• •••• ••c)

••••••••
'

he Walton/Freeman Time Machine plot is a thought-

provoking effect. 12 When talking to magicians about it, I
found it to be a very polarizing trick: they either love it or
hate it. When I first encountered it, I fell somewhere in
the middle. I enjoyed the simple premise, but there were a few
clements I wanted to change. I was never keen on obtaining
a double from the center of the deck, as it felt like the sleight
happened when the audience's attention was focused on my
hands. This version has multiple reveals that hit with increasing
strength, and it hides the techniques under more natural
motivations.

12. "Back into Time", 1he Pallbearers Review (1970), Vol. 5, No.11, p.363; "The
Time Machine", Card College Vol. 3 (1998), p.588. - - - - -- - - - 85
 This isn't a routine I do in formal performances, but it is
one of my favorite effects to do casually or in a walk-around
environment. It's not an easy routine, but it's not brutally
difficult either. With just a little practice, it should be within
reach of most magicians.

Effect
The Ace of Spades lies face up on top of the deck. The spectator
selects a random card from the middle, which you outjog and
display, noting the the bottom card as well. You explain that this
is the moment the audience will be returning to. You push the
outjogged card flush, lose the Ace of Spades into the middle of
the deck, and then lose the bottom card into the middle as well.

Holding the deck in left-hand dealing grip, one card slowly

starts emerging from the middle, which you say represents the
deck moving back in time. Once it stops, you turn over the top
card to reveal the Ace of Spades is back, and then turn over
the deck to display the outjogged card is the selection and the
bottom card has returned.

Method Overview
A double turnover and a glide keep the top and bottom cards
in place, while a crimp gains you access to the selection in a
squared deck, while also setting you up to use the Ambitious
Riser as a way to represent moving backward in time.

86
Moves
• Double Turnover
• Glide
• Ambitious Riser
• Gambler's Cop

Choreography
Openly run through the face-up pack and look for the Ace
of Spades, and then cut it to second from the top of the deck.
·rurn the pack face down in left-hand dealer's grip and you are
ready to begin.

"In every single pack ofcards, there is one card that has the power to
control all oftime and space ... as long as it's limited to the time and
sp ace within the pack ofcards itselj I know that sounds ridiculous,
but that card is the Ace ofSpades. "

Perform a double turnover and let it land flush with the pack.
The audience should think that when you looked through the
cards and cut the deck, you were simply finding the Ace of
Spades and cutting it to the top.

The Selection Process

'Tn order for you to see just how this works, besides the Ace, we'll
need one more card. "

Being careful not to flash the face-up card underneath the Ace
of Spades, spread the cards and ask the spectator to touch a
card. After they have touched one, use the tips of your right

87
 fingers to apply a downward dog ear crimp to the inner right
corner as you upjog it from the spread. Figure 1.

Taking the top half of the spread, including the selection,

turn your right hand palm down to display the identity of the
outjogged card (the Five of Hearts here). Figure 2. Your right
fingers prevent the crimp from being seen.

Return the top half to the left hand and square the cards, leaving
the selection outjogged for about half its length. Figure 3.

Setting Up The Anchor

'1 wantyou to remember this moment right here. The moment when
the Ace of Spades is on top of the pack, and the Five of Hearts is
sticking outfrom thefront."

88
89
 Pinch the deck at the inner right corner with your right thumb
on top and fingers beneath, and then turn the hand palm down
to display the face of the pack. Figure 4.

"We might as well take note ofthe bottom card as well 1he King of
Spades, also keep that in mind"

This moment is very important because, if the audience doesn't

clearly remember the starting positions of the three cards, it
won't mean anything when they return.

Losing the Cards

You will now appear to lose the three noted cards into the
middle of the deck. Begin by pushing the outjogged selection
flush into the pack. Because of the crimp, no break is necessary,

90
 making this a.very clean and fair action. Turn the double face
down and place the top card into the middle of the deck.

Pick up the pack in right-hand overhand grip. Flash the face,

showing the bottom card, and then turn the deck back face
down, allowing it to pass over the left fingers. As the deck turns
face down, the left fingertips contact the card at the face of the
deck and push it to the right about a quarter of an inch. This
leaves just enough room for the fingertips to pull the second
card from the face out from beneath the pack. 13 Lose this card
into the middle as well. Figure 5.

13.1his is JVIarlo's "Side-jog Glide"from 1be Lost Pages ofthe Kabba/a (1981), p.55.
91
 Dribble the cards from hand to hand to show the cards aren't
being controlled, and then get ready for a miracle.

A Quick Convincer
Do not square the cards after the dribble. Instead, pick up the
cards in end grip with your right hand as you maneuver the
bottom card into Gambler's Cop with your left fingers. Once
the card has been copped, lift the deck with your right hand
and show the deck on all sides. Figure 6. Since the original
face card is copped, there will be an indifferent card on the
face of the deck, convincing the audience that all of the cards
have been lost. This subtlety works best for a smaller group of
spectators, due to the risk of the card in palm being flashed.
Figure 7 is exposed for clarity.

92
After the deck has been displayed, place it back into the left
hand. The unsquared cards provide cover as you return the
copped card to the bottom while squaring up the deck.

Picking Up The Break

The crimp in the inner right corner ofthe selection automatically
creates a break in the deck. Work your left fourth finger into
this break until its tip rests on the selection. Figure 8, next page.
This may take a bit of practice, but is easier with a larger crimp.

Apply downward pressure with the left fourth finger as you

remove it from the break, bringing the selection along with it.
Once the inner left corner has become injogged enough (which
varies from person to person), Figure 9, next page, move the

93
94
fourth finger to the inner right edge of the card and pull back,
realigning the sides of the card with the deck. The selection
should be injogged about half an inch. Figure 10.

Expressing The Magic Moment

''If we give the deck a little shake you can see the cards as they
reposition themselves to where they began. "

Hold the deck in the left hand with the second finger near the
outer right corner of the deck. The thumb rests on the left edge
of the deck, roughly an inch from the corner. Figure 11, next
page. This is to prepare for the Ambitious Riser. 14

14. Fred Robinson's Ambitious Riser was published in Pabular (1975), Vol.1, No. 8,
p.92. Ray Kosby's "Raise Rise" MagicalArtsfourna/(1987), Vol. l, No. 11 & 12, p. 1
was my inspiration as in that effect the Ambitious Riser is executed with the deck in
dealing grip, not as a rising card style effect. - - - - -- - -- 95
 As you gently shake the
pack back and forth,
bring the left fourth
finger to the inner right
corner of the injogged
selection. Your fourth
finger brings this corner
around the inner right
corner of the deck, and
then pushes it forward
until the selection is
outjogged for half its
length. Figures 12-14.
Offsetting the thumb and
second finger allows for
a wider opening for the
card to pass through, as
well as reducing friction
against the second finger,
all of which makes a
big difference when
performing this move.
Once the card is out-
jogged, stop shaking the
hand.

96
Returning To The Anchor
"The deck travels all the way back to this mo1nent right here. When
the Ace of Spades was on top of the deck. The Five of Hearts was
sticking out the middle, and the King ofSpades was on bottom."

Flip the top card over to reveal the Ace of Spades is back. Figure
15, next page. Then turn the left hand palm down, displaying
the outjogged selection and the card on the face of the deck
having returned as well. Figure 16, next page.

97