Summary: After Alphonse admits his personal feelings (not like that) to Edward, the latter is called to take the body of Alfons Heiderich and arrange for its funeral. While that is being down the city celebrates St. Martin's Day. In the morning Faulhaber makes another public repudiation of the putsch and in the afternoon the trio visit the fair with a less than stellar outcome.
Notes: I can now dedicate more space to Ed, Al and Noah, since the political situation has now calmed down. We are going to soon reach the actual end of the Conqueror of Shamballa. The next update will be on Friday 17th, due to having limited free time tomorrow. This time I am aware of this in advance, so do not wait in vain.
Alphonse and Noah managed to have some kind of conversation after Edward returned, but with him having to serve as a constant intermediary and the inevitable delay as he tried to quickly find the best translations, meant that it achieved very little. Eventually, all three went to sleep in the same places they had the previous night. "Do you think you can teach me some German," Al asked as he sat down in his little bedding heap with another borrowed book. "We'll see," said Ed with a tone that indicated he did not have much faith in his abilities.
"I admire your ability to translate for us on the fly, but talking to Noah like that is just atrocious. I mean no disrespect to either of you, but the constant stalling required by your translations in both directions makes it feel insincere and indirect in a way that I just cannot stomach," Alphonse added. "I get it. Don't worry, eventually you will be able to talk to her properly," Ed said before adding "Even privately" just loud enough for his brother to hear and responded to with a groan worthy of a teenager.
"First off, I have already told you that I do not have a crush on her, and second off, are you going to tease me about relationships all the time, Ed? I swear you could probably find a handful of girls back in Amestris that still have a crush on you from the times we met." Edward's teasing smile melted into a more genuine one, and he gave a cheerful eye roll. "You take everything so seriously. What happened to the eternal optimist?"
"Puberty." Al's answer was so blunt that Edward burst into laughter and actually started tearing up. "Yep, that would do it," he said through it and tried to breathe to calm himself down. "Quite frankly, I am happy that I am almost at the end of it, because that is not a period of one's life you want to go through twice," he added after calming down. "It's an emotional ringer even if you are a normal kid, not that either of us can vouch for that," Alphonse agreed. "Personally, I am still on the fence about all of it."
"Are the new emotions confusing," Edward asked, and the slight teasing tone was back. "Brother, it is not the once you are so insistent on discussing," Al answered and decided that he might as well get this off his chest. "It is the recent jealousy I am currently experiencing," he corrected and felt the air in the room promptly change. Edward's face went from a slight smile to a more neutral look with slightly raised eyebrows. "Who do you, of all people, have to be jealous of?"
"Ed, you know very well that emotions aren't always rational. For the last two years I have been looking for you and now that I finally found you I have to accept that we have been separated for two years so you have met and befriended people I have not." He knew when Edward figured it out, since his mouth turned slightly rounder and his eyebrows went higher. "Wait, you're jealous of Noah... for being my friend?"
"I know it's stupid. I think your first explanation made us start off on the wrong side and even after you added to my information, I have been unable to shake off the feeling that she shouldn't be here. Logically, I understand that it is your judgement to make and that I am blaming a broken teenager for acting foolishly, despite being just like that. I want to learn German so we can clear the air between us. She does not deserve this, and I want to prove to myself that I am better than that.
You are not my property. You are my brother and if you want to have her in your life, then my feeling need to get stuffed. I'm sorry," Alphonse told him, and Edward suddenly got out of bed to the former's surprise. "Come on," Ed said, and sat down on the blanket Al used to insulate himself from the wooden floor. The elder brother then took the younger and hugged him. "You don't need to apologise for being human," he whispered, and Al started crying.
The police came back to the house around nine in the morning, but this time they did not ask Edward to follow them, but instead informed him that the coroner was done examining Alfons Heiderich's body, and he was supposed to come and receive it into his care, for lack of a better term. "You look paler than you did yesterday," Alphonse said as he looked at his brother putting on his coat. "You're still grieving him, aren't you?"
Edward did not answer, and Al sighed before wagging his head. "You know you can also rest and sort out your emotions, right? Just because you're the older brother doesn't mean you have to give me hugs, but can't ask for ones yourself," he told him. "I didn't know the guy, but if you want to have a cry, my shoulder is always available." Ed smiled. "I remember how much you soaked my shirts, after mom died," he reminded him.
