The Everglades

A Note to Readers

Chapter Twenty-One descends into the most malignant face of the evil at the heart of The Everglades — the machinery of corruption, blackmail, and the abuse of the innocent by which the novel's shadow-network binds powerful men to its will. It contains graphic depictions of sexual violence and the abuse of children that are among the most harrowing in the book. Out of care for readers encountering it unprepared, this chapter is not reproduced here on the blog.

It remains an essential part of the story, bearing unflinching witness to the very cruelty the novel exists to name and resist. Readers who wish to continue can find Chapter Twenty-One in its full context within the complete novel.