The older man laughed. “Well there’s yer problem, trustin’ the news. Y’ain’t gonna read much true ’bout Texas there. All those foreign papers love the SDF,” he stressed each letter, pronouncing it “Ess-Deee-Eff,” and then spat out the window for emphasis. “And they treat the Republic like a real government, not like a collection of robber barons and their hired guns. Truth is, their position was always rocky. People ’round here would rather live under God’s law than the rule of the rich, or those prancing Austin faggots.”

He spat again, and somehow made the gesture look like an apology. “Sorry fer the curse, Miss Sasha. It’s been a minute since I spent much time ’round a woman.”

She smiled in response because she wasn’t sure what else to do. And then they turned a corner, past a mostly intact line of shops and a sign that welcomed them to downtown Plano. The wide streets had been cordoned off by sandbags and what looked like enormous fabric cubes filled with rocks. Several dozen armed men milled about and, in the center of the broad thoroughfare, Sasha saw what could only be a gallows built right in the middle of the two-lane street.

It was her first gallows. Capital punishment was illegal in the American Federation. She stared, horrified at the way the six corpses strung up there swung to and fro with the breeze. Sasha squeaked, just a bit, in shock. She was glad the bodies weren’t very close.

Darryl seemed to notice her discomfort. He looked down at her with a mix of pity and understanding,

“Ain’t always pretty, what we’re doin’. But it’s the Lord’s work.”

The truck rolled to a stop outside of a large red brick building that reeked of government. Sasha couldn’t tell what it had once been; the sign was too thoroughly burned. A new sign, made of white vinyl, identified this building as the “House of Miriam.”

“This’d be your stop, ma’am,” Darryl said.

“Th– thank you.” She forced a smile and then asked, “Should I just go in?”

“I’ll walk ya in. How’s ’bout that?”

Sasha nodded her gratitude. She wasn’t 100 percent sure what was supposed to happen at this point. Revelator had claimed that every man and women who journeyed to the Heavenly Kingdom would be given “meaningful work, food, and as much shelter as the Martyrs can provide.” She knew she could expect to be housed with other young, unmarried women, at least until she and Alexander were finally together.