"We've literally spent most of our life under equivalent exchange, so I am pretty sure that I am obliged to offer. But I just plain want to, because it hurts seeing your loved ones hurt," Alphonse responded as his brother started walking out of the door. "See you later, brother." Edward sighed. "Yeah. And try to not let Noah's presence get to you that much. She means no harm to you." Al gave a small shrug. "Just because I know that, doesn't mean the feelings will go away. It's my problem and not hers," he added, and the door clicked shut behind Edward.
Admittedly, Alphonse would have just sighed even harder if he saw the absolute mope fest that was his brother as he walked back to Türkenstrasse. The city had been in low spirits since yesterday, but Ed looked like his life had just ended, and he was just going through the motions on his last day. The depressive atmosphere that moved with him was so oppressive that people crossed the streets to avoid him. Finally, he made it to the station and was brought to the entrance into the morgue.
"Mr. Elric, though we have only just met and hopefully will not need to do so again, I would like to give you my condolences," the coroner said as he shook Edward's arm. "Thank you," Ed responded. "I have hoped this would not become necessary quite so soon, but it appears fate had other plans for Alfons," he added in a defeated tone. The elderly man nodded and gestured for him to follow him deeper into the building.
"Do you wish for us to make arrangements for the funeral on your behalf? I certainly understand if you have no idea what is necessary. This is sadly not the first time we have had to deal with a death of a student that had no relations beside friends of a similar age," the man told him as he led him inside the morgue. "If you would offer me advice, I would appreciate it," Edward answered. "Planning what we want to do is difficult as is. Especially, since I will likely have to leave the city soon."
The man turned back. "Mr. Elric, most graveyards only allow the use of their grave sites in return for payment. If you wish to ensure that Alfons will have a grave for himself, you will need to set up some sort of maintenance for it," he said with a slight echo caused by the shape of the corridor they were walking through." Edward sighed and told him that "I am aware and that is by far the hardest question for me to answer. I may have to appeal to Ludwig Maximilian University or some else to provide the funds."
They entered a room, and he gave a small gasp as he saw the body of Alfons Heiderich lying on an examination table, hidden under a sheet, so only his head was showing. He looked down sadly, and it was not entirely faked. It still stung to see another person close to him dead. "The asshole that shot you deserve to rot in jail," he said quietly through clenched teeth. "It might not bring you some relief, but your friend's life was not shortened by much," said the coroner.
"As part of the examination, I examined his body. Despite being aware of your statement to the police about the line of work you both undertook, his organs still surprised me. I sincerely doubt he would have survived to see the next year. His lounges looked like they were turning into Swiss cheese; there is no other way to describe it. I saw multiple tumour lesions both there and metastatic offshoots in other organs. Your friend was already dying, Mr. Elric, I am sorry, but that is the truth."
Edward knew that, of course. Healthy men don't cough up blood at least once each day, but Alfons had resisted going to a doctor for a check-up. "I think we both intuitively knew that, but he did not want it confirmed. My best guess is that he feared the doctor would ban him from working on his passion and he was willing to give his life for it. We also both lost our mothers to cancers, so I think he may have pre-emptively surrendered and decided to just do as much as he took in the time he had."
The coroner hummed and took his report to a desk he had set aside next to one of the walls. Without further discussion, he put down his signature and took a stamp, smudged it in a vat of ink, and marked the report with it before writing in today's date. "I still have more work today, but I will be available tomorrow around ten, unless something bad happens," he told Edward as he handed him a copy of the report. "The original will be given to the police office," he explained.
"Do I need to prepare anything besides the funeral itself?" The old man wagged his head with a small smile. "No. Simply inform us who to give your friend to, and together we will cover all the necessary procedures. I just need to know whether he will be buried as he is or if you are going for cremation," the man said as if it was an absolutely normal item of conversation. Well, he was a coroner, so for him, it probably was. "I will probably ask for cremation, because I need to ask for a small plot."
The man nodded and wrote something down on another piece of paper. "I would have asked if you considered looking around for a Columbarium, but from experience I think a small land plot would be cheaper than many of those. As a former student I understand all too well how tight the budget you are probably operating under," he added with a slight nod towards Ed. "Yeah, now I am also taking care of two guests, that have nowhere else to go, so we are fully on a Student's diet."
The man shuddered in sympathy. "I can ask around if someone has need of people to work. Perhaps you would be able to find a way to improve your situation," he offered, but Edward was already raising his arms in protest. "There is no need for this, sir. You have an important job to do, and our situation is far from hopeless. I appreciate that you would do this, when we have just met, but that will not be necessary. I will see you tomorrow." They bowed to each other and said their goodbyes.
