The Testaments

Daisy and Garth spend the night under a bridge. George is also there, though he pretends not to know them. Garth has cautioned Daisy not to speak to anyone who might be a Gilead plant. Garth wraps his arm around her as they sleep, since he is pretending to be her boyfriend.

Daisy and Garth sleep in a church next, which is covered in needles and trash. They eat fast food, which is fun for Daisy at first, because Neil and Melanie had not allowed it, but soon she feels sick from eating it exclusively. The next night, they sleep in a cemetery. Garth never tries anything with her, and Daisy hopes in hindsight that that was difficult for him. 

Daisy becomes impatient, wondering when the Pearl Girls will return. Garth tells her that they will come back and that some Mayday operatives, who were too eager when they tried to infiltrate Gilead. Angels exposed them. 

Later that day, the Pearl Girls watch Daisy from across the street. When Garth leaves to get them food, the Pearl Girls approach Daisy. Their names are Aunt Beatrice and Aunt Dove. They comment on her tattoo, that she must cherish God to have suffered to have it, and they say that, in Gilead, they will cherish her. They question Daisy about Garth and she affirm that Garth is abusive and forces sex on her. They also ask if Garth pimps her out, and Daisy denies it, prompting the Pearl girls to say that he soon will. Daisy says she has nowhere else to go, as there’s violence at home.

Garth returns and grabs Daisy, telling her that they are leaving. Aunt Beatrice asks to have a word with Garth. When she returns, she tells Daisy that she can go with them now. Garth walks away without a word, which makes Daisy cry harder. Aunt Dove tells Daisy that she is safe now. As Daisy walks between the Pearl Girls, the Aunts Dove tells her that Garth sold her and that she is fortunate that Garth sold her to them, rather than to a sex ring. Aunt Beatrice remarks that Garth told her that Daisy is a virgin, to make her price higher. Daisy thinks quickly and says that she lied so that they would take pity on her. She promises to tell them the truth from now on.

The Pearl Girls take Daisy to the condo where they are staying, and Daisy wonders if it is the same place the Pearl Girl had been died. Aunt Beatrice offers Daisy a shower. When Daisy comes out of the bathroom, Aunt Beatrice has left her a silvery dress like theirs. Daisy asks if it is all right for her to wear it, since she is not a Pearl Girl like them. Aunt Dove tells her, “You are a precious Pearl. A Pearl of Great Price” (268).

Daisy will need to wear the dress so that they can take her out of Canada, whose government views their work as human trafficking. The Aunts explain that they will give her identification from Aunt Dove, who will stay in Canada until she goes back to Gilead with the next incoming Pearl Girl.

The Aunts tell her Daisy she can no longer wear her leggings, “men’s clothes.” Daisy reminds herself not to argue and puts on the dress as well as the fake pearls. They give her a hat, but she only needs to wear it outside or if there were men present. They eat pizza and ice cream, which the Pearl Girls call part of their “test” of temptation.

The Pearl Girls lock Daisy’s bedroom door when she is asleep and take care to never leave her alone while she is awake. They forge papers and a passport for Daisy, hacking the Canadian immigration database to enter in Daisy’s picture, fingerprints, and iris scan. Gilead has friends in the Canadian government infrastructure and other allies. The passport is stamped PEARL GIRL so that Daisy will be able to enter Gilead immediately. Aunt Dove tells Daisy to look down to hide her features, which is the modest thing to do anyway.

Daisy thinks about the women at SanctuCare, who had risked so much and traveled into the unknown, as she was doing now. 

Daisy falls asleep on the flight. Aunt Beatrice nudges her awake as they are landing. As Daisy and Aunt Beatrice walk across the tarmac, a double line of men in black uniforms salute them. Aunt Beatrice says that it is to celebrate her successful mission. Daisy looks out the window of their car, seeing women dressed in the different colored clothing, like in a documentary. Aunt Beatrice says that since there was a delay, they will have to go directly to the Thanks Giving ceremony.

They go into a chapel filled with women and girls, all singing as Daisy and Aunt Beatrice walk down the aisle. There’s a large Baby Nicole photo at the front. After Daisy and Aunt Beatrice sit, Aunt Lydia moves to the pulpit. Aunt Beatrice whispers that this is their main Founder. After a brief word of thanks, Aunt Lydia calls up the returning Pearl Girls with the “Pearls” they have gathered.

The presenter calls Canada first, so Aunt Beatrice whispers to Daisy to stand and move to the front. Aunt Beatrice places her pearls in a dish in front of Aunt Lydia, declares that she returns them in the blessed state she received them, and presents Daisy:

‘May I present Jade, a precious Pearl of Great Price, saved from certain destruction. May she be purified from worldly pollution, cleansed of unchaste desires, cauterized from sin, and consecrated to whatever service is allotted to her in Gilead’ (274).

Aunt Beatrice pushes Daisy down into a kneeling position. Aunt Lydia welcomes “Jade” to Ardua Hall and the assemblage echoes her welcome. Daisy wonders what she is doing in such a weird place.