The double-backer is in the box; on top of it is the deck in its case.
The box is closed and on the table.

Presentation:
In ancient Greek legends, Pandora was created by Zeus as the first woman. She was sent to earth with a box, which she was instructed not to open. But Zeus knew she would not be able to resist peeking inside and his sending her to earth was man's punishment for Prometheus' stealing of fire from the gods, to give to mankind.

True to form, Pandora could not resist opening the box and, when she did so, all the ills of mankind escaped - war, famine, disease, discord, hatred, and so on. [Open the box and take out the deck of cards, leaving the DB unseen in the box; close the box].

Each of these cards may be considered one of the plagues that were visited on the earth. To a spectator: "Please select one, remember it, and sign your name across the face of it. [The card is then returned to the deck and the deck shuffled, controlling the card to the top; hold the deck in your left hand in a dealer's grip].

But the gods were not totally heartless; there was one thing left in the box after the evils had fled. That one thing was Hope and if I open the box now, you will notice that, indeed, one card remains face down in the box - the card of Hope!

What was the name of the card you selected, before the box was opened? [When the spectator reveals the name of the card, with a clearly empty right hand, take the DB out and place it on top of the deck].

The ancient gods decided that, as long as Hope remained, the human race would continue to progress, despite being ravaged by an assortment of evils. This one card - if it is the one with your signature on it - may be the thing that saves the world. [Do a double lift, turn over the card to reveal the signature, and leave it face up on the deck. Show the deck with the face-up, signed card on top, then slide the card off the top and give it to the spectator as a souvenir].

Second Thoughts:
This is the perfect spot for a signed card; otherwise, the audience will simply suspect a duplicate card. So don't leave that part out.
In my original version, more than 15 years ago, I had the DB on one side of a card wallet and my business cards in the other side. The reason for having the wallet on the table was for "free advertising". However, moving into bizarre, I now prefer this routine, with the wooden box. And please, use a box that looks the part; don't try to get by with a Tupperware container or something like that. It should look old, although not necessarily from ancient Greece!

Peter Marucci.