The Magic Talisman Read online

  “When was this?” Derek asked.

  “I’d guess a week before your people started redecorating the place and doing some minor construction, Derek. I soon realized, of course, that the house had been leased, but there was nothing I could do about that. When I overheard a voice I now recognize as Karen’s, in the Phantom Caravan room, say that the mural they were painting might be the best magic of the whole show-well, I went into shock at the realization that magicians were about to move in.”

  “We didn’t launch our act until after you retired,” David commented. “I’m sure you’d never heard of the Camerons.”

  “Not quite so. My friend filled me in on the gossip and news of the magic circuit and spoke very highly of twins who were great magicians in spite of twinning up on the audience now and then. But it was some time before I realized that the new tenants were you.”

  “We have to twin up to do some of the things Mysto did alone.” Derek smiled.

  Mysto chuckled. “I’m near the end of this tale. Not only did I find preparation for new tenants, I also found that my nephew was there before me.”

  “Living there?” Dr. Winston asked.

  “Working, actually.With some friends.At the height of the Cold War when Civil Defense was being pushed, I built a shelter, a very large and elaborate one, under what is now the formal garden in the rear.

  Its center is under the hammer of Thor. You older ones may recall that such measures often brought laughter from people, so I concealed the entrance as I had concealed the ways to my rooms and passages. My nephew knew about the shelter, as did my sister. I equipped it with bunks, entertainments, and a year’s supply of rations and canned water.”

  “How is it entered?” Scotty asked.

  “Through the downstairs recreation room, or a secret garden entrance.When I ran out of the food I had brought with me, I started into the shelter to get some of the supplies cached there. I didn’t choose to live there, because I much preferred my hidey-hole. Anyway, I ran into Carl in the recreation room.”

  Mysto laughed. “He thought I was a ghost. For a moment I thought he would drop dead from fright.

  But, alas, I had caught a sniffle, and I sneezed. Now, ghosts are said to do many things, but I’ve never heard of one sneezing.Neither had my nephew. He started for me, and I thought it best to run, because the panel was opening behind him and I could hear other voices. I fled up the secret stairs, which you havediscovered, and popped into my haven, which neither you nor Carl has found.”

  “The entrance must be at the other end of the corridor,” Rick guessed.

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  Mysto smiled. “I was grateful then for the work going on by the new tenants. Without it, I’m sure Carl would have physically torn the house apart to find me. Since then, they and I have played hide and seek by night. Once the House of Illusion was in operation, there was plenty of food in the refrigerators, and I admit to scavenging a bit. Then, while cutting a bit of cheddar cheese one night, one of Carl’s people sneaked up on me. In the struggle for the knife, I got cut before I could knock him out. I see your surprised looks, but I’ve been adept at oriental martial arts for years. I doubt that I could handle Carl, but his friends are of no consequence.”

  “We saw someone who must be Carl the first night we kept watch,” Scotty told the magician. “If I’d known what you just told us, I’d have been tempted to use my club.”

  “Better that you didn’t, Scotty. He’ll get his, one of these days.But, to conclude. I was in a rather precarious position until last week. I was sitting quietly, rubbing the Talisman--! often do that, as Greeks, Turks and other Middle-Easterners rub the amber beads that the Greeks call komvoyolis , and others caress little ‘worry stones’-and I was wishing someone would come and bail me out of the mess I was in.”

  “I can see the several facets of the mess,” Hartson Brant agreed. “You couldn’t make yourself known without disclosing that you were an escaped ‘madman,’ you couldn’t turn yourself over to your nephew, and it would be extremely chancy to put yourself at the mercy of tenants you didn’t know. Meanwhile, you had to eat, and ultimately find a way out of the dilemma.”

  “A concise summary, thank you.While musing and caressing the stone, I suddenly found myself en rapport with Jan, a quite strong connection. Of course, I didn’t know who she was, but I could tell it was a young woman. Each time she came back to the house, the rapport grew stronger. I could sense that under her curiosity, and what I felt was real sweetness, there was strong character and courage. I hadhope suddenly.”

