for the peek.{s). The second (Steps 5 H.) positions iUld orients the torn billet pieces for the actual peek.(s). As it is nigh on impoSliibJe to fully satisfy all twenty of the afQrementioned design crireria (crireria 15 and 20. in particular, tend tQ confIictt nine different versions'" Qf the second phase were initially

published, each offering its own p<lrticular benefits and limitations'''. Over the past dKade. however. the real-world experiences of many w;.ers have estabtished tha i there is considerable consensus on which trade-offs are the most desirable. Specificillly. the preference is to forego a perfect attainment of criterion 15 (having no significantly "unbalanced·· tears) in order to maximi:te adherence to criterion 20 (working with tl"" greatest variety of paper types). All other criteria rema in fully satisfied. Subsequent optimization 01 this most popular variant'''' resuft"d in significant modifications to the detailed handling in order to minimir.e fin ger motion, while still keeping actions as consistent as possible across the full tearing sequence. This improved variant. dubbed "Quarto". '''' is the only memherof the family that 1 now U5l.'. and the one described here . .,. """1'"'''''. P"'P""'. yO" will ",.xi m ""'I ",. , _ r of "'. <Kip".1 boo!<. t.s. 1\JJ;,'''''Uy." ""'''00' "~.t- II,, 1ft ) M'" /"" .1>}. B~I c...t. ... "....h" l>«o pu~u.~ ioci<p<nd<fl1ly (wi,h m y I"""mi..,;"o). 11';'1"">O>t.. >'<1><00. b<>'"'<'"«. "".iJic<.o •• "".0.1" ..... ouml.." ,{ , ... bc,..(, ,, of 11>< RLDl (' ''il,. 149. I . .... ,Kipo,I II.LOl b" "k. ,hi, ."'Un! ... " «1m«! , ... -Am""_,,. '''"'' .• ~o- '~,,",'" 1 W. 'Q""",' ~ • b""lf" .. lmE ' ''''' ,hot refm to , .. ,..,.,1" of folJ;flt ' "-' of r"l"" In", l"""~· 181

182 Execution Quarto: Introduction Stltcting II Billet TIle Quarto billet ~ar has been engineemi u ound the standard business card, &S both Robin and I consider this the mOiSt common small piece of paper that an aver.age person might be expected to carry around. I 5trongly believe fuM a mentalis! should strive to ~ props thai art lIS ordinary as Ihty can possibly /It. becauS<i' every tiny departure from Mmm nal" is a tiny step along the pathway that suggest, -Irlckl!ry'". Of COUI'!;C it's possible 10 ratiQnaiiz<" the use of indeK cards, pads of custom paper, and the like {es~lJy in platform situations). but people normally cany sum things only when absolutll!ly neassary for some sp«ifk purpose. while the familiar business card calls no attention to itself whal$ot'ver. Some filel it inappropria te to tear business DIms; indeed, oome ( ull,,", denigrate the pract;~. 1 have some sympathy for this view (although [ am demonstrating a miracle, not simply trashing a card) and might we blank / visiti ng cards in such situations, but I still feel that this smacks slightly of Hspecial prop'(. In any event, don' t e~r Dlht l'S' cards: aside from thi5 being impolite, you may discover that they simply won't tear! "These views aside, 1 I\Qpe you are pleased to learn tha t Quarto also worb wen with other types and dimeruions of : see HUling Other Billet Types", in the Consununatioo $«riol\. fur deta ils. For now, the bear will be desmbed using. business card. with the parliopant's inlQm\iltion writb'n on its (unprinted) ba<:k. Guiding the Written Though t(s) II is common 10 place some initia l marking on the blank side of the card, both to ensul"\! that the participant's informa tion (the thought) goes in the right place, and as a pre:aution to ensu re that the billet is not accidentally reoriented before the writing t .. kes plate. Tht choices in this matter are .. s endless as one's presentational imagination: books could be written on the possibilities.'"

