All Men Fear Me by Donis Casey

folks’ extra that they grew too much of, and sell it to somebody that grew a bunch of something else. Better that way than when the war first started and all the housewives here in town were hoarding canned goods. Why, for a month or so there, I couldn’t keep anything on the shelves. I could have charged three times the price and they’d have paid. Never would do it, though. It’s evil to take advantage of people’s fear. Still, I have to charge an outlandish price just to break even!” He leaned over the counter and his voice dropped. “Sometimes I just trade one thing for another—a chicken for a peck of peas, that kind of thing. Don’t know if that’s a thing to be doing, but in these times I think we’ve got to help one another however we can.”
    â€œSounds like a patriotic way to do business, to my mind.” Alafair felt a small pang of guilt, since she was one of those who was growing her own and no longer buying extra. It seemed like you couldn’t do even the best-intentioned thing without affecting someone in a way you didn’t anticipate.
    â€œWhat can I do for you, Miz Tucker?” Mr. Khouri repeated.
    â€œI came into town to pick up mail and visit with my daughters and my grandbaby for a spell, but I figured that while I’m here, I may as well come by and see if you have some round steak for sale today. I’m fixing to cook up a special dinner today and I expect that a bit of beef would fill the bill. We don’t much partake of beef these days.”
    â€œWell, you’re in luck! I just bought a whole beef from Mr. Eichelberger this very morning. He’s been raising calves to sell to the co-op but I talked him into selling one to me for the benefit of his hard-working neighbors.”
    â€œI know beef isn’t that easy to come by these days. I hope it isn’t too expensive or I’ll have to revise my plans.”
    â€œI can let you have some nice bottom round steak for twenty cents a pound.”
    She sucked in a breath. “That’s dear.”
    â€œIs this for a special occasion?”
    She hesitated. As a union organizer, Rob was a divisive figure, but she knew that the longer Rob stayed with them the harder it was going to be to keep his presence a secret. She had too many gabby children to keep anything under wraps for long. But under the circumstances, there was no reason to go out of her way to advertise the fact that he was visiting. “We’ve been so austere lately that I reckon the family deserves a nice meal. Besides, we have a birthday coming up.” Not really a fib. With ten children, in-laws, and grandchildren, somebody’s birthday was always coming up.
    Khouri smiled and lifted a shoulder. “Like you said, beef is hard to come by these days. But since it’s a special occasion, I’ll let you have it for eighteen cents a pound. How’s that?”
    â€œHow about seventeen cents a pound and I’ll bring you a half-dozen quarts of peaches I canned last month next time I’m in town?”
    â€œDeal!” Khouri’s eyes lit up. He disappeared into the back room. Alafair heard the mechanical creak of the refrigerator door, the rustling of paper and a couple of thumps, before Mr. Khouri reappeared with the back end of a side of beef flung over his shoulder. He clunked it onto the marble cutting surface, pulled a cleaver from under the counter, and hacked the bottom round away from the bone. He picked up a long, wicked, carving knife. “How much you want, Miz Tucker?”
    â€œI’m tempted to take the whole round, Mr. Khouri. You know what a herd of folks I have to feed. I’ll cut the steaks myself.”
    He carved an enormous slab off the bone and wrapped the meat in a piece of butcher paper. “How’s the family, Mr. Khouri?” Alafair asked,
    â€œOh, doing very well, thank you, ma’am. We’re starting to feel right at home