Nights 'Round the Table (5/14)
Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight Part Nine Part Ten Part Eleven Part Twelve Part Thirteen Part Fourteen
Sooner than Arthur would have thought possible only two weeks ago, he was back in the East Bay. Berkeley this time. Again, he couldn’t find a garage and had to deal with leaving his car on the street where anyone could vandalize or steal it.
On entering the restaurant, he fought the urge to roll his eyes, the walls were covered in ivy, and the floor was done to resemble a flagstone path. There was a display stand on his left, where various self-help books and natural beauty products were on sale, and on his right, a bony, mouse-haired woman waiting at the host stand. She smiled at him, wide, but vacant. “Welcome to The Blessed Cafe. Are you journeying on the solitary path this evening?”
Arthur blinked while he tried to parse that. “...I’m meeting my sister. We have a reservation under Pendragon.”
“If you will accompany me, I will guide you to her.” The hostess headed into the dinning room proper, with Arthur several steps behind. The restaurant seemed to be aiming for an idealized peasant cottage look, with its brick walls, wooden tables and large fireplace, but it was juxtaposed with what was probably supposed to be inspirational artwork. The images were all of women and multi-cultural children harvesting grain and sharing bread, accompanied with ridiculous text like “Can you surrender to how beautiful you are?” He never knew how to take theme restaurants. He supposed it could make for an interesting show, but he wasn’t sure “hippie” would play in the heartland.
Morgana was, of course, already seated, looking less like a ruthless business woman and fashionista than he had ever seen her. She looked almost like she actually fit in in Berkeley, still wearing designer labels, but definitely dressed down from her norm. Morgana would accuse him of stereotyping, but he knew all about people in this town. They wore jeans to the opera. Everyone looked slightly homeless. He slid into the chair across from Morgana as the hostess left and a server with the same kind of empty smile came to give them menus. As he looked through it, he saw that every item had a name like I am transformed or I am dazzling. It might have been the most ridiculous thing he had ever seen, and he had run Bay to Breakers three times.
“Welcome. I am blessed to attend to you this evening. My name is Tauren. May I offer you the tools to quench your thirst, both in body and in the mind?”
Morgana smiled up at him. “I am bright, for the body, and what do you offer for the mind?”
Confused, Arthur skimmed over the menu trying to figure out what she was talking about and saw that I am bright was apparently kombucha. He shuddered at the drinks menu; it was all algae this and wheatgrass that.
“For your mind I have this affirmation: you are the gardener who has nurtured your body and soul with essential nutrients and a healthy lifestyle. Much like the saying ‘April showers bring May flowers,’ you will enjoy the fruits of your own caretaking. Everything in your life is coming up daisies!” He then turned to Arthur. “And may I quench your thirst?”
Arthur hoped neither of them noticed, but he felt like his face was on fire with embarrassment. “I’ll just have the lemonade.” It seemed safest. It was one of the only things on the menu besides the coffee that he would consider a beverage, and the coffee was “cold-pressed,” whatever that meant. They both looked at him like he had something on his face.
“So you would like...?” Tauren asked.
“Arthur, say it properly, like it is on the menu,” Morgana said, kicking him under the table.
He sighed. “I’ll have the I am refreshed.”
“Would you like an affirmation to quench the thirst of your mind?”
“No, the lemon-... What I’ve got is fine, thank you.”
“The I am adventurous today is spicy cucumber dill, made with avocado, and the special is pumpkin and squash couscous with habanero harissa. I’ll give you some time to meditate on your choices.”
“Thank you.” Morgana turned back to Arthur as soon as their server had walked away. “Isn’t it amazing? They have their own farm for seasonal produce, and they take a holistic life approach to health and offer self-realization classes.”
“That’s a little more then I expect from the place that sells me my dinner.”
“Oh Arthur, you just don’t understand. It’s a whole world view about how we eat and how it’s related to our care of the Earth and the strength of our bodies. It’s really very enlightening. Morgause has been telling me all about how our ancestors lived in balance with nature. I mean, it’s all stuff I knew, but that I didn’t really know.”
“Well if we end up doing a show here, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to learn all about their worldview.”
