The Vegan and the Wolf by Julie Steimle (red white and royal blue hardcover txt) 📕

Chapter One

Earth Day, and a beautiful April. With such a gorgeous blue sky overhead, it was perfect day just be outside. NYU’s annual celebration had drawn in many from the community who were curious about what they, in an urban environment, could do to help their world. But it also drew out the trolls.

A considerable crowd had gathered around the Celebrate Vegan! booth where Audry Chandra Bruchenhaus was debating with another die hard bacon fan. The club members were watching her with awe as she dispatched one meat lover after another with her fact based, ethical arguments. After all, she had the moral high ground. And whenever a meat lover could not refute that veganism truly was the best way to live, they always just shouted out, “But bacon!”

It was such a ludicrous argument. They might as well have said: “Cooked corpse!’“

Audry gazed over the scene as the last carnivore stalked away, huffing to himself about self-righteous vegans. Her bushy brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, keeping it just out of her shining blue-green eyes. The sun had speckled her checks with cinnamon freckles recently, and she was considering putting on a hat soon. It was getting hot in Schwartz Plaza.

Her roommates had passed by earlier, having taken their Go Vegan Now buttons while sharing encouragement with the group and bringing snacks. Audry had convinced them to go vegetarian that last year, though they were not quite ready to go vegan yet as Wendy loved Greek yogurt and Laura did not like tofu at all. As for Tricia, she didn’t really care either way. She was just along for the ride, and it was the trend.

“Hi all!” Silvia Lewis from their Green Club stopped by, picking up a pin while setting her case of essential oils on the edge of the table to rest her hands. “How are things in dealing with the barbaric masses?”

Audry ignored her. Silvia was (in mild terms) a slutty-dressed pagan who wore her long wavy dark hair back from her bare shoulders and open cleavage. And she was an open pagan who loudly declared she worshipped Wicca while wearing pentagrams. No one was sure why Silvia had joined the Green Club except for her interest in ‘nature’. She was a self-proclaimed herbalist—though when her ordinary, almost nerdy-looking half-brother had come around during midterms, he out and out called her a witch while delivering her a care package from their father. And he said it matter-of-factly rather than as an epithet. And she just smiled back at him. He wore a red crystal on a chain around his neck, after all.

“Shut up,” Brooke Himmerman said, looking prepared to upend Silvia’s box of massage oils onto the concrete. Brooke was the exact opposite of Silvia. Blonde, straight and angular, including her haircut. A utilitarian dresser. And her friend Paula, who stood next to her and prepared to push Silvia away, was the chocolate to her vanilla. Paula’s tight black hair fuzzed in a short afro, and she wore a slim tank top with long flowy pants which had the same linear shape as Brooke’s clothes, but in African ethnic patterns and colors. They were like the poster models for utopian integration.

“Oh, please,” interjected their fourth booth worker, Jeremy Deets, stepping toward Silvia to put himself between the two gals and the Wiccan. “Audry has been handling the ‘barbarians’ very well, thank you very much.”

Silvia grinned at Audry with genuine fondness. “I’m sure she has.”

Audry never knew exactly what had changed Silvia’s attitude towards her. Before, Silvia had been cold and smug. It could have been because Audry had finally (and permanently) dumped Harlin Nichols during winter break—who had dated them both that last year. Silvia had started to warm up around that time when Audry had returned from her last trip into the field for her Master’s thesis. Thing was, Silvia had never shown any jealousy over her relationship with Harlin either. Just smug indifference. Yet after she returned, Silvia started to compliment Audry on everything. Her hair. Her clothes. Her jewelry. Silvia even helped Audry connect with people to refine her video editing for her Master’s project. However, Audry could tell Silvia wasn’t actually trying to ‘make friends’ with her. Friendly acquaintances, maybe. But Silvia was kinder in a teasing sort of way, as if she were enjoying something about Audry that amused and pleased her.

“Do you need something?” Audry finally asked her.

Grinning, Silvia shook her head. “Nope. Just resting.”

A few people in business suits walked by. They had come from the Kimmel Center where an economics and business conference was being held. It was so ironic that as NYU was holding its Earth Day celebration in full force while businessmen were gathering within the campus grounds discussing ways they could further exploit the world with their corporatist imperialism. Audry had been watching the people in the suits trot by, unconcerned with what their industry was doing to the environment. And she wasn’t the only one. Those with her, in between her debates with cocky meat-eaters, were making commentary on the people they were seeing.

Brooke pointed out the needle-thin woman with the slick bun walking on heels in a perfect skirt suit. “That one is all ambition. She wears a skirt because she sleeps her way to the top.”

Her friend Paula slapped her shoulder. “Don’t assume that.”

“She’s totally showing off her legs,” Brooke said.

“Well, at least she got legs,” Silvia interjected with a snort.

“You don’t have to stay here,” Brooke snapped. “Shoo.”

But Silvia merely shrugged, not budging.

Ignoring them, Audry called out to passersby, “Save a life. Go vegan.”

She got the usual placating smiles. Some people genuinely came up for the thin vegan recipe pamphlet they had available in paper format. Others signed up for their meat-substitute online newsletter. But usually those that stopped were people who wanted to argue.

“I’ve got a question,” one of the passersby said.

Audry and all the other people in the booth waited for the debate question.

“How does a vegan deal with celiac disease? I mean, gluten is in most grains,” that passerby said.

