A magician's patter is as important as the sleight-of-hand. A constant stream of clever talk and jokes keeps the audience's attention divided. Of course, what we call "magic" is mostly a matter of diverting attention, fooling the eye and mind, and convincing the audience that it's seeing one thing while you have done something else entirely. It's that quality of illusion which fascinates me the most about magic. A true magician never gives away their secrets, though, so don't ask!