The next day was 11 November 1923 and it was also a Sunday. In Germany this was an odd day combining both festivity and mourning. On the one hand it was the feast day of Saint Martin and despite the fact that Bishop of Tours had been born in Hungary and died in France, the Germanic cultures have always celebrated his day with various merriments, food and drink. Five years ago however the day had been greatly sullied, because it was the day that the Armistice of Compiègne had come into effect.
In the morning Archbishop Faulhaber received a letter from Eugenio Pacelli, who asked for his comments on a letter he intended to send to Pietro Gasparri, the Cardinal Secretary of State and thus the Vatican's equivalent prime minister. The letter would address the recent uprising and the subsequent events associated with it, especially in light of how it affected the Roman Catholic Church. Faulhaber had considered the letter sufficient in scope and content and had thus responded to Pacelli before taking leave to conduct the morning mass at the Frauenkirche.
Most Reverend Eminence,
The details of the nationalist uprising that disturbed the city of München in the past days are already known to Your Most Reverend Eminence from the Italian press; thus I have no need to repeat them in this respectful Report. On one point, however, already alluded to in my previous writings, I believe it opportune to communicate to Your Eminence some further details, that is to say on the demonstrations of an anti-Catholic character that have accompanied the uprising itself, but which have not surprised those who have followed what is published in the organs of the radicals of the right, such as the Völkischer Beobachter and the Heimatland.
This character was revealed above all in the systematic agitation against the Catholic clergy, with which the followers of Hitler and Ludendorff, especially in speeches on the public streets, whipped up the population, thus exposing ecclesiastics to insults and mockeries. Their attacks, however, targeted in a special way the learned and zealous Cardinal Archbishop here, who, in a sermon he delivered in the Cathedral on November 4th and in his letter to the Reich Chancellor published by the Wolff Agency on November 7th, had reproved persecutions against the Hebrews. To this was added the unfounded and absurd rumour that was spread in the city, and probably tailor-made, that accused His Eminence of having produced a change of opinion in Mr. von Kahr, who, as is well known, while at the beginning in the Löwenbräukeller had apparently, to back away from violence, adhered to the Hitler-Ludendorff coup d'état, then declared himself against it. Thus, it occurred that, during the disturbances of last Saturday afternoon, a large group of demonstrators went before the Archbishop's palace, crying "Down with the Cardinal! " His Eminence was fortunately absent from the city, having left that day to go consecrate a new church in a locality near Mühldorf; but, when he returned the following evening in his automobile, he was similarly greeted with a hostile demonstration.
These anti-Catholic sentiments were further manifested in the tumultuous meetings of students that took place the day before yesterday in the University, in which disturbing outside elements were also mixed with the selfsame students (not even from Bavaria), forcing the Rector in the end to close the school until further notice. Also in the aforesaid Atheneum, the object repeatedly in recent times of the charitable solicitude and generosity of the Holy Father in favour of the students, there was squawking against the Pope, against the Most Eminent Archbishop, against the Catholic Church, against the clergy, against the Jesuits, against the "White International," against Mr. von Kahr, who, although Protestant, was characterized by one of the speakers as an Honorary Member of the Society of Jesus.
I enclose an article that appeared today in the Bayerischer Kurier, in which these deplorable events are described and denounced.
Humbly bowing to kiss the Sacred Purple...
Faulhaber was still angry after yesterday and had decided that since his last Sunday address did not impress his congregation enough, he would need to undertake another one critiquing the recent developments of German politics. After he had passed the Consecrated Host to the people he took the stage and decided to use today's feast to impress on those listening, that being Christian does not mean rebelling against legitimate authority.
"Today the Holy Church remembers the memory of Martin the Merciful, Bishop of Tours. And while some associate today with eating 'Martin geese,' enjoying the day's festivities or the market that has already raised its myriad of stalls across Marienplatz, this Saint of God is remembered by the faithful for showing the true nature of what it means to be a "Soldier of Christ." Though Martin began life of a soldier of the World, the Gospel of Our Lord and God's Light led him into the far greater glory.
As the great apostle Paul so wisely said to the Church at Ephesus: "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places." The events of the last days have shown us the wrong way to conduct ourselves and have lead to more than a score of men being summoned to God for judgement earlier than otherwise would have been summoned. Martin became known to history as "the Merciful" for a good reason.
Though the Church obviously recognises that sometimes fighting other people is a necessity, it attempts first and foremost to inspire conversion of the hearts by showing forth the multitude of fruits that true faith waters in the Christian. Martin is celebrated for his charity in many stories; because that is the way we should live life. The Church knows this and so accordingly refuses to support the conduct that the National Socialist inspires in people.
