A joker card flew across the hall in a beautiful motion as the sound accompanying it reverberated around the almost dark room. The only source of this action in the otherwise empty room could be the tall and lanky figure standing silently basking in the dazzling light filtered through the stained glass window. As he raised his hand to correct the top hat he was wearing, the ring on his finger caught the glint of the sun and shone radiantly.

"What happened?", the words reached down the hall first cutting through the silence of the aftermath and was followed by a stout, pudgy man with horn-rimmed glasses."What was that noise? Did something happen? Are you hurt, Henry?", he asked without pausing for breath.

"It's nothing to be afraid of, Vince", Henry smiled, "It was from flicking of a card". "How could that produce such a sound?", asked Vince quizzically. "It echoed, buddy. Come on, It can't be a Gothic Castle without a little echoing, can it?", answered Henry, amused. Vince wasn't amused.

"The whole building is soundproofed. What did you do to my hall, Henry?", Vince bellowed in anger. "Nothing, I assure you. It is just a bit of magic", said Henry, trying to assuage Vince.

A beautiful woman in a colorful costume burst into the room and came up to them as Henry and Vince bickered on like an old couple. "Master", she said, "We have completed the final check on all the equipment except the one for the final act and we need you to finish it".

"What exactly is your final act. Not even your ingenieur has any idea about it. Do you think it is safe for you to perform it in my hall?", asked Vince, concerned.

"Do not worry!", replied Henry Dane as he flashed one of those winning smiles that made him the world famous magician he was today at Vince, "It is perfectly safe. Do you not trust me?"

"Only a fool trusts a magician", Vince replied.

"O dear friend, a magician can never lie", Dane answered reassuring Vince.

Henry walked down the length of the room to reach the stage. He flew onto the stage with a single sweep and strutted along to reach the backstage. The sight of it hit him the same way it did twelve years ago when he first dived into the enchanting world of the magicians. Without pausing at any of the wonderful machines his apprentices were polishing for today's act, he moved along to the end of the floor, to a dusky corner covered with a pitch black curtain.

Henry pulled apart the screen, as he entered the mysterious spot and closed it behind him. As he ran his hand across the sleek apparatus, he found his heart palpitating. This is going to be his crowning jewel. As his hands fly across the device with grace and poise, he looked for imperfections and uncertainties. There were none.

With a wickedly gleeful smile on his lips, he said softly, "Let the show begin".

The exploding pain in his back brought back Bill from his stupor. As he opened his eyes lumberingly, a dark shape filled his vision making him scurry backwards in fear. As he came to, he recognized it as a sneaker on the foot on a commuter who wandered off the footpath submerged in his phone.

Damn him, Bill cursed at him and got up and checked his surroundings. He was still near the step of the restaurant where he begged for the last two days. Bill cursed himself for wishing things would change when he wakes up. "Delilah won't come back", he thought, "My job, my kids, they all are not coming back. My old life isn't coming back. Damn it."

Bill patted his trousers to get rid of the dust sticking to his back from sitting on the pavement and peered into the can. It only had twelve dollars. He cursed again, but this time he cursed God for his stupid luck.

He shifted slowly towards the tent in the park. All of a sudden as the cold weather struck him, he pulled his jacket ends. The rustling sound he heard in his pockets made him pause. He remembered having empty before sleeping. Hoping for a windfall, albeit a modest one he ruffled through the depths of his pockets.

The result disappointed him. The size of the paper was too large to be a note, but the idea that it could be a cheque or some sort filled him with desire. Fearing someone would steal it from him, Bill climbed into the pitiful tent and closed its flap.

As he brought out the piece of paper, Bill cursed out loud. They looked like food coupons at first sight and he was filled with anger at the thought that this was a prank. "Why", he cursed, "would someone go to such lengths to trick a man who was so down on his luck?"

Upon closer examination of the object at hand, Bill was puzzled. It was neither a coupon as he feared nor was it a monetary gift that he had hoped for but a ticket. But it was not just any ticket, it was a ticket for the 'Henry Dane Show', the new hottest magic show in the country.

Bill was quizzical. It wasn't a regular incident for someone to give away a ticket to a Henry Dane Show, but this man/woman had tucked it deep into his pocket as if they really wanted him to have it. And what could he do with it? Surely he would not be welcome to a show which only the upper echelons of the society could afford to be at.

A brilliant idea struck him. He could give it to his kids. They would love to go to the show. After all, it had been years since he had done anything remotely dad-like. But he soon dismissed the idea, he couldn't split the tickets into three and on closer examination, it was an adult only preview screening. "To make sure everything is safe for the kids", he thought.

"Delilah wouldn't go too", he thought, "She already has her hands full taking care of three kids and working over three jobs". Besides, they are not on talking terms anymore. Ever since Bill lost his insurance salesman job, the only conversations they had was through a lawyer.

" I could sell it", Bill thought softly, "I could sell it and buy something good for the kids".

But fate had different plans for Bill that night.