Exton

"Rev. Matthew Fisher", she replies glumly. "He's a fundamentalist minister - and like most of the breed, he has it in for anyone that doesn't believe exactly as he does. That especially applies to non-Christian religions and even more to non-Christian religions with 'occult' overtones. Year before last, we - the coven, that is - had a public Beltane ritual and he and his followers showed up with their car stereos blaring hymns at levels that could pulverize concrete. Someone called the police, but they said they couldn't do much, that Fisher and his followers had the right to public assembly, same as we did. I reminded them that there is a law against disrupting worship services and they managed to get Fisher and his people to move across the street, but that's all. He's done it with other groups, too, and he's down on same-sex relationships, drinking, smoking, tattoos and piercing, pretty much any music that isn't specifically Christian - need I go on? No amount of trying to explain things to him seems to work. He always ends up calling me the most colorful names... Satan spawn, hell's harlot, demon worshiper, and those are the nicer ones.”

Traeger goes still, as do several others who overheard. “He called you what??”

Rowan lays her hand over the top of his. Her touch is light and cool, calming in way that words cant be. “Please dont. Thats exactly what he wants, to cause discord amongst us. I wont let him do it. We have such harmony here in Exton, in this group. I don't imagine this is exactly what the Founding Fathers envisioned all those years ago, but here we're living the national motto - "E pluribus unum" - "Of many, one." I don't want some blind bigot to spoil that.”

Traeger nods and raises her hand to his lips for a kiss. “You are right, but he better watch himself. I dont imagine anyone here is going to put up with his ignorance and name calling.”

There are nods all around the table. Star looks at Erik and says “He is a stupid hateful man. He doesnt know what he is talking about.”

Erik smiles at Star and then raises his glass, “A toast! To harmony....”

Glasses are raised all around the table, “And if he tries to spoil it, we'll kick his ass."