Theood leil at the end of this chapter illustrates ever .. 1 $Uggestkm$, food for lhoughtlhat may trigger ideas for you r own P",SlmLltiOllS. Understanding tile Peek Areas ~ Quartu billet ten provides for twosepar1ltt pttks, tach the size of a traditional cent~ ~ar (tha t is, orwquar\t. of tM! ClI.d), for a tota l of half the full su.fa(e ~", , or even a bit mort'. the target iUl'a$ for the$e peek$ are centred on the vertical axis of the ca rd, one imrnedialtly above the other, as shown here: Upper Tal"getArea . ~II~I~~I~~INNIII"I: . Lower Tal"getArea Duri ng the ilia. S@q~, there comes a point whe~ the lower area isexposed for reading, followed almost immediately by a similar (')CPOS"~ of the upper area. Either or both of these peek$ can be used. a5 desired. Quarto: Preparing the Billet For orienta tion purposes, the illustrations in the following description assume tha t the front (face) of the business card appears as depicted here. Quarto is n>ore easily learned than most billet tea rs. Still, little bits of papn can prove very con/uSing.'" 5<:>, to ease • • e ••• O ... ..... .,·.·.,.· ... • • (/111>0.1 .. "1 .... 1'1901. wi,h ,~ 'T«"''< , ......... _ and ,heu "'''''''p''.ri''J bol"" .,,""<>'1<. I ~l. If lOU .... , •• 1"p,k ,I,.. oi I"f><' ;" "'H: , ...... 1<' .. , .... I .. ~' .... '" d;!f" ... " W' f' '" p' .... , ........ ,,"1\ ,,..., pi"", w~' . ......t ,hi .... "" q .... ,"I' .... h~ .... ~ .. !OIokd b,I"" ( ... t..., """,1 '"1)0 f," 1(1 .PF"«. ... I< ,h;~ ... bld. "'~ "' 11 ... f'Iol". ,Ik; mo ,,)" ,"" .... ,"~ "",r1"" ......... , '1 ' "'''' I~ ,I" ~, ... ," .. ). eo ... ""''''.,''" ....... ,,;,b Qu,.,w·, """""" JW,. , ...... .....,) • ....... I>i .... ,"''''"' ...-. ,;,."' .,. __ 68 o.m.. ,);ff,~ ... , 1""'> ....... 1"'"",)".1>00 """ 183

the learning process. I strongly suggdl Ihil t yew mgrk wp a frw ",.ds 10 look tiu 'h~ (D dculllt alia Q si"gl~ Ii"" in plDtt of 1/1( IJI'rliul digits rmd lroriUIIIIDI kltm showld bt sufficknl', Tho.t w'y. you will be able 10 follow the 5~ more easily. and see immediately if you Mye made a wrong movt. Th~ Initia l Folds The upooming expl<>nalion assumH tha t the card has been prefolded before it is offered for writing. This is not Slri(ll y requirro, but post-folding demands more CAreful pa rtici pant management, so in the early slages of learning it is preferable to fold lhe (~rd while expla ining the procedure.'" To begin. hold Ihe card wilh its blank (b~ck) side toward yOll in ~I andsapen orientation. with the top edge being the !!.Ime as that of the printed bceOll the opposite side. Fold the left half of the card over the right, as if closing a book. AtlOid cm:si"g Ihij first fold I"" strongly, for a reason thaI will bemme d ear laleT. Then. fold the boltom of the a u d toward you and up 10 the top (folding; lhe top down to the bottom yields the same result. but the former approKh is simpleT, as thumbs all! stronger IMn lingers), nus second fold should be finnly creased, but not too f",r to the left (where it meets the original,less-firmly-<reased fold). Finally, unfold the CIIrd, and present it to the participant for writing and sublleque:nt refOlding. Quarto: Executing the Tear Tomake the following explanation asdear as possible, this description has been divided intoa dozen discreti!Sleps.ln practice, small groups of these steps are combined into what are effectively single ,ctions:; when you're 6,,1 learning the It>, .. however, iY5 easier to consider them individually. For ilIl its many ~ful characteriMic:s, Ihis tear is disarmingly simple 10 learn and exeu<te (actually, the inherent simplidty is what giVf$ it many of !host> attributes). But don't leI Ih., be ~n excuse to run OUI and perform it without adequate prMtice nd lIClipting: as with any basic tool inlt>grare its ~ thoughtfully ,nd .ppropriately with your intended routines. I .. ,,""n .• nd MI, • ..,. of ,/,.,. " ,,'''''If h' "" ;" ",I\b..h "' ~ ", "".,. , ." ~ ,"rn (1"''' .,.;L"",·k0sccf, "'_.11.'" "'"'t ,to. ~ •• ~ I I'. ~ ...,~ " ... """' .... I" ,_ ~"I"" bilk" wdl in.w.-. ... ..I """."'S' "'I'rI~..f ,h',n, 184 ",..:t ~ .• ,·oiI. lok. J ~,,", .... h ~ '""""'. ~nJi", .. ",",h _ MW:'''''' "'''''''*1'''1'" .. 00 •.

