While Mother, Father, and the children face hostility from their new atheist collective, Marcus sets out to fill the walls of an ancient church with Sol’s worshippers.

While the collective is tasked with hunting down the serpent, Mother is left to reconcile complicated emotions. Convinced that it will aid his cause, Marcus sets out to find the creature before the atheists do.

Using his mysterious new powers, Marcus rescues a group of Mithraic prisoners, while Mother discovers the serpent is not a maneater but an herbivore. Father works through his frustration over Mother’s decision to spare the serpent’s life by engrossing himself in his work project, the regeneration of an ancient android.

After the Trust uses Paul to strike back against Marcus, Mother confronts the Trust and threatens a coup. Meanwhile, on the run from Mother, Marcus has to keep his followers from losing faith as his powers suddenly disappear.