!
The drunk came to his senses and grew fervent:
"This is a miracle, a true miracle!
"The God-Emperor has manifested Himself. The rumors... were true!
"The Governor is the one chosen by the God-Emperor. We are saved!"
The drunk had once been an Upper Hive noble, a loyal believer in the God-Emperor.
But that terrible disaster had utterly destroyed him and his family, leaving him on the streets.
He dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead hard against the ground, not daring to look up.
"God-Emperor, please forgive this lowly believer...
"My devotion and reverence for You have never changed. Your loving radiance will forever shine upon my soul!"
Others on the street had also seen that great Holy Icon and its warm golden radiance.
One after another, they knelt down and devoutly offered their loyalty to the all-knowing, all-powerful God-Emperor.
He had appeared when the people of Ers were at their most desperate. He had come to save them!
At that moment, Sacred Plaza was draped in banners bearing the Golden Lion of Grant House and the Aquila of the Imperium.
Dozens of Cherubs wheeled through the sky, singing hymns in praise of the God-Emperor and scattering flower petals and Holy Water.
Around the perimeter stood the Defense Force, Arbites, and dozens of patrol drones responsible for security.
At the entrance to Sacred Plaza.
The activists fortunate enough to enter Sacred Plaza received their own Holy Wafers and Holy Water in turn.
They were genuine wheat biscuits, free of any human protein, along with a small cup of pure water.
Everyone had to devoutly consume the Holy Wafer and Holy Water to purify body and soul before entering Sacred Plaza.
The activists from the Lower Hive bit into their Holy Wafers with reverence.
The instant the Holy