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his shouldersslumping. “It’s just that he’s a reverend for heaven’s sake. A man of God. How can we even think about—?”
    “He stopped being a man of God a long time ago,” Angus interrupted. “We a’ know that. You, Jimmy, more than most. With your own eyes you saw him meet with the Man in Black, right?”
    At the mention of the Man in Black, the crowd went silent. It was a name no one in Miller’s Grove ever said out loud and all eyes turned toward the little man in the front row. “Aye, Angus. I did. He appeared out of the shadows…out of nowhere in the middle of the corn and I watched Joshua walk right up to him and kneel at his feet. I’d never been more scared in a’ my life.”
    “And you’re no’ the only one. I’ve seen him too, and we a’ know how Joshua’s changed in the last year. Reverend Miller was a good man, no question. The best of us maybe, which is why we named the village after him. He was our guiding light here in America, but that was before the hard times. He’s been turned from God…corrupted by the Man in Black into a greedy, evil monster who’ll drag us a’ to hell with him if we don’t make a stand. You’ve a’ heard him speak…a’ heard his blasphemous sermons. He’s out of his mind and walks hand in hand with the demons now. For our sake, for our families’, we have to stop him. I dinnae want do this either, but there’s no other choice. God has put this task in front of us and we cannae look the other way any longer. Tonight we end this, once and for all. Are you a’ with me?”
    There was a chorus of “Aye” from the Grove’s elders, and everyone joined hands in a display of solidarity. Angus was pleased and more than a little relieved. He had no idea what he’d have done if they’d given up and gone back to their homes. “Good. Then let’s get going and by the grace of God we’ll do what needs done, butfirst we should pray.” The men huddled together, going down on their knees in a circle around Angus. He knew none of them were prepared for what lay ahead, but they were as ready as they’d ever be. “Forgive us, Lord, for what we are about to do…”

Chapter Six
    They broke the circle and immediately left the clearing, walking single file along a narrow dirt path through the woods that led toward the fields. Some of them carried sharpened sticks, some carried rope, and some carried small flaming torches just burning brightly enough to light their way. In another time, another place, a procession like this might have been heading out on a holy crusade or a late-night medieval witch hunt, and even though this was America in the mid-1930s neither of those were far off the truth. To a man, they firmly believed they were on a mission from God.
    None of the elders talked, each man lost in his own private thoughts and prayers, the gravity of their decision weighing heavily on all of them, making each step a chore unto itself. Even the woods seemed to feel the tension in the air, the great oak trees towering above and around them usually creaking and swaying in the wind and harboring a multitude of chattering birds, scavenging animals, crawling insects, and all the other normal inhabitants of a forest teeming with life. Tonight they were silent though, the breeze dying off and the wildlife somehow sensing the danger in the air and silently slinking away in fear or staying hidden in their dens and nests.
    Angus was at the front of the line, leading the menand trying to appear strong and confident for their sakes even though he felt neither of those. Tonight, appearances were vitally important and he knew the elders needed him to be the rock they could shield themselves behind in the coming storm. He accepted his position without complaint, but inside he was no more prepared for tonight’s confrontation than anyone else. Less maybe, because there was a time not long ago when he’d been a huge supporter of Reverend Miller and had considered Joshua not