This trick is exclusively for visitors to www.rpaulwilson.com While there are no
illustrations, you will understand the method perfectly if you know the Jordan count
and follow the text with cards in hand. Enjoy.
Boxed Transpo
One of my favourite books to come from Stephen Minch s Hermetic Press is Ernest Earick s
 By Forces Unseen . I have never seen Mr Earick work but, judging by the material in this
book, I believe him to be a most accomplished technician. Two of his routines particularly
intrigued me and I have included variations of both for your interest.
 Boxed Transpo was inspired by Earick s  Bureau d Exchange (p.81, By Forces Unseen), an
extremely direct transposition of a pocketed selection and four kings. The four for one idea is
far from new, examples may be found in the books of Darwin Ortiz or Roy Walton among
others. What impressed me about this routine was the clean handling brought about by Mr.
Earick s method (granted, this method included a one hand convincing control and a one-hand
bottom palm of four cards). I performed the original routine for some time (and still do) until
the following idea occured to me.
Instead of using the pocket, why not the card box instead? This would allow me to use only
the four kings and the selected card. It would also make the method considerably easier.
Effect: A card is selected and placed face down on the table. Four kings are removed and
placed on top of the selection. The kings are shown and placed inside the card box. The box
is then placed square on top of the selection. The four kings immediately transpose with the
selection - the kings are now underneath the box, the selection is inside. The selected card
may be signed.
Method: Remove the deck from it s box and hand it to a spectator, requesting that he remove
any card he likes, so long as it isn t a king. Drop the box onto the table, in a central position.
This will be where you place the selection later.
When they have a card, ask them to hold on to it while you take back the deck and remove
the four kings. Place the balance of the deck aside and quickly arrange the kings into black,
black, red, red order from the face. Hold these cards face down in the right hand and extend
your left hand for the spectator to give you his card. Ask him to ensure you don t see his
selection.
Take his card in left hand dealing grip and drop the four kings, face down, onto this card. The
order from the top should be two red kings, two black kings and the unseen selection. Hold
these cards in position for a Jordan count (at left fingertips).
I d like to demonstrate a puzzle that a man showed me last year in Munich. When I first saw
this I thought it was impossible, but I learned better. You ll need four kings...hearts, diamonds,
spades and clubs.
As this is said, perform the following display count. The right thumb pulls the top card into the
right hand and the right hand revolves so the card may be seen (in actual fact, only the lower
indice is seen - the rest of the card is obscured by your fingers). The right hand revolves down
and returns to the left packet, drawing the next card onto the first. As this is done, the right
thumb does not draw the second card square onto the first but spread to a third of an inch to
the left. Again revolve the right hand so the indice of the second card may be seen. The right
thumb draws the second card back, square with the first as the right hand moves to take the
third card in the same way. The third card is shown in the same manner as the second.
As the fourth card is taken, you will perform the following switch. As the right hand comes
under the left-hand packet, the right hand cards are slid under the remaining two at left
fingertips. The left hand is momentarily holding all five cards. In order to maintain the rhythm
of the preceding three cards, the left fingers pinch the packet at the left long edge, the left
fingers drawing back slightly as the left thumb pushes forward. The result of this pinch is that
the bottom card of the packet is separated from the upper four, which are immediately drawn
into the right hand, exactly mimicking the actions of taking a single card. This is the same
switch utilised in the standard four card Jordan count.
The right hand revolves as before to show the top card of it s packet (the right thumb needs to
push this card to the left so that the indice may be seen).
This sequence is performed quickly and casually without placing too much importance on the
kings.
The card remaining in the left hand is a King (the selection is second from the top of the king
packet). Drop this King onto the table and ask someone to pick up the card box and check
inside for trapdoors etc. As they do this, turn the King packet face up and perform a casual,
unimportant, Elmsley count as you say that you are going to place the kings inside the box.
After the count, place the four-card packet face up in the left-hand dealing grip.
Once the box has been checked, the right hand takes the king packet as follows:
The right hand fingers go under the front of the packet and the thumb is on the face. The
bottom card of the packet is rear-jogged (towards you) by a quarter inch and the packet raised
so the back of the packet is now facing the audience. The right fingers cover one short end of
the packet, concealing the fact that the rear-most card is jogged.
The left hand takes the box so that the half moon cut-out is away from the palm, towards you
and the left fore finger can hold the flap open whilst the open end is facing upwards. The
packet is now apparently placed into the box but, thanks to the secretly jogged card, only the
selection is placed inside. The rest are placed on the front of the box (which is towards you
and hidden from the audience). The box is closed. And taken in right hand Biddle grip (the
cards beneath the box held in place by their edge with the right fingertips and thumb).
The box is now placed on top of the  selection on the table and a spectator s hand placed on
top of all.
Snap your fingers and have them lift up the box to show the card has vanished and jumped
inside the box.
When they lift the box four cards are seen on the table and say that their selection obviously
doesn t like to share. Show the four kings and have them remove their own selection from the
box.