Page 63 of East

I raise an eyebrow. “You had the theater cleaned?”

“Of course.” She runs a gloved finger over a piano tucked into the wings. “You couldn’t imagine the dust back here. I thought I was going to asphyxiate during your last show. I want everything to be perfect for our guest of honor.”

“Yes. Who is she?”

Rouge tousles her hair. “Her name is unimportant. But she’ll be wearing a light-green gown. She’ll be easy to spot among the more commonly dressed patrons.” She frowns. “People used to dress for the theater, you know.”

“Yeah, well…” I have no idea how to talk to this woman. It’s like she’s from another planet. “Anyway, she’s the woman you want me to select for the house act.”

“Correct.”

“I’ve made the adjustments you requested. There will be a path for her to follow leading out of the theater.”

“I did a preliminary investigation of the set piece this morning.” She grins. “You did some good work. I did take it upon myself to make a few other adjustments. It won’t affect your act at all.”

I widen my eyes. “I really don’t feel comfortable with you messing around with my⁠—”

She holds up a hand. “I was just telling Moe about you…”

I swallow. “Moe?”

Her grin expands. “Moe Bimley. I’m sure you’re familiar.”

“The Great Bimboni? That Moe Bimley?”

“The very same. He’s an old friend, and he’s very interested in your house act. How you showed the whole thing from all angles. Once I described it, he was immediately able to discern, just like I was, how it worked.”

I hang my head. “Oh.”

“But he said to me, and this is a direct quote, that we need more brains like that in the magic world. He’s interested in attending one of your shows, but I only intend to connect the two of you if—and only if—you do exactly as I direct you this evening.”

Damn. If Bimboni comes to see my show, it could do wonders for my career.

But something about this isn’t sitting right.

I look to Rouge. “What will happen to her?”

“To whom?”

“The woman I choose for the house act. What will happen to her after I make her disappear?”

Rouge’s eyelids twitch, but beyond that her expression doesn’t change. “You don’t need to worry about that, darling. Just do your act, and everything else will be taken care of.” She grips my shoulder, digging her nails into my flesh. “Everything. With some luck, this could be your last night in this dingy theater.”

I close my eyes, inhale slowly.

“Will the woman… Will she be in danger?”

“Whatever makes you think that?”

“I just have a…feeling.”

She smirks. “A man in your field should know that most things are not as they seem, Mr. Waverly. The world itself is an illusion. Only a select few see it as it truly is.”

I furrow my brow. “That doesn’t make any fucking sense.”

“Stick with me, and it might.” She smiles. “But you have my word that no harm will come to this woman. She’ll simply walk on the stage and then walk off. And more importantly, you will be standing on the precipice of a fine career the likes of which this city of sin has never seen. And if this disappearance should come back to you, you have my word I will do all in my power—and I have a lot of power, Aus Waverly—to protect you.” She pulls a pocket watch out of her bosom. “Nearly showtime. I look forward to the act, especially its new twist.”

The show goes on as scheduled. The crowd is the best I’ve ever had. Rouge must have invited some extra guests to fill out the space. I have nearly a hundred patrons. They’re reactive, and their energy fuels me. Every trick has some extra pizzazz. Finally, the time comes for the house act, and I ask for volunteers from the audience.