Smerdyakov was keeping himself busy writing plans for the punishment of the gremlins who made the forum keep crashing. Seeing this, Copperfox returned to his vegetarian restaurant.
There were two unfamiliar men seated at a table. When they saw Copperfox, they introduced themselves as members of--surprise, surprise--the Change Party.
"Mister RA-vitts?" one addressed him, mispronouncing the last name with a short A as in "flat."
"To everyone but Navy chief petty officers, it's RAY-vitts, long A," said Copperfox. "What can I do for you?"
"It's what you can do for equality, diversity, tolerance, inclusion, compassion, and multiculturalism."
The second visitor now took over. "You operate a vegetarian restaurant here. But you have allowed your _definition_ of 'vegetarian' to be dictated by traditionalistic linear thinking, to mean 'excluding any kind of meat from the diet.' "
"Well, that IS what 'vegetarian' means," Copperfox replied. "But let me guess: you're about to tell me that I must _change_ my definition of 'vegetarian,' so that someone can eat meat here but still _claim_ to be eating a vegetarian meal."
"Ah, so you agree!" said the first visitor. "That's very good! If you hurry up and start serving meat here, we _might_ be able to let you off of paying the fines that are being imposed on you for non-compliance with the executive orders which will be issued next year."
"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Copperfox. "Fines, for disobeying a regulation which not only _wasn't_ passed by Congress, but which _isn't_ even in effect yet??"
"Of course," said the second visitor, as if speaking to a slow-learning child. "How can we _spread_ the wealth around, if we don't get started _taking_ the wealth? But it won't be as hard on you financially as you think, because you won't have to buy the meat you'll be required to serve here..."
"Let me guess again," said Copperfox. "While you lean on me to redefine my terms and cease to be a vegetarian establishment while falsely _saying_ we're still vegetarian, you're going to pander to animal-rights crazies by getting on Emmett's case FOR serving meat. You'll confiscate his meat supply, and give it to me."
"You understand us so well, I'm surprised you didn't vote for us!"
Copperfox narrowed his eyes. "I voted against you, _because_ I understand you." Even as he said this, he was transforming into The Grey Eagle. Using his temperature-control power, he feverized their brains just enough to make them pass out for a short while with no permanent damage. Propping them up in side-by-side chairs out in front of The Octopus Garden, he told two of his waiters to make hand-lettered signs. One sign was to read, "Down With Socialism--Free Enterprise Forever!"; the other was to read, "Marriage And Family: Refer To The Bible."
While the two party hacks were still unconscious, Grey Eagle placed the signs in their hands. Waiting for them to awaken, the superhero snapped digital photos of them as soon as their eyes opened--so that it would look as if they had been holding these conservative signs on purpose. "These pictures of you will be online in ten minutes," he told them. "Have fun explaining them to your precinct bosses."