He looked over the unbleached recycled paper menu, attempting to find something he was willing to eat. The mission statement at the top of the page declared everything on the menu to be raw and vegan. He tried not to make faces. Most places in the City had vegetarian options. Everyone and their brother was on one restrictive diet or another. Any time he ate with Morgana, or dated, or socialized, 20 minutes were spent on what was or was not hiding in the recipe. He supposed a place like this would make it easier. All the ingredients were probably right there on the page. They seemed the type. Maybe it was something to jump on, a trend that would make him look like a visionary someday.
“I’m impressed, Arthur. I assumed you wouldn’t even give this place a chance. Father wouldn’t have.”
“I’m not our father, Morgana.” He bit his tongue and didn’t tell her what he always didn’t tell her. If either of them were just like their father, it was her. And it killed him sometimes, how much they both rubbed it in, in their ways.
“I know. It’s just nice to see that confirmed.”
He focused his attention to the menu again. There were familiar things listed, but he was sure they had said the place was vegan. Maybe they only meant unless otherwise stated. Otherwise, how would you be able to call something a BLT? As far as Arthur knew, bacon wasn’t vegan.
By the time their server came back he was pretty sure he had figured it out, and placed his order with all the confidence that someone making a ridiculous statement about themselves could.
“I’ll have the I am hearty.” It was pizza. He didn’t think even the worst kind of hippies could screw up pizza.
“I am trusting.” Morgana handed her menu back, and Arthur fought the urge to snort at those words ever coming out of her mouth.
As soon as their server was out of hearing range, Arthur gave Morgana a look of disbelief. “I know you like that New Agey stuff, but why do they think they need to reinvent the menu? It’s a fairly straightforward concept.
“It’s not ‘New Age,’ Arthur. It comes from something much older than that.”
“Well. That sounds ominous.”
“Don’t be an ass. We have a lot to learn from our past, when we used to listen to the Earth.”
“We also used to die off at 30. I don’t get why everyone makes the past out like it’s some fairy wonderland where humans lived healthy, magical lives. People used to die from hangnails.”
“That’s only true for the last 500 years. We’ve lost so much wisdom from our history.”
“If it was so great, would we really have lost it?”
“We can’t figure out half the things the Romans engineered, and that’s with people who still study their language.”
“Yes, and they used lead in all their plumbing and their execution methods were pretty effective. Tell me more about how enlightened the Romans were.”
“I’m not going to do that. I mean, Romans also destroyed the Library of Alexandria, and who knows what we lost then. My point is, the reason Morgause and Nimueh built this place was to try and pass along the knowledge of things we have seemingly lost to history. Our biology still remembers, and by eating the way our ancestors did, we will be healthier, because we’re meant to eat that way.”
She went on to explain to him about heat destroying important enzymes and how veganism was the only way to save the earth and live in balance with it. He had to admit that he tuned her out. He could appreciate that vegetables had the potential to be delicious, but giving up meat and cheese just sounded like crazy talk to him.
Eventually, their food arrived. Surprisingly quickly, given that Arthur assumed they would have to plant it and harvest it in order for it to be served in the most healthy way possible. Morgana dug in, but apparently he had been wrong. Hippies could screw up pizza.
“Morgana,” he hissed, “there’s no cheese on my pizza, and I don’t have a clue what the hell this crust is supposed to be.”
“I told you Arthur, it’s raw food, and it’s vegan. Weren’t you listening? The crust is made of seeds, because baking dough involves temperatures over 180 degrees, and that kills the enzymes.”
“But you’re a vegetarian, Morgana. I’ve seen you eat cheese.”
“Yes, and I’m going vegan, because I’ve been talking to Morgause, and she’s been telling me so many things about the Industrial-Food Complex and how the enslavement of animals damages us all.”
“But it’s a pizza, without cheese...”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Arthur. Shut up and eat your dinner.”
She pointedly ignored him while she ate. She looked like she was enjoying it, and while he hated to admit it, his was actually quite good. It just wasn’t right to call it pizza. It seemed unethical; if you couldn’t make a certain thing within whatever restrictions you imposed, then you shouldn’t call it that thing. He was sure that, given time, he could come up with a good sports analogy. Like, if you took money to play ball, you couldn’t call yourself an amateur, and if you didn’t put cheese on it, then you shouldn’t call it a pizza.
