Be young again!

A scheming elderly confidence man attempts one last big con involving a purported elixir of youth and theatrical science fakery; a resourceful sixteen-year-old narrator joins him to build convincing props and devices while Professor Barr and a thousand-year-old fraudster named Hermes Trismigestus complicate matters. The narrative follows a series of confidence tricks, staged demonstrations, and double-deals that entangle the con man with a dangerous former bootlegger, leading to escalating schemes, betrayals, and improvised technical solutions. The story mixes fast-paced caper plotting with sly commentary on deception, showmanship, and the gap between scientific-looking spectacle and real invention.