“The Family considers it a great privilege and honor that they’ve been chosen this way,” she continued, “and they believe that we’ll be prosperous and successful all our lives because we’re connected to the Others, because they watch over us.  Not everyone feels that this is a rational way of thinking or even has kind feelings for a group who would hold such ideas, which is why we’ve been driven out of the places we lived and five years ago my father had to find another one in the wilderness where no one had ever heard of us.  He takes his responsibilities to the Family and to the Others very seriously.

“That’s not everything, but maybe it’s enough for now.  I know it might not make any sense to you, but in every way down to his bones that’s who he is.”

“Does your father always say who someone marries?”

“No.  That’s just for me.”

“Why?”

She turned away.  It was a hard thing to talk about.  “Because he needs an heir, someone to pass the understanding on to.  And the father of that heir should have the right history, come from the right lineage.”

“This person you shot had the right history?”

“Yes, he did.  Which obviously meant nothing.”

“And the one out in the desert?”

“I don’t know.  Father didn’t tell me.”

“So one of the strange things the Church of the Brothers of Ezekiel believes in is flogging and hanging their women?”

Charlotte concentrated on her hands.  The cards blurred.  “Please don’t make me cry.  I’ve done too much of that already.”

She put down the cards and got to her feet.  The barn doors were open enough for fresh air to get in.

“Where are you going?” Chace said.

“Just out.”  It wasn’t a reasonable thing to do, but she needed it.  The wind had let up but the rain was pouring down.  The night was warm, the sky black.

She only went far enough to be in the open, to stand unhindered in the rain and let it run down her upturned face so that she wouldn’t have to think about anything but being alone and drenched on the prairie, far away from anyone and anything that had to do with all of that.

He stood with a hand on either side of the door watching her.

“Are you sure you’re happier out here?”

“You can’t cry in the rain.  For some reason it doesn’t work.  Come out and join me.”

“Some of us are crazy and some of us aren’t.  I just don’t want you to drown.”

“If I said please?”

“My people never go out on moonless nights.”

“I’ll forget for a minute that there’s a lantern lighting up the whole place.  What’s wrong with moonless nights?”