"And though I am alone tonight..." "I can sense your presence." " You are with me, and I with you." " I said move your feet." "Some of you are warm by the fireplace, the children sleeping upstairs." "Many of you are cold and hungry... carried down the highway like autumn leaves in a stream... but all of you have one thing in common... deep inside." "Varlyn Stroud." "I need you." "You are alone." "Alone when we are torn from the womb." "Alone when we die." "Alone when we stand and face judgment." "Release my apostle." "He is a good man." "All who have come before us, and all who will follow after... a thousand million souls, all alone." "He is my archangel made flesh." "And yet..." "I feel you here with me." "I am no stranger to your hopelessness." " Find Henry Scudder." " ...your sins." "The Bible tells us we were made in the glorious image of our Maker." "We are no less perfect than He." "And yet we look to Him for absolution... when, instead, we need only look into ourselves." "Devin Kerrigan?" "Yes, ma'am." "I mean, sister." "Please have a seat." "If you just wanna give me his room number, I reckon I can find the way up." " I don't want to be no trouble." " Have a seat." "Are you Mr. Hawkins?" "Yeah." "You may see Father Kerrigan now." " Something wrong?" " No." "How did you know my name?" "It was on the list, of course." " So what's this list I'm on?" " Authorized visitors." "And how'd you pick my name off it?" "It's a very short list." "There's just your name and one other." "Henry Scudder." "As a matter of fact, yes." "Jeez." "Cheeks are hollow, skin is withering." "Crone time comes, this life comes to an end." "Life, life, death, life." "The words of a crone." "Cheeks are hollow, skin is withered." "Cheeks are hollow, skin is withered." "Crone time comes, this life comes to an end." "Life." "This life comes to an end." "Life, death, life." "Cheeks hollowed, skin withered." "Crone time comes, this life come to an end." "Father Kerrigan, there is someone here to see you." "The words of a crone." "Life, death, life." "The words of a crone." "Cheeks are hollow, skin is withered." "Crone time comes... this life comes to an end." "Life, death, life." "The words of a crone." "The cheeks are hollow, the skin is withered." "Crone time comes..." " Father Kerrigan?" " ...this life comes to an end." " Life, death, life." " Who is he?" " Cheeks are hollow." "The skin is withered." " What is he?" "Crone time comes, this life comes to an end." "Where's Scudder?" "Life, death, life." "The words of a crone." "You knew him." "Do you have any idea where he went to?" "This life comes to an end." "The words of the crone." "Cheeks are hollow." "Death, life." "Christ." "What did he do to you?" "When crone time comes, this life comes to an end!" "They're the words of the crone." "Life." "Death." "Life." "The crone." ""...after the Great War between Heaven and Hell..." ""God made the Earth..." ""and gave dominion over it to the crafty ape he called Man."" "Justin?" "You didn't come down for breakfast." "I must have been lost in prayer." " All morning?" " There is much to pray for." "Sometimes I think you get lost in your own importance." " You mean my work?" " The Lord's work." " Yes, of course." " That's what I mean." "You might also beware of false prophets." "Dolan?" "Envy?" "Come now, Iris." "I trust you much more than I trust Tommy Dolan." "Get off the road!" "Hell, we're like family." "You don't steal from family." "Everybody knows that." "All I'm saying is, the account's been skinny." "You try to squeeze another dime out of these chili-pickers here." "I swear to God, Samson, I'm telling the truth as the Lord is my witness." "Fine." "Hell, do you think I'd steal from you after all we've been through?" " Hell." " All right." "Have you heard that Huggins  Fisk folded?" " Huggins  Fisk?" "That's a big outfit." " Went back to the barn last month." "Times is hard, I'll give you that." "Yeah, that's what Thames was saying." " Clarence Thames?" " None other." "See, I got a letter from him day before yesterday." "Him and Marge and the girls are looking for a place to land." " No kidding." " Them Thames girls." "Flash act." "I'll be a monkey's uncle." "Would you look at this?" "Look, Rita Sue must have washed them in my pants." "There's $1 ... $5, $10, $16." "I'll be damned." " See you, Stump." " See you, Samson." "Gold-bricking little chiseler." "You little shit." "God damn." "As I live and breathe." "Skeeter Lewis." "My old flame." "It's good to see you back." "What say we grab ourselves a snort after the show, catch up on our lives?" "Skeeter Lewis." "Damn." "Come on, Gabe." ""Words of the crone."" "Hallelujah!" "The work is great, for this temple is not for man... but for the Lord, God!" "Praise the Lord!" "Amen!" "As I look out on the faces... the men, women, and children... who have joined us here today at the birth of