Book 2, Chapters 5-9 Summary

Book 2 opens with Brian Flynn dressed in priest's garments at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. It is four years since he left Whitethorn and has seen Maureen. Father Murphy, who is from Ireland, is preparing to say the St. Patrick's Day mass and notices Brian, and says hello to the man that he thinks is a priest. Brian makes his way upstairs to the choir loft and then climbs to the bell tower, taking with him the package that he carried. The package contained a black metal box with a timer. Flynn wires it in the bell tower and sets the timer for 5 pm. He comments to himself that it is the last time he will ever see Maureen.

Maureen is on the forty-second floor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. She had given a speech to members of...