Rail

At Pittsburgh the congregation switched from rail to steamboat, which, despite moving with the current down the upper reaches of the Ohio River, made no better speed than a sustained brisk walk. But unlike the train, there were staterooms to occupy on the upper deck. The ladies segregated to the stern. Lange's group was not so destitute as to be relegated to sleeping on the first deck amid the bales of cotton and other cargo, as many of the walk-ons did while the steamboat made its way downriver. From their rooms the members of Lange's flock looked out with contentment upon the ever-changing scene along the river as it sliced through the forested hills. They spent three days steaming first north, then south and west, stopping at times to board and disembark passengers or to take on firewood for the boiler that churned, ever so precariously, it seemed to them, under the very flammable decks.

At Cincinnati Mark Lange's group disembarked from the steamboat and again took to rail, as they had come to the end of the mountains and had passed through an odd corner of the country where time and circumstance had not yet conspired to make the railroad network complete. But again, at East St. Louis, after crossing the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, they briefly took to the water once more. At that time the only bridge lay far to the north in Davenport, Iowa.

Once the travelers and their luggage were safely on the western shore of the Mississippi River they resumed riding rail once more. The Missouri track was laid of Bessemer steel, permitting travel at a breakneck forty-five miles per hour. The line west came to an end just a few miles past Independence, Missouri. And Mark Lange, glancing at the train platform even as they were rolling to a stop, saw someone he recognized waiting for them, the extraordinary tall Anael, who was standing next to someone who was even taller. He raced up to greet them as soon as he disembarked.

"We meet again, Mark Lange," Anael said, "and this time in much better circumstances than the first! I trust your journey has so far gone well?"

Mark said, "Very well indeed, Anael. Imagine my immense relief to find you already here."

By this time some of Mark's followers had gathered around, marveling that at least one of the strangers knew their pastor. These were the nucleus of hardcore believers who never wavered in their faith, yet it was comforting to hear confirmation of what Lange had frequently told them. Still, they were dismayed to find the strangers were rather swart, and each wore a decorative headdress with white horns. The one who was taller than Anael said to Mark, "Did you fear you would reach the end of the line and find yourselves to be castaways?"