The church bell struck twelve times, awakening the memory of this ancient city in the wilderness, and various sounds came one after another, like wild dogs barking in the swamp and crows wailing in the forest.
Alice listened carefully and heard the sound of carriages rumbling through the cobblestone street, the sound of police officers yawning on patrol in the middle of the night, and the sad ditty hummed by the night watchman.
She glanced out the window and found that the sky was only bright, about five or six o'clock.
At this point in time, on Earth in the 28th century, she might have just put down the controller and fell asleep. However, for Linville City in the 19th century, the city woke up at this time.
"It's dawn." The girl murmured.
Ringer had been standing in front of the statue of the goddess, raising his head slightly, staring into those loving and compassionate eyes, not knowing what he was thinking. At this time, hearing Alice's murmur, he withdrew his gaze, turned around and stared blankly at the chair.
The pink-haired little girl said: "You can open the door, Metien."
"Ah? Ah, okay!"
Metien, who suddenly came to his senses, hurriedly agreed, stretched out his hands and patted his cheeks vigorously to regain his consciousness. Then he ran to the door of the church, moved the latch with some difficulty, and opened the door. Creaking,
The old door shaft turned and made a sour sound, and the first ray of light in the morning came into the chapel.
When the crack in the door gradually widened and finally completely accommodated the outside world, Alice, who was standing behind the altar, opened her eyes wide because she saw that a long line of people had formed outside the church that should have been empty.
The team wound around the streets, leading to corners invisible to the naked eye. There were men and women, old and young, in the team. Everyone had a melancholy look on their face, and there was a melancholy atmosphere.
, it seems that the moment when the sun shines completely, it will be the moment when they evaporate and disappear in this world.
Some of these people were in rags and had to use picked-up newspapers to cover their exposed skin to resist the frosty moon and cold wind. They were simply homeless vagrants; some were relatively clean and tidy, but wore plain clothes.
They have lost their original color after years of starching; some people are trembling all over, their faces are livid from the cold, and fleas can still be seen crawling in their messy hair and beards; some people still retain their reserve and magnanimity.
For example, Alice saw an old woman. Although she had a sleepy look in her eyes, she stood upright and her gray hair was neatly trimmed. She stood out among the team.
The people waiting in line all held containers in their hands, empty cans picked up from the roadside, empty beer bottles, or jars used to hold butter. Alice thought that those should be the tools they used to hold milk. After all, Tianxin
The free food distributed by the church also includes half a pint of milk, which was delivered by a ranch outside the city last night.
They don't know how long they have been queuing here. Some may have just arrived, and some may have been queuing since last night, but everyone was so silent and made no sound. It was like a ghost parade, which was chilling. When Mei
When Tian opened the door, their eyes were all focused on the girl. A pair of eyes were like pieces of solidified stone, so heavy but not aware of falling. Dry, painful, numb, and sad were all there.
Burning.
Alice had to admit that she was indeed frightened by this queue. Even when she queued up to buy the latest game console, the long queue outside the store was not more terrifying than the queue in front of her. She was a little overwhelmed.
Then she cast her inquiring eyes on Ringer, but the pastor didn't look at her and just whispered: "Invite them in."
This sentence was obviously meant for Metien. It was not the first time she had seen this kind of scene, so she was much calmer than the good-for-nothing maid Alice. Despite all the silent gazes, a warm smile appeared on her face: "
Sorry to keep you waiting for so long. The seven-day ceremony is about to begin. Those who want to listen to the gospel of the goddess, please take a seat in the chapel, but please be careful not to crowd or push."
After she finished speaking, she walked to the door and made a way to enter the chapel. The people in line seemed to be familiar with this process and had no objections. They entered the chapel one by one in silence, found a seat and sat down.
Alice noticed that they only breathed a sigh of relief when they were completely seated, as if their tense hearts could only be completely let go at this time.
The team moved slowly, and the few oak benches were gradually filled with figures. The floor that Ringer had just mopped had become dirty after being trampled by so many people's footsteps, but he didn't care, and his expression was expressionless.
No matter what happens, he always looks at the crowd under the altar quietly, with those golden eyes that are too clear, like an empty mirror that can reflect anyone's appearance.
He counted silently in his mind, and when the number of people entering the chapel reached his predetermined number, he opened his mouth and said in a plain but unquestionable tone: "That's enough."
The low voice echoed in the chapel, and everyone could hear it clearly. I don't know if it was Alice's imagination, but the atmosphere seemed to have solidified, sinking into the deepest seabed, which was enough to make people suffocate.
The person at the front of the queue was a middle-aged homeless man with a tired face. Half of his feet had already stepped over the threshold, and he was only one step away from entering the chapel. But Ringer stared at him and said nothing.
Staring at him, this seemed to be a notice, or a sentence. The man's face was pale, and his lips were murmuring as he wanted to say something, but in the end he gave up and took back half of his foot that stepped into the church. He could not hide the disappointment in his eyes.
Look.
"Sorry, everyone." Metien at the door bowed deeply to him and the others in the team, his tone full of apology: "The quota this time is already full, please come again next time!" p>
There were no riots or protests in the queue that had been waiting all night. They just dispersed in silence, just as they had gathered in silence. However, before leaving, everyone nodded to the apologetic Metien to express their gratitude.
Thanks. As for Ringer, who is actually responsible for hosting the ceremony, not many people pay attention.
"Linge," Alice noticed that the old woman with outstanding demeanor and manners was also among the dispersing crowd. She hurriedly tugged on the priest's sleeve and lowered her voice, "If you squeeze in, you should
Can you still sit down?"
"It has nothing to do with seats." Ringer said: "The number of places for food distribution is limited."
Alice was stunned for a moment. At this time, Ringer, who had been looking at the crowd, finally turned around, glanced at her, and said softly: "Of course, if they only come to listen to the gospel of the goddess, I can also let them in." But, no.
The crowd just dispersed, just walked back, blending into the gradually brightening skylight. Maybe they were rushing to the soup kitchen in other neighborhoods. If they were lucky, they could always squeeze in. No one stopped, no one stayed,
No one even lingered for a moment to look back at the statue of the goddess.
What exactly do you see in those loving and compassionate eyes?
Ringer walked forward, crossed the altar, and stood at the front of the altar area. Alice looked at his back, and suddenly felt a little weak and lonely. She remembered what Metien had said, the girl said
Ringer is a person without weaknesses, but where can such a perfect person exist in this world? Everyone has their own weaknesses, and Ringer is no exception.
What makes Ringer different from others is that he accepts his weaknesses.