Chapter 18

(second Punch show; leaving Weaping; the end)
After a tense confrontation at the gate, Walker & Orfing are admitted to Weaping to perform their unfamiliar show. Despite the audience's religious suspicions, the Punch show gets off to a fair start, but it's cut short: opening night always has unforeseen problems, and in this case audience participation goes too far when a literal-minded villager tries to protect Punch's baby by force. Accompanied by new allies, Riddley and Orfing head on for parts unknown.

More confusion between fate and free will—progam has been used elsewhere to mean "decide" but here it sounds more mechanical.

Possibly a pun on "high-rise apartment."

(215:17) "That figgers crookit .... You know theres women here and carrying"

Easyer is saying that it's bad luck to bring a deformed puppet near pregnant women.

(217:26) "Wud you please keap a eye on him ... Give us a shout wil you if he dont mynd that babby right"

This is a traditional Punch and Judy bit in which the children are primed to call out in unison when Punch misbehaves. Of course, it never helps.