August 12th, 1587 - Horb, Holy Roman Empire Though I am staring at the consequences of our actions, I still can not see the point where everything went wrong. Perhaps we never did anything correctly. Perhaps we did everything correctly, and we merely played into their hands. Whatever we did wrong, it does not matter now.

Julia Krause was perfectly content cooking cabbage stew.

The sun was low in the sky, coloring the rolling clouds above the fields around Horb a deep pink. Her two-year-old daughter Annemarie slept peacefully in her crib under the window, bathed in the dying light of the day.

The door to her cottage opened, her husband Henry entering. “Tha’ smells ‘mazin’, Jules,” he said, smiling as he placed his hat on a hook next to the door.

“I hope it tastes even better than it smells. I’ve been working on this gosh darned cabbage stew for hours now!” She poured them each a bowl. “How was your day, honey? Oh, and don’t forget, I’m going out with Loretta tonight. She’ll be here soon.”

Henry finished dusting the dirt from his clothes. “It Wednesday already? I mus’ve lost track ah time. Well then, if Annemarie ‘grees, I think I’ll go down early tonigh’. An’ ya know how it is, a reg’lar day in the fields. The harvest’s looking ta be good this year. Sold some cabbage today, got a decen’ amount ah pocket change, but I think we’ll get a fair bit more once the harvest’s done.” He kissed her softly on the top of her head.

“That’s excellent, we can finally get you some new shoes! I’ll go to the market first thing tomorrow and use the money to get you a new pair!”

Henry hesitated, smiling at his lap in the cute way he did when he was nervous. “I… was thinkin’ ‘bout somethin’ else. Actually… I already got somethin’…” She watched as he pulled a small silver necklace of a cross with a crimson ruby fixed to the center. “I know ya weren’t ‘spectin’ this, but I wanted ta get you somethin’ tha’ rivaled your beauty.”

“Goodness, I bet it took you all afternoon to come up with that line,” she replied, smiling, running her finger over the ruby. “How much was this, we couldn’t possibly keep it!”

“Don’ worry, it’s not nearly as ‘spensive as it looks. We still have ‘nough lef’ over ta buy me a new pair ah shoes.”

She hugged him, kissing him on the cheek. “I love you.”

“I love ya too, honey.”

They talked about their days as they ate. Krause choked on a piece of cabbage laughing at a joke Henry had made. Annemarie began to cry as her mother caught her breath, still laughing.

“It’s okay,” she said, taking Annemarie from her crib and rocking her in her arms. “Mommy’s alright, I was just choking on some cabbage, that’s all.”

“Cabbage?” Annemarie asked sleepily. She pronounced cabbage with too many syllables. “Want cabbage. Gimme!”

“No, I don’t have any cabbage for you, you little devil. You can’t eat any yet!”

“Want cabbage,” Annemarie said sadly. “Cabbage cabbage.”

Henry stood up and hugged his wife and daughter, the smell of dirt and sweat still fresh. He kissed Krause again, then took Annemarie from her arms and returned to his seat at the table. “When ya’re a big girl, ya can have all the cabbage ya want,” he said as he tickled her belly.

Annemarie was laughing when there was a knock on the door. Krause opened the door and was met with her friend, Loretta Gartner. “Good evening, Jules. Are ya ready to go?”

“Oh goodness, I must’ve lost track of time. Give me a minute to get ready,” Krause replied.

Henry spoke over Annemarie’s giggles. “How’ve ya been, Loretta?”

Loretta entered the cottage as Krause put her shoes on. “Me and George have been doing well, thank ya for asking. What about yourself? Jules told me you’ve been busy recently, since the season is ending soon and all.”

Henry smiled. “Ya know how it is. But I feel I enjoy myself more when I’m busy. It’s nice ta spend my time working toward stuff I have ta do, ‘stead of using all tha’ time to worry about things I don’t have ta.”

Loretta laughed. “I wish it was that easy— to stop worrying, I mean. George is always telling me that I need to loosen up a little, but no matter what I can’t figure out how.”

Krause stood up, making her way towards the door. “That’s what these nights out are for!”

