Many among the younger generation held certain narrow-minded prejudices about that long-gone country, and one of the most important was surely this: those people did not believe in God. They were thoroughgoing atheists.
Only the chosen could enter Heaven. That was everyone's common understanding. Were atheists among the chosen? Of course not.
In the religious environment they lived in, although the various branches differed in details, one point was beyond doubt: whether believers could enter Heaven was another matter, but heretics certainly could not.
What was more, atheists were not even heretics. They did not believe gods existed at all, so why would any god acknowledge them?
So when they saw Schiller appear at the end of the corridor and walk toward them, everyone froze where they stood.
"Oh, you're here." Schiller raised his watch and checked the time. "Pretty punctual. Looks like those guys didn't drop the ball at the critical moment..."
"All right, come with me. Someone's waiting for you." Schiller tilted his head, turned around, and prepared to walk away. But when he looked back and saw that no one had moved, he said:
"I know you're wondering why you appeared here, and you're even more confused about why I'm here. But you have to give me some time to explain all this."
"Devil! He's the devil!" a female congresswoman screamed. She kept making the sign of the cross over her chest, then said, "This is God's final test for me. I cannot fear him if I am to earn the Lord's approval!"
"He is the embodiment of our fear. We cannot submit to him..."
Schiller sighed and gave the two wolf-headed men a look. They raised the spears in their hands, whose glow could directly damage souls.
The soul closest to the spear had already been