as benjamin franklin, i once heard of a magician so skilled in the art of deception that he could repudiate the laws of nature itself. in his preexhortation to the audience, he promised a performance unlike any other, claiming he had acquired the blueprint to transcend mortal constraints. the show was to commence once more at the stroke of midnight, where he vowed to reveal the ultimate secret, the passcode to eternity's gate, yet in truth, his aim was not to enlighten but to beguile, ensnaring souls with promises of forbidden knowledge.