A dark, near-future parable set in a Holy Land afflicted by a mysterious blight by the author of the visionary Catholic sci-fi thriller, Our Lady of the Artilects. Although no one knows who or what caused the Desolation, pilgrims now travel to Jerusalem to die. Most want a holy death or simply to lay down the burden of living. Only the worst sinners go as penance. Janusz, a disgraced priest who has committed a terrible crime, is one of these. Along the way, he meets mysterious strangers and experiences horrific visions, discovering that an undead conscience might be the most terrifying monster of them all.