Step 1:: Orient In prep~ra ion for the tear, hold the billet at the finger tips such that the long single-folded edge runs along the bollom, and the shorter double-folded edge is at the right. If the printed side of the card is landsCilpe oriented (as is common in business cards), and tilt hmufwritten side h~ l>«n oriented lI,t same way up, then you will be looking at the upper left quadrant of the front of thecard. Yet another advantage of business cards as billets is that this area often contains some distinctive printing, providing a strong visual verification that the card is correctly oriented. DOUG DYMENT decep tionory proprietor single folded edg double folded edge ~ A useful feature of Quarto is that, if the participant is holding the card as originally folded, and you are directly facing ner, you can simply take it from her in the correct orientation.. with no need for repositioning. Step 2" Tear 1 1 ~ four Quarto lears are performed in pretty-muchidentical fashion . Each side of the billet is held firmly between its respective thumb (in front) and forefinger (in back). Note particularly the l~cement of the thumbs and the roughly 45" orientation of the billet with respect to the floor. 185

186 · .• •. -",~,lline dividing the billet in hlf, the right edge JfyO<lIlTla&ml' ""~ of he left thumb sllould ~ to the immediate left of (and puallel to) Ihi ~ liM; similuly the left edge of II\@ right f~~fi ger should ~ ',0 the line', immed;,1I!' righ t (and also parallel to It). With mD$1 prople s hind". this will cause Ihe righ t thumb to lie at about 4S" 10 the billet. Thtse thumb / finger position:; are used for all four 01 the tears. and should n"in rons~tenl throughou t. A lIC'Tnc.J teu;S made, from lop to bottom, across the middle o f the hUlet. The t hand is held relatively stationary, while !he right hand tears towud you. roUting the wrisi-and thus the tom-off portion_ almost a full 180", Inward and down from the top. Strive to k.,.,p this tear as vertical (to Ihe Clrd) as possible: if the grain of the paper fort:es it to weT off·ooun;e, you. may lose part of the wrilten area. Positioning the thumbs ind fingers as ,hown will help with thiS, using the left thumb and right finger as ~rt of t~aring guides" with recalcitrant atds. Abovt. all. kct-p a;>ru;islency in mind: strivt to hive all four of your tflrzlook as much .lin as po5Sible. ~4~ ===;z$. .... Ip toward DOUG. < YME yo",," down deception p proPrietor ~ Both this and the following Quarto 'ear (Step 6) involve fou r of paprr (the limit impo5ed by criterion 8). For most peopl~ .00 IfIOIIt I)'pn of p.1peT. this will not prove difficult. If it does (i." ., the poper is porticuLarly thklc. or the fingers insufficiently strong). lilt tfiT can bo:o rNdt easier by iOdjusting the sewnd of the two initial folds, by aligning the folded.up portion slightly btlow th.! lop edge. 11Us will make the initial Itar even simpler to perform,. although al a Slight east to th~ ca~ual n.hIre of the handling. AI this point, e.ch hand will be holding a V-shaped p"chl. Step 3:: Pl ace (lnS<! r1) Rolall.' the right wrist bark to its original po6ition. adjusting the

hands 50 tha ea~h thumb tip points d irectly toward the otlwr. At the same time, relax the left-hand grip somewhat (allowing its V-shaped paclett to open slightly), and insert the right-hand padet into that opening (nesting one V inside of the other). This 1t~li1l8 flCliolt is 1M tty mtlhudulogicallldVllIICt llIIll d¢1US 1M fl? D2 family of bil/tllt'JIl"S, Qnd fnabJrs mJlTIy of iI, C"h1lTllC1t:.ulics. Re-grip the nested pa~kets with the right hand (relea$ing the left hand). Insert. right-hand "'("-shaped packet into (not behind) I,m.· hand packet -< ::( ~ ~ U rn Z Q -i • You are oow hOlding a single (eight-layer thick, V-shaped) packet of piJH!11 at the fingertips of the right hand. "Thl' nesred set:'! should be aligned at this point, alOI\8 either their Cfmtre axes Ot, optionally, 0$0 their bottom edges. rtlady to be openedOind torn: Step 4 :: Open Prior to the subsequent three Quarto t~an;, the packet of pie<:e5 is opene-d out in preparation,. and th..-se openings are perfonne<:! in essetlti;!l!y Identical fashion. Done correctly, the actions are SOlll('what obscu red by the fingl.'~: no overt unfolding should be advertised to the audience (you are not really hidi"g it-$Ome unfolding is perfectly in order to effectuate the tear-but tnete is no value in cmphasi~ing it). 187

