ATDTDA (1) pg 23: Three Card Monte
robinlandseadel at comcast.net
robinlandseadel at comcast.net
Thu Jan 25 15:19:38 CST 2007
"This doesn't seem," Lindsay adrift between fascination and
disbelief, "quite . . . authentic, somehow."
"Come over here, boys, first time for free, find the red get a pat on
the head, find the black, get nothin back!" cried a cheerful Negro in
a "pork-pie" hat, who was standing behind a folding table nearby,
setting down and picking up playing-cards.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say that was one of those monte games,"
murmured Lindsay, politely suppressing his disapproval.
"No, boss, it's an ancient African method of divination, allows you
to change your fate." The sharper who had addressed them now
began to move cards around with bewildering speed. At times there
were too many cards to count, at others none at all were visable,
seeming to have vanished into some dimension well beyond the
third, though this could have been a trick of what light there was.
"O,K,! maybe it's youy lucky night, just tell us where that red is,
now."
After a moment of silence it was Miles who announced in a clear
and firm voice, "The cards you have put down there all happen to be
black---your'red' is the nine of diamonds, the curse of Scotland, and
it's right here," reaching to lift the sharper's hat, and to remove from
atop his head, and exhibit, the card at issue. . . .AtD, pg 23
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-card_Monte
http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_curse.htm
http://heritage.scotsman.com/myths.cfm?id=352592006
http://www.learntarot.com/p9.htm
http://www.tarot.com/about-tarot/decks/browsedecks.php?newdeck=19
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