"Hurry it up, boy." "All right, now." "Let's go." "Keep it going." "Come on, people." "Clyde, Burley, get the lead out." "Let's go." "Samson." "You're playing your cards pretty close to the vest about our next stop." " We're going to New Canaan." " New Canaan, huh?" "Never heard of that." "Big Christian camp out in California." "Couple of hours from here." "A Christian camp?" "That's right." "South of Salinas." "Full of holy rollers?" "Seventeen thousand thumpers... every one of them ripe to be trimmed." "Are you out of your goddamn mind?" "What the hell are me and Rita Sue supposed to do, act out Bible stories?" "No, you're gonna be dark." "Dark?" "No, I can't be dark." "I got expenses, Samson." "I got obligations." "Stumpy, things are tough all over." "I know what you did." "Lila, I don't have time for this." "Don't you walk away from me!" "Hawkins killed Lodz... and you covered it up." "You're crazy." "You're gonna regret this." "Ain't happy?" "Take it up with Management." "Folks, make sure your satchels are open." "Suitcases, hand them over... 'cause we gotta check them all." "Let's go." "Here you go." "Any luck?" "The place is battened down tighter than a work farm." "Yeah." "For a fellow who believes in heaven, that preacher is sure worried about dying." " You heading out?" " Yeah." "You reckon you'll find them?" "Bound to be somewhere between here and there on the Lincoln Highway." "Besides, they're hard to miss." "Maybe you should come with me." "The way things are, it might be neither one of us can get back in here again." "Then what?" "You gotta promise me you won't do nothing till I come back with the others." "If I get a chance at him, I'm taking it." "Well!" "Slept in this morning." "Well, who would've guessed?" "Do you know what my brother would do to you... if I told him how you spoke to me?" "But you haven't told him, have you?" "How long you been here?" "New Canaan?" "We moved over with Brother Justin from Mintern." "Before that, we were in Tulsa." " You?" " A couple of days." "Came from Texas." " The name's Willie." " Henry." "Hey there, Henry." " What you do around here?" " I'm on security detail." "You'd be surprised how many people would like to see Brother Justin dead." " Is that so?" " Oh, yeah." "I was hoping to get posted up at the house but, I ain't been here long enough." "The fellows up there, they got special training?" "No, just guns." "Mind if I join you?" "I'm telling you, Justin, men like Devine are ruining this country." "He's a goddamn atheist." "Thank you, Sofie." "Are you sure you gentlemen won't join me?" "You don't know what you're missing." "He made a speech at the State House, going on about you and Val... and the separation of church and state." "The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil... to keep Christians from running their own country." "See how she cuts the crust from the bread?" "It's almost too perfect to eat." "He called me your "porcine patsy."" "Do you know why the Hebrews do not partake of the pig?" "He said you were trying to gerrymander the election." "Trying to pass a law saying them migrants of yours ain't legal to vote." "And without them, we're in the jackpot without any blue chips." ""Though the swine be cloven-footed..." ""yet he cheweth not the cud;" "he is unclean to you."" "For God's sake, Justin, stay with us." "We're trying to help you here." " We don't need them." " What're you talking about?" "I mean, without them Okies..." "I mean, Devine has a fix on the whole district." "Once the voters of San Benito County understand the choice presented them... there will be no question for whom they will cast their ballots." "That's right." "Faith, gentlemen." "I don't like it." "Back home, a sky like that, we'd be bringing in the animals." "They ain't got twisters in California, stag nut." "Well, it don't look right." " Hold up." "What you got there?" " Firewood." "Told me to bring it on up." "Who told you to bring it on up?" "A fellow down there, acts like he's top man." " Red-haired guy?" " Yeah." "That's Ennis." "Thinks he's boss." "Told me to stack it in the wood box." "Everyone's got to get checked." "Go on, check him." "All right." "Just hurry it up." "I would read to you, but I have to get ready." "Brother Justin wants us all there by noon." "I never thought I'd want to be baptized... until I met him." "I wish you could be there, Reverend." "Maybe it would help you." "I'd better go wash up." "Is there anything else I can get for you before I go?" "All right, then." "Pray for me." "What are you doing here, young man?" "And what is that?" "They told me you needed firewood." "I didn't know where you wanted it." "Put that down." "There's no fireplace up here." "No." "No, ma'am." "Have you been baptized yet?" "No, ma'am." "My brother