As soon as she was finished eating, Morgana stood up. “I’m going to find Morgause and request that she join us. Be polite, try not to act like a total Neanderthal, and so help me, if you don’t at least pretend to take them seriously as a show idea, I actually will shiv you.” She walked off, and left him alone to finish.
Not ten minutes later, Morgana returned to their table, accompanied by a hard-eyed blond woman.
“Arthur, this is Morgause. She and Nimueh are the owners of this restaurant, and they’re very interested in being able to share their philosophy on food and wellness with the kind of audience our resources can provide.”
“I’m sure they are,” Arthur said standing up to shake Morgause’s hand, hoping he sounded genuine. “It’s a great opportunity.”
Morgause sat and nodded at Morgana. “Your sister is quite special. She’s been joining us in our classes and making great progress in breaking free from the chains of her oppressors. Although,” she said, looking pointedly at Morgana’s obviously expensive designer pumps, “there is still room for improvement.”
Arthur frowned. Morgana had made him promise to behave, but he wasn’t sure just what Morgause was talking about, since the prices on the menu made it difficult to comment on the materialism when it came to shoes. He might not pay much attention, but he knew veganism wasn’t the cheapest lifestyle.
Morgana saved him from his confusion. “I know they’re a tool of oppression, Morgause, but they do allow me to tower over people at work. I need to work on my desire to intimidate my underlings, I know.”
Arthur watched as something like surprise passed over Morgause’s face before it became placating again.
“Of course it is desirable that all people realize their equality, yet there will always be a need for leaders. I suppose it is true that you must work within the limits of your profession if you are to enact true change,” Morgause said.
Before anyone could continue, they were joined by another woman, this one with dark hair, and startlingly blue eyes.
“Nimueh, this is Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon,” Morgause practically purred.
Arthur didn’t know how she did it, but it didn’t sound sexy. It sounded like a cat finding a mouse it wasn’t quite ready to eat yet. Nimueh didn’t say anything; she just gave him a look not unlike the one Morgause had given him.
Arthur assumed that the only way he would make it out of here alive would be to state his intent and get the hell out as soon as possible. He didn’t doubt that he could make a very interesting show about this place, but he wasn’t convinced that he would survive the fallout with his father. But he had promised. He took a deep breath.
“So, if you had a show on a food-focused cable channel, what would you like it to be?” he asked.
Nimueh spoke first. “Well, it would have to be about the superiority of the raw food lifestyle. Although I’m sure we would have to add disclaimers in regards to your other programming. Still, we must sometimes do things we find distasteful in order to accomplish our goals.”
“What do you think about doing a cooking instruction show?” Morgana asked. “It would mean so much if more people could just see that it doesn’t need to be hard to live healthily.”
“I suppose we could also do an instructional show. We would ultimately need several shows, in order to fully educate our follower--...ing,” Morgause said, looking thoughtful.
“Yes, and we would also need to broker book deals, and of course we’ll need to found a magazine at some point.” Nimueh added.
Arthur nodded, and then pretended his phone was vibrating. He pulled it out of his pocket carefully to keep anyone from seeing the screen, and the fact that there was no message.
“You’ve given me positive things to think about, and I’m sure we’ll have a positive relationship in the future, especially since you’ve become so close to Morgana. But, unfortunately, I really must be heading out. My assistant just texted me to let me know of a rescheduled meeting first thing in the morning, and I haven’t prepared for it.”
Nimueh waved her hand and their server appeared as if by magic. “They need their check.”
“Yes, priestess, right away,” he said. Arthur preemptively handed him his credit card, and he disappeared again.
“Priestess?” Arthur asked, hoping he didn’t sound wary.
“Oh, that,” Morgause said, waving off his concern. “Several members of our staff attend religious services that we host, and forget that it isn’t always appropriate for discussion with our customers. It’s their little joke.”
Arthur nodded. Their server came back quicker than he was expecting, so he signed, tipped, and stood up, surprised when Morgana and Morgause stood as well.
“I’ll see you out,” Morgause said, gesturing for them to lead the way.
“Thank you,” Arthur said to her, because contrary to what people thought about him, he did have manners. “Dinner was almost enough to convince a meat eater like me.” Convince him of what, he left out.
