Roderick tips his hat to the audience and walks over to a lone podium. He reaches over the top and a large silver ball materializes in his hand. With a tap of his foot a silver sequined scarf floats down from the ceiling. It glides back and forth like a feather before landing draped perfectly over the ball. The audience gasps when with a wave of his hand, the scarf-covered ball rises high above Roderick’s head. I have to admit it’s very impressive. I’ve seen the trick dissected by Pen and Teller and usually the ball is controlled by tiny magnets sewn into the scarf. But this is not a trick—this is real. The ball is levitating all by itself. The ball and scarf dangle from the ceiling one last time then vanish. The audience applauds then stops when the ball comes roaring down from the back of the theater and zooms over the seats into Roderick’s outstretched hand.
I suck in a breath as the audience applauds wildly. He’s more powerful than I thought. How am I ever going to beat him? I practice wishes in my head but it’s no use. Defeat is all I feel. I crane my neck to see Jin. With his face covered in fake hair he’s hard to find. I have to pan the seats twice before I recognize him. He’s sitting ramrod straight in the chair, his eyes fixed on Roderick. At least his former master hasn’t recognized him. The disguise is working.
A pretty blonde dressed in a skimpy harem outfit joins Roderick. Two men, one short and stocky with flaming red hair, the other tall and thin with jet-black hair, wheel a long red lacquered box onto center stage. Roderick snaps his fingers and a huge saw materializes in his hands. He’s going to do the famous saw a woman in half trick! The men open the lid and take hold of the blonde girl’s arms. She struggles, but they manage to get her into the box. They place her legs and head into shackles and lock them with big padlocks. The sides of the box are open so the audience can see she is still struggling to get out. I know this is part of the trick but the audience shift in their seats like the blonde is really suffering. The men pull up her arms and put them through a hole in the top of the box, then tie her hands together with rope and close the sides. It’s considered an old trick in my time but in Victorian days it’s fairly new. Maybe Roderick was the magician who invented it.
The two men spin the girl around twice. Then Roderick takes one side of the saw and one of the men takes the other. They saw back and forth and the women in the audience let out a collective gasp. Roderick places two large flat blades in slots toward the center of the box. The girl lets out a loud scream as Roderick pulls the top of the box with her head in one direction, and the tall black-haired assistant pulls the box with her feet in another. The audience is so mesmerized they don’t notice that the short red haired assistant has vanished.
They spin the boxes around three times and then Roderick and the tall assistant push the box back together. Roderick taps the lid three times with a wand. Then he pulls out the large blades and hands them to the assistant. Roderick lifts open the lid and the short assistant pops out. The applause is deafening. I have to admit the trick has me stumped. I have no idea how he switched places with the girl.
The back curtain parts and the blonde strolls out, dressed in a beautiful emerald green ball gown. Applause thunders for a second time. Roderick is beaming. I swallow hard. His powers are truly amazing. We’re in deep trouble.
He takes a bow as the male assistants whisk the box and equipment away. What is he going to do to top that? Roderick stands on the edge of the stage. The gaslights cast multiple shadows around him like strange dark clouds. “For my next illusion I am going to need a member of the audience. Would someone like to volunteer?”
There is the slow, steady sound of murmurs as people debate whether they should volunteer. A hand shoots up in the back of the theater. OMG, it’s Jin! Even from across the theater I can see his head is in a strange position. Roderick has him in some kind of trance. My mouth goes dry as I watch Roderick invisibly pull Jin up by his shoulders and lift him from his seat. He dangles him like a string puppet over the row of seats. Roderick snaps his fingers and a walking stick appears in his hand. He points it at Jin and uses it like a giant tractor beam to draw Jin closer to him. The audience grows quiet as Jin floats high above the seats. He keeps moving down the rows until he’s standing on the stage next to Roderick. The audience applauds wildly. Roderick holds up his hand like a stop sign. “Thank you, but this is only the beginning of the illusion.”
