Alvin Junior knew without a word being said that whatever it was stopped Papa’s mouth, it was the plain opposite of the shining light that had filled Alvin and the Shining Man tonight. There was something that wanted Alvin to be strong and good. And there was something else that wanted Alvin dead. Whatever the good thing was, it could bring visions, it could show him his terrible sin and teach him how to be shut of it forever. But the bad thing, it had the power to shut Papa’s mouth, to beat down the strongest, best man Al Junior ever knew or heard of. And that made Al afraid.

When Papa went on with his arguments, his seventh son knew that he wasn’t using the proof that counted. “Not devils, not angels,” said Papa, “it’s the elements of the universe, don’t you see that he’s an offense against nature? There’s power in him like you nor I can’t even guess. So much power that one part of nature itself can’t bear it—so much power that he protects hisself even when he don’t know he’s doing it.”

“If there’s so much power in being seventh son of a seventh son, then where’s your power, Alvin Miller? You’re a seventh son—that ain’t nothing, supposedly, but I don’t see you doodlebugging or—“

“You don’t know what I do—“

“I know what you don’t do. I know that you don’t believe—“

“I believe in every true thing—“

“I know that every other man is down at the commons building that fine church, except for you—“

“That preacher is a fool—“

“Don’t you ever think that maybe God is using your precious seventh son to try to wake you up and call you to repentance?”

“Oh, is that the kind of God you believe in? The kind what tries to kill little boys so their papas will go to meeting?”

“The Lord has saved your boy, as a sign to you of his loving and compassionate nature—“

“The love and compassion that let my Vigor die—“

“But someday his patience will run out—“

“And then he’ll murder another of my sons.”

She slapped his face. Alvin Junior saw it with his own eyes. And it wasn’t the offhand kind of cuffing she gave her sons when they lipped or loafed around. It was a slap that like to took his face off, and he fell over to sprawl on the floor.

“I’ll tell you this, Alvin Miller.” Her voice was so cold it burned. “If that church is finished, and there’s none of your handiwork in it, then you will cease to be my husband and I will cease to be your wife.”