He tied Wendell up with the string Wendell intended to use as fuses for his explosives and dumped him into a corner. As Wendell struggled to free himself, Pryde filled the buckets with glowing water. How could I have led them here? Wendell wondered. He had made sure to check behind him each time. He never saw Reverend Crane or Pryde. How could they have followed him? I was careful, he thought.
The answer came when Molly ran into the cave, her baggy clothes flapping like flags. "You shouldn't be here," she said to him. "This isn't any place at all for a stowaway. This is Reverend Crane's and my special place. We're going to rid this place of all the savages and heathens and then the reverend and I can be together forever."
"Molly, he's going to murder people. You can't let this happen. Untie me and we'll stop them," Wendell said.
"Reverend Crane wouldn't hurt anyone. Not anyone who didn't deserve it. He's a wonderful man. You're just a grubby old stowaway," Molly said. She pranced towards the entrance to the cave, throwing herself against Reverend Crane. He kissed her on the cheek, causing her face to turn red.
"How good of you to join us," Reverend Crane said. "You're just in time to serve as our test subject."
"What? No, you can't. This isn't right. You must realize that," Wendell said. He thrashed against his bonds, but Pryde had tied them well enough to hold.
"I am doing the Lord's work," Reverend Crane said. "He has shown me the device by which I can create his holy kingdom on earth. With this water my kingdom will last until His return, when I will receive my reward for doing His work."
"Murder is not the Lord's work," Wendell said.
"Sacrifices must be made for the greater good. If Mr. Gooddell and a few savages must perish to achieve His goal, so be it."
"Mr. Gooddell?" Wendell thought of Prudence grieving her fallen husband. "You can't kill them. They haven't done anything wrong."
"They are standing in the way of my divine imperative," Reverend Crane said. "As are you, but that will soon be remedied." He took one of the buckets Pryde had filled, dipping a ladle into the water. Wendell squirmed against his bonds, but could do nothing as Reverend Crane dumped the ladle over his head. The string holding him loosened so that he could free his hands. He tried to get up, but Reverend Crane shoved him back and doused him with another ladleful of water.
"Oh, he looks so adorable," Molly said. "Isn't he the most darling little boy you've ever seen?"