Magic Page #3

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We just re-opened.

If you don't want me waitin'?

How you gonna|get to Grossinger's?

I'll call a|local cab when I need one.

How much?

$80 bucks,

not countin' tip.

Okay.

Uh...

Here's a hundred|for the driving,

and another hundred,

for a favor.

Name it.

You didn't bring|me here, okay?

Okay.

Good.

Thanks.

What you see|is what you get.

The um, the|bedroom's back there

and the kitchenette|and the bathroom across.

Fine.

Here's your key.

Help!

Help!

Calling all schmucko's.

Save me.

Hi.

Hi.

Jesus Christ.

This is Grossinger's?

I wonder if her ass|is on ball bearings.

Shut up.

Oh, sounds like|I stepped on a corn.

Sorry.

It's just that I carried|her picture all these years.

And she didn't remember me.

Aw...

He didn't remember me.

Hello?

Sorry to bother you.

Oh, that's all right.

No soap.

I didn't think you'd like it.

You leaving now?

No I didn't mean|no soap that way.

I meant there wasn't any soap,

or towels either.

Oh, come on in|here and grab one.

Oh, oh my God,

you brought Fats.

You thought|Peg didn't remember.

Aw...

You knew who I was too?

Yeah.

Well why didn't you two

at least grunt at each other?

He's just as cute|as he is on the tube?

Cute?

Virile yes.

Sexy yes.

Ronald Reagan is cute.

Oh please, could I hold him,

I'll be careful.

Oh, he's heavy.

Husky you bimbo.

His lips didn't move.

That's because you're not|stroking my levers sweetheart.

Right in there.

Oh, she goosed me.

Ignore him, go right ahead.

Okay.

There.

And there.

I see.

I love it.

Hey, she hugged|me to her bosom.

I suspect she|found me irresistible.

Don't we all?

She asked you|over for dinner, huh?

How long are|you going to stay?

I don't know, why?

If you stayed late,|that might mean

you was getting|hugged to her bosom too

which just might|make old Fats jealous

and we wouldn't want that,

would we now?

Hmm?

You never really told,

why you were here.

I'm hiding.

Gotta get my head on straight.

My agent,

he looks like|the Ancient Mariner

in that poem we|hated in high school.

He's negotiating|for a shot for me

to maybe make it big.

We argued.

But I thought it|was just principle.

The truth is probably|I'm scared of success.

That's all.

You always were this

weirdly timid person Cork.

That's for sure.

Your folks still|run this place?

No, they took|a motel in Florida.

Gave this place to me.

But I just couldn't|make a go of it.

Too bad.

The Catskills are dying|and that's the truth.

Me and Duke|are lookin' to sell.

God, you're beautiful.

Don't I wish.

I had such a crush on you.

No one ever accused you|of having good taste, Cork.

When I moved away|I whittled you a present,

a wooden heart.

You never gave|it to me though.

I lost it before|I got it finished.

I knew you had a crush on me.

I was always pretty for you.

I didn't say pretty.

You didn't pick up on|my Duke mention either.

After all, he is my consort.

My spouse.

I'm very big on|enlarging my vocabulary.

Are you very big on Duke?

We seem to separate|what seems like,

every full moon,

it hasn't been your everyday

Walt Disney type marriage.

Where is he?

Quick business trip.

I'm sorry.

Tell me, does he...

does he still|look like James Dean?

Hey.

Hey.

Hearty burgundy.

Very medicinal.

Peg?

Admit it, now I'm beautiful.

How was the orgy?

Did you score?

The high point of the evening

was when|I reduced her to tears.

That-a-boy schmucko.

Hey, when are we movin' on?

Tomorrow.

The day after.

Soon.

Peggy Ann Snow,|Peggy Ann Snow,

please let me follow,

where ever you go.

Why'd you close the door?

I'm contemplating|taking a piss,

do you mind?

Ooh, fancy yancy.

Hey stick your|head out here one sec.

Was you thinkin' about her?

...stuff like that.

So how long did you|work with this Merlin guy?

I worked for him, years.

But uh, he taught|me everything.

But I never performed.

Never on my own.

Why not?

Probably afraid I'd fail.

Dope.

It wasn't 'til the week|he took really sick.

And uh, he begged me

that I got the guts to try.

Did you bring any|tricks up with you.

No.

I don't do tricks.

Tricks means something|set up beforehand.

A box with a fake lid.

A stacked deck of cards.

I don't do that.

Will you just use|whatever's available?

Yeah.

Ah.

Here.

Amaze me.

A stone?

Oh come on will ya.

Well that was available.

Oh, do it again.

Do it again.

Certainly.

Oh, come on.

Okay.

You bastard.

You bastard.

I really love magic.

No magic, it's just skill.

All explainable.

I don't think|I want to believe that.

Can you explain everything?

Pretty much.

What can't you explain.

Look I don't want|to get into this.

Magic's just to entertain.

You're not supposed|to take it seriously.

What can't you explain?

Merlin, his wife was|his assistant before me.

They were close.

They really cared.

Those last days in|the hospital with her

he claimed he|could read her mind.

You believe that don't you?

I don't know.

I want to I guess.

See in their act,

they used to do a lot|of phony telepathy crap.

Mostly cards.

Then at the end they both|wanted to do it for real.

To prove to each other|how much they cared,

is how he put it.

Do you know

the exact procedures|they did and everything?

Sure.

Look, I don't want|to get into this.

Oh, it'll be fun.

Come on.

I'd fail.

So what.

I don't want you thinkin'|bad of me let's say.

Okay.

Forget the whole thing.

I'm trying to get away|from pressure, please.

So who's putting|you under pressure?

Not me.

Just thought|it might be a kick.

But it's forgotten.

Now we've each|shuffled a deck, okay?

Now you take mine.

So...

just spread your|cards like this.

Fine.

Okay.

Now take one card, any card.

Look at it.

And remember it.

Now what?

Now come on,|you must really look at it.

I'm looking, I'm looking,

don't be mad.

Okay.

Just concentrate|on that one card.

Now gather your cards up.

Place the card back face down.

Good.

Just cut the cards once.

Just take my deck.

Look for your card.

When you find it,

take it out.

Tell me when you've found it.

Okay.

Okay?

What happens now?

What happened|with Merlin was uh,

she put the card|next to her heart.

And uh, he went through|her deck kind of like this.

Uh...

What's my card?

I don't know.

You must really think hard.

Okay.

Okay, I'm|thinking really hard.

Well?

I'm sorry.

Well don't stop.

I'm concentrating my ass off.

Okay.

My God it's red isn't it?

It's red.

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

I give away nothing.

Come on concentrate,

just concentrate.

Hey.

Show me.

We came close, what the hell.

Sit down Peg.

Get back down.

That was your fault.

You started out fine.

But then you let me drift.

Jesus Cork, forget it.

I was in bad shape|in New York, Peg,

and I had to run.

Where do you go when|there's no place to go?

You go home.

Except there was|nothing but empty houses

and old cemeteries.

And I figured|I'd stop by here

and ask your folks about you.

Where were you living,|what city, how many kids?

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