Then the man was gone. DeReggio turned to Johnny, almost shaking hands with him from force of habit, then drawing away in self-conscious confusion. "Good luck, boy. We'll be moving, despite what Lawford said. Don't try to follow us."
"I hope I haven't got you into any trouble."
"It won't be the first time."
"Thanks for the prayer. They would have liked that."
When DeReggio looked up, Johnny Hope had vanished into the woods.
Starbuck led one party of Shining Ones toward Hamilton from the north while Keleher took the main band in from the east. They never reached the Village though. Each leader saw the black pall of smoke rising long before he reached Hamilton. Each knew the Village had been put to the torch.
They met on high ground north-east of the flaming town and watched the fire, fanned by a strong summer wind, burn itself to embers and leave the charred skeleton of a village behind it.
"They got word," Starbuck said, waiting for Keleher to draw his own conclusions.
"It's happened before, but now—has anybody seen the new man, Johnny Hope?"