The old antagonists

The old antagonists are the unseen, malevolent force that hurls rocks at Wilbur Mercer during his eternal ascent in the empathy-box fusion experience, representing the principle of evil and opposition within Mercerism. They are a central, ambiguous element of the theology, embodying the killers who persecute Mercer and, by extension, all who fuse with him, and their nature is a key point of contention in the novel's exploration of empathy, suffering, and the authenticity of religious experience.

Identity and Role in Mercerism

The old antagonists are never given a single, fixed identity. During the fusion experience, they manifest as a vague, tormenting presence at the periphery of vision, following Mercer all the way up the hill and remaining until the top. The Mercerite, Rick Deckard, reflects that in Mercerism, "an absolute evil plucked at the threadbare cloak of the tottering, ascending old man, but it was never clear who or what this evil presence was." This nebulousness allows each follower to locate the presence of The Killers wherever they see fit. For Deckard, an escaped humanoid robot—a killer of its master, intelligent, lacking empathy for animals—epitomizes The Killers. The old antagonists are thus a theological construct, a personification of the opposition that makes Mercer's suffering meaningful and provides a framework for identifying evil in the world.

The Torment and the Cycle

The old antagonists' primary action is the hurling of rocks. During his climb, Mercer is struck by a rock on the arm, and the pain is felt by all who are fused with him. John Isidore, during his own fusion, experiences this: "A rock, hurled at him, struck his arm. He felt the pain." The torment is a constant, integral part of the ascent, and it intensifies later on at the top of the hill. The cycle of Mercerism involves this suffering, a descent into the tomb world, and then a rising again. The old antagonists are the agents of this suffering, the force that drives the cycle of death and rebirth that is central to the faith. The rocks themselves are later revealed by Buster Friendly's exposé to be made of soft plastic, causing no authentic wounds, a claim that challenges the very foundation of Mercerist suffering.

Connection to the Killers and the Curse

The old antagonists are directly linked to the "killers" who, according to Mercer's backstory, persecuted him in his sixteenth year. These killers bombarded a unique nodule in his brain with radioactive cobalt, plunging him into the tomb world. This act is the origin of the curse that defines Mercer's existence. Iran Deckard articulates this connection, explaining that the killers found Mercer when he could reverse time and bring things back to life, and they forbade it. "So now all he can do is move along with life, going where it goes, to death. And the killers throw the rocks; it's they who're doing it. Still pursuing him. And all of us, actually." The old antagonists are thus the ongoing manifestation of this original, traumatic persecution, a perpetual reminder of the loss of a former, happier state and the imposition of a world governed by death and decay.

Thematic Significance: Evil, Empathy, and the Nature of Reality

The ambiguity of the old antagonists is thematically crucial. They allow Mercerism to function as a flexible moral system, where the individual can identify evil in their own context. For Deckard, this means the androids he hunts. For others, it might be the radioactive dust, the government, or any other oppressive force. The exposé that the rocks are fake and that Mercer is a bit actor named Al Jarry directly attacks this system, suggesting that the suffering and the evil it represents are a manufactured illusion. However, Mercer himself, when confronted by Isidore, admits to the fraud but insists that it does not change the reality of the experience or the connection between followers. The old antagonists, whether real or simulated, remain a powerful symbol of the opposition that defines the human condition within the novel's world—the struggle against entropy, death, and the absence of empathy.