Joia wakes anxious, knowing that despite the successful march, nothing meaningful has yet been achieved. The stone still lies untouched, and today they must do what has never been done before. She worries about Narod and the Young Dogs, suspecting sabotage, but lacks authority to expel them. Work begins at dawn. Seft outlines his plan clearly, explaining that the thicker end of the stone will become the base. Volunteers “energetically” (443) dig a deep hole beneath that end while others loosen the stone from the surrounding earth. 

Using levers, teams of volunteers gradually lift the thin end of the stone, inserting logs underneath to hold each gain. Progress is slow and exhausting but steady. Joia encourages the workers constantly, keeping morale high. When the stone reaches a quarter of its height, the effort falters. Levers become ineffective and an attempt to rope the stone and weight its base nearly ends in disaster when the stone slides sideways, almost crushing the priestess Duna. Joia is shaken by her own role in the near-accident.

At midday, Joia halts the work for lunch, buying time for Seft and Tem to rethink the problem. During the break, they construct a tall wooden frame, a four-legged “giant” (448) with sharpened feet designed to act like a pulley, lifting the rope above the stone’s highest point. When work resumes, volunteers pull the rope over this frame, allowing the stone to be lifted upward rather than dragged sideways. The stone rises steadily. Earth is packed into the hole around the base and, when the tension is released, the stone stands upright. Joia announces their success and the valley erupts in celebration. 

There is no pause for rest. To stay on schedule, Seft immediately organizes the next phase, mounting the stone onto the sled. Logs are stacked to form a temporary support higher than the sled’s platform. The stone is carefully lowered onto these logs, then eased onto the sled, transferring the weight gradually to avoid collapse. The sled holds. 

By evening, the stone is secured with ropes and ready to move. Exhausted but triumphant, Joia recognizes that the day’s success has turned doubt into belief. The expedition is “on schedule” (452) and what once seemed impossible has become real.

Joia wakes before dawn under a full moon and shares a quiet, intimate conversation with Dee, learning more about her strength, independence, and lack of romantic attachment to men. Their exchange deepens Joia’s affection and sense of connection. 

As morning breaks, preparations begin. The stone and sled are encased in a rope harness, with long grab lines laid out for the volunteers. Seft secures the wooden giant to the stone so it can later be used to raise the stone at the Monument. More than 200 volunteers take hold of the ropes. Despite their numbers, the stone does not move at first. Seft proposes rocking the sled forward and backward to break its resistance. Joia relays the plan and, after repeated coordinated efforts, the sled finally jerks forward. Momentum builds and the stone begins its journey with a “painful slowness” (458). The volunteers cheer and Joia walks backward at the front, guiding the movement and shouting encouragement.

Progress is uneven. Uphill sections exhaust the pullers and an early halt on a slope proves nearly disastrous when restarting becomes extremely difficult. Joia orders rest, food, and water, then successfully leads another rocking effort to crest the rise. She learns that future stops must be planned on downhill sections. As they pass a small hilltop village, residents greet them with amazement, offering water, food, and even joining the pull. The spectacle attracts attention, reinforcing the sense that something unprecedented is underway. 

By midday, the expedition emerges onto the Great Plain, where cattle and food await. Seft works atop the stone, smoothing its surface, while volunteers rest, eat, and bathe in a stream. Joia and Dee share another quiet conversation, revealing they are the same age and both struggling with the physical demands. Joia notices her feelings for Dee growing stronger and more complicated.

In the afternoon they follow the East River south, eventually reaching Upriver, where they stop for the night. Exhausted, the volunteers eat roast beef and sleep almost immediately. Joia reflects on the successes and challenges of the “hard day” (462), aware that despite remarkable progress, the hardest work still lies ahead.

Joia wakes convinced that this final day must succeed. Delivering the stone within four days will prove her promise true and will be a “rebirth” (463) for the people of the Great Plain. She reflects on what success will mean: renewed attendance at the Rites, expanded trade, and the long-term rebuilding of the Monument stone by stone at future midsummers. Dee wakes beside her, sore and weary, and their quiet intimacy continues in small gestures, including Joia rubbing grease into both their “aching muscles” (464) before work begins. 

The volunteers set off at sunrise along the riverbank. The terrain is easier and the stone moves steadily. At midday Joia notices Narod and the other Young Dogs slipping away toward the Monument, which gives her an “uneasy feeling” (465). Her fear proves justified when the expedition encounters deliberate sabotage: The track has been torn apart, branches scattered and thrown into the river. The volunteers stop in dismay and Joia breaks down in tears, realizing they cannot reach the Monument by nightfall. 

Seft steadies her and insists they repair the track and continue, even if they arrive late. Joia rallies the volunteers, framing the repair as rest from pulling, and leads by example, kneeling to rebuild the path herself. She explains to Dee that Troon fears the Monument’s rebirth because it threatens his ambition of “being Big Man of the entire Great Plain” (466).