Outside, Morgana stopped him. “You behaved yourself better than I expected. Sometimes you surprise me, Arthur.” She paused. “Are you really going to consider them?”
“If there’s a market for it, I’ll consider anything,” he said as they went their separate ways.
Morgause slipped into the back office, closing the door behind her to keep the rest of the staff from overhearing.
“Did you see our esteemed guests off, then?” Nimueh asked, looking up from the paperwork on her desk.
“I did, indeed,” Morgause answered. “Morgana seems as enchanted by our work as ever, but I don’t know that we got through to the brother.”
“These things take time, love,” Nimueh soothed. “We must be patient if we are to succeed in our mission.”
“We do not have time,” Morgause insisted, seating herself on the edge of the desk. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity sitting in front of us. Imagine it: our own television show, an hour a week on a major cable network to share the purity and bliss of raw vegan living!”
She grabbed one of Nimueh’s hands and clasped it between her own. “Think of the lives we could change, the followers we could attract. This could be our chance to finally make real progress in tearing down the tyranny of the patriarchy and ending the cycle of human subjugation of nature.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you,” Nimueh said. “I’m merely pointing out that we cannot push too hard. Arthur Pendragon is very much his father’s son. If he knows we’re trying to use him for our own purposes, he will run. We must woo him. Let Morgana do the pushing if there is pushing to be done.”
“And if we cannot woo him fast enough?”
“Then we will have to consider... less gentle methods,” Nimueh said, a vicious smile curving her lips. “It’s best to do this sort of thing peaceably, but have no worry that I would let some man with carnivorous sensibilities ruin this chance for us, especially not the son of Uther Pendragon.”
“All right,” Morgause said. “I think I can be gentle for a little while.”
Nimueh leaned forward, one hand stroking down the side of Morgause’s neck. “I’m pretty sure I can convince you to enjoy some gentleness.”
“Perhaps.” Morgause smiled. “Although you know I don’t mind it rough.” She leaned in and nipped at Nimueh’s bottom lip. “I don’t mind it rough at all.”
“I suppose,” Nimueh whispered against Morgause’s mouth, “we’ll just have to find the time to try it both ways."
Next
Sooner than Arthur would have thought possible only two weeks ago, he was back in the East Bay. Berkeley this time. Again, he couldn’t find a garage and had to deal with leaving his car on the street where anyone could vandalize or steal it.
On entering the restaurant, he fought the urge to roll his eyes, the walls were covered in ivy, and the floor was done to resemble a flagstone path. There was a display stand on his left, where various self-help books and natural beauty products were on sale, and on his right, a bony, mouse-haired woman waiting at the host stand. She smiled at him, wide, but vacant. “Welcome to The Blessed Cafe. Are you journeying on the solitary path this evening?”
Arthur blinked while he tried to parse that. “...I’m meeting my sister. We have a reservation under Pendragon.”
“If you will accompany me, I will guide you to her.” The hostess headed into the dinning room proper, with Arthur several steps behind. The restaurant seemed to be aiming for an idealized peasant cottage look, with its brick walls, wooden tables and large fireplace, but it was juxtaposed with what was probably supposed to be inspirational artwork. The images were all of women and multi-cultural children harvesting grain and sharing bread, accompanied with ridiculous text like “Can you surrender to how beautiful you are?” He never knew how to take theme restaurants. He supposed it could make for an interesting show, but he wasn’t sure “hippie” would play in the heartland.
Morgana was, of course, already seated, looking less like a ruthless business woman and fashionista than he had ever seen her. She looked almost like she actually fit in in Berkeley, still wearing designer labels, but definitely dressed down from her norm. Morgana would accuse him of stereotyping, but he knew all about people in this town. They wore jeans to the opera. Everyone looked slightly homeless. He slid into the chair across from Morgana as the hostess left and a server with the same kind of empty smile came to give them menus. As he looked through it, he saw that every item had a name like I am transformed or I am dazzling. It might have been the most ridiculous thing he had ever seen, and he had run Bay to Breakers three times.
“Welcome. I am blessed to attend to you this evening. My name is Tauren. May I offer you the tools to quench your thirst, both in body and in the mind?”
