"...THEY SAY FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE. YOU OFTEN ENCOUNTERED MANY AN INTERESTING CHARACTER SITUATED IN SOME OF THE MORE FREQUENTED COFFEE HOUSES OF OLD TANGIER, ONE SUCH DALLIANCE ALWAYS STUCK IN MY MIND, AN ELEGANTLY DRESSED MAN OF MORE MATURE YEARS WHO, AT A DILLIGENT STUDY, SEEMED MOST UNASSUMING AND CASUALLY RESERVED.
PARTAKING OF A LONG AND COOL JULIP, HIS GAZE CROSSED MINE AND BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO RETORT, HE WAS SITTING BESIDE ME ON THE ADJACENT TABLE, LOOKING DIRECTLY AT ME, THROUGH THE HEAVY SMOKE FROM HIS UN-TIPPED CIGARETTE, HIS STEELY BLUE EYES PIERCED MY UNINTENTIONAL GLARE, AS HE INTERJECTED,
“NO DOUBT YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED MY RATHER ELEGANT GOLD RINGS, EMERALD TIE PIN AND TWENTY FOUR CARAT MONEY CLIP, BUT EVERY STORY STARTS AT THE BEGINNING…
POUR ME FOUR FINGERS OF SINGLE MALT AND LET’S TALK…”
LET’S HAVE ONE MORE DRINK AND THEN PART, IN FACT, IN EXCHANGE FOR ANOTHER DRAM, IF YOU FEEL YOU ARE ENTERING A “LUCKY” PHASE IN YOUR LIFE, WHY NOT ALLOW ME TO READ THE CARDS FOR YOU AND GIVE YOU SOME NUMEROLOGICAL INSIGHTS, THEN, IF YOU FEEL YOU MAY BENEFIT, A SMALL SHARE IN MY GOLD MINE COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE, AT A VERY SPECIAL PRICE TO YOU, OF COURSE…" *****
ARCANE GOLD, A SOJOURN INTO THE SEEDY UNDERWORLD OF OLD TANGIER, NORTH AFRICA, A “FORTUNE TELLING” GAME OF CHANCE THAT WOULD BEFIT THE MOST WORLD WEARY CHARLATAN, A “JUST CHANCE” SUPREME, BEFITTING OF THE MOST HARDENED “GOLD DIGGERS” AMONG US... A ROUTINE DESIGNED TO SOMEHOW PLEASANTLY “FLEECE” YOUR SPECTATOR UNDER THE GUISE OF A GAME OF FORTUNE, AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN BIG, RUTHLESSLY SNATCHED AWAY AT IT’S STUNNING AND BEWILDERING CLIMAX, THE STUFF THAT NIGHTMARES ARE MADE OF, YOUR UNSUSPECTING SPECTATORS NIGHTMARES...
AFTER PLAYING YOUR SEEMINGLY “INNOCENT” GAME OF FORTUNE, HE IS LEFT STRICKEN WITH AN UNFATHOMABLE STROKE OF MISFORTUNE AS HIS ONLY “PRIZE” IS THAT OF A “LUCKY” FORTUNE TOKEN AND IS TAUNTED WITH A PLETHORA OF HIGH DENOMINATION CURRENCY NOTES THAT MAY, IN MORE “FAVOURABLE” CLIMES, HAVE BEEN HIS FOR THE TAKING... **** SUPPLIED WITH FIVE HEAVY AND AGED JUTE DRAWSTRING BAGS INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED AND TAGGED WITH DECREPIT WOODEN NUMBER TAGS, FORTUNE PAPERS ALONG WITH FULL AND DETAILED ROUTINES, HANDLING'S, PRESENTATION TIPS AND IDEAS (YOU SUPPLY THE “MOOLAH” AND TAROT CARDS)
“BANK NIGHT” FOR THE BIZARRE AND ALTERNATIVE PERFORMER, DARKLY ALLURING AND IRRESISTIBLE, ONCE PLAYED, NEVER FORGOTTEN...SUCCUMB TO THE DEVIL IN YOU !
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