188 licre, the eighl-layer pade! opens from Ihe middle, ]n book-like fashion (so thi nk of tho: lop lour lay",rs as the book's front ('(lver, opening 10 th", left). Don'1 actually mimic a bool< opl!ning. however: this would appear loosluditd, where lhe motion (indeed. ,,]I motions) should seem ",511111, It should appear as if you are simply adjusting tho: piec'es to lxiIila"" a I",at. Eq:>edi"" the action by in5erting your right thumb into tho: opening. As thP IWO !le$ted V-sha ped portions are naturally trying to spring opom by themselves, the pack\'! will largely ~popN open al the ('(lrrect plac"" p.acket o unfald ed crease Hold each half of the (now four-layer) p.Kkel in ils respective hand, adjusting the grip as in the earlier iIlUlOlration. in preparation for the se<:ond tear. StepS :: Tu r l 2 This second tea r (along the exposed crease) is performed precisely as decribed In Slep 2, again being sure 10 rotate the wrist close to 180", Step 6 :: Pll ce (Inflf:rt) Following the second Ie;" (and unlike the firsl tear), there is a very slight d elay prior to the right hand being rotated back 10 its slarting

posi1ion. At this point, the thumbs are both pointed away from you, in something of an "inverted V" relationship. Adjust the a rms slightly (opming the "V~) such that the left thumb and right forefinger (which will now be visible on top of the billet) point toward each other. This time, it will feel a bit more of a stretch to have the thumb and forefinger pointing towards one another; get as close to this as you can without forcing either hand into an awkward position. Mitigating this "stretch" is the principal reason why the pre-tom packet is initially positioned at a 45" angle (ra ther than horizontal) in Steps #2 and #5. The whole purpose of the "thumb and forefinger pointing to each other" rule is to ensure that the packets are oriented correctly before putting them back together; as long as you are aware of this, you will see how to properly manage things. n,., combination of these motions will have served to flip the right-hand packet upside-down, and rotate the left and right packets a quarter-tum each.. clockwise and counter-clockwise respectively. They will be parallel to each other, and oriented as illustrated here. n following 1/4tum n {!>ot h 1I"lv085, in t=::::::OP~PO~"~~ i,~r"·==·=)=""~L 1 :13 0::>9\1 2 3 4 5 189

190 The second placement 5tep is compl~ttd by Inserting the left pacb.1 in between the right forefinger (which is on top) and the packet I>erleoth it. Remember tIuot the wthumb poin~"t art indiCiliting which edg('l should go togw-. mmedj~tely r..,l!Qwing this placement/ insertion,. release the lefl hand, rotate the right hand back to its original position (now similar 10 the S«CI1d illustration in Step 3). and immediately grasp the edge of the pad<et with your left fingers. At this point. )'CUt right thumb will ~ pointing \() the Jeft. Thl$ step ('6) is more difficult to explain. and feels a bit less ~natural· than the others, so here are twosuggl!Stior\s that CiII n smooth the \e.a.minc process. First, from the moment that the right thumb is pla~ iltop the pi~ ~I the end of Step 4 until the condw;ion of Step 6, it remains e5!;f'ntial1y "fixed" in place, its position never changing with respect to the paper with which it has contact; lettrus understanding inform your actjOIlS. Seoond, even though 51ep 6 is e$(ri~d uan ~inserti onN, it is preferable to think of the left hand as the passive On(!, with the right thumb and forefinger moving toward it. slipping the right-hand packel und" the left-h8nd one.

