 En route , he is robbed and his illumination taken . Francis completes the journey to New Rome and is granted an audience with the Pope , who was modeled after Pope John XXIII . Francis presents the Pope with the remaining documents , and the Pope comforts Francis by giving him gold with which to ransom back the illumination ; however , Francis is killed during his return trip by a group of " The Pope 's Children " ( an affectionate name for the people who have been so severely affected by the genetic mutation caused by radiation that they are subhuman in both intelligence and capacity for reason ) , receiving an arrow in the face . The Wanderer discovers and buries Francis 's body . ( The book then focuses on the vultures who were denied their meal ; they fly over the Great Plains and find much food near the Red River until a city @-@ state , based in Texarkana , rises ) . 
