Battlefield Priest's Diary

Chapter 86 The Magician's Pride
Black and white feathers fluttered in the air, and crows and pigeons chased, dodged, and collided incessantly in the sky.

Harry Houdini and Father Putin stood on opposite sides of the field, neither of them uttering a word, each watching the two different colored creatures intertwined within the field.

To say they are entangled with each other might not be the most accurate description.

Because the two sides are not evenly matched.

How to describe it? If pigeons are like elegant waiters in white bow ties working in Western restaurants, then crows are like thugs in black hats roaming the streets.

The scene was almost a one-sided rout. The pigeons were chased and ran around in all directions, cooing in fear for help, while the crows were relentlessly pursuing and attacking.

A hundred years from now, this would be considered a stage accident.

But at this juncture, this scene has been interpreted differently by onlookers.

Are these two engaged in some kind of confrontation? And Father Putin seems to have the upper hand?
This is the first thought for many people, and the visual impact of black and white further reinforces this perception.

Meanwhile, the pseudo-charlatans standing beside the Queen, who had initially been filled with trepidation, became excited. Among them, the short, stout Papis was the most agitated.

Father Putin truly lives up to his name! The greatest spiritualist!
It seems that the priest's previous statement that he wouldn't interfere was just a show of humility. Now that the American kid has gone too far, the priest will naturally step in and teach him a lesson.

Meanwhile, Harry Houdini, the "opponent," had his mind completely blank. In all his years in the industry, he had encountered stage emergencies more than once, but he had never considered what to do after his pigeons were attacked by a flock of crows.

Fortunately, someone handed over a ladder.

The priest in black robes stopped the situation from escalating. He waved his hand, and the flock of crows obediently flew back.

“Mr. Houdini, it seems our cooperation was not very successful. Shall we call it a day?” the black-robed priest said as he walked over.

? ? ? ?
Everyone was confused, but Father Putin stepped forward and explained to the Tsar: "Your Majesty, Mr. Houdini and I had discussed putting on a grand performance. What happened just now was an unsuccessful attempt, after all, I am not a professional."

Oh ~
A sigh came from the crowd. Oh, it turns out it was all pre-arranged.

The Queen seemed to have noticed something and stepped forward. She clapped her hands and said to the crowd, "Today's performance has been wonderful enough. Let's stop here. Our great magician needs a rest too."

When the monarch stepped forward, the others readily followed suit and chose to leave. As the queen and the black-robed priest brushed past each other, Alexandra gave a barely perceptible nod, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Qin Hao knew what that smile meant—well done.

The host and guests left one by one, leaving the American alone on the spot. A pigeon feather stuck to his hat, but he was completely unaware.
-
Nighttime, Yusupov Palace, St. Petersburg.

Although there was a minor mishap at the end of the daytime performance, it was clear from where the Tsar and Tsarina were staying that the Tsar and Tsarina still valued this great magician from America.

Yusupov Palace, built in 1770, was controlled by the Yusupov family, one of the wealthiest noble families in Russia, and was used to receive artists, scientists, and top talents from all walks of life that were valued by the royal family.

The building is located next to the Moika River and is in the Neoclassical style. It has a Moorish-style hall with a gilded dome and a small theater that can accommodate about 180 people (where Tchaikovsky made his debut).

Many members of the upper class considered it an honor to be entertained by the royal family here, and it became a topic of daily boasting.

But today, sitting in a velvet-trimmed armchair, Houdini looked preoccupied.

A plate of honey cereal was placed in front of the American, but he was completely unaware of it.

“Honey, what are you thinking about? You haven’t eaten any dinner.” Beth, Houdini’s wife, sat down across from him and gently stroked his forearm.

“I…” Houdini hesitated for a moment, “I’m still thinking about what happened during the day.”

"The performance was a great success, wasn't it?" The wife, still in her pajamas, leaned closer to her husband.

"No, as you and I both know, the final scene was actually a failure; I couldn't take anything from him."