is baptizing converts down at the pond today." "Leave it." "The kid did it." "He killed Lodz." " Hawkins killed him?" " Yep." "Come on." "And the little worm helped him cover it up." "I can't prove it, but I know." " How?" " You wouldn't believe me if I told you." "Just trust me." "There's no doubt about it." "For God's sake." "Dead or alive, that son of a bitch don't mean nothing to me." "He ain't my problem." "We got bigger problems, Felix." "Samson's lost his goddamned mind." "After everything we've put up with from that grease spud... he's got a lot of nerve having us set up in a pack of Bible-thumpers." "How're we supposed to make a living?" "Still got a couple of boxes of them French postcards we could sell." "Felix, they ain't gonna let us sell no dirty pictures neither!" "Bud's gonna kill me." "That's right." "He is." " You remember Tiny Walker?" " Yeah, Tiny." "He missed two payments." "His kid found him nailed to a tree, shot through the left eye." "Watch your step." "I say unto thee: "Repent and be baptized..." ""so that ye may be forgiven, and washed of thine unclean spirit!"" "Arise and rejoice... for you are now one of the Holy Brethren." "Brother Varlyn, are you prepared to accept redemption... to accept the Savior into your life?" "So I say." "Then I say unto you:" ""Repent and be baptized..." ""so that ye may be forgiven..." ""and washed of thine unclean spirit."" "Rise and rejoice!" "You have been born anew... so that you may enter the Kingdom of Heaven!" "You are one of the Holy Brethren." "Are you all right, Brother?" "Yes, I'm fine." "Sofie, are you in need of the Savior?" "I am." "Then I say unto you:" ""Repent and be baptized..." ""so that you may be forgiven..." ""and washed of thine unclean spirit."" "Arise and rejoice!" "This is Sofie, one of the most treasured of my faithful!" "She was asleep and we woke her up!" "Amen." "Brother Justin?" "Oh, my God, it was you!" "How did you find me?" "I didn't come for you." "Then why are you here?" "This ain't a good place for you, Sof." "What are you talking about?" "The preacher." "Listen: the preacher, he's evil." " Evil?" " Yeah." "No." " You don't know him, Ben." " I seen him in my dreams." " I know who he is." " From your dreams?" "That's crazy." "Brother Justin is a great man." "He's changed my life." "When I left the carnival..." "I was empty." "I had nothing." "Now, because of him, I have something to hold on to." "He's not who you think he is." "Why did you come here?" "Leave me alone." "I can't just leave you here." "I don't need you to protect me... from the best thing that's ever happened to me." "His name is Alexi Belyakov." "He's a Russian." "He killed my father." "And he aims to kill me, too." "I don't believe you." "Sofie." "Sofie." "All right." "Yeah." "You've got to make it right for us, Samson... or we're gonna need to go our separate ways." " Now, Rita Sue" " Don't give me your bullshit!" "If we're gonna be dark, we need to be compensated." "I would if I could, but I can't." "I don't want to hear that, Samson." "You and me, we've been through a lot together." "You was the one that took us to Babylon." "You owe me." "You owe this family something." "I'm sorry..." "I really, truly am sorry... but I can't give you what I ain't got." "We down to wienies and 'kraut as it is." "Well, then... we're leaving." "We'll go as far as California with you... but if you go into that camp... you're going in there without us." "You do what you got to do." "Okay, it's settled." " We're pulling anchor." " What do you mean?" "I mean, we go as far as California, and then we're on our own." "We don't need his two-bit operation." "He sure as hell needs us, he'll see." "Guess you're finally getting to Hollywood, girl." "I ain't going with you." "I'm staying with my husband." "What husband?" "He's coming back, Mama." "Felix, you're a man." "Would you give your daughter the facts of life?" "Oh, well...." " Well it has been more than a week now, Lib." " You don't know nothing!" "I know when my daughter's being played a fool." "It's breaking my heart watching her like this." "Somebody's got to tell her the truth." "The truth?" "What truth is that, Mama?" "The truth that you've been mad at Jonesy ever since he chucked you?" "He didn't chuck me." "I chucked him." "Hey, now" "And, I wouldn't go shooting my mouth off about something I know nothing about." "We is husband and wife." "We talk about everything, Mama." "You better take your blinders off, girl." "He's gone." "Probably got himself somebody new by now." "Some nice, decent girl who doesn't strip for a living." "I'm riding with Samson!" " Why'd you have to go and say that?" " Shut up!" "It is a bit overwhelming." "What?" "Being reborn, receiving salvation." "A body floated up to us at the baptism." "A