Magic Moments

The studio audience took a collective deep breath in as Marty, hands handcuffed together behind his back, hanging upside down by his ankles, was being lowered, head-first into the glass tank filled with water. The studio lights dimmed. The curtains began to close round the tank. The music faded to the sound of a synthesised heartbeat.

The build-up to the stunt had been dramatic, as usual. Wearing only speedos, Marty had stepped through an airport-style metal detector and been body-searched by a member of the audience (a serving police officer) to ensure he wasn’t concealing any keys or picks. A hairdresser was brought on stage to shave his head, so nothing could be hidden in his hair. A rope had been attached to his ankles and a crane had hoisted him upside down. Marie had given him the customary one last kiss before he had been lifted high above the tank.

As usual, Marty had wriggled and struggled, as though desperately trying to free himself. He had even on this occasion shouted ‘No!’ But no-one heard him above the music. And even if anyone had, it wouldn’t have made any difference. It was all part of the act. His lifelong claustrophobia and fear of water had been well publicised. The audience knew he was struggling with his own fears. His apparent dread and reluctance to go through with the stunt would serve only to heighten the sense of anticipation and tension around the studio and increase the sense of awe and wonder when he would emerge miraculously minutes later in triumph.

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Marty’s career in magic had started when he’d received a conjuring set for his ninth birthday. He was delighted because he loved watching magic shows on TV and soon mastered some basic tricks. Shy, anxious, and introverted, Marty somehow seemed to lose all his inhibitions and enjoy the attention he got when he put on little shows for his family and friends. He began to borrow books about magic from the library and spent all his pocket money on new equipment and all his spare time obsessively learning ever more complicated and amazing tricks.

By the time he left school at the eighteen, 'Magic Marty' had already joined the Magic Circle, got himself an agent and had been touring pubs and clubs earning money and a reputation locally.

His aim now was to get on TV and his agent advised him that all the great TV magicians needed a ‘glamorous assistant’. He suggested Marie, another entertainer on his books. She certainly looked and acted the part. She was petite (perfect for concealing herself in small spaces), blonde and fresh-faced with blue eyes and a bright white telegenic smile. She had a bubbly personality and plenty of showbiz experience, having already done some singing, dancing, and modelling. And she was smart, too, picking up new tricks with the minimum of rehearsal.

Working with a partner now, Marty was able to widen his repertoire of illusions. He could saw Marie in half, make her levitate, lock her in a cabinet and stick swords through the sides, and make her vanish and reappear. The act now changed its name from ‘Magic Marty’ to ‘Marty and Marie’ and grew in popularity. And their professional relationship quickly turned into a personal one.

After only a few years, they came first in a major TV talent show, winning the hearts and minds of the judges and the public with not only their amazing act, but also with the heart-warming back-story of Marty and Marie’s romance and Marty’s battle to overcome his shyness and anxieties.  Within weeks, his agent had negotiated a million-pound contract for a prime-time Saturday night TV series. All the trappings of a showbiz celebrity lifestyle followed - chat show appearances, showbiz parties, advertising contracts, a book deal, and a Hello magazine wedding.

Marty knew that to maintain his success and keep the act fresh, he would have to develop and perfect ever more complex and spectacular illusions. In the course of his research, he began reading about Harry Houdini - the great escapologist.  Like Houdini, Marty was fit and supple, and had the advantage of being double-jointed. He soon learned the art of concealing keys and picks about his body, which he would then use to unlock the handcuffs and padlocks that bound him. Unlike Houdini, however, Marty had, in addition, to use all his willpower and determination to confront and overcome his phobias about enclosed spaces and water.  He and Marie began introducing escape stunts into his act which proved a major hit and won them a renewal of their lucrative TV contract.

Success in Marty’s and Marie's professional relationship, however, was not matched in their personal relationship. Endless touring, the pressure to develop and rehearse new illusions, and constant media attention all took their toll. Marie wanted a child but Marty insisted their career must always come first. He had plans to break America. Although they never let their rows show in front of an audience, they grew apart offstage, and even began sleeping in separate rooms. And, after one late-night showbiz party, Marty, emboldened by champagne and cocaine, allowed himself to be seduced by a young female fan. And Marie had found out.

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Marty had been in the water for a minute now. One by one, members of the audience who’d been holding their breath instinctively along with Marty were unable to hold their breath any longer. Two minutes passed. No sign of Marty. There were mutterings in the audience. Three minutes. A woman on the front row fainted. The TV crew began to suspect there was a problem. In rehearsals, Marty would have been out by now. The director prepared to go to an ad break. Marie disappeared behind the curtain.

Hanging upside down in the tank, Marty now looked at Marie with desperation and pleading in his eyes. She approached the glass. Through the swirling water he could see her face with that unmistakeable bright fresh smile. But right now something was different about her. It was her eyes. Their customary bright blue now seemed cold and grey and angry. He could just make out the tiny padlock key sticking out through her perfect white teeth. Why hadn’t she passed it to him as usual, mouth to mouth, in the final kiss before he was lowered into the water? She’d never failed him before. Marty was sure now that she would somehow get the key to him.

He saw Marie remove the key from her mouth and approach the tank. Standing on tiptoes, she stretched her hand up over the side of the tank and dropped the key into the water. Marty watched helplessly as it sank down beyond reach to the bottom of the tank. His lungs bursting, he struggled now to hold back his sense of panic as he knew that he would only be able to hold his breath for a few seconds more.

As he prepared to breathe out for the last time before inhaling the water that would kill him, Marty knew, too, that in any subsequent investigation, Marie would say that she had passed him the key in the normal way through her last kiss, and that he must have dropped it by accident into the water.