When they came up from stairs on either side, two people came out of the wings and directed them to stand in the spotlights lined up next to the mentalist. He addressed both them and the audience at the same time. “None of you have ever met me before---have you?”
All six heads nodded in agreement.
“So you’re just six people picked at random---right?”
More nodding heads.
“And yet, what does ‘random mean’? Each of us is the product of a whole series of improbable actions---our parents meet once another and get married. Thousands of sperm cells converge on one of hundreds of eggs cells---and two of them connect to create a child. We come into the world and our personalities are formed by the accidents of our personal history. A specific teacher, relative, next door neighbour, etc, can have a huge influence on our lives---yet they could just as well be someone you’ve never met.”
You could see people nodding along both on stage and in the audience.
“Or could they? Teachers from other cultures have suggested that everything we see or do is ‘ordained’ by some sort of greater plan. Maybe each of us has a fate that we simply cannot escape.”
Nate could see that some of people on stage were slightly frowning---wondering what exactly what was being said. But a couple others---including the woman who’d been sitting in front of them---couldn’t stop themselves from nodding along.
“If that is the case, then the spotlights stopped on each of these six people for some reason---and it couldn’t have stopped anywhere else. Isn’t that an interesting idea? Hmmm. Let’s take that idea a bit further---let me choose one individual person.”
He walked up and down the line and eventually stopped in front of the woman that Sally had zeroed in on at the door. She seemed happy he did and smiled somewhat manically.
“What’s your name?”
“Katy.”
“Well, Katy, how and or why did you end up in this auditorium this evening?”
“I’ve always been interested in psychics and when I found out that there was going to be one in town tonight, I had to get a ticket!”
At that point the Astounding Randi paused. “Hmmm. Well, I’m not sure that I would call myself a ‘psychic’---that’s a pretty big statement. Let’s say that I might have had a few insights that have led me to notice a few things that most people don’t.”
“Having said that, let’s see what I can notice now.” He stood to the side of Katy and placed both his hands at his temples. He rubbed them slowly and just as slowly gently rocked side to side. Then he held out his hands to Katy and she reciprocated---allowing him to hold hers.
----
At this point Nate realized that Sally had pulled out a small pair of binoculars from her purse. She had been carefully scrutinizing both Katy and the Astounding Randi. She leaned over close to Nate, handed him the glasses and whispered in his ear. “He’s feeling her hands for callouses or manicured nails---they will tell him something about her work or hobbies. Use the glasses to see if you can notice anything else about Randi.”
----
Randi started his patter again. “I’m sensing that you are connected to the soil in some way---it could be directly, it could be indirectly through someone else, it could be an on-going activity or something just recent.” He stepped back and looked at Katy for a while with his head slightly off vertical.
She instantly responded, “yes, that’s right. I have a huge garden in my back yard. I was working in it today!”
Randi quickly changed the focus of the conversation. He rocked a bit more sideways. “I’m sensing something else. You are associated with children too. You could be a parent, or maybe an aunt who is close to someone else’s children. There’re children in there somewhere---”.
“Oh, that’s right! I’m a kindergarden teacher and I also have a son. In fact, he recently graduated from university and now has his first job---in Montreal.” Katy was beaming at Randi’s uncanny ability.
----
Sally leaned over and whispered in Nate’s ear “Barnum statements plus deduction and volunteered information”.
----
Randi stopped and gazed absent-mindedly at Katy. “What more can I say---. Has there been some turmoil in your life recently? Something that you have had to think deeply about? Is it work? Or deeper---something that’s made you reassess your life choices?”
Katy gaped. “Yes. I’ve been thinking about retirement and selling my house---. How did you know?”
----
Sally whispered in Nate’s ear. “Notice how she’s never mentioned a husband. It’s safe to think that her son was the focus of her life. She’s also a school teacher, which means that she probably has a good pension. She also said that she has a big back yard. Probably her house is too big for her alone and is worth a fortune in today’s real-estate market. She volunteered that her son is out of school and has a job in another city. At her age just about everyone is thinking about retirement. All Randi did was make some shrewd guesses based on information she’d already volunteered.”
----
Randi looked at her deeply. Then he spoke. “Isn’t it true that you’ve gone a bit further than ‘thinking’, haven’t you already put your home up for sale?”
Katy gasped, “How do you know? You must be psychic!”
Randi stepped back and shook his head. “That’s what you say.” He smiled and moved onto another person. The show continued for another hour.
&&&&
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