Step 7:: Open ~ek 11 ) This openil1g will enable our first peek. It is quite similar to that in Step 4, though thi' time the packet does not open from ils centn!': in!ltead, only the single top layer is unfolded to the left. Again, thor! billet will have a natural tendency to ~pop~ open at this point,. though that tendency will bo:> considerably weaker in this case (a 5ingle crease trying to open. rath.!r than four). rra cti~ will make this step more n!liable. lower ta'"¥t area '''1'''''' Once th.! packet is open. the IOWN target lrea will 1M!: on dear display for the peek. Consequently, the ~Open (& Peek)" steps are !he only actions tha t cannot be done fully exposoed (or the audier" :e a;Juld ~k a$ weI!). Of CQUn;e, if informatioll has only been written on the upper ta rget area, then this lower an!a will be p rimarily (or llVen completely) blank, and need not be so carefully concealed. But it is wi:;e to remember that (boe<:ause cards usually look quite different on each side) whenever a writing side of the billet is exposed, it's still a good Idea to shield it from view. Step 8::Tur'3 The finl l two tears are performed in the &arne fashion as the first two. In these cases, however; the right thumb and forffinger are holding aU of the loost' pieces in pl~, $0 it i, more important to keep everything neat and orderly than to have u/lCUy the right finger po5itions. It's also less critical as only a single thi.::kn('S5 of paper is being tom. You want it to appear as though multiple l~ yers are involved, of <:ourse, just don't overdo it (you're not completing for an Academy Award nomination), but slri....., to have it look as much as possible like the previous two tears. 191

192 Step 9 ~ r liltt (Deposil) This third placemeJll differs from ~ previous Iwo in thai »0 insertion is involved. Following the lear. and the conseq~t rotation of the righl wrist, the right hand packet will br rotatt'd18O" towards you. al which point it is simply deposited atop the single piece of pa~ in the left hand (this action places the two halves of the just-nposed target aru _lo-faa~ Immediately following this placement/Insertion, free the right ha nd, rota te it back 10 its , 2 3 ( right. packa. I placed .. t.op 4 1 left packrt L---"'::"S ~\.I'r origina l position. and immediately grasp the edge of the packet w ith your right Angers, the thumb again pointing to the left. Note that this is theopposile of what was don ... in 51<!p6: this time Ih ... pack ... t is held by the lefl fingers and remains in place (j.e. it does nal gel lumed ba ck over when the right hand rotates bad). AI this poi.n~ .U of the billet ~mt1\t5 have been tom apart. except for the two tNt comprise the upfN!r larget OlIn, and they a re positioned at the very top of the resulting packet (which,. aga in. JooI<J; very much like the5eCOnd illustration in Step 3). Step 10 :: Optn (Pftk 12) This thitd-and 6nal-tJpening is performed e~ y as dt'Scribed in Step 7. This tim .... of course. lhe upper target area will be exposed. Step 11 :: Tear'4 This fou rlh-and final- tear is perfo ~ tn c/ly as inStep 8.

packet0r;'"ed right to left Step 12 " PIa'f (Deposit) The final placeme"t is performed a~clly as described in Step 9, with the two t~xposed pieces face to face on the bottom or the stacie. The position is now as illustra ted. AI; this is thf final operation, there is no functional requirement to IOlate the right hand back to the sta rting positioo. but I suggdt doing it anyway. as it help$ to reinfam the n>peated,. COll$istent. na tural tearing rhythm: lea r down I rotate back I tear down I rotate back I lear down I rotate back I tear down I rolate back If you an: using a business lS~ OdO 6 B L optionally. P"'" ~Y" """.., vertically card, it will be difficult to tear the pieces further. as the remaining pieces are too small. With an index card, howevel", you can likely add a further tear, prod\lcing dO\lbJe the number of even smaller i~ (and further obfuscating the meth od). Finally_ the right hand can dispose of the stack of tom piKeS (all o( whidl are more or less the same size) in I fashion suited to the performing situation. Reclillin8 the Sequence Here iii I helpful mnemonic aid to learning the OROeR oi. the twelve Quarto steps. The process consists of (our cycles of the falLowing sequence. O rient (or O pen) [the packet in preparation for the tear] Rip [the packet completely in half, right down the midd le] D eposit [the right packet in/under/on the left packet] Rotate [the right hand / arm back to its starring positionl 193