The crowd roars as Jin walks like a robot over to a large black curtain suspended over the middle of the stage. Roderick taps the walking stick on the floor. The curtain vanishes to reveal a huge tank filled with water. He’s going to do a version of the famous Houdini illusion. I grip the arms of the seat trying to control my urge to race up to the stage. But I can’t let Roderick know who I am—not yet. I watch as the men push wooden steps toward the tank. The blonde runs her hands up and down the tank like she’s hocking something on The Price is Right. What the heck? Did I just see some kind of dark gray creatures swimming in the water?
Jin continues his robot walk up the stairs and falls into the tank. I clutch the seat cushion when I realize the creatures are giant eels. Is Roderick so evil he’d put electric eels in the tank? The answer comes quickly when sparks shoot off the glass every time an eel strikes the sides. What a twisted take on a classic magic trick.
One of the creatures wraps itself around Jin’s leg. He writhes in pain and I know he isn’t going to survive for long. I try to get up but the weight of my dress holds me down. It feels like it’s made out of steel. The dress must weigh four hundred pounds. Roderick’s work. The magic of the monocle should have been a clue to the extent of his power. Of course, Jin’s simple disguise wouldn’t fool him. Roderick put the tickets in my purse. He knew exactly what I looked like. How could I be so stupid?
Roderick waves his hands and a large tank lid floats down from the ceiling. He secures it with two large padlocks on either side. One of the eels wraps itself around Jin’s arm while the other one nibbles on his foot. My hands turn white I’m gripping the arms of my chair so tightly. I can’t just sit here and let Jin be electrocuted. The pain I felt when the lightning bolt hit me from Polaris was unbearable.
Like a person possessed, Roderick stands next to the tank smiling at Jin. Bubbles fill the water as Jin pounds at the lid, frantically trying to escape. I think of a wish to set him free but I know it’s no use. We are too far away from each other for it to work. The assistants leave the stage, and I know this is my chance. I think of my life without Jin. Stuck in Victorian England all alone—my nightmare coming true. With every ounce of willpower I have in my body I push against the weight of the dress. Nothing. I have to take it off if I want to save Jin.
The couple next me gasp as I wiggle back and forth trying to get free. I practically turn myself into a human pretzel. My arms have a few scrapes from the trims and boning, but I’m finally free. I’m only wearing my chemise and petticoat. People are whispering and staring but I don’t care. Only one thing matters—Jin. I race down the side aisle toward the stage. Roderick doesn’t notice me. He’s too busy gloating that he finally has Jin just where he wants him.
A burly stagehand tries to stop me as I reach the side stage entrance. But my adrenaline is pumping so hard I dodge around the stagehand and burst through the door. I run up the stairs without a clue what I’m going to do except I have to save Jin. The two male assistants try to grab my arms but I’m quick on my feet. The black curtain descends from the ceiling to hide his shameful deed from the audience. The men run to make sure the glass is totally covered. They don’t want the audience to see the trick is actually someone being tortured to death. My someone. I sneak behind the tank out of the men’s sight. I duck under the curtain and place my hand on the glass and close my eyes tight. “I wish for this tank to disappear and for Jin and I to be transported back to my home on Long Island.”
No lavender light. No mist filling the air. Nothing. My hand falls to my side. I’m right next to him. Why isn't the wish working?
I race to the front of the
tank and look into the face of the genie I’ve grown to love. His skin is pale, his lips are blue.
Jin is dead.
Chapter 12
If Wishes Were Fishes
The pain in my heart is so great, I can hardly breathe. I glare at Roderick as the purple stage curtain comes crashing down. This can’t be how this ends. The bastard can’t win! I race to the back of the stage. Jin! I have to touch him one last time. In the corner by the curtain I see an ax hooked on the wall. A stagehand takes hold of my hands, but I push past him. There is so much adrenaline racing through me I lift the ax like a feather. The sound of cracking glass fills the air. Two men are on me but I don’t stop until I‘ve shattered the tank. Jin hits the floor with a thud like a dead fish. The eels thrash around on the stage. Little sparks bounce off the wood. They’re still very much alive. If only they were my genie.
I rip off the muttonchops dangling from Jin’s face. Maybe there’s still a chance to save him. “Jin, I wish for you to live and for us to be together again back on Long Island.”
