ESTUDIO FINANCIERO

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(The performer spreads a packet of three playing cards face down.) See these angels riding on bicycles? They do not need bikes in Heaven, so they must be on earth. Why? They have been sent to find their predecessoróan angel who has been commissioned to help humanity, but lost his way and himself, forgotten Heaven and succumbed to earthly delights all too fully. (The top card is turned face up. It shows a large image of the Joker.) Here he is in mufti as Joe Kerr. He wears a crown and hides his wings with a jacket of spades. He is passing as royalty, the King of Spades, lording over us all. Such nerve! Such forgetfulness! So these angels riding on bicycles are looking for Joe Kerr.

Joe rides swiftly on his bicycle. (The large joker is replaced at the bottom of the packet.) They see him close up. (The next card is revealed as containing the small image of the Joker and replaced at the bottom of the packet.) They see him far away. (The third card is shown to be a large joker and replaced at the bottom of the packet.) And they see him close up again.

We can look for him too on our own. (The three showings are repeated, but with different outcomes.) We will probably see him far away. Then close up. And then far away again.

Perhaps we will have better luck if we search together with the angels, that is, by remembering that he is one who can help humanity. (The packet is turned face up and the cards are shifted from face to back, one at a time, the last being the King of Spades.) Here is he far away. Here he is close up. And. . .? Joe Kerr is here!

He must be one of us! Will he come to himself? And help the rest of us? Sources:

The plot is taken from a Gnostic myth, "Hymn of the Pearl." (See The Gnostic

Religion, Second edition, enlarged, by Jan Jonas, for both the story and the interpretation. (Boston: The Beacon Press, 1991. The story is on pp. 113-116, while the introduction and analysis are on pp.112-113, 116-129.)

In the original tale, a young man is sent by his royal father down into another country to find the Pearl that has been stolen and is now encircled in the middle of the sea by a guardian dragon. He takes off his royal robes. He puts on common robes for a disguise. He goes in search and, taking food and drink with those of the country, he forgets himself and the search. A message is sent from the king, reminding him of who he is and of the Pearl he is to obtain. He comes to himself, charms the dragon to sleep, takes the pearl, and returns home to wear his original robes and to give the pearl to his father.

Routine:

From a deck of Bicycle brand playing cards, remove the large Joker, small Joker and King of Spades, placing them in that order from the top. Be sure to orient the jokers so that the audience sees them right side up. The recommended handling is such that the cards can be employed close-up or stand-up. Hold the packet face down, casually spread it and point to the angels. Close the spread. Shove off the top card into the other hand, grasping it with the thumb on the back and fingers underneath. Twist the wrist to show the large Joker to the audience. Use it to gesture toward the angels on the back of the top card. Place the card face down underneath the packet. Repeat these moves to show the small Joker. Appear to repeat these moves, but actually shove off two cards as one card, show the large Joker, and place them as one underneath the packet. (Use either a two- card push off or buckle the bottom card to achieve a secure and clean appearance of the two cards. With only three cards, it is very easy to do either move neatly.)

Repeat the above process to reveal the three cards again, but use the double card on the second showing. The audience will see a small Joker, a large Joker and another small Joker.

Count and show the three cards just as before, doing a double lift on the first showing. This reveals the large image, small image and then the King of Spades. The packet is restacked. (Or, pull out the bottom card, show it and replace it on top of the packet or discard it to the table or breast pocket. Repeat with the new bottom card. Repeat with the new bottom card, the King, but replace it at the bottom if keeping the packet intact. The packet is restacked.

Notes:

In the above handling, a firmer grip on the single and double cards is obtained by holding them between the thumb at the lower right corner and the second finger at the upper right corner, the forefinger resting on the back. This grip is less natural, but more secure.

Obviously, other handlings are possible, including the use of stripper cards or a corner- short card. In the former, the small joker is reversed, in the latter, the lower right corner of the small joker is shorted. If I bothered with such, I would use wax or roughing fluid to render the handling of the double automatic.