This ronsistl'nt grouping of steps ~lso sug.gests an appropriall! perlonning rllythm. Quarto: Variations Quarto as a 8asit -C",ntre- Tur ~t If you ' imply neoe<l a modest slnglt:-item ~k. and not the large image view tNtI Quarto <.:all provide' Suth an applkalion (which. in tn,lth, i!; my own most common use of the biUt"t tear) demands only a single ~k during the tearing sequence. and that peel< follows Ihru ex ~mely convincing tears of the billet, all with eye! fully a~rted. This sctna rio is easily accomplished with Q uarto, by plating a single writing line very slightly bo?low th .. midpoint of the billet, as illustrated here: x __ _ The ard is then pre-folded as usual. The combination of the line's position, inconjunction with the curvatul'l! of the card created by the horizontal fold line, strongly directs the participant to write above the fold (i,e. fully in the upper targ<'l area), But don't agonlz.e owr getting the line perfectly positioned, or precixly where the pilTticipant will write, Most of the Information tOntel\t in LIIlin letterforms i!; contained in their upper hillves. Consequently, ewn if a portion of the letft'rs were to be destroyed by the teat, there's a good ch<lI'lO! lhat you'd still be abl .. to read the message with lillle d ifficulty.'" For example: Note that the upper target area can be made larger during the second initial fold, by bringing up the bottom edge to fan a trifl e short of the top one; lhis aloo makes the initial tear a trine easier. Be ~' . " h..""", '"~ uI , .. ,,, ,,,,, "P''''''''''' 1>< ... )'0" ""&"' ...., b.. '"''''''''''' '" l ,_ ,I .. " 194 ...... ~ a .. ,,,,,,,",, " .. ..,...' . ....... I ... , . ... , ....... ........ , ..... ,...., .. I"'d I. ,,,. "f!>< I",,!

prudent in this,. however: oW'rdoing it can aJ] too e;uily detract from Quarto's cuua! appearance. Stu ling Cenltetl: The [kl~yed Re~ d Since ils introduction by AI Baker, tlv- R'!aHime read_ with its clean. uncluttered handling_ has generally been preferred by menl3lists.. SoITM' prMtitioners (and some p"rforming situations). howeW'r, d~mand the usc of a hdel"yed read P , reta ining the ~hor portion of the biUet in the hand for reading at I later time, pr6umably under conditions offering less scrutiny, stronger rover, andlor further removed In tim~ from the overt handling of the paper. Fortunatdy, Quarto provides an extremely versa tile platform in support of such a usage. Even those who normally choose the real, time approach should find this of val ue, remembering that thesldl1ed PjuzP mentalist is prepared to adjust procedure to cope with any performing Si tuation. Consequently. don', b<! in a hurry to discount this as III option that doesn't interest you; it lNy somed~y proW' your Silviour. Following Step 4,. you are in a perfect position to steal the entire "hot zone" (i,e. the combined target areas) of lhe billet by usins either thumb to slide the top pie<:e into a finger palm. For tNt matte~ Step 4 can be modified such that you open out only the outer V-shaped portion of the billet; this gives you similar palming C«S8, but with a more rompMt (folded) p iecr> to concea!.'" If you want to steal out only one of the target areas, this cnn be done follOwing Step 6, mOO5ing whichever piece (the lower portion is on top of the pade!; the upper on the bottom) you wish to retain in the palmed position. Just be cogni~ant of the treble downsidet of any del ~yed read apprm.m: 1. The ha nd, with its palmed centre, is no longer wdeanw; 2. The l"C$u1ting pieces can't be left for inspection {as !lOme 01 them are missing and/or untoml:: and 3. The th.icknessof thepadcetisreduced (esp. if youmaloul both target areas). !IO care must b-e taken that thi5 is not peK"eived by the Budier\(('. The PartIcipant Folds the Billet For a more hhands-oW approach. the initial two Quarto folds-

196 being simple, strllightforward, and conventional- an be Idt to the partieip'lnl, lmmedi~tel y following the writing process. When u sing a businesli card,. irs ~l most impossible for the first fold to be done in<:onm.ly, though miming the closing of it book (by folding the palms together) will mrourage tIw co ~ procedure. It is possible for the second fold to be made incorrectly, in the rounter-intultive d irection (though 'g.Jin, appropri.le hand motions will suggest the correct form). II's important is that the fold be mad~ tOWQrds Ihe particip~nt. Should this not occur, my recovery is to d early tum my head well away from the participant, reopen the billet toward her (saying that I want her to visualize clearly what she has wrjuen). refold it properly, and then (with my head still turned rompletely away) ~liber tely tear up the billet. At this point, it is obvious that i\ has notbeen possible for me to nave seen anything, SO ! am free \0 continue with my view n>tu .. ~ to the " lion ... and the flNl ~Ir, whith yields the peek. Such a reco~ry tedutique is best suited 10 effects in which one is not trying to make the billet invisible, but ri!her f~ Itto.'nlion on SilIle. FOCIunately, my own most common use of Qua rto features just such a plot. a personal variation o n Tom Jorgenson's justifi .... tion for tearing up the billet, as described in the ContributiOf"o section of this chapler. The downside to pMlicipant-folding is that the initi.1l fold may end up strongly creased (hurrying the procedure will help to n-duce this po!;sibility). With a decently stiff billet paper. however. this should prove of little consequence, Clearing Ihe Fog Your efforts will be in vain it you can't read the mtSUlge, so take sleps to ensure that tN, participant's writing is as legible.as possible. The besl lpproact. to this will depend on the natun-of your present~tion. but often the use of the word ·print" (as oppo&ed to ·write-). in conjunction with a thicker writing insltUrrw-nt, will ensure that the message is ckar. My own most common presentation uses the temporal rewinding idea th;ot you will read abou t in an upcoming section. 80 I say something like, ·Imagine that this line Is the ground, and prillt your thought on it with block letters, li ke a solid building rising from a andscape.~

