Yoshida: 23

Well played.


On another subject, having had the great pleasure of abandoning my research into so-called "practical" magic, I amazingly enough found myself inspired by Howland's tedious, interminable account of his attempt and failure to originally acquire the Magician's knife in the sunken Liberator. There was a section where he described the actions of Crayton inside the vessel:

"With the flourish and panache of a stage magician, he opened his sleeves to show me there was nothing inside of them, then a moment later he extended his arms in our direction and bubbles began to appear from his cuffs. There were only a few at first, then there were so many bubbles that it was like watching jets from a Jacuzzi."

It was this "nothing up my sleeve" gesture as well as the style of the Magician's disappearing trick described in Taras' post that made me consider that perhaps some clues as to our adversary's methodology could be gleaned not from the study of that gibberish pseudo-science of Crowley's, but oddly-enough, instead from actual performance magic.

Of course, these books are talking about mere tricks: slight of hand, misdirection and so forth, but my hope is that I might discover some small nugget of information that we might find valuable.

Frankly, it's only because there is so little need for me at my uncles' business at the moment that I am even busying myself with this research, but I must occupy my mind somehow.

Yoshida: 20

My study of "practical" magic has been the most boring and degrading endeavor of my existence thus far, with the possible exception of reading one of Howland's staggeringly long and impossibly self-indulgent posts. Are you unaware of the editing functions on your computer? Three dead, Crayton escaped and you failed to acquire the knife. That's all that really needs to be said, yet you slog on through page after agonizing page.

Regardless, my research into "magic" has been a complete waste of time. Every so-called "sorcerer" merely attempts to drape the trappings of science over impenetrable jargon and scrambled words. I have read the scribblings of Crowley (below, laughably attempting to appear arcane and imposing) and Gardner, studied astrology and even explored Kabbalah, the imbecilic gibberish cult promoted by your dried-up Western whore, Madonna.

All of it is rubbish.

I am beyond frustrated. I am abandoning this line of study and returning to my job. My uncles are displeased enough with me taking as much time off as I have as it is. When there is something worth investigating, let me know.