Morgana smiled up at him. “I am bright, for the body, and what do you offer for the mind?”
Confused, Arthur skimmed over the menu trying to figure out what she was talking about and saw that I am bright was apparently kombucha. He shuddered at the drinks menu; it was all algae this and wheatgrass that.
“For your mind I have this affirmation: you are the gardener who has nurtured your body and soul with essential nutrients and a healthy lifestyle. Much like the saying ‘April showers bring May flowers,’ you will enjoy the fruits of your own caretaking. Everything in your life is coming up daisies!” He then turned to Arthur. “And may I quench your thirst?”
Arthur hoped neither of them noticed, but he felt like his face was on fire with embarrassment. “I’ll just have the lemonade.” It seemed safest. It was one of the only things on the menu besides the coffee that he would consider a beverage, and the coffee was “cold-pressed,” whatever that meant. They both looked at him like he had something on his face.
“So you would like...?” Tauren asked.
“Arthur, say it properly, like it is on the menu,” Morgana said, kicking him under the table.
He sighed. “I’ll have the I am refreshed.”
“Would you like an affirmation to quench the thirst of your mind?”
“No, the lemon-... What I’ve got is fine, thank you.”
“The I am adventurous today is spicy cucumber dill, made with avocado, and the special is pumpkin and squash couscous with habanero harissa. I’ll give you some time to meditate on your choices.”
“Thank you.” Morgana turned back to Arthur as soon as their server had walked away. “Isn’t it amazing? They have their own farm for seasonal produce, and they take a holistic life approach to health and offer self-realization classes.”
“That’s a little more then I expect from the place that sells me my dinner.”
“Oh Arthur, you just don’t understand. It’s a whole world view about how we eat and how it’s related to our care of the Earth and the strength of our bodies. It’s really very enlightening. Morgause has been telling me all about how our ancestors lived in balance with nature. I mean, it’s all stuff I knew, but that I didn’t really know.”
“Well if we end up doing a show here, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to learn all about their worldview.”
He looked over the unbleached recycled paper menu, attempting to find something he was willing to eat. The mission statement at the top of the page declared everything on the menu to be raw and vegan. He tried not to make faces. Most places in the City had vegetarian options. Everyone and their brother was on one restrictive diet or another. Any time he ate with Morgana, or dated, or socialized, 20 minutes were spent on what was or was not hiding in the recipe. He supposed a place like this would make it easier. All the ingredients were probably right there on the page. They seemed the type. Maybe it was something to jump on, a trend that would make him look like a visionary someday.
“I’m impressed, Arthur. I assumed you wouldn’t even give this place a chance. Father wouldn’t have.”
“I’m not our father, Morgana.” He bit his tongue and didn’t tell her what he always didn’t tell her. If either of them were just like their father, it was her. And it killed him sometimes, how much they both rubbed it in, in their ways.
“I know. It’s just nice to see that confirmed.”
He focused his attention to the menu again. There were familiar things listed, but he was sure they had said the place was vegan. Maybe they only meant unless otherwise stated. Otherwise, how would you be able to call something a BLT? As far as Arthur knew, bacon wasn’t vegan.
By the time their server came back he was pretty sure he had figured it out, and placed his order with all the confidence that someone making a ridiculous statement about themselves could.
“I’ll have the I am hearty.” It was pizza. He didn’t think even the worst kind of hippies could screw up pizza.
“I am trusting.” Morgana handed her menu back, and Arthur fought the urge to snort at those words ever coming out of her mouth.
As soon as their server was out of hearing range, Arthur gave Morgana a look of disbelief. “I know you like that New Agey stuff, but why do they think they need to reinvent the menu? It’s a fairly straightforward concept.
“It’s not ‘New Age,’ Arthur. It comes from something much older than that.”
“Well. That sounds ominous.”
“Don’t be an ass. We have a lot to learn from our past, when we used to listen to the Earth.”
“We also used to die off at 30. I don’t get why everyone makes the past out like it’s some fairy wonderland where humans lived healthy, magical lives. People used to die from hangnails.”
“That’s only true for the last 500 years. We’ve lost so much wisdom from our history.”
“If it was so great, would we really have lost it?”
“We can’t figure out half the things the Romans engineered, and that’s with people who still study their language.”
