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.[2]
| ATTENTION: SPOILERS AHEAD! Beyond this point, major plot spoilers are expected. Continue at your own risk. |
Description[]
House In The Hills[]
The episode begins with Mercer recounting the arrival of a politician with a request that she and Gage kill a god. Two vans pull up in front of their compound and, although about 16 officials arrive, no one approaches the house. Gage and Mercer wait on their porch. The politician from the Legislatures who gets out is Adjudicator Shrue, the Adjudicator for the territory. She asks for their services. Gage tells us that they are not interested yet - government contractors pay well but the reward for their god is pitiful and there are too many rules to follow. Mercer draws Shrue’s attention to the trophies over their gate, in order to prove they are good hunters. Shrue is willing to negotiate the contract on their terms, having been told they were expensive. Shrue offers them ammunition and Legislature soldiers as well. Mercer accepts these terms. Shrue is pleased, but takes an unwise step forwards into a bear trap on the property. They do not become ensnared but tumble back into the dirt. Mercer and Gage laugh.
Village[]
It's snowing in the Peninsula. They ride into a peat-cutters’ town on horseback, the soldiers lead their approach in three armoured jeeps. They are shabby and wear hunting trophies around their necks and shoulders and the mark of The Beast That Stalks In The Long Grass on their helmets. Mercer and Gage are rather messy and unkempt in comparison. There are air raid sirens in the distance, and the townsfolk leave their homes to watch the procession - Gage comments that they must think the war has already started. The jeeps pull in and Sergeant Kipuros shouts for the men to assemble. An old priest welcomes them in the name of the Mire Hag. Kipuros pretends to conduct an official census to a priest, whilst Gage and Mercer stick to the outskirts. Gage plays their bone flute, followed by the sounds of gunshots and screaming from the villagers. Their soldiers shout in rage and alarm upon realising that the priest has escaped and is locking himself in the church. They try futilely to break into the church before the mire-priest leaves changed - he has become the Peat-Saint. The Peat-Saint kills a soldier, who Mercer reveals was named Timps. The soldiers continue shooting at it at first before switching to Molotov cocktails. This leads to the Peat-Saint’s death. They work on destroying the village and texts, by burning everything. The siblings engage in worship to their god, before they move on.
Gage's Tent[]
Mercer wakes Gage before dawn. She tells Gage that she has had a call from Shrue telling them about a new job. She says it’s something they’ve never hunted before and promises it will be fun - it’s a river-god.
Faulkner Returns to the Parish[]
Mason calls for the Parish’s attention before beginning a sermon. He speaks to the new arrivals, telling them that those who are lucky enough to will one day join others in the field. Then he begins a lesson about the history of the Paraclete's Gulch. He warns that anyone listening to the news will be punished. As he is speaking, there are knocks on the door. Mason jokes that latecomers will similarly be punished before continuing. There is more knocking, and Mason grows agitated. The door opens and Faulkner makes a characteristically dramatic announcement of his identity before collapsing from exhaustion. Mason recovers quickly and orders a doctor to be called to attend to Faulkner, before bringing him to his study.
Later, Mason confronts Faulkner about the faulty description of the Wither Mark he had been given. Faulkner responds at first innocently, pretending to have misremembered. Mason attempts to appease Faulkner, telling him their last conversation was cut off to relieve himself of any blame for his actions. This does very little to convince Faulkner, who when prompted declares he wants to be named a Katabasian. Once again, Faulkner declares himself Prophet of the Trawler-man and in response Mason wonders aloud what that entails. Mason appears to threaten Faulkner, disguised as a warning. He offers Faulkner an honorary seat, rather than the full title of Katabasian. Faulkner requests initiates to serve under him and private chambers, which Mason easily concedes.
Mason quickly gives Faulkner the tour of his chambers, before informing him that a transcriptionist will soon be with him. This comes as a surprise to Faulkner, for his retelling of events for the next edition of the Verses. When prompted to speak of Carpenter, Faulkner lies for her and says she died loyal to the Faith. Satisfied, Mason leaves Faulker’s chambers. Faulkner turns on the radio - Diane Stone is half way through reporting the news - and quickly turns it off again. He turns on the shower, and finally celebrates his return.
The next day runs smoothly, as Mason had claimed it would - breakfast, transcriptionist. He is treated with respect and asked to deliver a sermon on the next Day of the Dead Saint. He acknowledges that his performance is lacking, but he is invited back again and again anyway and he slowly improves. He is assigned initiates to attend him. But he’s still lonely.
A few months later Mason sends for Faulkner again. They meet in the dark of a sacrificial chamber, filled with drowning-tanks. According to Mason, Katabasian Phegg insisted on installing furnaces to heat the currents and salt water filters, to see if the composition of the sacred waters affected the sacrifices made in the Gulch. There is a sacrifice in one of the tanks. It occurs to Faulkner that this was the reason he was brought down here - to be drowned and sacrificed himself. In the tank is a jellyfish ocean saint, which Faulkner refers to as a “man-o-war”. Mason expresses that all waters are connected, and that their god could stretch the oceans themselves. Faulkner wonders if this risks diluting the Parish’s understanding of the Trawler-Man. Faulkner asks who the sacrifice was, Mason confirms that it wasn’t a member of the Parish. When Mason asks if there’s been any sign of the Wither Mark, Faulkner replies that he has been recovering still, an answer that leaves Mason unconvinced. Mason begins to read Faulkner’s submission for the Verses, particularly his retelling of Carpenter and her “final” moments, and comments that despite knowing Carpenter far longer than Faulkner he had never heard her speak in the way Faulkner described. Faulkner implies that he simply knew her better due to their relationship travelling together. Mason tells Faulkner that there are many eyes watching the both of them, Mason especially as Faulkner’s patron, and that to survive the new attacks on their faith the Parish will need more members - particularly those from other water faiths that he considers to be “false-faiths”. Mason then reveals that he’s sending Faulkner back into the field with his new clutch, to visit these false-faiths and convince them to convert to the Parish. Mason promises the Katabasian rank will be waiting for him when he returns. Mason pours them both drinks, and prays for Carpenter’s peace.
Carpenter and the Cairn Maiden[]
Carpenter is drowning in earth. She struggles breathlessly against it, her attempts are futile. Eventually, the weight pressing upon her dissipates and her vision is flooded with light. She sees a figure like the Cairn Maiden, the figure that put her here. She punches it in the face, only afterwards realising she has just punched Stewardess Acantha rather than this god.
Trivia[]
- Mercer calls Adjudicator Shrue politico.
- It snows in the Peninsula for the first time in a decade.
- Mercer made Gage's bone flute.
- Mercer and Gage have killed about a dozen gods.