body?" "They said it was Eleanor." "Eleanor McGill?" "It was hard to tell." "Sofie?" "I can't believe it." "She had weeds wrapped around her ankles." "Sit down, dear." "She must've drowned somehow." "Lost her footing and slipped on the bank." "How awful." "Brother Justin said it wasn't an accident." "It must've been." "That poor woman... to have taken her own life." "Did Justin say that?" "He said she must've endured great suffering to have thrown away God's greatest gift." "That we were blind not to have seen it." "It must've been so difficult for him." "I'm sure it was." "He is a good man." "Iris!" " What is it?" " How did that get in here?" "I don't know!" "What are you saying, you don't know?" "Weren't you here all day?" "Yes, but I'm not a guard!" "It must be awful crowded up in that lead truck just now." "I wouldn't trust that little shrimp as far as I could throw him." "This just doesn't feel right." "Tell you the truth... nothing's felt right since Damascus." "Look at us:" "driving all night just to get to some revival camp... practically starving." "What do you think about all that?" "I think it's a shame we can't get nothing on this radio." ""Ask Management."" "Y'all ever set eyes on Management?" "I sure as hell never have." "If you ask me, there is no Management." "Just a little man with a swolled head." "You've been singing the same song ever since Lodz died." "If things keep going the way they're going... there's not gonna be no carnival left to manage... by the time we get to the next jump." " Rita!" "Rita, baby!" " She's right." "It's all going to shit." "And it's all that little fucker's fault!" "You came back!" "I said I would, didn't I?" "You know, baby... you're really gonna have to get over him one of these days." "Where's Hawkins?" "He's at that preacher's camp." "It's the craziest thing you ever saw." "The fellow's practically got his own army." "If Hawkins makes a move, he'll get hisself killed for sure." "We got to get in there." "It ain't gonna be easy." "Them devil-dodgers ain't gonna want our type there." "You leave it to me." "I'll deal with that." "Let's get a move on." "Earl, Leroy... you two men were guarding the house yesterday?" " Yes, sir." " Open that." "What is that?" "Hatchet." "A hatchet." "Yes, sir." "Are you sure?" "Pick it up." "Put your hand down on that table." "You see, I found that on my pillow last night." "That's why I'm having such a hard time believing that it is a hatchet." "Please, sir." "Earl!" "Is it sharp?" "I didn't hear." "Is it sharp?" "It's sharp." "Perhaps the responsibility of guarding this house... is too great for you boys." "I'm sorry, Brother Justin." "I'm sorry!" "Oh, my God!" "I have great faith in you boys." "Don't disappoint me again." "No, sir." "Thank you." "That's mine." "What are you doing with this?" "What are you doing, going through my things?" " Put it back." " Where did you get it?" " It was sent to me." " By whom?" "I have no idea." "Wait." "You know him, don't you?" "You recognize him." "Who is he?" "Tell me!" "I'm sorry, Sofie." "It's just that this boy... he's a lost soul in need of guidance." "What can you tell me about him?" "His name is Ben." "I met him on the road." "He needs my help." "Where is he now?" "I don't know." "Well... if you see him again... tell him that he is safe here... that I have prayed for his soul many times... and that this is where he belongs." "You are a blessing to me... dear Sofie." "Sure you want to do that?" "This isn't no carny circuit." "We ain't been on a carny circuit in months." "What difference does it make?" "Still drag down enough to eat." "Difference is, one of us got murdered." "And who knows who's next?" "Don't you talk to me about Lodz." "He weren't exactly a saint." "Maybe he wasn't your best friend... but that little bugger helped dust him." "Now he's got us rolling into some Come-to-Jesus tent town..." " run by a crazy Hallelujah peddler!" " Yeah!" "And we just supposed to go along for the ride?" " Management got a reason." " Management?" "Ask me, Management is a son of a bitch." "I don't think you mean that, Lila." "I mean that and more." "Most of the families here come to us... with little more than the clothes on their backs." "I would imagine you charge admission." "We do... but we have some latitude on that." "I think it would be such a wonderful thing for the children here." "But you have obligations to your company." "Yes, but we like to think of ourselves as good Christians." "Sometimes you just have to put the Lord first." "What if we could compensate you for your efforts?" "We wouldn't be adverse to that, ma'am." "We could give you an honorarium of sorts." "Cash money is what we're mostly used to." "That's what I meant." "From our emergency fund." "All righty." "Got yourself