“Of who they’re taking with them,” the Reverend said. “They see what’s going on from a distance. Hiroshima. Nuclear waste. Radioactive glow around certain government buildings. The entire state of California shaking like Jell-O, about to slide into the sea. People talk about half the film being already gone, eaten up because it had acid in it, and, oh my god, save the film! Save the movies! They’re nothing but movies of us being stupid. What about save the frogs? Used to be a million frogs out in that forest, making a sound so loud, it would keep a man up at night if he wasn’t used to it. Well, what I’m not used to is the frogs being dead, and wondering what killed them all. Frogs are the next unicorns, and unicorns maybe used to be men, and maybe we got a second chance, and we’ve ruined it, plain and bold, we have ruined it.”

Frankie had no idea what the man was talking about. “They’re going to take people with them?”

“Focus, son!” the Reverend snapped. “You’re lucky to be hearing this once. They’re going to take some people with them, yes. That is the Eleventh Coming. And they’re going to turn off the lights on their way out—finish the job this century started. It’s going to be the hurricane-flood-earthquake-and-fire next time. They’ll do it with our own weather, polish the whole planet smooth, and when the smoke clears …” He’d been rubbing his hands over the wooden ball, and he held it up now between them and focused his gaze on it proudly. “Beauty. And not a living soul left on Earth to see it.” The ball sat balanced on his fingertips for a long time; then it disappeared back into his robe.

“The eleventh time,” Frankie said.

“The eleventh. Which may be next year or ten years from now; I’m still working it out. Understand, since approximately 1865 they’ve come here eight times to take note of the particulars, and they’ve done a hundred and eleven good deeds each time they’ve come. There will be nine hundred and ninety-nine good deeds before they’re finished. And then that’s it. You get me?”

Frankie nodded.