His wife was about to say something when Houdini stopped her. "Darling," he said, "I don't quite understand that guy. That last flock of crows was clearly not an accident. People with animal taming talent are not uncommon, but something like what happened today..."

Seeing that her husband was about to get stuck on this again, the woman tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Aren't you too prejudiced about Father Putin? Maybe he didn't mean any harm."

“How could that be, darling? These kinds of paranormal con artists are not like us at all,” Houdini said, spreading his hands.

“Harry, do you remember the shooting magic trick from before?” his wife prompted from the side.

"Of course, honey, you did a fantastic job." A magician's assistant is a very crucial person; many of the core tricks of magic are even in the hands of the assistant. Therefore, a magician's assistant is usually the person he trusts the most.

Beth has always personally served as her husband's assistant.

She was the one who was responsible for showing the guns to the audience during today's performance.

“When I changed that bullet today, I felt like Father Putin was watching me,” Beth said.

"Of course, darling, you were the center of attention."

“It’s different. I felt like he was staring at my right hand where I was hiding the bullet, and he observed it for a long time.”

"He found out?"

“I don’t know about that.” His wife shook her head, then continued, “But if he really discovered the key secret and kept quiet, it at least means he wants the performance to go smoothly.”

“If that’s the case…” Houdini hesitated for a moment, “maybe I’ll feel better if he says it.”

"Think about it, isn't it a failure that a magician has to rely on the cooperation of unsuspecting audience members to successfully complete a performance?"

Houdini looked at the photo on the table; it was a picture of him and his wife during their first performance, and they were both smiling sweetly.

He then took a deep breath, put his arm around his wife's shoulder, and said in a consultative tone, "Honey, I may have to go on another adventure."

Beth pressed her cheek against her husband's and said, "Didn't we already agree on this? I'll always be by your side."

"Aren't you going to ask me what I specifically want to do?"

"Just do what you think is best, my husband is a genius!" After encouraging her husband again, the woman took the opportunity to pick up the plate in front of her.

"Eat something, just to keep me company."
-
Three days later, Harry Houdini reappeared before everyone, and this time his appearance startled everyone!
Thick iron chains, as thick as fingers, were wrapped around the American's body, leaving marks on his skin. At least six visible padlocks were fastened to the chains at various points.

Not only that, the American's hands were also completely locked behind his back with a pair of metal handcuffs.

To make sure the audience could see that he had nowhere to hide, Houdini even wore only a vest and summer shorts.

While the other women shyly turned away, Princess Anna took the initiative to approach them.
"Mr. Magician, what are you doing? Are you going to perform a new act again?"

“Yes, Your Highness. I intend to break free from these bonds completely within three minutes.” Houdini nodded and said with a smile, the chains binding him rattling as he moved.

“This seems impossible!” Nicholas II said as he personally inspected the magician’s chains.

“Your Majesty, please wait a moment. This is only part of the miracle I want to show you.” Houdini stepped aside, and his wife pulled back the red cloth beside them.

A large, transparent water tank appeared before everyone's eyes.

"Oh my god, you didn't mean to..." The Empress covered her mouth with her hand.

"Yes, I will crawl into the water tank and do everything I just said!"

oh!!!!!
Not only the Tsar's family, but even the head maid and servants couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

To accomplish all this in a sealed water tank means that if it fails, Americans will pay the price with their lives.

Beth, acting as Houdini's assistant, presents the audience with a document stating that everything mentioned above was done voluntarily by Mr. Houdini and that there was no possibility of any form of murder.

The document later added that if anyone could fully explain the principles of magic or do the same thing, Mr. Houdini was willing to share half of his savings with him.

After all this was announced, the Americans made a point of looking at the black-robed priest standing to the side.

With the help of his attendants, people checked the magician's condition repeatedly to make sure nothing was hidden. Then, with a splash, the American jumped into the sealed water tank, and someone sealed the lid.

A huge clock on the side began to count down the seconds.

Although she had experienced it many times, Beth still felt her heart skip a beat. She subconsciously glanced at the key to the mechanism, only to be surprised to find that the black-robed priest opposite her was also looking over.

(End of this chapter)