Sportcoat visits his childhood friend, Rufus, who lives in the adjacent housing project, the Watch Houses. Rufus—who was a founding member of the local church before dropping out of the community 14 years before the story—suggests that Sportcoat travel out to the nursing home of Five End’s oldest member Sister Paul, who used to be in charge of the Christmas collection. Rufus says she used to have a hiding place for the Christmas box and might help Sportcoat. 

Rufus also relates the story of the church’s origin: Sister Paul was involved with its construction, as well as a taciturn Italian man who got along well with Sister Paul. He insisted on painting a large picture of Jesus on the church lot’s back wall, with the heading “May God Hold You in the Palm of His Hand” (a line from a traditional Irish blessing mentioned by the Governor in Chapter 5). The presence of the mysterious Italian, the heading, and the wall suggest that Elefante’s father might have hidden the mysterious “Venus” artifact there. Elefante doesn’t know about the mural at Five Ends, so the characters don’t yet make the connection between the mural and Venus.

Sportcoat leaves Rufus. Earl, who has been hiding in a broom closet waiting for Sportcoat, attempts to attack him with a pipe.