Dr. Petronias, the instructor of a Catechism class, observes that a young Amaryllis Watson (Alexa’s mother) and her friend/rival Horatio Prescott, both students in the class, have way more on the ball than the other students. Realizing that Amaryllis may be particularly adept, he decides to introduce her to The Stone, currently half buried in state park land adjoining the grounds of the church where the class is located.

Alexa finds the mysterious church mentioned by her mother as she lay dying. Following a suggestion by her younger son Ray Jr, she gains entrance. There she meets Dr. Elizha Petronias, who introduces her its unusual theology and to its strangely powerful stone artifact.

Dr. Petronias asks Alexa if she knows anyone having characteristics that make her think of her ex-husband Carl. She arranges to meet Carl for lunch and tells him about the Syncretic Church. Intrigued, Carl asks if he can accompany her there. Carl proves adept at the use of The Stone.

Carl and Petronias commence private sessions at the stone, during which Carl sees bleak visions of the future of life on earth. Carl learns that only he can mitigate the coming disaster of God’s wrath unleashed upon the earth, but it will require of him a death-like transformation into an unknown future state. Alexa must be present and help him. Carl is tasked with persuading her.

Alexa having been, with difficulty, persuaded of the necessity of what is required of Carl, they enter the church one last time so that Carl can fulfill his destiny.

As society collapses, Alexa, with Carl’s help coming to her in dreams, carries on against seemingly insurmountable odds.

At length Alexa arrives at the Backlander compound, where she is re-united with her son Ray Jr. She briefly describes the horrors of the Second Plague, of which neither Ray nor the other Backlanders were aware.

Restricted to one of the compound’s quarantine cabins, Alexa and Ray continue their conversations. Alexa dismisses the possibility that she may be a carrier of the Second Plague, then launches into more of what Ray considers her “crazy talk.” Ray describes the responsibilities of a Story Mother.