After the Symphony’s performance, the audience gives a standing ovation until a tall, blond man steps forward and commands them to sit. He praises the show and then reveals himself as the prophet, speaking with rehearsed control over the crowd.

The prophet delivers a sermon framing the Georgia Flu as divine “cleansing” and survivors as “the light” and “the pure,” warning that further “cullings” will come. The Symphony members grow tense; Kirsten feels trapped by his tone and by how instantly the audience obeys.

When the sermon ends, the prophet speaks privately with the conductor. Pressed about the grave markers, the prophet claims the town holds funerals for people who leave “without permission,” treating them as spiritually dead. The conductor refuses a proposal the prophet makes, and the prophet leaves with an armed guard as the audience disperses without the usual post-show mingling.

The conductor orders an immediate departure. As they slip out by a back road, they encounter a boy serving as a sentry who challenges them about leaving without permission and repeats that funerals are held for those who go. The Symphony keeps moving; the boy asks to come with them, but the conductor refuses to avoid the appearance of kidnapping.

On the road, the conductor tells Kirsten the prophet wanted Alexandra left behind as a “guarantee” of good relations because he is seeking another bride. After midnight, the Symphony confirms no one is following, then studies routes forward: returning through St. Deborah is unsafe, other paths are dangerous, and wilderness lies inland. Hoping to find the missing members and possible guidance, the conductor decides they will continue south along Lake Michigan toward rumored settlements near Severn City, while Kirsten steadies herself by reviewing her few precious keepsakes from the old world.