No glowing lavender mist. Nothing. Tears pour down my face. I’m too late. My genie can no longer grant my wishes. He’s dead. And because I never completed all my wishes, I’m stuck here as Jin warned. I gambled and lost. The huge men I saw guarding the entrance of the theater grab onto my arms, and hold me up like they are going to crucify me.
The audience starts chanting, “Roderick, Roderick, let us see the end of the illusion.”
Roderick ignores their pleas and stands in front of me. He points his stubby finger at my nose. “You thought a pathetic little wish could fight my power?”
I feel anger surge through me as they drag Jin’s body away. Any chance for me to say goodbye vanishes with him. I have one wish left and I’d love to turn Roderick into a cockroach and squish him under my boot. Just a fantasy now. My only hope is that Jin was right about rule number seven. Roderick will lose his powers now that Jin is dead. But that won’t keep him from killing me. If I have any chance of staying alive I have to do something to throw him off his game. Men like him are all ego. I’m going to shatter the magician’s. “You’re as stupid as I thought.”
His snarling grin fades just a little. “What game are you playing? You are the genie’s ladybird. That is all.”
The stage manager eyes my bustier and petticoat, and then runs to Roderick’s side. “Sir, you must finish the show. The audience believes the tank incident is part of your performance.”
He growls back at the man. “Can not you see I have business here? I will resume the act when I please.”
The manager scurries off stage. Two of the workers start to mop up the water and pick up the glass still scattered on the floor. They use rubber mats to pick up the eels. He could cut me into pieces or worse, but I stay strong. Jin would want me to survive.
“I’m smarter than you.”
He slaps me across the face. “Foolish girl from the future, you are mine to do with as I please.” He snaps his fingers at one of the stagehands. “Get me the saw.”
I laugh. “Don’t you realize what you’ve done?”
The audience chants his name from behind the curtain. “Roderick, Roderick.”
He ignores their demands. “You think you possess some knowledge I do not?” He lets out a deep belly laugh. “Pray tell.”
“Don’t you remember the rules? Jin granted you extraordinary powers but by killing him they are taken away. Rule number seven says your wishes only have their power as long as the genie is alive.”
One of the workers gasps. Roderick puffs out his chest. “How ridiculous. I do not believe in that rule balderdash. The genie had no sway over me. I’ve slain him for my own amusement.”
The crowd chants even louder. “Roderick, Roderick.”
“Prove it. Go out there and show them one of your death defying tricks.”
“I do not have to prove anything to a half-naked ladybird.”
The audience screams even louder. “Roderick, show us what happened in the tank!”
The stage manager returns, more frantic than before. He glances my way, yet completely ignores the fact that two burly men have me pinned against a wall and I’m bleeding.
“Roderick, you must return to the stage immediately. If you do not finish the tank illusion and perform your final act I refuse to pay you for tonight’s performance. I will cancel your contract.”
At first Roderick ignores him. He reaches out and touches my lip. I wince in pain. Blood oozes onto his hand. He rolls the blood around between his fingers. “You bleed like a pig before slaughter. I will take great pleasure in finishing the job.”
The manager yells, “I will march out there straight away and tell the audience the show has been canceled.”
Roderick wipes the blood off his hand on my petticoat. “Very well, if you insist.”
Seems money talks in Victorian times too.
The manager signals the Master of Ceremonies who’s been standing in the wings. “I am pleased you have come to your senses.”
The Master of Ceremonies’ voice booms from in front of the curtain. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are sorry for the delay. It took much longer than expected to fix a technical difficulty. Please be patient. The final illusion is amazing. I can assure you it is worth the wait!”
The crowd roars, while behind the stage curtain Roderick’s stagehands scramble to clean up the rest of the broken glass and mop up what’s left of the water. From the back of the stage the assistants wheel out a tank identical to the one I just destroyed. Figures Roderick would have a backup. The tall assistant climbs into the tank while the other puts on the lid and locks it tight.
Roderick straightens his coat and top hat. “My final illusion will demonstrate I’m still Roderick the Magnificent. Watch as I prove your dead genie has no power over me.”