Consummation Ensuring a Correct initial Fold It is important t~ t prior to making the initial tear in Quarto, (~ ~ billet be folded correctly. The principal steps thM [ take to ensure a correc:t fold are (1) pre-folding the billet, and (2) asking the p<lrticipant to ~close it back up" (nol "fold it back up"). It is extremely ra re that such instructions are not followed (and suggests that you are not in control of the situation, with a participant who is deliberately trying to foul things up). Should the participant re-fold the billet incorrectly, I handle it as described previously under NThe Participant Folds the Billet". Improving Your Openings The Quarto tear is remarkably easy-and exceptionally forgilling- to execute. The only potentially troubling steps are the openings that occur just prior to the two pet>ks. These rely to some extent upon the natural "springiness" of th'" card stock, enabling it to "pop" open. This is, of courS", primarily a function of the stiffness of the paper stock, and the din:'Ction of the paper "grain" (one running lengthwise yields mo~ spring!- something to consider when on:lering your next batch 0/ business cards. Some billets will surprise you with just how "magically" they seem to open up; others will demand more finesse (and very thin paper may prove difficult indeed). Don't e" pect overnight proficiency with the mo~ challenging stocks: worthwhile skills ~re acquired, 1101 revmlt d. In either case, there a~ a few prOC<!dural adjustments that em smooth the way. Most importantly, avoid making a hard Cffll5e when forming Iht first of Ih~ lwo if/ilia! folds. The mo~ pressure that is applied, the less "spring" there will be la ter. The second fold can (and should) be creased much more decisivcly, but only about three-quarters of the way across (otherwise, it may compromise the first "soliN crease). Also, don't hold the piKeS in a death grip while handling them, as this will increase pressure on the crease that you are hoping to hoep soft! And don't "fish" for the COrTe<::t opening: just relax and allow it to happen by itself. Thls will come more easily with practice and confidence. 197

I Finally, if you are plllnning to use onLy the single-peek application of Quarto, the third tear is not going to be ll ow~-d. by a peek anyway, 50 if ills giving yoo trouble in a parricuin inSIJ n~, simply open the p.1c1<.et anywhere and prelt:nd to make a lear. Not an ide"] situation to M sure, but better than a moment of suspicious fiddli ng. Just uool'tStand that this willieaw II larger. unlorn piKe in the final collection. Combining Steps into Actions Once you have bI;'<;Qme familiar with the steps. you will find that performing the lear is nol as Slop-51art as it freis when learning. In practice, groups of the steps blend smoothly together into more fluid actions (otherwise, eXe<:ution of the tear would appear more "<:hoppy· than i\ should). In particular, each of the tear-followed-by-a-placement actions should appear as I single.. fluid motion. not .. lea r followed by a wri$t rotation followed by pacI«!t adjlt!ltmenls. QuartO"s actions at\' dfi'Signtd to look like oothing more than fou r straightforward lean;, with the left hand remaining f<lirly motionless, the right hand reYoIvlng i1lward to e:<ecute each INr, then back again while combining the two halves, with no e:<traneous juxlapositioning. Strive for (l)l"lSistency, both in actions and in rhythm. LLarning Not to Look As it's important 10 disoourage onlookers from thinking that you mighl be reading lhe information on the c~rd, you should not be watching your fingers during the actionll. Pointedly turning your head u~ during !he process suggests that you are consciously avoiding looking at !he billet practice until you are capable of doing so. The r«essary ~ks should be fleeting and well integrated with the p resenhltion (osw popuLu method is to g~ture with the hands that you wi:lh the participant to cup 1m hands in order to I"K"rive the tom pi«es; this provides the ne<:esury motivation to briefly gla~ at your own h;onds to lake the peek). Btcoming One with the Billet A!l with ~ny art, knowing how to do something. and being able to do it at a professionallcvel, are two entirely difkrent things. And like the old Joke about getting to Carnegie Han, that means practice. John Wells. who tore a few billets in his day, performed any new 198 tear II minimum of a thousand times before considering it fit for

