- Jason has community service, cleaning up litter along the highway. He spots Dan, whom he hasn't seen since the infamous water tower ascension, so naturally he creeps up on him and flings a dead muskrat at his feet. Dan is not amused. Dan blames Jason for the whole water tower debacle, Henry's injuries, his and Magda's punishments, and Shin going insane.
- Jason defends Shin, who is home after a couple of days in the psych ward. Shin's mom won't let Jason talk with him.
- Dan doesn't blame her: "'None of use should ever have listened to you. God is not a joke'" (30.31).
- Jason ponders whether Dan is right. Is he evil? Is he the Antichrist?
- He goes to Shin's and waits until his mom leaves. Then lets himself in. Shin's asleep, and Jason notices that the gastropodarium is missing. He reads from Shin's sketchbook—page after page, thousands of words of the Chutengodian Genesis story. Then there are tons of drawings of water towers, and others like the Eiffel Tower.
- Shin wakes up and explains some of the drawings. There are water towers that represent his parents, Henry, Magda, Dan, and even Jason.
- Jason asks point blank if Shin is crazy. Does he really believe the water tower is God? "'Don't you?'" (30.72) Shin asks. He's visibly disappointed that Jason doesn't. "'How do you know it's not true if you don't believe in it?'" (30.77). "'How can you understand something you don't believe in?'" (30.79).