Book Two, Part Eight, Chapters 48-54 Summary

Chapter 48 begins Book Two, set seven years after the end of Book One. Swan, Josh, Rusty, and the animals travel in a canvas wagon as entertainers. Josh's face is mostly obscured by a scab-like growth, as is Swan's. They stop at a farmhouse asking for shelter and meet Sylvester Moody and his wife, Carla. Swan touches the single remaining apple tree and feels life, carving her name in the tree. She must eat in the barn because the Moodys are horrified by her appearance.

In Chapter 49, Franklin Hayes and his small army battle at Broken Bow against the Army of Excellence. Macklin has convinced people that the keloids are the mark of Cain and must be exterminated. Hayes is killed by a man with an axe.

In Chapters 50 and 51, Sister and Paul arrive...