▁a ▁minute ▁as ▁if ▁listening " ▁and ▁acts ▁as ▁if ▁he ▁has ▁heard ▁commands . ▁ ▁Plot ▁summary ▁Set ▁som etime ▁between ▁the ▁French ▁and ▁Indian ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁( 1 7 5 4 - 8 3 ), ▁Wiel and ▁details ▁the ▁hor rible ▁events ▁that ▁be fall ▁Clara ▁Wiel and ▁and ▁her ▁brother ▁The odore ' s ▁family . ▁Clara ▁and ▁The odore ' s ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁German ▁imm igr ant ▁who ▁founded ▁his ▁own ▁religion ; ▁he ▁came ▁to ▁America ▁just ▁before ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ▁with ▁the ▁conv iction ▁to ▁spread ▁his ▁religion ▁to ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁people . ▁When ▁he ▁fails ▁at ▁this ▁task , ▁he ▁bel ieves ▁he ▁has ▁also ▁failed ▁his ▁de ity . ▁One ▁night , ▁as ▁he ▁wor ships ▁in ▁his ▁bare , ▁se cluded ▁temple , ▁he ▁seems ▁to ▁sp ont ane ously ▁comb ust , ▁after ▁which ▁his ▁health ▁rapidly ▁d eter ior ates ▁and ▁he ▁dies . ▁His ▁children ▁inherit ▁his ▁property , ▁which ▁is ▁divided ▁equally ▁between ▁them . ▁The odore ▁mar ries ▁their ▁child hood ▁friend , ▁C ath ar ine ▁P ley el , ▁and ▁they ▁have ▁four ▁children . ▁ ▁So on , ▁The odore ▁begins ▁to ▁hear ▁voices ▁and ▁C ath ar ine ' s ▁brother , ▁Henry ▁P ley el , ▁begins ▁to ▁hear ▁them , ▁too . ▁Though ▁at ▁first ▁doubt ful ▁of ▁the ▁voices ▁that ▁the ▁men ▁claim ▁to ▁hear , ▁Clara ▁also ▁begins ▁to ▁hear ▁a ▁strange ▁voice