Delighted Mobsters Still Debating How Joker Made the Pencil Disappear
Criminals admit booking clown for party worked out well
GOTHAM CITY — Several prominent mob bosses sat in enchanted silence before breaking into spirited speculation after the Joker performed a magic trick for them at a recent meeting, giggling sources confirmed.
“It was a great trick. It just about knocked us out,” said mafioso Sal Maroni. “In fact, it did knock one of us out. One of Gambol’s guys volunteered to join the Joker as an assistant for the trick. He got a close-up view, and he was so amazed that he collapsed on the spot! Lucky for him, he didn’t miss anything. We were all asking for more, but the Joker ended the show right there. I guess that’s the hallmark of a great showman, right? Always leave them wanting more.”
The Joker refused to explain how he performed the illusion, despite dozens of inquiries during and after the show.
“As I’ve already explained, if you’re good at something, never do it for free,” said the Joker. “I guess I thought it went without saying that you also shouldn’t teach someone else how to do it for free. I worked very hard to stage this show, so I need it to have some staying power. I can’t keep designing new illusions just because the Chechen wants to know what happened to the pencil. Sure, it’s not exactly a showstopper, but you’ve got to have a couple of those close-up table gags in your jacket pocket, right next to all the grenades you keep in there.”
The Joker’s nemesis Batman vowed to reverse engineer the trick to learn how it was performed.
“I’m the world’s greatest detective. I will figure out how the Joker did this,” said Batman, who denied accusations that he was the infamous Masked Magician. “He may have used some kind of trick pencil. I’ve obtained a writing utensil used in the show and it’s currently being tested in my lab. I don’t think that’s how it was done, though. If it were me, I would have studied the mobsters and learned what each of them eat for breakfast every morning, then gained access to their kitchens. On the day of the show, I would have spiked their meals with a specially engineered Bat-hallucinogen that tricks people into believing that a pencil had disappeared. Too easy. Honestly, it’s kind of hack.”
At press time, the Joker debuted a brand new trick where he made a crooked banker and a pyramid of cash vanish behind a cloak of flames.