We meet Mercer and Gage - a pair of god-hunters and mercenaries, in the employ of the Peninsulan Government. Meanwhile, a young prophet unexpectedly returns home to his people.
As Carpenter makes her long pilgrimage back to the White Gull River, she encounters a young girl who's been hallowed with a strange and unhappy condition - which leads her to make an impulsive decision.
As Mercer and Gage continue their pursuit of the Trawler-man's disciples down the length of the White Gull, the ambitious Adjudicator Shrue embarks upon their re-election campaign..