More Secrets Than A Pomegranate Has Seeds

On the hunt for her old friend’s love child in “The Beggar”, a story in The Deadliest Returns, Miriam visits The Pegasus, a sleazy waterfront inn to interview its hostess:

“I’m Selene. That’s Miss Selene,” she added with a veneer of sophistication. “I don’t give out no information ’bout my guests. My boss, the most wonderful man in the world, forbids it.” She spoke haltingly, as if reciting the line by rote from a shredded memory she didn’t believe. The words were carried on the stink of yesterday’s drinking bouts and the slur of a few more gulps that morning, but her sidelong glances told me she had more secrets to sell than a pomegranate has seeds.

Pomegranate seeds come from a fruit about the size of a large orange with a smooth, thick skin that ranges in color from brownish yellow to deep red. The name for the pomegranate is derived from Latin and literally means “seeded apple.” Pomegranates are also sometimes called Chinese apples.

Cultivated throughout  India and the Middle East for several millennia, their ruby red, juicy, and crunchy seeds are  a delight to munch. But pomegranate seeds don’t just taste delicious. Their seeds are a great source of several nutrients, including  vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Plus, they are low in calories but high in heart-healthy fiber.

And to nourish your mind, be sure to read the stories in The Deadliest Returns. The mysteries will captivate your imagination while at the same time  enhance your understanding of life in the first century CE Roman Empire and the shameful desires we all wrestle with. Just click here.