Nodding, Audry pulled out a pamphlet for going vegan and being gluten free. “This is full of vegan recipe ideas for gluten free eating. There are actually several grains that do not contain gluten.”

The passerby nodded.

“What about animal fats?” another passerby asked. She had a similar physique as Audry, robust with a healthy blush to her cheeks. Somehow she had to be a nutrition major. You got those occasionally who were anti-vegan. “I mean, you can eat a plant based diets, but many vitamins and minerals in those plants need animal fat to be properly absorbed.”

“Actually,” Brooke cut in, winking at Audry while taking out another pamphlet, “Coconut oil is a healthy vegan substitute for animal fat. And more beneficial. So are avocados.”

The nutrition major did not argue. She merely took the pamphlet and peered at it, considering the information carefully. Perhaps she had heard about the benefits of coconut oil and avocadoes already.

“But bacon!” someone from the passing crowd called out.

Here we go again, Audry thought.

A cocky guy in an NYU tee shirt came up, but not too close, as if he thought the people running the booth might bite him.

“Vegans don’t care about bacon,” Paula said.

The guy gasped as if they had said something scandalous.

“Uric acid,” Audry replied.

“What?” he stared at her as if she had cussed at him.

Drawing in a long suffering breath, Audry said, “Purine rich foods such as meat, when broken down by the body creates uric acid which can lead to health conditions such as gout, kidney stones, and diabetes.”

He still looked confused. Clearly he was a caveman who only thought about his bacon.

“High fructose corn syrup does the same thing,” the nutrition major interjected. “It also creates uric acid.”

Silvia snickered, glancing at their colas under the table.

Brooke and Paula shot her a dirty look.

“So we should avoid both,” Audry said, agreeing.

The nutritionist nodded, a smile crooking at the side of her mouth.

“But the best brain food is oily fish,” another person interjected, coming closer.

The bacon guy nodded.

“The most effective fatty acids occur in fish, not vegetables,” that woman said, nodding to the nutritionist who was looking interested. “Fats are essential for brain function, as well as our hearts and our joints.”

“Exactly!” bacon man said.

Gazing to the woman and ignoring the bacon thug, Audry explained, “You can get those same fats from walnut, flax seed, soy, and pumpkin seeds. Besides, there are other brain foods besides fish. You’ve got broccoli, tomatoes, sage, blackcurrants, red pepper, blueberries, and plenty of nuts.”

“What if you have a nut allergy?” she asked. “Because I do.”

“Are they nut specific? Or are there seeds that you can eat?” Audry asked, making genuine eye contact. “Because all you would have to do is choose which one you need.”

“Often places that process one kind of nut processes other nuts and seeds,” that woman said. “You get cross contamination, and I can’t afford that.”

Nodding, Audry replied, “Ok. Then your only recourse is to choose unprocessed sources. I roast my own pumpkin seeds.”

“It would just be easier to buy fatty fish,” that woman said. “Meat allergies are rare.”  

“But food-caused illnesses from meat consumption are not,” Audry retorted. “And fish allergies are actually quite common.”

“As are soy allergies,” she protested.

Nodding, Audry had to agree. “True. But the fact is, once you have an allergy, you have to be a careful eater anyway. And for that matter, it is better to simply learn to cook rather than buy pre-made foods. Cross contamination is more likely from packaged foods than fresh organic produce anyway.”

“But can you trust the organic labels?” that bacon lover shot out. “Most labels are in fact lies.”

“There is a lot of mislabeling, yes,” Audry said to him finally. Then looking directly at him, she added, “That is why you buy farm fresh—no labels involved.”

Brooke and Paula chuckled.

“Humans are anatomically adapted to eating plants,” Jeremy put in. “The main reason humans eat meat is because of tradition.”

“Bacon is delicious,” bacon man interjected once again. “It has nothing to do with tradition.”

People in the crowd snickered.

Jeremy glowered at him.

Resting a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder to calm him, Audry said, “Candy and cake are delicious too, but they are not good for the body. Fact is, most cancers of the digestive tract are caused by eating meat and animal products. And it is the main cause of heart disease. Cholesterol in the blood is a meat problem.”

“That’s a myth,” a familiar voice piped up. Audry knew it, but she could not place it. It came from behind the crowd. But then she heard it come closer, he continued talking. “It is the high consumption of sugar that is the real culprit of heart disease.”

“He’s right. That’s true,” the nutritionist said, nodding.

Audry colored.

And a familiar face began to emerge from the crowd. She recognized his auburn hair first, his gray eyes searching for the one he was debating.

“Sugar causes inflammation. And…” His eyes met hers. It was Howard Richard Deacon the Third, in the flesh. “Well… if it isn’t Audry Bruchenhaus, paving the way for vegans everywhere,” Rick Deacon said with a spreading smile, sauntering more casually to the table. He tucked his hands into his suit pants pockets while a grin formed on his face like he had just done something deliciously obscene and he had gotten away with it. He looked good. He was in a three piece suit, perfectly tailored, with fashion model-level hairstyle and a hop in his step.

Audry flushed. “Mr. Deacon.”

He blinked at her. “Oh, so we are those terms huh?” He chuckled. “Ok. Miss Bruchenhaus—or is it Ms? Or Ze? I can never be sure. Which is it?”

“What do you want?” she snapped.

He looked around, waving up at the signs. “I saw the