Despite hard work, daylight fades before they can reach the Monument. Joia sends the quick runner Boli ahead to reassure Ani. Exhausted, the volunteers sleep where they stop. At dawn they resume, hungry and sore but determined. As they crest the final rise, they see the Monument ahead and hear cheering. A huge crowd has gathered to welcome them. Welcomers seize the ropes and help pull as the stone is brought through the Monument entrance amid celebration of the “heroes” (473). 

Before the crowd disperses, Joia insists on erecting the stone at once. Using the same methods learned earlier, the volunteers slide the stone into the pit and pull it upright. The crowd is awed by its height. Joia then delivers a powerful speech praising the volunteers and declaring that the Sun God now demands nine more stones next year. The crowd erupts in approval, committing themselves to return. Overwhelmed, Joia faints and is caught by Dee. In the aftermath, Joia navigates tensions with Sary and reflects on her bond with Dee. 

The next morning, as Dee prepares to leave, they kiss “gently and tenderly” (482), promising to meet again at the next midsummer.

At Farmplace, news of the stone’s arrival spreads quickly. The Young Dogs return first, claiming they sabotaged the track so thoroughly that success should have been impossible. Their story collapses when Shen arrives and reports the truth: The volunteers repaired the damage, arrived a day late, and were celebrated anyway. Troon reacts with fury, publicly humiliating Narod for his “pathetic” (483) failure to stop the mission. 

When Shen adds that Joia intends to bring nine stones next midsummer, Troon panics. He recognizes that a stone Monument will reestablish the herders’ dominance and reduce the farmers to insignificance. Declaring Joia a rival for power over the entire Great Plain, he vows to stop her and begins planning for the year ahead.

At Riverbend, Ani meets Scagga, who presents what he believes is a fatal flaw in Joia’s plan. One stone took five days to move, he argues, so nine stones would require 45 days of labor, keeping herders from their work for half the summer. Ani realizes the concern is serious and immediately goes to warn Joia. Together, Joia and Ani examine the problem beside the newly erected stone. Joia rejects Scagga’s assumption that one team would move stones sequentially. She proposes multiple teams working in parallel, estimating that six teams could move nine stones in 10 days. Though the scale is daunting, Ani agrees it might be acceptable to the elders. 

Seft confronts Joia angrily, upset that she announced the plan without consulting him. Joia calmly draws him into practical reasoning, outlining a detailed timetable using staggered teams and rest days. Though skeptical, Seft gradually accepts that the plan may be feasible. They decide the key is winning Keff’s support before the elders meet. Joia appeals to Keff by reframing the issue as one of “enthusiasm” (490) and legacy. If the work drags on for generations, enthusiasm will die. Only a bold plan can sustain commitment. 

At the elders’ meeting, Scagga reacts with open hostility and insults, accusing Keff of favoritism toward Ani. When Keff approves Joia’s plan, Scagga storms out, abandoning the council. After, Joia confides to Ani how deeply she misses Dee and admits she is in love. Ani reassures her that Dee’s feelings are real and enduring.

The drought has ended, the herds are growing, and the farmers have enjoyed their first good harvest in years. Joia presides over a thriving Spring Rite at the Monument. Attendance is larger than ever, the priestesses have doubled in number, and the presence of the giant stone has clearly restored confidence and wonder among the people of the Great Plain. Joia introduces refinements to ritual performance, including feathers in the priestesses’ hair and rhythmic rattles to improve coordination. 

At the climax of the ceremony, she climbs a ladder leaning against the giant stone, raising her arms to the cheering crowd and publicly renewing her call for volunteers to bring nine more stones at the coming Midsummer Rite. Her authority and popularity are unmistakable; she is now “famous” (496). 

In the days that follow, Joia travels to Stony Valley to inspect preparations. The track has settled well over winter, more houses have been built, additional sleds are under construction, and rope supplies are growing. She dines with Seft and Neen; she feels content but keenly aware of Dee’s absence, knowing she is somewhere nearby yet unreachable until midsummer. Joia’s confidence in the project remains strong.

At Farmplace, life appears calmer on the surface. Pia, Yana, Duff, and young Olin work their fields and goats, rebuilding stability after years of trauma. Pia loves Duff, but in a “different way” (498) to how she loved Han. Troon announces that all farmer men must arm themselves with bows and arrows, claiming defensive necessity. Pia and Duff suspect more sinister intentions, especially when Troon bans attendance at the herders’ Midsummer Rite. Duff and other young men plan to defy the ban. 

Pia receives a covert warning from Katch, Troon’s woman, who begs her to prevent Duff from joining Joia’s next mission, hinting at an impending “massacre” (502). Alarmed, Pia, Duff, and Yana reason that Troon himself may be planning violence to sabotage the Monument and reassert farmer dominance. Unable to warn Joia directly, Pia attempts to slip out at night to alert Zad and Biddy at Old Oak, but she is intercepted by Troon’s guards, revealing that Farmplace is under surveillance. 

The next morning Troon confronts Pia. He methodically exposes her attempted warning. To prevent further interference, he orders Pia, Duff, Yana, and Olin confined inside their house under armed guard until after Midsummer. Threatening Olin’s life to enforce obedience, Troon leaves them imprisoned.