the Temple of Jericho..." " Hallelujah!" " Amen, Brother Justin." "...I cannot help but be reminded of some other children." "Innocent martyrs... who perished horribly in the flames of the Dignity Ministry... to whom I dedicate this holy place." "Amen." " To the memory of Polly Ann Bonham." " Amen." " Goody Williams." " Amen." " Arlis Pratt." " Amen." " Bobby Keeland." " Amen." "Let us bow our heads in silent prayer... so that their souls may enter into the eternal glory... of our Lord's house." " Amen." " Amen." "Tell me something, Eleanor." "Was anyone still in the Ministry when you and Lester went home?" " The children." " Yes, I mean besides the children." " Ms. Keener, the nurse." " Anyone who didn't die in the fire?" "No." "No one except Miss Iris." "Miss Iris?" "Really?" "She always came by to tuck them in." "She was as devoted to those kids as if they was her own." "Mr. Dolan." " Eleanor." " Miss Iris." "We were just remarking how lovely the choir sounded today." " You must have been practicing all night." " No, not all night." "If you'll excuse us, there's a photographer I know... who's real anxious to get some shots of this lovely lady... and her esteemed brother for the evening edition." "You better get on then." "Right this way." "Excuse me." "Why, what's the matter, child?" "There, there." "Be calm." "And a big smile for me." "Perfect." "Thank you." "Samson's got us by the short and curlies." "He got all uppity on me." " We were cheating him." " Just a little bit more than usual." "Jesus H." "Maybe you should go out and look for Sofie, too, Daddy." "There ain't but a few roads." "Samson or Jones' crew got them covered." "God blast it, you son of a...." "Felix, she could be out there sick or hurt." "Or she could be on a train, halfway to sunny California for all we know." "Jesus H. Particular Christ." "Should've kept my eye on her." "I don't know what I was thinking." "I wonder why she just took off, just like that." "You talk to her yesterday, Lib?" "She say anything to you?" "No, Mama." "It don't take a genius to figure out." "There's just nothing here for her anymore." "Excuse me." "Poor thing." "Finally found herself a friend, and then all of a sudden this" "God damn it." " Would you give me that?" " What?" "Here." "Hey, Sofie!" "Where're you going, girl?" "Sofie?" "Wait up." "Sofie." "I'm up here!" "Right here." "Come on in." "Come see the" "Come on in, ma'am." "Boneless Billy Benson didn't start off life as a sideshow curiosity." "No, ladies and gentlemen... this seemingly normal young man was employed as a steeplejack... in the windy city." "That's Chicago, lady." "One day, he fell eight stories, yet found himself completely unharmed." "Turns out Billy has the amazing ability... to relocate every bone of his body at will." "I'll bet he can lick himself just like a dog." "If you're the alternative, I sure as hell hope so." "All right!" "I want to thank you for coming tonight, gents... but I cannot be held responsible for any laundry bills." "All right, now ain't you the sports." "I'll tell you what." "I got something here that I don't offer... but the most discriminating of gentlemen." "Anybody here in this little intimate crowd of ours ever heard of Mae West?" " Yeah." " She ain't here tonight." "But it seems a certain private detective... in Hollywood, California managed to get a shot of her... doing something so perverse, so depraved... with one of her famous love slaves that the photograph has been banned... in all 48 states!" "What to do is, you line up with the hole here, little other hole here... and you can look right through it." "You twist them a bit." "What?" "By God, I can't tell if that's Errol Flynn or Rudolph Valentino." "That's big Rudy, all right." "Two bits, gentlemen!" "Two bits!" "A small price for big excitement!" "Come on, gentlemen." "One pair, boys, one pair." "Get in there, sonny." "Where'd you run off to, girl?" "You had us fit." "She was lost." "Found her on the road." "Sorry." " Never mind that." " We're just glad you're back, darling." "I can't pay my way." "I can't read the cards." "Hell, honey." "Nobody can." " Not really." " Mama did." "That don't matter." "I know you and your mama had a hard run." "What's important now is for you to get your rest." "Let someone take care of you for a change." "Management's orders." " I got something." " Yeah?" "Give him this." "Poems?" "Yeah, poems." "Ask him what it means." "Wait." "There's something else." "I saw this other man here, with tattoos like this." "Show that, too." "Tell me what he says." "You're all squared away?" "Where's Lodz?" " He took a powder." " Why?" "Let's air it out in here." "It'll be just fine." "You know, I didn't even know I was gone until you came." "Just till I'm asleep, would it be too much trouble... if you stayed?" "I can do that." "What the hell you doing, giving Lodz's trailer to Sofie?" " What