In the House of Suddhoo by Rudyard Kipling

A worried old man seeks the help of a magician to cure his son, leading to a staged séance and a trick that frightens everyone involved—including the narrator. Holmes-like in tone, the plot explores deception, colonial ignorance, and the uses of power over belief. Kipling doesn’t condemn superstition outright but critiques the manipulation behind it. It’s a story about illusion, faith, and uneasy truths. A subtle tale of cultural tension and theatrical fraud.