“Yes, and they used lead in all their plumbing and their execution methods were pretty effective. Tell me more about how enlightened the Romans were.”
“I’m not going to do that. I mean, Romans also destroyed the Library of Alexandria, and who knows what we lost then. My point is, the reason Morgause and Nimueh built this place was to try and pass along the knowledge of things we have seemingly lost to history. Our biology still remembers, and by eating the way our ancestors did, we will be healthier, because we’re meant to eat that way.”
She went on to explain to him about heat destroying important enzymes and how veganism was the only way to save the earth and live in balance with it. He had to admit that he tuned her out. He could appreciate that vegetables had the potential to be delicious, but giving up meat and cheese just sounded like crazy talk to him.
Eventually, their food arrived. Surprisingly quickly, given that Arthur assumed they would have to plant it and harvest it in order for it to be served in the most healthy way possible. Morgana dug in, but apparently he had been wrong. Hippies could screw up pizza.
“Morgana,” he hissed, “there’s no cheese on my pizza, and I don’t have a clue what the hell this crust is supposed to be.”
“I told you Arthur, it’s raw food, and it’s vegan. Weren’t you listening? The crust is made of seeds, because baking dough involves temperatures over 180 degrees, and that kills the enzymes.”
“But you’re a vegetarian, Morgana. I’ve seen you eat cheese.”
“Yes, and I’m going vegan, because I’ve been talking to Morgause, and she’s been telling me so many things about the Industrial-Food Complex and how the enslavement of animals damages us all.”
“But it’s a pizza, without cheese...”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Arthur. Shut up and eat your dinner.”
She pointedly ignored him while she ate. She looked like she was enjoying it, and while he hated to admit it, his was actually quite good. It just wasn’t right to call it pizza. It seemed unethical; if you couldn’t make a certain thing within whatever restrictions you imposed, then you shouldn’t call it that thing. He was sure that, given time, he could come up with a good sports analogy. Like, if you took money to play ball, you couldn’t call yourself an amateur, and if you didn’t put cheese on it, then you shouldn’t call it a pizza.
As soon as she was finished eating, Morgana stood up. “I’m going to find Morgause and request that she join us. Be polite, try not to act like a total Neanderthal, and so help me, if you don’t at least pretend to take them seriously as a show idea, I actually will shiv you.” She walked off, and left him alone to finish.
Not ten minutes later, Morgana returned to their table, accompanied by a hard-eyed blond woman.
“Arthur, this is Morgause. She and Nimueh are the owners of this restaurant, and they’re very interested in being able to share their philosophy on food and wellness with the kind of audience our resources can provide.”
“I’m sure they are,” Arthur said standing up to shake Morgause’s hand, hoping he sounded genuine. “It’s a great opportunity.”
Morgause sat and nodded at Morgana. “Your sister is quite special. She’s been joining us in our classes and making great progress in breaking free from the chains of her oppressors. Although,” she said, looking pointedly at Morgana’s obviously expensive designer pumps, “there is still room for improvement.”
Arthur frowned. Morgana had made him promise to behave, but he wasn’t sure just what Morgause was talking about, since the prices on the menu made it difficult to comment on the materialism when it came to shoes. He might not pay much attention, but he knew veganism wasn’t the cheapest lifestyle.
Morgana saved him from his confusion. “I know they’re a tool of oppression, Morgause, but they do allow me to tower over people at work. I need to work on my desire to intimidate my underlings, I know.”
Arthur watched as something like surprise passed over Morgause’s face before it became placating again.
“Of course it is desirable that all people realize their equality, yet there will always be a need for leaders. I suppose it is true that you must work within the limits of your profession if you are to enact true change,” Morgause said.
Before anyone could continue, they were joined by another woman, this one with dark hair, and startlingly blue eyes.
“Nimueh, this is Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon,” Morgause practically purred.
Arthur didn’t know how she did it, but it didn’t sound sexy. It sounded like a cat finding a mouse it wasn’t quite ready to eat yet. Nimueh didn’t say anything; she just gave him a look not unlike the one Morgause had given him.
Arthur assumed that the only way he would make it out of here alive would be to state his intent and get the hell out as soon as possible. He didn’t doubt that he could make a very interesting show about this place, but he wasn’t convinced that he would survive the fallout with his father. But he had promised. He took a deep breath.
