Written for readers who have finished Book 1.
Marlene runs the urns at the Lydia-Gemeinde's Thursday soup nights, a ladle in one hand, reaching over to stir the big pot of lentils without looking. When the bakery van fails to turn up she tells Sabine to cut the bread thinner and make it stretch. She is dry and quick to laugh, and never unkind. She calls Lena Liebchen, asks after her work and waits for the answer, and keeps up a long, happy argument with Behrouz about how strong tea ought to be. On the day of the registration drive she runs the coffee like a field kitchen.