Crippled Vic attempts to commit suicide because he is feeling increasingly useless. Greg tries to convince him that his teaching of the children is an important job. When Anne Tranter arrives at the grange she is shocked to discover that Vic is alive and that Greg therefore knows of her heartless actions when they first met (in Genesis). When Vic learns that Anne is actually staying at the grange he becomes intent on ultimate revenge...

Abby is tiring of life at the grange and her thoughts turn to resuming her search for her son. After a row with Greg over the taking in of a sick girl, Ruth. Abby sets off for Waterhouse to find Jimmy Garland. Meanwhile Greg and Arthur make their first attempts towards federating the communities that have sprung up since 'the death'. When Ruth recovers, Greg and Jenny discover she is a former medical student and that she has some startling news for them...