Prologue
December 1983, Battiest, Oklahoma
Four men stood gathered around a crib. A baby slept peacefully in it, unaware of the conversation going on around it.
"It's a good thing your wife had a girl," one of the men said.
Another looked up, eyes flashing yellow. "It's unfortunate that Mary had to get hurt," he replied.
"What's done is done," another of the men pointed out irritably. This man was obviously the leader of the group.
"Agreed," the yellow-eyed man said, "I just wish things had gone more smoothly."
"We all wish that," the leader agreed. "You've spent a month running from that man, and it hasn't been easy for any of us. Now is not the time to worry about it, though. There are still things to be done." He stepped closer to the crib and picked up the sleeping child. The jostling stirred the baby, but it did not wake. The man began to rock the baby gently to lull it back into a deeper sleep. "My dear Elizabeth," he told the baby, eyes shining manically, "you don't know it yet, but your name will be praised for generations to come. Your grace and beauty will remain on the lips of people until the end of time. There is just one little thing that we need to take care of first." He kissed the baby gently on the forehead and handed her over to the man with the yellow eyes.