a carnival, Miss Crowe." "Thank you, ma'am." "How many of you folks want to go on to Sacramento?" " Yeah." " Yeah." "Forget this mud hole!" "You can't do that!" "Jonesy and Samson ain't back yet." "And besides, you ain't in charge, Lila." "Maybe it's time for a change in leadership." "You can't just decide that all on your own." " Libby's right." " What the heck does she know?" "She's just a dumb quiff." "Watch your mouth, you cowardly piece of shit!" "Cowardly?" "I could snap you like a dried twig, you son of a bitch!" "Stop it, both of you!" "Knock it off!" " This ain't solving any problems." " That's right." "We got bigger problems than Burley's hard-on for Libby." "Her?" "I don't fuck whores." "That's 'cause they won't fuck you, Burley." "Well!" "Lookie who's back!" "Good news!" "We made a deal." "It's gonna all work out." "What's going on?" "While you was gone, we all had us a meeting, Samson." " Yeah." " That's right." "You did, huh?" "And you're not in charge no more." "It don't work that way, Lila." "Management calls the shots." "Ain't nothing you, me, or anybody can do about it." "Why should we do anything Management wants?" "He don't seem to give two shits about us!" "If he does... why don't you go in there, have him come out and tell us that himself, huh?" "I'm sure we'd be all real interested to hear what he has to say." "Yeah." "About time we saw his face." "You know Management don't come out." "Well, then... maybe we ought to just go in." "Come on!" " Why not?" " Fine." "Let's go." " Samson, we got to do something." " Let them go." "Hello?" "Anybody home?" "There's nobody in there!" "There is no Management!" " No!" " Well, that can't be!" " There ain't?" " Not a soul." "Well, I'll be goddamned." "He passed on!" "In Damascus!" " Says you!" " How do we know?" "About time you knew." "You son of a bitch." "You been lying to us this whole time!" "How do we even know there was a Management?" " Yeah." " That's true!" " You just got to trust me on this!" " Oh, come on!" "He was a good man!" " Now what?" " We've got to get to New Canaan." " We got to save Hawkins." " Hawkins?" " He took a powder days ago." " No." "He's in there, and he needs our help." "What're you talking about, Samson?" "I can't explain it." "We just got to help him." "Hawkins?" "That murderer?" "I'm not doing nothing for him." "I'm with Lila." "Hawkins ain't never done nothing for me!" "I vote we go on to Sacramento!" "That's it, then." " Show them, Jonesy." " I can't." "I promised him I wouldn't." "You got to, or they're all gonna go!" "Okay." "You want to know what Hawkins done for me?" "Colossus went down." "Them fellows from Damascus come after me one night." "Tarred and feathered me, left me for dead." "Hawkins saved my life." "Bullshit." "When he healed me... he healed this, too." "Hawkins done this... for me." "He ain't just some kid from Milfay." "Anybody got any questions?" "Don't." "I don't believe Norman needs your assistance to eat anymore." "Do you, Norman?" "All right." "Why don't you sit over here, on the other side of the table?" "There." "Just like a real family." " More meat?" " No, thank you." "Not hungry tonight, Norman?" "I'll get it." "Sofie, clear that plate." " Are you sure?" " Oh, quite sure." "And bring some tea in with you, please." "Norman... do you remember that ridiculous fortuneteller... that Justin became so obsessed with in St. Paul?" "Unbeknownst to him, she had a baby." "A baby girl." "Is there anything else I can do for you?" "No, dear, you've done enough." "Earl." "Earl!" "Help!" "I was hoping I'd find you out here." " Is there something you need?" " No." "No, not at all." "Spectacular." "Join me." "Where's Sister Iris?" "She's in bed." "I've been watching you, Sofie." "You have?" "Yes, I have." "There's something very special about you." "Intuitive understanding." "Are you all right?" "I feel that you haven't quite surrendered to the call." "There's still some doubt within you." "Sofie." "You are so full of light." "In the Bible, women like you... were called the handmaidens of Christ." ""On my handmaidens..." ""I will pour out in those days of my spirit..." ""and they will prophesy."" "What is it you want?" "I want you to be happy." "I want you to be part of our family." "I want you never again... to be alone... or afraid." "I see who you are." "I'm sorry." "I can't." "Don't!" "It's suicide!" "I don't care." "Now is not the time." "Sofie can take care of herself." "You're hurting me." "Good evening." "Damn." "Isn't it lovely?" "It was my idea." "I thought it would be a great morale boost for the children." "Remember how we used to love it so when we were young?" "Of course you're right, my dear." "How very thoughtful of you." ""He gathered them together into a place called..." ""Armageddon.""