  “Thank you for those nice words about my daughter,” Mrs. Miller said, smiling.

  “Well deserved, as we both know. Jan brought Rick, Barby and Scotty, and before long I convinced myself that they would be glad to help me. By then I knew who the Camerons were, and I was quite sure they would also extend a hand to an ancient colleague. But I could not just walk out of the woodwork, so to speak, until I was sure it would not end in a confrontation with Carl and his friends. I’m en rapport with Carl, even without the Talisman. He is an extremely powerful personality, and a dangerous one. So it was easy to keep track of his whereabouts. Not until the twins and Karen, and my four young friends came this morning, when Carl and company were not on the premises, did the safe opportunity come.”

  “You dropped the talisman for Jan last night,” Dr. Miller reminded him.

  “Yes. I explained that to them this morning. Just as I recognized Jan and Barbara, the Talisman told me Carl was near. I dropped it for her, because our communication had been mostly initiated by me. I wanted to know her feelings from the transmitting end, so to speak. I knew something would have to happen soon, or the infection in my arm would spread and become deadly.”

  Winston spoke up immediately. “Do you mean the Talisman is a transmitter?”

  “No, Dr. Winston.The person is the transmitter. The stone is...well, the closest I can come to an explanation is that it is a passive amplifier. It has no power supply, no creative properties. It only can amplify feelings that are there, and I don’t know how it does that.”

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  “Must people be en rapport, as you call it?”

  “That’s a handy way of saying simply that people are able to exchange emotions through the stone. It is not true of all people, and the ability varies.”

  Hartson Brant said slowly, “Then, for the stone to work, individuals have to be in tune with it. In resonance, we would say in the case of an electronic circuit, or a tuning fork and a musical instrument string.”

  “A good analogy, sir.The degree of resonance varies greatly with the individual. As a general rule, I’ve found that the higher the intelligence and the greater the creativity, the stronger the resonance-although those are not the sole factors. I’ve known highly creative, near-genius people who are deaf to the stone.

  The intelligence and creativity have to be within a certain kind of mind, which is also something we can’t define.”

  “How well are you in resonance with our children?” Mrs. Brant asked.

  “Quite well, but different for each.I found myself in useful rapport with Rick this morning, even from here to the estate, and I’ve sensed Barby and Scotty, and even the twins, better than average, though to a lesser degree than Rick. I believe Karen and I are in excellent resonance.” He smiled at Jan. “But this special young woman and I are in superb resonance. One degree more and we would have been close to real telepathy.”

  “I felt pain this morning,” Rick confirmed. “It was your arm hurting, because I put my hand right where you were cut I knew it was you. It had to be.”

  “How is it possible to receive sensation at such a distance?” Dr. Winston demanded.

  “I wish we knew. I can only tell you that, when resonance is better than average, it seems possible to actually transmit feelings deliberately, rather than depending on those which simply happen.”

  Winston had more to ask. “Would you be willing to work with me, Mr. Wayla
nd? I’m sure you know that one of the major questions about extra sensory perception is the mode of transmission. If we could find out exactly what the stone amplifies, as well as how it does it, we would open up a whole new field of investigation.”

  “You can count on me, Dr. Winston.”

  Mrs. Brant asked, “Where do the stones come from?”

  “I’ll give you a guess. That’s all it is. I think the stones are a form of stony meteorite. There are stony meteorites, you know, and their composition varies. Mine is not unique. Some have been recorded in history. Socrates is said to have owned one, and there is reference to one in the Norse Sagas. The Pueblo Indians once worshipped such a stone, and one appears in the oral traditions of the Maori of New Zealand.”

  “Where did yours come from?” was Barby’s question.

