He slipped out from the room before Mephistopheles could regain his composure. I collected my breath, grateful for the interruption, though I hadn’t been surprised. Liza had mentioned that Houdini met with the ringmaster around this time, something I’d been counting on. My plan had been hastily constructed on the walk here, but with any luck, I’d played my part convincingly. Gossip was a currency most couldn’t help spending.

