> Your job is to volunteer for hypnosis early in the act. Monsieur Pleat will use you to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of his techniques. The moment arrives. You stare at Pleat's pocket-watch as he counts backwards from three, but you stay alert.
> Convincing the audience that you see a snake when they just see a walking stick is easy. In fact, almost too easy. It really appears to be moving. And scaly. And that's a beady eye, and a flickering tongue...
> You blink. It's a stick. You return to pretending that plain water tastes like muscaria sherry and honey-vinegar. Must have been the stage lights.