Ch8-Master of Escape

CHAPTER EIGHT Master of Escape "You… you?" breathed Annie. "You're the Great Houdini?" said Jack. He couldn't believe it! "Just give us a moment to set up our show!" Houdini shouted to the audience. "Sit tight, and we'll be back quick as a wink! In the meantime,

how about a nice hand for these funny little magicians?" Music played, Jack and Annie bowed, the crowd roared enthusiastically, and the red curtain came down. Bess rushed over to Jack and Annie. "Thanks for helping us out!" she said. "We had no idea you had a comedy act," Harry said. "We had no idea you were the Great Houdini!" said Annie. "That's what we figured," said Bess. "Forgive us for having a little fun with you two." "Harry! Hurry!" Mr. Dewey said. The theater owner led Houdini back to his dressing room. "Thanks again, you crazy kids, for covering for us!" said Bess, hugging Jack and Annie. "Everyone, please clear the stage!" Mr. Wilson said. "We have to reset!" "Stick around and watch us!" Bess said to Jack and Annie. She guided them to a couple of chairs just offstage. "Sit here! I have to help Harry." She hurried back to the dressing room. As crowd noises filled the theater, Annie turned to Jack. "Can you believe it?" she said.

"No… I can't—I can't believe it…," said Jack. He was in a daze. "Maybe we'll learn the secret of greatness from him now," said Annie hopefully. "Oh, right," said Jack. He pulled off his gloves and looked at the Ring of Truth on his finger. He hoped it would soon start to glow. While the Houdinis prepared for the show, the stagehands found all the rabbits and doves and put them back in their cages. They picked up the cards and rings and hauled the table away. "Set Harry's cabinet center stage!" Mr. Wilson called. Hank and Butch carried a wooden cabinet onto the stage. Black fabric covered three sides of it, and a black curtain hung in front. Just as the audience began to stamp their feet, Mr. Dewey led the Houdinis out of their dressing room. Bess was wearing white tights and a short pleated dress. Her delicate face was framed by a ring of dark curls. Harry was dressed in an elegant black suit, his hair combed back neatly. The curtain rose, and the orchestra played a rousing tune.

Bess stood beside the cabinet while Harry stepped into a spotlight. For a long moment, he gazed intensely at the audience. When the noisy crowd grew quiet, he spoke in a voice that carried all the way to the back of the theater.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I, Harry Houdini, would like to make a bet with you! I'll bet a thousand dollars there is no lock that can hold me captive tonight! They don't call me the Master of Escape for nothing!" From that moment on, Harry Houdini was the Master of Escape. As the orchestra played, he performed easily, with humor and confidence. Several times during his act, he invited volunteers onstage to make sure all his locks were securely locked and all his knots were tightly tied. During his first trick, Houdini asked the audience volunteers to check three pairs of handcuffs that Bess had locked around his wrists. Then he stepped inside his cabinet. Bess closed the black curtain. "Let's count to ten together!" she called to the crowd. Everyone counted: "One! Two! Three!…" On the count of ten, Houdini threw open the curtain—his handcuffs dangling from his hand! Jack and Annie gasped. "How did he do that?" Jack said. Harry did the trick again with a new level of difficulty. This time, Bess not only locked

handcuffs around Houdini's wrists, she also wrapped chains around his ankles and secured them with padlocks. Again, excited volunteers made certain that all the locks were truly locked. When the black curtain closed, Bess asked everyone to count again. On the count of ten, Harry threw open the curtain—freed from his shackles and handcuffs. The crowd clapped and cheered. "And now," he said, "the Master of Escape will share with you his most thrilling and dangerous escape to date!" Houdini dashed offstage. The orchestra played scary-sounding music as Hank and Butch brought out a huge milk can and placed it inside the cabinet. Audience members whispered to each other as the stagehands filled the giant can with buckets of water. Harry then reappeared dressed in an oldfashioned black bathing suit. Bess put the three pairs of handcuffs around his wrists again. After volunteers checked the locks, Houdini climbed inside the milk can. Jack and Annie stood up to watch.