Part 4 Summary

Nat is lost in his vision again, of the boat in the river leading to the sea, with the white temple on the promontory high above. He wakes with a start. It is the day of his execution. He taps on the wall of Hark's jail cell, waking his friend. Hark asks how much longer they must wait. He has been living with severe injuries sustained in the rebellion; they have gone untreated in jail, and Hark is impatient to get on with his fate. He tells Nat that due to his injuries, he can't stand and will have to be tied into a chair to be hung. Nat sits in silence; he tries to pray but feels abandoned by God. He begs God for a sign. In the distance, a dog barks. Hark, who doesn't know Nat had just prayed for a...