Cale was getting irritated. "And so do you. So do I. How many times have I heard the pride in peoples' tones when they order 'real meat'? I've heard you order it dozens of times." He shrugged. "'real meat' is animal flesh. Someone killed a living animal, skinned it, cut it up, and put it in neat little packages for you to buy at the store."
Now, she looked troubled. "But that's different . . ."
But Cale was shaking his head. "No. It's not different. The only difference is you pay someone else to do the killing, skinning, cutting up and packaging. That hunter does it all himself – except the packaging, of course. Actually, think about how lucky his family is; they get to eat real meat every day – no synthmeat for them!"
Dee was silent, though she wore a slightly sick expression. But she picked up the cart's handle and helped Cale pull.
"Anyway," Cale continued in an effort to change the subject, "We seem to have passed as traders. And we got some trading materials that aren't from the 'Old Time'. If tomorrow is market day at this 'Ham's Town', we should be able to learn a lot, and maybe locate the local 'king' or head man in this area."
Dee frowned. "How does that help us? I mean, how much chance is there that the king will visit the market? How do we get to talk to him?"
"That's what I hope to find out tomorrow," Cale replied. "But we should at least be able to find out where his castle is, and get some genuine clothing. I'm glad we were able to get some furs to trade for clothing. This 'Old Time' stuff is too valuable. If we traded any of it for clothes, it would generate a lot of curiosity."
"Well, you handle those . . . things. I don't think I'll ever touch a fur again. When I think of how many times I've wrapped myself in the skins of dead animals . . ." She shuddered.
He shook his head. "It's time to grow up, Dee," he said harshly. "This is a primitive society, and you're going to have to grit your teeth and deal with it. By the way, ask Tess what 'genuine leather' means. You can go into a tizzy later, but at least while we're here, you're going to be eating 'real meat', and wearing 'real leather' and, yes, 'real furs' when it gets cold. Just like you did on Faith."
Dee looked annoyed. "But, doesn't it even bother you?"
He shook his head. "As long as it isn't human skin or human meat, no. Didn't anyone on Faith hunt for sport or meat?"
"Yes, of course. Daddy hunted birds all the time. But somehow I never connected it . . ."
"Well," he replied, "It's time you did. If people see you doing this sensitive act tomorrow, they'll think you're crazy or bewitched." He stopped as a thought occurred to him, and Dee stopped with him, of course. "Look, Dee," he said earnestly, "we just passed the flitter a few minutes ago. If you can't handle this culture without overreacting, we should head back to the flitter. I'll go on alone, and you can wait for me there. You'll be safe with Tess's 'bot."
Dee's lips thinned and her expression hardened with determination. "No. No, I'll be all right. I'm not a child. I just hadn't made the connection before, and it will take me a few minutes to get used to the idea."
Cale frowned. "Are you sure, Dee? If someone offers us food, we can't afford to refuse their hospitality. I suspect it would be a serious insult."
She shook her head. "I'll be fine. You're right, it's childish. I've faced far more unpleasant facts in the past." A sudden smile broke through her stony expression. "Like my father wanting to use me to start a dynasty." She straightened and nodded. "I'll be all right. It's just another fact of life, one that many people ignore." The smile flared again. "Bring on the real meat steak! I'm ready!"
Cale grinned. "You know it may be dino steak?"
She shrugged. "Dino, or bovine or equine or, say, what is real steak from?"
"Usually bovine, I think, on Faith and Santiago. Different animals taste different."
"Really? That sounds interesting. Let's go see how many different animals we can taste while we're here!" She was her normal, cheerful self, and Cale was delighted.
"What about the furs?" he asked.
She looked thoughtful. "Cale, that dino fur is the most luxurious thing I've ever felt. It makes Pendragon Slith feel almost shoddy. This colony could export those things, if they start raising them. And the rainbow cat is incredible! I can see women throughout man-settled space lining up to throw money at anyone who can sell them one."
Cale shook his head. "Rainbow cats are alpha predators. They can't be domesticated, and they'd probably die in captivity. They're rare because it takes a large territory to feed them. I'm going to see if I can get our hunter to trade me the other one he has, and I'll trade for any others I see, as well. I suspect they are the rarest furs in man-settled space. Certainly they're the most spectacular."
They continued chatting as they walked, but pulling the cart on the rutted road was not easy, and the constant watchfulness for predatory animals and poisonous plants was wearing. As their weariness increased, the talk slowed. Finally, they plodded on, their panting the only sound.
The road passed out of the forest, and into the late afternoon sun as they crested a small hill. Finally, they could see the smoke and roofs of Ham's Town. Cale guessed that 'town' was the appropriate term. Certainly Ham's Town was larger than the village they had just left. He estimated it contained more than fifty log houses, all larger than the huts in the forest village.
On a small knob on the other side of the town sat a large log palisade, with a log building peeking over its top. At the base of the knob was a large open space. Evidently, this was the location of the market day. It appeared that traders were already staking out spaces to display their wares.
Cale and Dee pushed their cart into an empty space, and gratefully lowered the front of the cart. Then they sank to the ground, panting with relief. Flying starships was no preparation for pulling a heavily-laden two-wheeled cart down a rutted dirt road.
A small man in the next space was setting up an awning. It started to collapse, and Cale leapt to catch a falling pole and hold it as the man attached a guy line. "Thankee," the man said, and then appeared to see Cale clearly for the first time.
"Never seen you before," the man said. "First time here?" Cale admitted that it was.
The little man nodded. "Knew I'd never seen you. Need help with your canopy? Or will your woman help you?" Cale admitted he had no canopy.
The man shook his head. "Sun's hot. By tomorrow evenin' you'll wish you had. I think I might have a spare, but I won't have poles. What've you got to trade?"
Cale turned toward the cart, and the man said "NO!" in an urgent tone. "You're new here, fer sure. Don't open your cart until you open for trade tomorra. And don't leave it unguarded. That why you brought the woman?"
Cale grinned. "Among other reasons."
The little man smiled. "What you should do is send yer girl down t'the inn to buy a pot o'stew an' some beer, while you stay here an' guard. Y'got metal?"
Cale looked puzzled, and the man frowned. "Where you from, boy? Aroun' here ever'body carries small bits of metal t'buy things like food an' drink. Silver's best, but iron an' steel 're good, too."
Cale's grin flared again. "I've got plenty of iron and steel," he replied. "But it's all in Old Time trade goods. As for where we're from, I guess you could say 'Valhalla'."
"Old Time stuff, huh? How 'bout I loan you a few ounces of steel, an' you make me a good deal tomorrow?" Cale paused, and the man continued, "I'll even throw in the loan of a pot fer the stew."
Cale frowned. "Tell you what," he said. "Suppose you sell me that few ounces of steel, plus enough to buy poles with, and that spare canopy, and loan me the pot, and in the morning I give you a prime dino pelt."