Much of the rest of the novel is told from Benjamin’s perspective. It is January of 2095, seven months before the Reunification Plague will be released. The Free Southern State has negotiated a reunification agreement with the federal government despite fierce opposition from the few remaining United Rebels still committed to the cause.

In the years since Sarat's capture, Simon has become far more lucid, though his mind still gets "clouded" sometimes. He and Karina marry, and Karina gives birth to Benjamin—named for Simon's father—who is now six-years-old. The Chestnut homestead is now a vast plantation of greenhouses where Simon and Karina grow food for local markets. The expansion of the estate was financed by Karina's founding of a bank. After Sarat's capture, most people who hid their money with Karina assumed the Feds found it and stole it. When they learned their money was safe, they came to believe that God protected the money. Soon, everyone wanted to have Karina watch over their savings.

Karina makes up a room for Sarat, but the window faces the river, and Sarat is now afraid of water due to her waterboarding experience. She insists on sleeping in the woodshed. For the first few weeks, Sarat almost never leaves the woodshed.