The Testaments

Aunt Lydia reports that Aunt Vidala has regained consciousness, though she has not yet spoken. Heel marks suggest an assailant dragged Aunt Vidala. Now, it is rumored that her stroke was the result of an attack. Aunt Vidala moves to a recovery ward, where the other founding Aunts are always at her bedside.

The elopement note has also come under scrutiny, though Aunt Lydia tries to discourage searches for the imaginary couple, but Aunt Elizabeth insists, so Aunt Lydia must go through the motions of sending out a search team of Angels. The team comes up empty.

Commander Judd calls Aunt Lydia into his office, furious that she’s lost Baby Nicole. He worries that the Council will discover that Baby Nicole was in Gilead and he let her get away. Aunt Lydia assures him that only the two of them, and Nicole herself, know her identity. She tells Commander Judd that either Nicole has truly run away, or someone abducted her, and in either case the guilty party is associated with Mayday and will be flushed out.

Angels find two Pearl Girl backpacks near a trail in Vermont, which provides a red herring distraction for Nicole and Agnes. Nothing comes of the search. The cause of the water shortage turns out to be Aunt Immortelle’s body blocking the outlet in the cistern. Aunt Lydia reminds herself that this was a willing sacrifice. New rumors surface that Jade murdered Aunt Immortelle. Aunt Elizabeth bemoans the scandal, saying it will reflect badly on the Aunts and Aunt Lydia says they will act as though Aunt Immortelle fell in while investigating the cistern.

More speculation arises. Reports surface that two Pearl Girls passed through the gate with proper papers, suggesting that Aunt Victoria was complicit in a double escape and that the elopement letter had been part of the plot to delay pursuit. Next comes news that witnesses saw two Pearl Girls in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Commander Judd search party has orders to shoot to kill, as he insists that a dead Baby Nicole is better than none. He thinks Nicole must have been a plant, and Aunt Lydia apologizes, as she had believed Nicole to be a genuine convert, which would have been a tremendous coup. As long as she is alive, someone could use Nicole to destroy Commander Judd, and Aunt Lydia.

Aunt Lydia goes to visit Aunt Vidala again, sending Aunt Elizabeth for a cup of tea. She commands Aunt Vidala to wake up. Her eyes open and she says in a clear voice: “You did this, Lydia. You’ll hang for it” (391). Aunt Lydia tells Aunt Vidala to go back to sleep and she closes her eyes. Aunt Elizabeth returns as Aunt Lydia is looking for the vial of morphine in her pocket. Aunt Lydia tells Aunt Elizabeth that Aunt Vidala spoke, though she must have brain damage because she said that Aunt Elizabeth had struck her and was the Mayday traitor. She suggests that some Commanders might still resent Aunt Elizabeth’s role in Dr. Grove’s demise and may accept Aunt Vidala’s testimony against her. Aunt Elizabeth is distraught, so Aunt Lydia comforts her and pointedly mentions Aunt Vidala’s allergies, then mentions Aunt Vidala’s pillow needs straightening before leaving the room.