  “From a sailor inSan Franciscowho came to me after the show.He said he bought it froma Malay who claimed to have stolen it from a figure in the Shan Hills ofBurma . It was supposed to be magic, he said, Page 86

  but it wouldn’t work for him.”

  “You’d better take it,” Jan said, rather sadly. She held it out.

  “Not just yet.” Mysto smiled understandingly. “I know how it is, Jan. Here in this room are a dozen people who either like you very much, or who love you very dearly. While you hold the stone you are literally immersed in their love and affection. It must be a wonderful feeling.”

  “It is,” Jan said simply.

  Rick sensed very clearly how Jan felt. He diverted attention from her with a question. “Mr. Wayland, I’m sure there are lots more things to be said, but here’s one big one. You said your nephew and his friends were working. Working on what?”

  “Ah, I did forget that, didn’t I?” Mysto reached for his wallet. “I managed to sneak into the shelter one night when they were out, presumably peddling their wares. I took a couple of samples. Have one.”

  He held out a new, crisp, twenty dollar bill.

  CHAPTER XIV

  The Gathering of Forces

  Rick knocked at the door of the captain’s office at the Whiteside State Police Barracks, and at the call of “Enter,” went in and greeted Captain Douglas.

  “Got time for some visitors?”

  The captain’s eyebrows went up. “Social? Or police business? Not that it matters. I have time for both.

  Who are these visitors?”

  Rick put his head out the door and called. “Come on in.”

  Jan, Barby, and Scotty walked in and greeted the captain, then stood aside. Mysto, his arm in a sling the doctor had just put back on, went in and gave his cordial little bow.

  For an instant Captain Douglas stared, then he jumped to his feet. “My Sainted Aunt, Mr. Wayland!

  For a moment I thought the Spindrift gang had brought me a ghost. Sir, you look just wonderful, although your hair has gone white. But what do you mean by being alive and well when the New York State Police assured me you were dead?”

  Mysto held out his good hand to the officer. “First, let me congratulate you. It was Sergeant Douglas when last we met, I think. I’m glad to see you’ve risen so high. As to your comment about my death, wasn’t it Mark Twain who once told a newspaper that its report of his death was greatly exaggerated?”

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  “I’d like to hear about it.”

  “Of course.But I’ve already bored my young friends with it, and I can’t very well ask them to sit through another long recital.”

  “You certainly can!” Barby exclaimed. “I’ve never heard anything so fascinating. I’d love to hear it again.”

  “So would I,” Jan agreed, and Rick and Scotty echoed her.

  “Very well, then, if the captain has the time.”

  “I do. In fact, I insist. Please sit down, all of you.”

  Mysto retold his tale, but did not go into so much detail about the Talisman. He told the captain what it was, and how it had helped put him in touch with Jan and the rest of the Spindrift four. When he completed the story, he handed Captain Douglas a counterfeit bill.

  The captain examined it carefully.“Very good. It wouldn’t fool a real expert, but I think it would get by most store-keepers and most new bank tellers.”

  “We looked at it,” Rick told him. “How is it different from the real one?

  “Not in appearance,” Captain Douglas replied. “That’s quite good. The difference is in the feel. I’d guess this was printed by offset, whereas real money is printed from plates on a unique kind of paper which leaves a subtle, textured feeling, noticeable to anyone who has handled money for any length of time. To an experienced teller it wouldn’t feel right. Then, if he put a magnifying glass on it, I suspect he’d see some imperfections, not only in the print but in the paper. In good money, the little colored threads that most people don’t notice are right in the paper. These colors are printed.”

  The captain pushed his intercom button and spoke to the clerk in the outer office. “Willy, get me Special Agent Bill Ewing at theFederalBuilding inNewark . He’s in the Secret Service, Treasury Department. If he’s not there, track him down.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Do you mind a few questions, Mr. Wayland?”

  “Not at all.”Mysto laughed. “If only you knew how pleasant civilized conversation is to one who has been deprived of it, you wouldn’t even ask.”

