Part 5/9:

Ernest's failed attempts to engage Caleb in genuine negotiations for water exemplify the broader theme of desperation leading to morally ambiguous choices. When calamity strikes during a confrontation with Caleb, it's a heartbreaking moment that escalates the narrative into a tale of revenge, deceit, and manipulation. Ernest's demise sets off a chain of events that plunge both Mary and Jerome into a precarious reality, where survival becomes synonymous with vengeance.