Part I: The Boy, Chapter 3 Summary

Modern Biff discovers a Bible in the hotel room, but he knows that Raziel will forbid him to read it because Biff had asked about what happened to his friends and Maggie after his death, and the angel refused to tell. Biff must figure out a way of making the angel leave the room so he can take the Bible out of the drawer and hide it in the bathroom, a facility for which the angel has no need.

Ancient Biff walks with Joshua and Maggie to a funeral. They talk about what Joshua and Biff plan to do as men. They are ten years old and ready to start their apprenticeships. The customary path is for sons to learn their fathers' trades, carpentry in Joshua's case and stonecutting in Biff's. Maggie declares that she...