An Introduction to Escapology by The Great Williamson

Kinbaru shibari woman’s hands from Freepik 

Title: An Introduction to Escapology

Author: The Great Williamson

Publisher: Not known 

Source book: The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #30)

Miss Perspicacia Tick is a witch finder, which is to say that she travels the countryside looking for young girls with the talent to become witches. Miss Tick has a stealth hat (with paper flowers) so as not to advertise the fact that she herself is a witch. The point can (usually) be activated at the touch of a button. 

In the mountains people are accustomed to witches and don’t worry about them, but in the flat country and in cities the sighting of a witch can cause fear and alarm. If Miss Tick’s stealth hat malfunctions in the wrong part of the world, and suddenly turns into a pointy witch’s hat, she is in danger of being arrested by an angry mob, tied up and thrown into a pond. Even if you are capable of swimming underwater while fully clothed and able to lurk in the weeds while breathing through a hollow reed, you have no hope of survival unless you are very very good with knots. Hence An Introduction to Escapology.

Miss Tick’s copy is rather battered and crumpled as she carries it in her bag at all times. Just in case.