  “Fine.I’m sure you’re aware that it is my duty to report this reappearance to theNew York authorities and to the court?”

  “I’m quite aware of it,” Mysto returned, unruffled. “And of course, you will do so.”

  “You sound confident that it will not mean too much trouble for you.”

  “I am confident. I had a long talk with Rick’s dad this morning, and we already have been in touch with his attorney. You see, captain, all I ever really needed was a sponsor, one with such standing that he could not be pushed around. Now I have it. Dr. Brant’s lawyer will petition the Court of Appeals to set Page 88

  aside the lower court’s verdict on my sanity, and remand me to his custody pending examination by competent psychiatrists without prejudice.”

  Rick explained, “We would have waited a few days to give Mr. Wayland time to meet and consult with Dad’s lawyer and some reputable psychiatrists, but we thought the counterfeiting thing was pretty urgent.”

  “We’re afraid that, if Carl Cleary finds out Mr. Wayland isn’t in the Mirella estate anymore, he might pack it all up and run,” Jan added.

  “We couldn’t very well walk in with a phony twenty without telling you how we got it,” Scotty pointed out.

  “True.” Captain Douglas rubbed his chin. “Of course, the counterfeiting thing will keep us pretty busy until we raid the shelter and have Cleary and company safely in the hands of the Secret Service. Then I’ll have a report to write. It could be several days before I get around to reporting you to theNew York people, Mr. Wayland.”

  “I’m going to get a bumper sticker for the car,” Barby said happily.“One that says, ‘Support Your State Police.’”

  “Thank you, Barby. We’ll appreciate the plug. Jan, you’re very quiet. Do you still have the stone Mr.

  Wayland described?”

  Jan took it from her pocket. “Here it is, captain.”

  Captain Douglas examined it without touching. “It looks ordinary enough. Do you suppose it would work for me?”

  “Pick it up and see,” Jan urged.

  The officer did so. “Bless Bess! It does work. I guess I’m...what is it?”

  “En rapport,” Jan said.

  “In resonance,” Rick offered.

  The captain gave them all a warm smile. “I’m glad you like me, because I like all of you. Thank you, Jan.” He handed it back. He addressed the magician rather hesitantly. “This will be rather expensive for the Brants until the court releases your estate, which may be a long, drawn out affair. If a loan would help...”

  “Thank you, captain. Thank you very much. Fortunately, it won’t be
necessary. The biggest joke of all is this: I always kept a large amount of money in the house, and it’s still there. Had my nephew only known it, he could have done very well for himself without breaking the law~if he could have found my cache.

  Also,I have substantial resources in other forms, which Carl knows nothing about, nor does the court.”

  Captain Douglas laughed. “I wonder how many laws you broke by substituting that other patient for yourself and then escaping. But that’s a problem which belongs to the State ofNew York , and I’m glad to leave it to them.”

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  Mysto smiled. “Dr. Brant suggested that my best defense would be a powerful offense. I think we will institute suit against the court, the judge, the state, the sanitarium, and all parties to this affair on the grounds of false imprisonment and whatever else a clever attorney can think up. I’ll enjoy every minute of it.”

  “What will you do when this business is cleared up? Or at least in the long waiting period for court action?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Mysto admitted. “I’ll have the estate back and the Camerons will be my tenants. I wonder if they’d like the landlord to play a small part in theiract? ”

  The young people gasped. “They’d be knocked silly by the very idea,” Barby exclaimed. “Are you serious?”

  “Oh, yes. I’m not too old to handle an illusion or two now and then. I have a hankering for an audience again. It’s a built-in failing of show people. What’s more, it’s time I took on some superior performers to train in my own exclusive illusions. Do you think they’ll accept?”

  Jan said, astonished.“Of course!And not only because you’re the Master Magician. They like you as a person. The Talisman told me so.”

  The intercom rang, and Captain Douglas tipped the switch. “Yes?”