“So, if you had a show on a food-focused cable channel, what would you like it to be?” he asked.
Nimueh spoke first. “Well, it would have to be about the superiority of the raw food lifestyle. Although I’m sure we would have to add disclaimers in regards to your other programming. Still, we must sometimes do things we find distasteful in order to accomplish our goals.”
“What do you think about doing a cooking instruction show?” Morgana asked. “It would mean so much if more people could just see that it doesn’t need to be hard to live healthily.”
“I suppose we could also do an instructional show. We would ultimately need several shows, in order to fully educate our follower--...ing,” Morgause said, looking thoughtful.
“Yes, and we would also need to broker book deals, and of course we’ll need to found a magazine at some point.” Nimueh added.
Arthur nodded, and then pretended his phone was vibrating. He pulled it out of his pocket carefully to keep anyone from seeing the screen, and the fact that there was no message.
“You’ve given me positive things to think about, and I’m sure we’ll have a positive relationship in the future, especially since you’ve become so close to Morgana. But, unfortunately, I really must be heading out. My assistant just texted me to let me know of a rescheduled meeting first thing in the morning, and I haven’t prepared for it.”
Nimueh waved her hand and their server appeared as if by magic. “They need their check.”
“Yes, priestess, right away,” he said. Arthur preemptively handed him his credit card, and he disappeared again.
“Priestess?” Arthur asked, hoping he didn’t sound wary.
“Oh, that,” Morgause said, waving off his concern. “Several members of our staff attend religious services that we host, and forget that it isn’t always appropriate for discussion with our customers. It’s their little joke.”
Arthur nodded. Their server came back quicker than he was expecting, so he signed, tipped, and stood up, surprised when Morgana and Morgause stood as well.
“I’ll see you out,” Morgause said, gesturing for them to lead the way.
“Thank you,” Arthur said to her, because contrary to what people thought about him, he did have manners. “Dinner was almost enough to convince a meat eater like me.” Convince him of what, he left out.
Outside, Morgana stopped him. “You behaved yourself better than I expected. Sometimes you surprise me, Arthur.” She paused. “Are you really going to consider them?”
“If there’s a market for it, I’ll consider anything,” he said as they went their separate ways.
Morgause slipped into the back office, closing the door behind her to keep the rest of the staff from overhearing.
“Did you see our esteemed guests off, then?” Nimueh asked, looking up from the paperwork on her desk.
“I did, indeed,” Morgause answered. “Morgana seems as enchanted by our work as ever, but I don’t know that we got through to the brother.”
“These things take time, love,” Nimueh soothed. “We must be patient if we are to succeed in our mission.”
“We do not have time,” Morgause insisted, seating herself on the edge of the desk. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity sitting in front of us. Imagine it: our own television show, an hour a week on a major cable network to share the purity and bliss of raw vegan living!”
She grabbed one of Nimueh’s hands and clasped it between her own. “Think of the lives we could change, the followers we could attract. This could be our chance to finally make real progress in tearing down the tyranny of the patriarchy and ending the cycle of human subjugation of nature.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you,” Nimueh said. “I’m merely pointing out that we cannot push too hard. Arthur Pendragon is very much his father’s son. If he knows we’re trying to use him for our own purposes, he will run. We must woo him. Let Morgana do the pushing if there is pushing to be done.”
“And if we cannot woo him fast enough?”
“Then we will have to consider... less gentle methods,” Nimueh said, a vicious smile curving her lips. “It’s best to do this sort of thing peaceably, but have no worry that I would let some man with carnivorous sensibilities ruin this chance for us, especially not the son of Uther Pendragon.”
“All right,” Morgause said. “I think I can be gentle for a little while.”
Nimueh leaned forward, one hand stroking down the side of Morgause’s neck. “I’m pretty sure I can convince you to enjoy some gentleness.”
“Perhaps.” Morgause smiled. “Although you know I don’t mind it rough.” She leaned in and nipped at Nimueh’s bottom lip. “I don’t mind it rough at all.”
“I suppose,” Nimueh whispered against Morgause’s mouth, “we’ll just have to find the time to try it both ways."
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