A Plague of Pythons

The title derives from the words "Domina Pythonis" used as part of an exorcism ritual performed in the first chapter to scare away the "demons" that seem to possess people in the novel.

Saved by an apparent episode of possession of the jury in the trial, he is instead exiled from his community with a letter "H", for "Hoaxer", branded on his forehead.

The members believe that the "flame spirits" cannot abide pain, but a young woman tells Chandler that she is sure the possessors are other human beings, and that one of them is a man she rejected.

Soon afterwards the entire cult is wiped out and Chandler, in a state of almost constant possession, is made to bring their sacred text, a copy of The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, to Hawaii.

Based on what the novel calls "sub-millimeter microwaves" (now known as terahertz radiation), the technology allows people wearing the coronets to locate and take over the bodies of anyone on Earth.

Matters come to a head when Rosalie's lover, Andrei, one of the leaders of the execs, attempts to kill Chandler out of jealousy, only to collapse from a stroke due to physical deterioration after years of vicarious living in the bodies of others.

He then disables the old equipment and uses the only functioning coronet through the Kauai backup installation to track down and kill the other execs including Rosalie.