Loretta turned to follow Krause. “I guess so— I’ll be seeing you, Henry.”

“Goodnigh’, Loretta. Ask George if ‘e would like to meet up for dinner some time. I’d love ta spen’ some more time wi’ the two of you. And, if I’m asleep when you get back, goodnigh’, Jules. You two stay safe, that cult has been active around here recently. I woul’ hate for either of ya ta get hurt.”

“We’ll be safe, don’t worry. Goodnight, honey,” Krause replied, smiling at him as she closed the door.

They walked in silence, the setting sun painting the sky a deep purple, the parts of the sky not covered by clouds sprinkled with twinkling stars. The waning moon was full enough that their path through the fields was lit without the need for a lantern. It had rained a few days earlier, bringing the crisp air of autumn from the north. In the distance, the small farming village of Horb was visible, lit by the lights from buildings and the occasional torch.

“I don’t understand why they hate the Church so much,” Krause said. “They say we’re a cult… We’re not as bad as they say, are we?”

Loretta was silent for a moment. “No,” she replied simply, followed by another pause. “We aren’t.”

“If they only took a moment to try and understand us... But they won’t take the gosh darned time to do it! It’s so frustrating.”

“Mhmm.”

Krause inspected Loretta’s face under the light of the moon. “Are you alright? You’re not as excited about the sermons as you used to be.”

Loretta pursed her lips. “Jules… I’m not sure how to say this, but… I think I’m starting to agree with Henry.”

Krause slowed. “We’ve been over this before, Loretta…”

“I know, I know… But I’ve been thinking, and— thinking about it long and hard, mind you— and maybe we shouldn’t go to the Church anymore. We shouldn’t have even joined the Church in the first place. It doesn’t feel good anymore— I’m scared.”

“You were the one that got us to join.”

“I know, and now I’m saying that it was a mistake. It seemed harmless— at the time it was new and fun and interesting— but now, I think we’re getting ourselves into trouble that we would be much better off staying out of. The sermons— they’ve become more intense recently— Pastor Marcel keeps talking about things that have no right being discussed in a house of the Lord…”

Krause scoffed. “Have we been going to the same sermons? I haven’t gotten any of those feelings from them, and Pastor Marcel and the rest of the congregation have been nothing but kind to me. Perhaps you’ve taken the bad things you’ve heard about the Church to heart.”

“Maybe. But that’s not the only thing— George has been getting suspicious of me recently— really suspicious. I don’t think he suspects that I’m in the Church yet, but he has been questioning where I’ve been going… I just don’t think it’s safe to go to the sermons anymore, Jules— or else we’re going to get ourselves into trouble.”

“That’s nonsense. I’m sure George is none the wiser to what we’re doing, and I know Henry isn’t.”

“Maybe he’s too distracted with his work. He’s too carefree— I can’t help but feel he’s going to get hurt because of that one of these days.”

“That’s not a very nice thing to say.”

“Sorry.”

They continued in silence, the buildings of Horb becoming more defined as they approached. They remained silent as they entered the town, careful never to speak about the Church where others could hear. Eventually, they reached the Oratory of Saint Maria.

Krause opened the doors and entered, followed by Loretta. Lines of pews held people from Horb and the surrounding countryside who spoke with each other about their religion and their lives. Candles and torches lined the walls, bathing the nave in a peaceful orange glow. Apart from the small cloth with the emblem of the Beanmeister hanging over the front of the altar, a cross with a single bean in the center, there was nothing to distinguish the Church meeting from that of a normal Christian congregation.

Krause and Loretta made their way to the front row of pews, Krause smiling at members of the congregation as she walked. They sat down next to Gloria Albrecht, who ignored them as she continued reading her Bible.

Pastor Marcel, the head of Horb’s branch of the Church of the Beanmeister, had informed her privately that she would soon be inducted as a member of the clergy. She had hoped that he meant that she would be inducted at the next meeting, which would be tonight. She felt the weight of her new necklace on her chest. She ran her finger over the ruby anxiously, the idea of Henry comforting her.