Harold watched his sister Bethesda’s face closely as she chewed a bite-sized piece of meat fruit.

Bethesda swallowed. Then, she stared at Harold in horror. “Meat!” she exclaimed. “Did you actually serve me meat? But you told me it was a new fruit! I never would have eaten it if I had known—“

Bethesda pushed her plate to the center of the table, stood up, and flung her napkin on her plate.

“Bethesda,” Harold said. “Wait. It is a fruit. It’s a new fruit that I’ve invented. I call it meat fruit because it’s a fruit that tastes like meat.”

Harold reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a green pear-shaped fruit that was covered in spikes. He held it up.

Bethesda sighed heavily. She pulled out her chair, letting the legs scrape against the floor. She sat back down in her chair and slumped against the back of it.

“Harold,” Bethesda said. “You nearly gave me a—“ She sighed. “Harold, no one wants to eat meat. No one will want to eat this—“ She waved her hands at the meat fruit. “Harold, what is even the point?”

“I think people do want to eat meat,” Harold said.

Bethesda opened her mouth. “Wh—“

“No,” Harold said and put his hand up in front of him. “I think they miss it, the taste, the texture… I think meat fruit will allow people the experience of eating meat without actually eating meat.”

“Harold,” Bethesda said. “I know this isn’t technically wrong. I know this isn’t technically illegal. But there’s a reason that you haven’t told anyone about this little farm that you bought or this little experiment that you’re running or this… this…”

“Meat fruit,” Harold said.

“Yes,” Bethesda said.

“Yes,” Harold said. “There is a reason. I wasn’t sure if I could do it. I wanted to be sure. And now I am. You were so convinced that it was meat.”

“Harold,” Bethesda said. “I don’t think this is a very good idea. Personally, I don’t even like the taste of meat anymore. It’s repulsive. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to eat this.”

“You will see Bethesda,” Harold said. “Soon there will be meat fruit in all of the stores. And it will be in all of the cookbooks. And when that happens, even you will eat it.”