him, so he leaves his stuff at the station and goes exploring West Condon on his own. Along the way, a driver for a lost army convoy asks Jenkins for directions to the high school, and when he shows him the only map he has, the driver assumes it was meant as a gift and takes it and leaves. Jenkins finds his church, and since it is open, enters. He finds Jesus at the pulpit waiting for him. They talk a bit, then a woman enters, similarly garbed as Jesus, tells him "those awful people are marching up that hill again," with guns, and recommends they hide in the basement. Jesus decides to proceed onwards to the "infamous hill", since they are likely waiting for him, and over the woman's objections ("they're completely crazy!") invites Jenkins to join him. Book I On Sunday, 29 March, a very brief Easter sunrise outdoor service on a mud hill in the pouring rain is ended by a tremendous lightning-clap. Reverend Wesley has great difficulty leaving and is helped by Cavanaugh. Wesley has great difficulty controlling his inner Jesus, is deemed too senile to continue, and is being edged out of his duties. His wife Debra has openly left him for the Brunists, and his only supporter is Priscilla Tindle, church organist, who resumes their brief affair. The Brunists are rebuilding the former Presbyterian camp near the closed mine, in anticipation of a large crowd of followers showing up for the fifth anniversary of the Day of Redemption. Among the new people are Darren Rector, who is obsessive about Brunist numerology, eschatology and history, and Billy Don Tebbert, Darren's friend and disciple. Georgie Lucci, who survived the mine disaster and left town, has just returned to West Condon, a failure in the big city, moves in with his mother and is a failure again. He finds employment as the frontman for the city's fire inspection shakedown scam. Cavanaugh has problems on many levels. His wife Irene is dying, and has lapsed into an impenetrable fundamentalist mindset. He has to engineer the removal and replacement of the Reverend Edwards. His son Tommy, on Easter break from college, shows no aptitude for business, and is so obviously only interested in girls that he can't even let him work at the bank. He is trying to prevent the Brunist revival, partly made possible by his unthinking approval