Yesterday, my own person had become a target of these men that have the audacity to claim allegiance with us and then demand we act according to their wishes. The Church remembers the Saints of God on their feast days, because they are an example to us on the proper way to live and follow Jesus Christ and his Father and not the authorities of the world, if the latter ever finds itself at odds with the former. We strive for the eternal glories of Heaven and not the temporal glories of Earth.
I have been accused of being an ally of the Jew. I am simply following the word of Our Lord. Just as Martin split his cloak to give clothing to the beggar, so I will give from my coffers if I see a man in need. I do not judge his bloodline. That is exactly what the Lord and the Apostles accused the Jews of doing, and these National Socialists now have the audacity of demanding I judge not by a heart of overwhelming love, but the carnality of flesh. I refuse and if they have a problem with them, I will defy them to death.
Since the Church has seen so much triumph since the days of Pentecost and become influential in the World, many have forgotten the two are not one. We follow the unsinkable ship of Christ commanded by the successor of Peter and not the whims of nations that live and die, while the Divine Institution endures until the End of the World. While usually the exhortation is "Pax Vobiscum" or "Peace with You," I tell you to not just say this, but live this and inspire peace everywhere you go."
Given he could see several people looking at him with looks ranging from bewilderment to disgust, he knew that some would not be reached by his words. Faulhaber decided then and there that he would have to soon pursue more public acts to inspire the believers of the city. First he would however need to call many clerics under his authority and instruct them to cease kissing up to the NSDAP. If the Lutheran von Kahr could understand the words of Paul to the Church at Corinth regarding communion with evil in any form, they, as members of the True Church, had absolutely no excuse whatsoever.
Alphonse looked around the Marienplatz and took in the various sites. The Gothic inspired New Town Hall looked beautiful, and the square was decorated everywhere with countless colours like the same place had not seen a Putsch attempt just two days prior. The old Imperial tricolour had been removed and replaced with the current Republic tricolour, while most building had chequerboard flags of white and blue that represented Bavaria itself.
Stalls filled the square from the Old Town House on the eastern end, clumping around the Mariensäule column and slowly becoming less dense before ending just besides the Frauenkirche in the Kaufingerstrasse that led from here to the main train station. Countless snippets of conversation flew over his head, partly due to their sheer number and partly due to being in both German and the local Bavarian dialects. Normally he would find a place like this enjoyable, but not now.
The atmosphere did not seem at all genuine, and it was not hard to understand the reason. When just two days earlier your city was essentially put under martial law and almost twenty man died just a block away from, where you now were, it was difficult to exactly summon genuine cheerfulness. Well unless you had zero empathy, in which case none of the three people in their group wanted anything to do with you. When Edward had suggested a visit to the fair, Noah had initially refused.
"Stop letting them win! They wear their race like it is some fucking badge of honour, so give them some of their own medicine," Edward argued with her. "It is much harder to do, when you are alone and a girl. If I walk around with the same air they do, I will have the police called on me within minutes," she argued back, but Ed would not have any of it. "I will be going too. If they want to try something, they'll welcome to try," he said.
Given, Alphonse had pretty good knowledge of his brother, he immediately agreed to join them. He had already been interested in going, partly out of curiosity and partly to see if continued exposure to Noah would dull the irrational fears. Now however he had to go, but if he did not Edward would absolutely start a fight the moment someone gave Noah the slightest disrespect.
The judgement proved all too true, since he had already had to restrain Ed, when a guy spat in the ground upon seeing the triple walking on the side walk as a group. Ed had immediately turned, but Al showed his hand over his mouth that same instant and forcibly showed him to move on. "We haven't even got to the fair. Let's not start a fist fight just yet," he had told him. Edward stopped resisting, but still looked murderous.
One of the arguments, that Edward had used to justify Noah's invitation, was his continuing attempts to get rid of her shyness and his hope to teach her that she could walk proudly. If there weren't actual laws that forbid the Romani from entering place like parks anywhere within Bavaria, he would have dragged her into every public venue there was throughout the city. Now that they had arrived at the fair, there was a continuous series of looks coming from every side.
While Noah kept nervously touching her arms with the other hand, Edward tried to cover every look they got by throwing back a glare of his own. Of course, they were being thoroughly judged for associating with a gypsy, but the whole point was to own it and give everyone, who had a problem with that, the metaphorical middle finger. Alphonse tried to look at the offered wears, while keeping a side eye on Ed, just in case it became more than just death glare.
