Nightfall

The narrative jumps forward to the day of the eclipse. Theremon goes to the observatory to cover the eclipse for the newspaper. Beenay finds him and warns him that Athor is angry over Theremon’s recent columns. Beenay tells him that Siferra is not yet present, despite having told Theremon that she would come. Sheerin has likewise opted not to come, taking shelter in a hideout called the Sanctuary along with Raissta.

Theremon is surprised that Beenay would believe in the apocalypse. He asks Beenay to take him to Athor.

The novel flashes back to show that in the intervening months, Theremon wrote articles that exposed the eclipse predictions and discredited the Saro University Observatory.

Although he had initially been supportive, successfully arranging the meeting between Athor and Folimun, Theremon later learned from Beenay that Athor had asked Folimun for help in deciphering more of the Thombo tablets using ancient scripts in The Book of Revelations. Theremon began to doubt Athor’s credibility. He feared that his support would popularize the Apostles’ outdated conservative values. From this point onward, his attitude toward the scientists became more critical and resentful.

Theremon’s first columns announcing the eclipse were written in a neutral