Американские боги
Chapter 6
ThethingaboutcoinmanipulationwasthatittookallShadow’sheadtodoit;orrather,hecouldnotdoitifhewasangryorupset,sotheactionofpracticinganillusion,evenonewithnopossibleuseonitsown—consider,hehadexpendedanenormousamountofeffortandskilltomakeitappearthathehadmovedaquarterfromonehandtotheother,somethingthatittakesnoskillwhatevertodoforreal—calmedhim,clearedhismindofturmoilandfear.
Hebeganatrickevenmorepointless:aone-handedhalf-dollar-to-pennytransformation,butwithhistwoquarters.Eachofthecoinswasalternatelyconcealedandrevealedasthetrickprogressed:hebeganwithonequartervisible,heldbetweenthetipsofhisforefingers,theotherhiddenhorizontallyintheforkofhisthumb,aDownspalm.Heraisedhishandtohismouthandblewonthecoin,whileslippingthevisiblequarterontothetipofhisthirdfingerandpushingitintoaclassicpalm,asthefirsttwofingerstookthehiddenquarteroutoftheDownspalmandpresentedit.Theeffectwasthathedisplayedaquarterinhishand,raisedittohismouth,blewonit,andlowereditagain,displayingthesamequarterallthewhile.
Hediditoverandoverandoveragain.
Hewonderediftheyweregoingtokillhim,andhishandtrembled,justalittle,andoneofthequartersdroppedfromhisfingertipontothestainedgreenbaizeofthecardtable.
