At the beginning of this chapter, the reader is introduced to the jealously that Sophie has towards Rosalind. Sophie was jealous of Rosalind because she had not been sterilized and also because Rosalind had won the affection of every man that Sophie had ever loved. Also because Rosalind had had a relatively easy life so far, despite her being a mutant. And maybe partially because of her ability to share another’s mind an innermost thoughts.
The Group heard once again from the Sealand woman, who told them about what her group had seen as they crossed the land between Sealand (after they hit the coastal region). The Sealand woman compared the Badlands to the outskirts of hells, charred landscape that was barred to any kind of life forever and ever. There were stretches of barren land that had been fused with black to create a black glass. This, in all reality, is sand melted and burnt by nuclear weaponary.
Rachel is beyond the range of the other telepaths, but Petra reaches her with the message that she must be strong and that the other telepaths love her. However, during their communication, Petra sees that Rachel is in love with Michael, but this is a “behind-think”, a thought that is not visible to the other, less powerful telepaths. This is disturbing to David, who considers the danger of a telepath being able to read even the protected thoughts of others. Petra is yet a new breed of telepaths who will eventually replace telepaths like David and Rosalind.
David catches Michael off guard and asks him if his father is with the Group. David and Petra’s father is with the group. He fully believes that the faithful Christians must never allow a female mutant to have the chance to reproduce and “spread pollution” throughout the world. David’s father, the leader of the normal army, is pressing so deeply into fringes territory to kill Petra and Rosalind, to prevent them from reproducing further mutants like themselves, who cannot be identified through the normal methods of inspection. The reader can extrapolate that Sally and Katherine were indeed killed by the normals, because as women, they were too much of a threat.
The Group is surprised to learn that the Sealand woman believes in Tribulation. She is still religious, despite the fact that her race is very scientifically advanced. It asks the reader to consider if science and religion are compatible, if perhaps there is a God, but that humanity has repeatedly misinterpreted that God. On the other hand, the reader might decide that this opinion of the New Zealand woman indicates that her race is also subject to the same kind of pitfalls associated with religion that the Labrador people suffer from. The Sealand woman tells the telepaths not to bother about David’s father, because he trying to support and advance a lost cause. His race of non-telepathic humans cannot survive in face of the telepaths who have superior abilities and technology. She says that the normal people are doomed; the telepaths should consider their own future.
The Fringes people set an ambush in some cliffs, but the normals see there will be an ambush and aren’t drawn in. Instead, the normals draw out the fringes into battle, while the normals flank the fringe people and crush them. The result is a rout, with the remains of the fringe force fleeing back to the town and beyond. The Fringe people are caught in the town, and crushed. The Spider man kills David’s father with an arrow to the chest. He had waited patiently and calmly through the battle for Joseph Strorm to appear, and killed him. The spider man then picked up Sophie and ran, but was struck down by arrows from the normal army, which had entered the town. As the spider man fell, Sophie ran, and took an arrow in the arm. She still ran, but was killed instantly by an arrow through the neck. She dies and her body slides along the ground to a stop, to the horror of David.
The Sealand woman and her crew then arrive in a futuristic helicopter. Something is released from the helicopter. It is like a spider web, extremely sticky, which paralyzes and smothers victims. The more the people thrash and try to escape, the more they are bound, and die. Michael and David are both completely covered by this light, gossamer material.
Chapter 17 - "A Brave New World”
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