do you mean, what am I doing?" " What if Lodz comes back?" "The trailer's his." "You talk to the boss like I asked?" " He ain't seen him since the night of the fire." " Got no idea where he went?" " It ain't his concern." " It should be." " What are you saying?" " He can't have just disappeared." "Lila, people blow in and out of this place every day." "He's blind." "What did he do, feel his way to a bus depot?" "Just took off without telling nobody." "Without telling me." "Look, Management thinks he's gone, and so do I. That's the way it is." "I sure as hell wish I could tell you something different." "I'm sure you do." " Did they want this to go?" " I think so." "I'll just set this down." "Who have we here?" "Justin, this is our new maid, Celeste Watkins." "Celeste will be keeping house while you and I attend to church business." " Welcome, Celeste." " Thank you, sir." "It's an honor." " You're the young lady from the reception." " Yes, sir." "I don't know why I cried like that." " Silly." "You were so kind." " Celeste is an orphan." "And she came all the way from Oregon after your broadcast." "Really?" "How flattering." "I've never heard anyone talk like you." "Not ever." "Eleanor, would you show Celeste to her room?" "Please get her bag." "Of course." "This way, sweetheart." "It's such a shame." "A lovely girl like that with no one else in the whole world." "Don't wait up." "Eleanor?" " She's all squared away, Miss Iris." " Thank you." "It was so nice to see you and Mr. Dolan chatting." "He's quite a scamp, that one." "Goodness, Eleanor." "How you shine under the gentleman's attention." "He asked me so many questions." "Did he?" "At least she's alive." "Something, all right." " I was just" " About what happened...." " That night...." " I don't really want to talk about it." "I know." "Me, neither." "I just... wanted you to know..." "I ain't said nothing to nobody, and I never will." "It's between you and me... and her, I guess." "I guess." "I just wanted you to know." "I appreciate that." "There you are, girl." "Hell, I'm looking all over for you." "You got a half dozen gents back there waiting on you." " See you around." " Sure." "By God, look at those stars, Jones." " Man, they sure are out tonight, huh?" " Yeah." "About that poem." "We need to find an old lady in Ingram, Texas." "How do you figure it?" "The poem was written by a fellow named Ingram." "Charles, James, something." "It don't matter." "He wants to see you." "I thought you said I was supposed to talk to you." "All I know is, when I gave him that picture... he got all stewed up." " That don't make no sense." " It don't have to." "Only thing matters is he wants to see you now." "You've seen the Usher?" " Usher?" " The tattooed man." "Yeah, I've seen him." "Everywhere." "On the damn road." "In my dreams." "Who the hell is he?" "Samhain Necrotus." "Khaybet, lord of shadows." "A 1,000 names in a 1,000 books... but they all mean the same." "The Usher of destruction." "He is flesh." "It means the end times are not near, Hawkins." "They are upon us." "You will never be prepared in time." "We are lost." "What about you?" "No." "Why the hell not?" "You're strong." " You know what to do." " It's impossible." " But...." " I'm dying." " Let me heal you." " No." "You said there ain't much time." "So let me give you what I got." "It would be an abomination." "You know what's at stake." "You showed me." "Get away." "You got to do it." "No!" "Get back!" " Why won't you let me do it?" " My time has passed." "It's your battle now, Ben Hawkins." "You must walk your own path... but with haste, boy." "For time grows short, and you cannot falter." "Go now." "Go." "Go." "Over here and give me a hand, would you?" "Look at you." "You seen Skeeter Lewis?" "Skeeter who?" "Skeeter Lewis." "I think I've been stood up." "I guess so." "What?" "The man's dead." "That ain't funny." "I ain't funning." "I saw him, big as life, just this morning." "I seen him put in the ground five years ago, come July." "Maybe it was someone who looked like Skeeter." "Yeah." "But... it's a shame to let all that perfume go to waste." "You know, I just happen to have standing reservations... of all the finest establishments in town." "Give me that coffee." " You got it?" " Yeah." " You got to load it up." " Hurry up." "That's good." "Send it down." "Sofie?" "It's okay, we got this fine." "Give me that one." " Hey." " What?" " You tell that Donna she can work with us?" " What the hell are you talking about?" " Ain't you going to do something?" " No." "No?" "Look, I know she lost her ma and all, but damn it, I ain't working with no skirt." "The hell with her." " Here you go." " Let's go." "Let's go!" "Let's start them up!" "That ought to hold her." "If it don't, flash your lights." " Where to?" " Ingram, Texas." "That shit spot's sure off the beaten path." "Then let's beat us one there."