ATDTDA (1) pg 23: Three Card Monte

[robinlandseadel at comcast.net]

     "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