The chapter opens with an excerpt of a letter from Lord Carlisle, dated 1778, that expounds on the grand scale of everything on the American continent. The chapter begins by describing the most important place in the southeastern United States: Rock City, atop Lookout Mountain. The Cherokee considered it sacred, as whoever controlled Lookout Mountain controlled all the land that could be seen from this peak. Now, it is an ornamental garden that hides the entrance to caverns housing fairy tale dioramas.

Gods flock to Lookout Mountain, from every corner of America and every pantheon and mythology. Gods from Europe, Asia, the Indian sub-continent, and America itself gather, getting what weapons they have ready for battle.

Laura thinks of the spark of life she saw in Shadowwhen he was hanging on the tree. After staying the night at Shadow’s request, she goes to the farmhouse to ask for a drink. The farmhouse is dusty and cold, despite the fire in the fireplace, though Laura thinks that the chill might just be because she’s dead. She notices three women (The Norns) sitting on the sofa and tells them that Shadow said to give her water. The smallest woman nods and leaves the room, then returns with a jug of water.

Laura thanks the small woman for the water, then drinks the entire jug, finding it cold as ice. Laura starts shaking and coughs up bile, formalin, and bugs. All her memories rush around her head, the consequence of drinking the water of time from the spring of fate. Laura passes out, then wakes in the farmhouse alone with a bleeding scratch on her hand. Now that she has drunk the water of time, she knows exactly what she has to do and the mountain she must go to. On a wet day in March, crowds of people gather in Rock City on Lookout Mountain. New Gods begin to arrive, wearing the confidence of being worshipped and adored. Technical Boy walks among them, looking for Mr. World.

Meanwhile, Mr. Town can’t find Ash Tree Farm on his GPS and is forced to ask for directions. He finally finds it, thinking that he is too old for this nonsense. Mr. World has asked him to cut a stick from this specific tree (the world tree), but gave him strict orders not to turn Shadow into a martyr for the Old Gods to rally behind. Mr. Town hates Shadow fiercely, but agrees to follow orders. At the tree, Mr. Town ignores Wednesday’s and Shadow’s bodies and cuts a branch. He fights an instinctual urge to shove the stick into Shadow’s side. Mr. Town climbs back down the tree, imagining that he sees a woman in the window of the farmhouse smiling at him, then pantomiming slitting her throat. He shakes his head and gets back in the car. As he drives away, Shadow’s side begins to bleed.

Easter watches the crowds at Lookout Mountain, noticing that the few mortals there seem to see nothing strange going on. A barefoot girl, introducing herself as Macha of the Morrigan, excitedly tells Easter that the battle will start soon and prophesies that the Old Gods will win. As the girl walks away, Easter greets a hawk flying above her. The hawk hops towards Easter, slowly transforming into a man. Horus awkwardly tells Easter that the man on the tree needs her, and that this man’s fate is more important than the battle. Mr. Town has been driving for hours but keeps circling back to the ash tree farm. A storm gathers on the horizon and Mr. Town notices a woman (Laura) walking along the side of the road. He asks her for directions. The woman says she can’t explain the route, but she can show him. The woman gets in the car, saying that she actually needs a ride, and Mr. Town is struck by her blue eyes and crooked smile. Mr. Town promises to take the woman as far as she needs to go.

Back at Lookout Mountain, Technical Boy finally finds Mr. World and tells him that everything is on schedule. Technical Boy then awkwardly lingers, looking troubled. Mr. World asks him what’s wrong, and Technical Boy asks why they are waiting and why they don’t just annihilate the Old Gods now, or else just wait for the Old Gods to die out on their own. Technical Boy says that there will be too much bloodshed in this big battle. Mr. World smiles, twisting his scarred lips, and says they have to wait for a stick.

Disturbed, and assuming that Mr. World is lying about making such a fuss about a stick, Technical Boy says he doesn’t need to know the truth. Mr. World confesses that he needs the stick so he can throw it across the battle field before the fighting begins and dedicate the battle to Odin. Technical Boy doesn’t understand, so Mr. World says he will give a demonstration. He whips out a knife, rams it into Technical Boy’s throat, and dedicates the death to Odin. As Technical Boy dies, Mr. World hears a gruff voice in the shadows tell him, “good start.”