His brother had truly managed to turn those into an art form. If looks could kill, half the people here would already be dead, and by all indications the number would only continue to rise. "Do you like anything you see," Ed suddenly asked, and Noah nervously looked up. "I doubt they would sell me, anything." "That's not what I asked," Edward immediately replied with an annoyed tone, before he bent closer to the girl's ear. "Screw them all. If they have a problem with you buying their stuff, it's their loss."
"Why are there so many people selling geese and chicken," Alphonse asked, partly from actual interest and partly in an attempt to ensure the situation remained calm for as long as possible. Edward responded after he glared hard enough at one of the elderly women shopkeepers that she turned away. "Because it is traditional to have them for dinner on Martin's Day. Later they will have an entire procession, where a guy dressed in old clothes will ride a white horse and kids will follow behind him with lamps."
"Oh, that sounds quaint," Al responded. "Do you think we could stay long enough to see that or will you try to murder someone before that," he added and gave his brother an unimpressed look. Edward frowned at him. "They are actively disrespecting my friend, Al. I am not going to let them get away with this shit. And don't you tell me you would not do the same things, we are similar enough in that regard," he answered with an undertone that mixed both offensive and hurt.
"Of course I would stand up for a friend, but your looks are actively hostile and getting worse the longer we are here. You are pissed, and I fully understand that, but this is not Amestris. We do not have carte blanche to act out, even if it is the moral thing, brother," Al argued and Edward sighed before asking Noah if she didn't see anything she liked. This time she mentioned a small metal pendant, with nice intricate decoration.
Edward took her by her right hand and turned the entire group towards the stall. Alphonse took a breath and prepared for things to go pear shaped. "Excuse me, sir, how much is that pendant," Ed asked and gave him a stern glare in return for the one he gave Noah. "That will be 100 Million Marks," the man said with a slightly strained voice, and Al relaxed slightly. Excluding the ridiculous amount of money due to hyperinflation and the fact Edward had to use only a single note, the exchange went reasonably enough after that, much to his further relief, and they continued on their way.
Admittedly, Alphonse saw the man muttering something beneath his breath from his peripheral vision, but thankfully Ed either did not notice that or ignored it. Noah put the pendant around her neck and all was well for a moment before Edward heard one of the sellers say that "She probably stole it like the thief they all are." Al did not understand enough to prepare in time, and his brother promptly turned to the woman with a snarl.
"Excuse me," he said with as much contempt as he could put into that phrase. "But my friend's necklace was bought fairly," he told her, and she did not retreat. Al internally groaned and moved closer to Noah's side, just in case. "Sure, and I am certain she is your friend because she likes you and not your wallet. The world is full of gullible idiots," the seller replied and out of the corner of his eye Ed saw several people nod.
"Just because you find it SO HARD to think it's possible, does not mean you are right. I bought for her minutes ago at another stall, so you are wrong. It is not stolen. Also, she has been friendlier to me than a lot of people that are so quick to exclaim to the world about what excellent German stock they are from. I would rather have a kind gypsy than an arrogant Bavarian with a stick up their own arse!"
At that point, Al grabbed his brother's hand. "We are two average adolescents here; not State Alchemists," he screeched in Edward's ear. "Let's go," Noah added, despite not understanding Alphonse exactly. After several tense seconds, Ed gave in and they started to walk off. Now it was not looks, but just pure staring. Once they passed by the Frauenkirch Al breathed a sigh of relief. "That went better than I expected." After that, they decided to return to the flat and stay there for the rest of the day.
"How is the search for a place to bury Alfons going," Noah asked later on. Edward turned to look at her and could only sigh. "The University said they would consider my request, which is frankly the most I can expect at this point in time. At least it wasn't an immediate refusal, which is what I was expecting. Meanwhile, I am still searching around, and currently I'm considering either the Nordfriedhof or the Waldfriedhof.
They seem to have the most reasonable prices and I still find the fact that it has to be an actual consideration, so frustrating," he told her before he went to the kitchen to start making some sort of dinner for the three of them. In the end, the decision would fall on the Waldfriedhof, a relatively new cemetery which straddled the city's south-western edge.
The cemetery had been built under the direction of the architect Hans Grässel and became the basis for a new type of forest graveyard, where the original landscape was given great respect and the grave site were positioned with as little need for landscaping as possible. The graveyard administration offered the cheapest possible grave site with a twenty-five-year guarantee under the condition of upheld payments.
Edward hoped that the University would agree and then honour its word, but he knew that was a much as he could do. Doctor Oberth had declared he would intercede wherever possible, but even he could do so much. For now, he could do little to have any direct effect as he was still preparing for his return journey from Romania and by the time he was back, Edward, Alphonse and Noah would probably have crossed at least one border themselves.