Mercy Among the Children

Cheryl Voteur and Lyle fool around. The Sheppard brothers are kind to Lyle to placate him. Lyle knows the Sheppards and Mat Pit are responsible for defaming his father.

Autumn and Lyle protect their mother from Constable Morris, who is ashamed when he realizes that the Hendersons always saw through his defamation of Sydney and stops coming to the house.

Lyle steals the chalice from church but is unable to sell it because its absence is newsworthy. He starts to suffer from guilt at having stolen the church chalice. He confides in Cheryl, and now the Sheppards know and are threatening him. Penny Porier, whom Lyle still loves, must return from university because she is sick from McVicer’s paper mill’s use of pesticides. Meanwhile, Gerald Dove’s investigation into McVicer’s works gains impetus. Penny testifies publicly in the Dove case, and the next day, McVicer tells her that he will pay for her education. Penny refuses McVicer and goes to the meetings against her parents’ will.

The government sides with Gerald Dove and Penny Porier. At a press conference, McVicer claims the government incentivized the use of the pesticides he poisoned the public with. Dove files suit against the government on Penny’s behalf. Dove’s lawyers quickly run out of money, and McVicer now claims he has misplaced the letters from the government. The court denies Dove a search warrant. Penny dies at the age of 18.

Mat Pit tells Lyle he will sell the chalice for him but returns it to the church, obtaining a reward that he splits with Rudy and Lyle. Lyle buys his family a TV with the money but feels disgraced.

Griffin Porier intercepts Lyle, claiming he wants to torch McVicer’s store, which Lyle does for him. McVicer asks Lyle to see him and tells Lyle that he will get no insurance money from the store, and that he liked Lyle’s parents.

Percy has no memory of his father, who has been gone nearly three years. When Elly reads his letters, her sight is beginning to fail. Lyle takes the money Sydney sends and siphons off some to spend on alcohol, cutting himself every time to remember how much he owes his father. Lyle envies his father.

Teresa May is in intensive care. Cynthia blackmails Rudy for money, but he has no employment or income. Lyle comes home drunk and almost hits Autumn. He squanders his money and neglects Percy.

The tax department demands money from the Hendersons. Lyle shouts at his mother and gives Autumn a black eye in front of Percy. Elly and Lyle visit the tax department. Deidre Whyne, who now works there, tells them that if they sell their wood, they can relieve themselves of much of the burden. She encourages them to sell the house and move into an apartment in town. Lyle misses Percy’s birthday.

The wood Lyle has cut is taken by the tax department. When Lyle goes to see Deidre about it, he puts his fist through a window in rage and goes to the hospital for stitches. Constable Morris tells Lyle to stay away from the Sheppards’ house, which will soon be raided. When it is, the Sheppards fire at Constable Morris. Danny Sheppard goes to jail, placing Rudy and Mat Pit in jeopardy, and Lyle in a position of power. However, Lyle has already implicated himself in their guilt.