The theater was packed. Every seat was full, and some people were even standing up behind the back rows, even way up in the balcony.

When Brack stepped into the theater with Charlie and Ty, he practically bumped into Theopolis.

The demonic magician stood in his black robe near the doors, an assistant on each side. He was waiting, it seemed, for the wager deadline to arrive.

“Brack,” he said through a toothy grin. “How noble of you to come down to the theater, despite your failure.”

Brack put out his hand to shake and Theopolis accepted.

The crowd grew silent. Charlie could feel the people around him straining to hear the conversation between the two great illusionists.

“You are a wise man,” Theopolis said. “You have lost with grace. And since you’re here, you’ve saved me the considerable trouble of sending security to remove you from my new rooftop estate.”

Brack smiled, and then he continued his walk down the aisle toward the stage. Charlie and Ty hurried after him. “Where do you think you’re going?” Theopolis hollered after them. “You won’t be taking that stage tonight, nor ever again!”

Brack did not stop. He took the steps up the stage. Theopolis tried to follow, but Charlie and Ty stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

“Out of my way, children,” Theopolis said. “This theater belongs to me. I shall have you thrown out!” He thrust his finger in the air as he spoke.

“It’s not yours yet,” said Charlie. He checked his watch. “Brack has ten minutes.”

Ty smirked. “Why don’t you take a seat?” he said. “I’m sure Brack would be happy to give you his box seat in the front.”

“Yeah. He won’t need it!” Charlie said.

The boys laughed and Theopolis glowered at them.

A stagehand hurried to push out a lectern. There was some hurried chatter in the wings and in the catwalk, and a spotlight thumped on.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Brack said, “and children of all ages. I have a couple of announcements.”

The crowd went silent.

“First of all, the performance tonight will not go on as scheduled,” Brack said.

Theopolis smiled. “A concession speech,” he said. He smirked at Charlie and Ty. “Such class.”

“It will unfortunately begin a few minutes late,” Brack went on. “I haven’t dressed yet, as you can see.”

“What?” Theopolis snapped.

“And the second announcement,” Brack said, “I only have a few minutes to complete. I shall now reveal how Theopolis performed his levitation trick—yes, trick, not magic—at my party last weekend.”

Theopolis gasped. “Impossible!” he said. “Get down from that stage at once!”

Ty and Charlie held Theopolis’s arms to stop him from rushing the stage.

“I would like some assistance, however,” Brack said. “I will ask three excellent performers to join me onstage. I think they’re here in the theater.”

The crowd of magicians began to chatter. It could be any three of them, they hoped.

“Expert juggler, Mr. Thursday,” Brack said. Mr. Thursday stood up in the back row and the crowd applauded slightly.

“Mr. Madagascar,” Brack said, “a resident of this very hotel. The brilliant levitator and illusionist!”

Mr. Madagascar, who was seated along the wall near the front, stood up and bowed. The crowd applauded, a little louder this time, and he waved.

“And finally,” Brack said, “Dotty Drake, one of the finest magician’s assistants ever to grace this theater.”

Dotty jumped to her feet. She was sitting on the aisle quite close to the stage. The crowd went wild with applause.

The three performers, all dressed in their finest show clothes, climbed the stage and joined Brack at the lectern.

“Theopolis would like us to believe that he is the greatest magician of all time,” Brack said. “He’d like us to believe that he can do alone what most of us need help to do.”

Theopolis backed away from the stage a little.

“This is a shame,” Brack went on, “because Theopolis is a fine illusionist, and a true master of modern magic techniques.” Brack smiled and shrugged shyly. “I admit, most of his special effects go right over my old head,” he added. The audience chuckled.

“But when he needed help in his schemes,” Brack said, his face going serious, “he knew he’d need assistance from these three.”

The other three performers on stage took a bow.

“Thursday here was the juggler we all saw over the pool,” Brack explained. “He dressed in a robe just like Theopolis’s, and the two switched places.”

“It was easy in the crowd and the smoke,” Charlie said, glaring at Theopolis.

“Of course,” Brack went on, “Thursday wasn’t actually over the pool. He was hidden away, with Madagascar and Theopolis.”

Madagascar looked at his feet.

“It was Madagascar’s mirrors that made Thursday appear to be levitating,” Brack said. “And it was Theopolis’s projector that made Thursday appear to be over the pool.”

“The smoke again,” Charlie said. “It was thick and white enough to act as a screen.”

“And Dotty,” Brack said, “the assistant, simply made sure everything went off without a hitch. She operated the smoke machine, very likely, and aimed the projector.”

Dotty nodded.

When Brack’s explanation was complete, the crowd cheered.

“Your applause should be directed toward these four performers,” Brack said. “Not me.” He waved at Theopolis, calling him onstage. “It was a wonderful illusion,” Brack said gently.

Theopolis slowly joined the others in the center of the stage.

“And now, our show can begin,” Brack said. “I will go backstage and prepare, and these four will be . . . my opening act.”

He winked at Theopolis and disappeared into the wings.

To open, Theopolis and the others performed a repeat of the trick from the party, without the pool.

No one was very impressed this time, but all of the magicians clapped hard to cheer for Mr. Thursday, Mr. Madagascar, and Dotty Drake.

By the time they were done, Brack—now fully Abracadabra—was dressed.

He stepped onto the stage.

The stage lights went black, and the spotlight thumped on again and shined on the greatest magician of all time.

Abracadabra then performed an illusion so great, so brilliant, and so completely unexplainable that the finest minds in the world are still trying to figure out just how he did it.

Of course, Charlie knows.