“Yer Julia Krause?” a man asked.

It took her a moment before she realized he was speaking to her. She stopped, turning to face him, replying, “Yes?”

He was short, his hairline receding under the hood of his cloak. “Hmm.” The bottom of his mustache was frozen, his beady eyes narrowed as he looked her up and down. “Come wi’ me. We need ta talk abou’ ‘im.”

“Henry?” The spot behind her eyes throbbed as she spoke. “Is he in trouble?”

The man sighed. “Na’, not ‘enry… Him. We can’t talk abou’ Him ou’ ‘ere. Someone migh’ over’ear.” The man turned, walking deeper into the crowded market.

“Ah,” she replied, not understanding. Maybe the Empire official wanted to talk to her about the clothes she had made. Some of them were stained with blood. She exhaled into her hands as she followed the man.

His stature made it difficult to follow him, disappearing behind bodies as he picked his way through the crowd. More than once, he had to make his way back to Krause so she wouldn’t get lost.

They left the crowded market, entering the narrow alleys that led deeper into the city. The breeze blew through them, causing her to shiver as they wound their way through the city.

They came across the river that flowed through the city, passing over a small cobblestone footbridge to get to the other side. The alleys became wider on the other side of the river, the buildings in better condition.

Eventually, they exited the alleys into a main street, and followed it until they reached the grounds of a large church. The belltower rose into the cold, blue sky in front of them.

The man walked through the open gates, and led her to the front entrance. They passed through a small garden, the dead grass covered by a layer of untouched snow.

They entered the church and were met with silence.

“Oi, Reveren’ Friedrich!” the man called into the empty nave. “I broug’ t’e woman ye were askin’ fer!”

“May the Beanmeister bless you, Harold,” Reverend Friedrich replied, though they couldn’t see him. “You may go.”

“‘ave a blessed day,” Harold replied as he left Krause standing, alone, inside the church.

Reverend Friedrich entered the nave from a door at the front of the church. His red hair was clean cut, his beard neatly trimmed. “Julia, I sincerely apologize for having you wait so long to hear back from us. My name is Friedrich Roth, and I am the reverend of this fine Church.”

Krause was silent.

Reverend Friedrich eyed her. “I see. I understand why you may have lost faith in the Church during our time apart. It must have been difficult for you, surviving during these difficult times. It must have been terrible not being able to provide for your family, watching them suffer not for their own faults, but for the faults of the unbelievers.”

Krause tried to hide it, but she couldn’t stop her chin from trembling slightly. Despite herself, she was glaring at Reverend Friedrich.

“That’s why you joined us, is it not? To protect your family? To provide for them?”

Krause paused for a moment before nodding.

“Come.” Reverend Friedrich motioned for her to follow, returning to the room he had just exited. “You must be hungry.”

Cautiously, Krause followed. In the center of the room was a round table lined with various meats, cheeses, and breads. It smelled incredible; even better than the market. Reverend Friedrich sat, smiling softly at Krause, who took the chair opposite him.

“You may eat anything you wish,” Reverend Friedrich said as he cut himself a slice of cheese. “You may also take anything you wish back to your family. Your husband… Henry, was it not? He must be hungry as well. Field work is difficult, I understand.”

She cut herself a slice of ham. Reverend Friedrich chewed his slice of cheese, staring at her as she cut her own slice. Reverend Friedrich swallowed, taking another bite of his cheese, his eyes never leaving her.

As she cut herself a slice of bread, she felt a rage grow in her chest. The Church, the Beanmeister, they had left her and her family to struggle alone. She returned the knife to the platter, bringing her sandwich up to her mouth, then stopped.

“Are you not going to eat?” Reverend Friedrich asked.

She was silent for a moment. “You abandoned me.”

“And for that, we sincerely apologize.”

“You abandoned me. I believed in you, and you abandoned me.”

“The timing was not right, the—”

“I believed in the Beanmeister! I believed that what we were doing was right, but look at what our work has brought about! Nothing but pain, nothing but suffering! Good people are being punished, and for what?”

“What we are doing is essential to avoid the End of Days.”

“And was waiting this long to contact me essential too?”

“The timing was not right. The Empire has become increasingly suspicious of our activities. We have only contacted the members of the Church that are essential, and even then, it has been difficult to avoid the eye of the Army. They are everywhere in this city. We can not simply knock on your door and bring you back to us.”

Krause’s eyes narrowed. “Does that mean I am… essential, all of a sudden?”

“Indeed it does.”

She glanced down at the sandwich, before returning Reverend Friedrich’s gaze.

“We have an important role in mind for you, Julia. A role that only you can fulfill.”

“Before you tell me that, tell me who else you have contacted.”

“The Church here in Stuttgart is split into many branches, it would take far too—”

“I mean from Horb.”

“Samuel Brandt was contacted almost immediately. He has a very important role that must be completed carefully; it would have been foolish to try and rush it. Gloria Albrecht was planned to be contacted last Wednesday, however an… unexpected shift in her daily schedule prevented us from contacting her safely. We are going to try contacting her again next week. Of course, Pastor Marcel of the Horb branch has been aware of our activities since before the beginning of the End of Days.”

“What are their roles?”

“Would you not like to hear your own, first?”

“Okay.”

“You are to ensure that the merchants that we have made deals with uphold their end of our bargains.”

“That’s it?”

“Of course, we will explain it in more detail before your first assignment. That is, if you accept our offer and rejoin the Church.”

Krause considered her reply for a few moments. “I never left.”

“You may say that, you may even believe it, but I can tell that you have not fully accepted your position. You are still angry, justifiably so, at us for abandoning you. Are you willing to have faith and accept the Beanmeister once again?”

She returned Reverend Friedrich’s gaze and thought for a moment. Then, she picked up her sandwich and took a bite. “Of course. My faith for the Beanmeister is unwavering.”