The curtain rises and the burly stagehands pull me into the left wing. I’m trapped while Jin lies god knows where. I should be with him, but it’s not possible with the goons holding me so tight I can feel the bruises forming on my arms.
Roderick walks to center stage. “Ladies and Gentleman, I am sorry for the delay but you will soon discover it was well worth your time.” The assistant pushes his feet off the sides of the tank, struggling to get loose. Roderick waves his walking stick in the air. “Simsalabim.”
Nothing happens. He waves his stick again. This time the tank glass cracks sending little veins across the surface. Roderick has a startled look on his face as water drips slowly from the cracks onto the floor. The tank curtain falls slowly, ready to conceal yet another death. Then a flash of light bursts from Roderick’s stick and the man in the tank disappears. OMG, he still has his powers. How can that be?
The sound of clapping fills the theater as the heavy purple velvet curtain descends across the stage. Roderick has a spring in his step as he walks up to me. “You thought you were terribly clever. I told you my powers were so great nothing could stop me. Not even your genie and his ridiculous rules.”
Any energy I had leaves my body. The rules have failed. Roderick’s won. I’m as good as dead.
The clatter of wheels on wood almost drowns out the Master of Ceremonies’ voice. “Ladies and Gentleman, prepare to be astounded.”
The stagehands slowly roll a giant mirror twelve feet high out onto center stage. Of course Roderick’s going to do his most famous act for the finale.
He pokes me in the side with his walking stick. “Enjoy your life while it lasts.”
I can’t even think of anything clever to say. Now I know what true defeat feels like.
Roderick smirks. “I like a woman who knows when a man has conquered her.”
Normally I would break free and punch him in the face. But I have no more fight left in me. I just stand and watch as he turns and walks out onto center stage like a puffed up peacock. He moves next to the mirror and waits while two blonde girls dressed in tight bustiers and flowing sheer gold skirts join him. They hold a large rectangular bl
ack fabric panel the size of a fifty-inch TV screen out in front of him. Roderick hits the fabric with his walking stick and it bounces off. Then one of the blondes hands him a white scarf. He walks around behind the panel waving the scarf in the air. Then he balls it in his fist and puts his arm through the panel. The audience applauds wildly. Any hopes I have that he might still lose his powers is gone. I try to turn my head away but the guards force me to continue watching.
A satisfied grin spreads across his face as he approaches the mirror. “And now without further ado, my grand finale!”
The girls spin the mirror in a circle around Roderick and each time he taps it with his stick. “As you can see the mirror is quite solid.”
The girls run their hands up and down the sides like they are showing off a new car on TV commercial. Then they motion to Roderick. He throws his cape over his shoulders and stands behind the mirror. A drum roll begins and he shouts, “What was solid is now fluid.”
I watch as the surface of the mirror turns into silvery mercury liquid. Roderick slowly pushes his arm straight through. He waves the white scarf at the audience. The applause is deafening. Roderick starts to pull his arm back through when the surface of the liquid shudders and turns back into a mirror. Roderick screams out in pain as the mirror shatters and a large piece slices through his arm like a guillotine. The forearm and hand fall to the floor with a loud thud. The theater fills with the sounds of screams to rival any horror film. Roderick collapses backward onto the stage. Blood is spurting out of what’s left Roderick’s arm like a fountain. The assistants race to stem the bleeding.
My guards stand confused, not knowing what to do. I still can't believe what just happened. Does this mean his powers are finally gone? He’ll surely seek revenge. I need to get out of here while I still have a chance. But first I have to find Jin. I need to say goodbye.
Adrenaline pumps through my body. Channeling everything I learned in self-defense class, I punch the guy on the left in the nose and kick the man on the right in the balls. They both fall quickly to the floor. I race to the back the back of the stage and open the side door. A series of narrow stairs lead to the base of a long hallway. They couldn’t have taken him far. Four doors line the walls. He has to be in one of the rooms.
Jin In Time Boxed Set 1-3: A Young Adult Time Travel Romance (The Time is Forever Series) Page 18