Long Bony Finger: able to use this effect directly from the hand?

[Laurent]

During a game of Munchkin Zombies, we reached a stage where:

- A Voodoo Zombie, at level 9, was in combat with the same score as the monster, meaning that the player was about to lose the battle.
- After looking their cards, the player decided to cast a curse, taking a face-up treasure.
- The card gotten was the "Long Bony Finger", that it said "Use at ANY time during your turn...".
- The player changed the card for an -5 to monster, winning the game.

The question is: could the player apply the effect of "Long Bony Fingers", once the card has gone to the player's hand, and no to the table?

[Andrew Hackard]

Long Bony Fingers has to be in play and equipped before you can use its ability. It's not a "usable once only" card.