Spring had spread the warmth over the prairie. The weather could still turn cold, but for now the frost had fled. The sky remained free of snow or rain clouds. It was a perfect time for attending a Way Reading and visiting afterward.
The Kirche had just let the congregation out the doors when the Silvers from the Anoth Institute led by Brother Randall arrived accompanied by Lt. Weinegar and the Mech cavalry.
“Brother Amos, you are to close this Kirche now. There will be no more Way Readings by an apostate. This closure is immediate. Men from Beltran will be here to demolish it.”
Gasps, growls, and shouts of “No,” erupted from the departing congregation. They turned on the armed men, one man drawing his rifle from the scabbard on his wagon. A shot from one of cavalry took the man down an
