She had rejoined the Church a little more than a month ago. Now, she sat in the nave of Saint Nicholas’ Church, waiting for Reverend Friedrich to begin this week's service.

After her first meeting with him, he had given her access to the food the Church of the Beanmeister had stockpiled, which had been prepared before the events of November 8th. She was given permission to bring the food home to her family, who ate it without question.

The last of the Church regulars filtered in through the front door. Gloria, who had been contacted a week after she had, was already sitting in her regular seat in the front row of pews. Sam was nowhere to be seen.

Though Saint Nicholas’ Church was much larger than the Oratory of Saint Maria, the congregation was nearly the same size. The only members she had known from Horb were Gloria and Sam, but she quickly became acquainted with the other members. Every member of the Stuttgart congregation was deeply devoted to the Beanmeister and His Church.

Reverend Friedrich cleared his throat from the front of the nave, opening the Bible in front of him.

“Thessalonians, 4:17: ‘Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’

“The Beanmeister has been sent by the Lord to deliver us, the believers, from our mortal flesh and blood. Just as Christ delivered Himself unto us, allowing Himself to be placed upon the cross as penance for our sins, so too shall we allow ourselves to repent, here, today, so that we may find peace and be accepted into Heaven.

“These are indeed strange times, difficult times. Does the suffering of the masses not act as penance for their sins? The men, the women, the children that starve throughout the streets of the Empire; is their suffering, in the eyes of God, not adequate? What makes our repentance different, what makes our—”

The door to the church opened. Reverend Friedrich paused, watching as Sam and someone that Krause didn’t recognize entered. “Sorry I’m late,” Sam began. “The time just escaped me, and we were farther from the church than I thought…” Sam’s eyes went wide as he looked at Reverend Friedrich, who gave him an amused look in return. “Heckin’ gosh, Reverend! Did I interrupt ya?”

Reverend Friedrich smiled. “You did indeed, Sam. But there is no need to apologize. Things like this happen more often than you would think. We are only human, after all. Welcome to the Church of the Beanmeister, Leon. Would you like to introduce yourself to the congregation?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry, this here’s—” Sam stammered.

“Hey everyone!” the new member said. “My name is Leon Schubert. Sam told me all about what you guys do here, and I’m very interested in learning more about the Beanmeister!” Leon lowered his voice, talking to Sam. “Should I tell them the other thing, too?”

Sam looked at Reverend Friedrich. “Should Leon… uh, tell everyone why he’s here?”

Reverend Friedrich replied “Of course. Honesty is the most important quality for those who wish to repent for their sins. One can not truly repent for the actions which one has not accepted as their own.”

“Alrighty then…” Leon laughed. “I’m not really sure how to say this! It’s a little personal, you know?” He laughed again. It reminded Krause of a bird. “Wow, alright, so… Calm down, Leon, jeez… So, I’m working for the Empire. I’m an important researcher, trying to piece together what the Beans are.” He held his hands in front of him defensively. “I know how that sounds! Don’t think that I’m here to steal the Church’s secrets or turn you into the Empire or anything like that! I’m not, for real, it’s just that… after finding out so much about the Beans… I truly believe that they’re not of this world, and that they’re here for a good reason. I don’t think that we should fight them. I want to help the Church of the Beanmeister in any way I can.”

“We are truly glad to have you among our congregation, Leon,” Reverend Friedrich said. “You and Sam may sit wherever you like. Unfortunately, you have missed the beginning of my sermon, but I am sure that you will be able to follow along soon enough. Now, where was I…

“Oh, yes. What makes our repentance different than that of the unbelievers? As I told Leon; the reason we are different is that we accept our repentance with open arms. The unbelievers, suffering because of the will of God, have not accepted that their actions have brought about their suffering. They assume that since others are suffering with them, that their suffering was placed upon their shoulders without their consent. The world is the reason they starve in their homes. The world is the reason they freeze in the streets. The world, through no fault of their own, decided that they should suffer.

“I do not agree. I am not afraid to admit that I have sinned. I am not afraid to stand in the house of the Lord and reveal my deepest, darkest regrets to Him. And from your attendance in our Church this evening, it is plain to see that you are not afraid either. The unbelievers, simply put, are scared. They fear God. They fear the Beanmeister.

“Leon, despite his indoctrination by the Empire, he does not believe everything they tell him. He seeks the truth, no matter the consequences. Leon, I take it, does not fear the Empire. He does not fear God. And because of that, he is welcome in our congregation.

“No matter how much the unbelievers repent, as long as they do not accept their faults and smile despite them, their repentance will mean nothing. It is our job to show them that. They can not see it now, but they will soon enough.”

Reverend Friedrich paused, scanning the congregation. Krause returned his gaze with a smile. He smiled back.

“Our time together is short. The nature of our meetings, even before the events of November 8th brought undue attention upon us, has always been tenuous. But you are not here to listen to an old man talk about God; you are here to serve Him. As always, I will remain here if anyone wishes to speak with me. Discuss your roles among yourselves if you wish, or merely catch up on each other's lives. The End of Days is nigh, and our time is short. Make the most of your time together.”

Reverend Friedrich began to read his Bible.