public showing ... a recommend ... d regim ... n for anyone who aspires 10 flawless billet work Remember that the best entertainers don't simply practice until they get it right: they do so until they can't get it wrong. The Qua rto teilT is. I hIIlieve, as natural in appearance as js pQl;sible fur any billet tear that incorporates a real-time peek. But it definitely won't look natural jf you betray ('ven a suggestion of a thinJcing process at any point during the tear: it must become (and thus appear) as automatic (and thus invisible) as b~athing. So get started on those thousand tears. Really. Peek Practice While you are practicing the tear, don't negled to practice the peek(s} as well. This necessitates a bit of preparation, filling out a numhllr of billets with (different) short messages, in advance of the practice session. Then, when you are tearing them.. you tndy do not know in advance what is written, thus ensuring that you r peek is being exercised und('r mort' "rea I-world" conditions. Finding Practice Cards One advantage of the Internet age is the wealth of on-line print services: you can buy a thousand custom-printed business cards for a pittance (the first card is the costly one; the rest remarkably inexpensive). So the next time you order business cards, rememhllr to increase your order quantity in order to have lots of practice fodder. Look for other business cards as well. If you live somewhere large enough to have local brkk-and-mortar printers, ask if you Can relieve them of their misprinted cards (tell them you use them for making notes); many are happy to have a way of nlo~ding such errors. When you're on the road, keep an eye open for business card dispensersyou'll commonly find them at reception counters, for example-and help yourself toa few cards (without being g.-.-ly). Making it a habit to practice your technique with a wide variety of source material is always a wise idea. "Iftar nol the man who has pnlctiad 10,000 kim once, bull fear the man who hIlS practiced ant Idck 10,000 timrs. N - Bruce Lee 199

1100 Small Peeks II One Big One The two pet'k target areas afforded by Quarto are adjacmt,. and can easily be considered :as one large one (half the surfaeo:' of the cud~ At that area i$ viewed with two sep3'rate peeks (comprising lhe lower and upper haIVft), this might be less suited to dense tex tual informalion. but for uncomplicated imag" it is normally not an issue. With very simple images. such as Zener (-ESP") symbols, it should only be ~ry to use one of the two Ivail.ble pt":'ks 10 di.5(tTn the larget. Using Other Billet Types Although mostly described he"" as a business card application, the Quarto tear work5 quite effectively with other types of bilielS as well including the standard 3x5-inch index/file (a rd favoured by a number of entertainers. Index cards, in addition to being more visible for platform work. .. re alTn()5./ as commonpliloC"e (thus ~;nvjs ble·) as business Qrd5. Further, if traditional lined cards are employed. with the writing done on the bl .. nk side (doingso on the lin~ side tends to t'OIl5Irain thesiu 01 the writing). thr IypicaJ red top line is an excellent orientation due (~John Wells' Index insights in lhe Contribution !lKtion). Finally, the siu of the card, particularly when coupled with a bold writing instrument. such liS a standard "ShiIrpie'", tends to encourage large, visible (rather than tiny, cramped) writing. Whatever the billel, Quarto much favours an oblong rectangle, both 10 provide a reasonable writing area and to ensure that the pietts don·, become awkwardly tall and skinny during the tear (though the method will still function rorre.:tly). For this reason. I ~qwart note card is not a partiC\llarly good choice. l ht -Nil ind6: card- (i.e., a standard inde>: t ard tut in half, to 2~><J. indl dimensions). another popullr billet size, not .. bly appro..ches I square a5pect ratio, although I have still found il to be a worklble siu. 'Th.in paper $lad< Jacks '"springiness~. and Is more easily seen through (thus more suspect when used for billet work). This can f.aUSl! diffkulti5 with the open/ peoek operations. A Tellr for All Reasons Never overlook opportunities to practice. Con$ider using Quarto as your st .. ndacd way 01 tearing up bits of paper (receipts, tickets, whatever) thai you intend to discard. Not only does this help 10 200 internalize and reinfo= the actions (thus making them Tl'IQre natural