Felix,
a.k.a. Stumpy, stands on stage,
introduces himself as Lazarus Dubois,
and welcomes the crowd to the traveling
"St. John Crusade and Revival."
Stumpy recounts to the crowd how
he was once a sinful man until saved
by Benjamin St. John while, backstage,
Ben expresses more last minute jitters.
Samson tells him just to look cryptic
and he'll do fine. Ben is greeted
by a chorus of cheers as he has
himself a seat onstage. Samson joins
Lodz and Lila at the back of the
tent and sarcastically compliments
Lodz on dressing Ben up like Scudder.
Lodz laughs. Stumpy asks the crowd
who is in need of healing, and although
nearly everyone raises his hand,
Stumpy picks a frail woman in a
wheelchair. Gabriel brings the woman
on stage. She is covered head-to-toe,
her face obscured, but in reality,
the woman is really Ruthie.
STUMPY:
"What's your name, sister?"
RUTHIE: "Gertrude."
STUMPY: "And what's ailing
you, sister?"
RUTHIE: "I gots the stomach
cancer. ... Doctor says it ate
my back bones. So's my legs don't
work no more."
STUMPY: "... Are you ready
to be healed tonight, sister?"
 Stumpy
instructs the crowd to chant "Jesus!"
and, as he prays to God to take
away the cancer, for Ben to lay
his hands on her. Ben does. Ruthie
throws herself around in the wheelchair.
Stumpy and the crowd encourages
"Gertrude" to get up and
walk and Ruthie staggers over to
Stumpy. She proclaims herself to
be healed and everyone stands and
and hollers and hugs each other.
Praise the Lord!
Fade in on
a young Scudder standing against
a porch railing. With him is a woman
in a white dress. It's possibly
a summer day, for they both appear
quite hot and bothered. "Love
Me or Leave Me," sung by Ruth
Etting plays in the background.
Scudder stands up and walks back
into the house. The woman watches
him go. Then, the record begins
to skip. "You might find the
nighttime, the right time, the nighttime,
the right time, the nighttime, the
right time--" It's morning
and Ben opens his eyes. The music
is coming from a gramophone, which
someone shuts off. Two men lift
Samson on top of a table. He tells
the carnies to gather around for
an announcement: because of the
success of the revival, they'll
all be having eggs, bacon and orange
juice for breakfast. Everyone's
pleased. When Sofie insincerely
congratulates Ben, he asks how her
mother's doing. She drops her defense
and tells him Apollonia's better
and "talking" again. Samson
informs Ben that they've got a morning
revival at eleven. Ben remarks that
he's got business in town. Samson
tells Ben to take the Chevy and
be back by ten thirty at the latest.
At the Farmer's
Market, Ben is showing the photograph
to an old farmer. The farmer doesn't
recognize Flora, nor know where
Big Sky Farms is located, but he
suggests Ben talk to Mrs. Donovan
because it's her truck in the photograph
-- it was sold at auction. The farmer
explains that the Donovans used
to own nearly half the town, but
now Mrs. Donovan only has her house
and "a shovel full of dust
in her lungs" to her name.
He tells Ben she lives thirty minutes
away, but it's a quarter past ten
already, so Ben's forced to return
to the carnival. Outside the carnival
grounds, he slows the truck to a
stop and parks on the roadside because
of stopped traffic. Ben asks a woman
if there's a wreck, but she tells
him that a healer is responsible
for the congestion. Suddenly, in
a repeat of yesterday's scene, a
woman shouts "That's the miracle-man!"
and flocks of people begin to surround
him, laying their hands on him.
Jonesy and other men arrive to restore
order while Gabriel slings Ben over
his soldier and the carries him
away from the swarming crowd.
Brother Justin
is giving Munson, Templeton, and
their entourage, the promised nickel-tour.
The councilmen feign enthusiasm
as Justin shows them the pews that
the migrants are constructing, along
with the children's dormitories,
which are in the process of being
repainted. He introduces the men
to Iris, who offers her sympathy
to Val Templeton for the loss of
his nephew Carroll.
JUSTIN:
"Lord knows that without
Carroll Templeton none of this
would've been possible."
VAL: "Well that's a real
comfort. I'm amazed how much work
you put into the place. I just
wish you'd come to us before."
JUSTIN: "Well, believe me,
we'd appreciate all the support
you could lend in the future.
We need all the help we can get."
VAL: "Well, that's not exactly
what I meant."
 Ned
explains that the city planner's
office has the block scheduled for
demolition by the end of the month,
but they're prepared to offer the
ministry an empty roadhouse five
miles outside of town. Justin refuses
their offer. He says he knows the
proposed "demolition"
has nothing to do with city planning,
but is an effort to make sure the
migrants stay outside city limits.
When Val threatens to exercise imminent
domain, Justin storms out. Iris
follows, suggesting they might reconsider
the offer. Justin shouts "No!"
and Val suddenly begins clutching
at his throat. He can't breathe.
As the men escort him from the building,
Iris shoots her brother an accusing
stare. Justin first appears defiant,
but off Iris's look, hangs his head
in shame....
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