Luka and Eve practically sprinted across the clearing, Momma Nan’s face turning from green to red. Veins bulged across her neck and temples as the swordsman continued to spit about the “raw” food. Before the building pressure caused Momma Nan to explode, Luka intervened.

“Hello there!” he called, the distance between them causing many heads to turn.

The swordsman’s head jutted to the side, a faint sizzle of electricity coursing across his chest and down his legs. The blue sparks dove into the ground, disappearing just as quickly as they came. The man twitched, his arms and legs zipping like bolts of lightning.

Magic of some sort? Luka wondered as he watched the strands in his vision hover around the man like static around a balloon.

“Magic swordsman,” Eve whispered to Luka, one step behind him. “Adventurers are a rowdy bunch—we have to deal with them all the time at the bar. Don’t let him intimidate you.”

Luka briefly paused. Maybe I should just let Eve deal with this, then… No. I’m the one who needs to—it’s my park, my responsibility.

“You’re the World Walker. The boss,” the swordsman said, spitting a wad of dark chew in the dirt. “Maybe you can fix this and not this peon.”

The man nodded toward Momma Nan—who just scoffed and looked away. Most of her anger had drained now that Luka and Eve were here. No longer did she have to deal with this… ruffian. Instead, she could watch the show.

“Is there an issue?” Luka placatingly asked, doing his best to mime the blissfully calm voice of Goddess Tippy. Was he close to achieving such a tone? No. But he was close, for a mortal.

“This is bloody raw!” the man screeched, wagging a leg of meat.

Ribblelit meat reminded Luka of both goose and wild elk. It was a dark protein, a sort of local giant toad as far as he understood. He’d tried a single bite a few days ago and had not touched the stuff since. He did, however, know what World Walker Park was selling—all booths, drinks, food, merch, tickets, and more.

“May I see?” Luka asked, holding out his hand. He heard Momma Nan scoff at the question.

The swordsman dropped the leg of meat—which resembled the size of a hormone-pumped turkey leg—into Luka’s hand. “See how red it is? Raw, I tell you!”

Luka bristled at the man’s volume. Adventurers really knew how to yell, apparently. “It’s not raw. It’s been smoked. The red color’s from the wood we used—shine elm, imported from the Shiney Forest and great for grilling and smoking.”

A flicker of lightning bounced around the man’s shoulders and down his back into the ground. He twitched, taking on a predatory grin. “You think I don’t know raw from cooked? I eat smoked meats every day on the road!”

Luka held himself steady, even when he got a face full of spittle from the man’s yelling. “Momma Nan, if you wouldn’t mind showing our guest the smoking box?”

The village elder grunted, standing from her padded seat. She pulled back on the back tent wall of the stall, showing off a wrought iron cube about the size of a small car. On one end, an offset tinderbox blazed with glowing red shine elm embers. A set of double doors clamped closed with a wooden spoon between a latch leaked gentle, almost invisible, blue smoke—the proper color for smoking meats.

“Those have been smoking since before sunrise today,” Luka casually said. “I know because I had to practically drag the village’s little chef away from the box and to school. He didn’t want to mess up the seasonings.”

“The little runt,” Momma Nan muttered.

The swordsman stared at the box before biting his teeth down and glaring at the World Walker. “No—this is raw! I demand my money and time back!”

“If you’re willing,” Luka said, “then I’d like to give you another smoked leg. If that one’s not to your liking, then I’ll refund you for your meal. Or I can give you a free voucher for a smashburger—a food from my home world.”

Lightning crackled down the man again. “And my time?”

Before Luka could answer, Eve said, “Two free drinks at Mr. Todd’s Bar.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

The man considered for a moment before nodding harshly. “Voucher and free mead.”

“Very good,” Luka said, handing out a slip of paper for the food.

“Just tell Todd ‘Eve sent me,’” Eve said for the free drinks. The swordsman growled something too low for anyone to hear before walking away.

Luka turned to Momma Nan. “You okay?”

“A little terp like him can’t ruin my mood,” she said. “But Goddess above, if you give everyone free stuff every time they complain, you’ll run us out of business.”

He had to agree. “We need some security then. I didn’t want to duel a swordsman in the middle of the park or something. How do these events usually play out?”

Eve answered, “Either they give up, a drunkard punches them in the face and starts a bar brawl, or they rob the place. An adventurer walking away with just a meal ticket is a win in my book.”

“And two free drinks,” Luka added.

Eve gave her own predatory grin. “Mr. Todd’s not going to honor that. No way he’d give two free drinks away at my whim.”

“Then what—”

“Todd hired a new muscle head yesterday. If, and when, the adventurer makes a scene over there, it will be taken care of.”

“That’s devious, girl,” Momma Nan said, half listening to the conversation and half dealing with new customers.

“When did Todd do that?” Luka asked.

“You were building the swings and teacups,” Eve said. “Sent Franky to Sneerhome with a help-wanted flier. Why do you think I’m out here in the park? I don’t have to work the day shift anymore.”

“Todd hired someone to fill your position? Did he fire you?”

“He wouldn’t dare. No, with the bar’s popularity, he hired a whole cluster of new help.”

“Oi,” Momma Nan interrupted. “Why is my line so much shorter than the burger line? I’m going to lose the bet at this rate.”

Luka and Eve looked between the lines. Smoked ribblelit had a few fans but nowhere near the intrigue smashburgers produced. They paused.

“What bet?”

“The other elders—we bet who’d make the most money today. I chose a staple, ribblelit.”

“Well,” Eve said, “I think it’s because smashburgers are a World Walker food.”

Momma Nan scoffed. “Then turn mine into ‘World Walker food’ as well!”

“How am I—” Luka stopped himself, an idea forming as well as a memory.

Once, when he was first hired by his home world government and before he made bombs, he and his mentor took a trip to the great ol’ United States—Texas specifically. The state held a few military defense contractors, one of which Luka and his boss had to meet with. During the trip, a multi-million-dollar deal was made, as well as multiple barbeque feasts.

“What makes it ‘Texas’ barbeque?” Luka remembered asking.

The Texan he was with smiled greatly, and said, “Because it just is.”

At the time, Luka felt the answer was both undefining and a cop-out. But after tasting the beautiful, succulent meats, he understood. Texas barbeque just was.

Strands of magic fluttered around Luka’s eyes, connecting to a few dozen pebbles around the area. Quickly, they melded together and reformed into thin block letters. He then connected the letters to the wooden sign for the stall in such a way the stone popped out of the two-dimensional frame.

“World Walker Barbequed Ribblelit?” Eve asked. “What’s a barbeque again?”

“Means different things in different places. But here,” Luka gestured to Momma Nan’s stall, “it means smoked succulent meats.”

“How does this help sell more ribblelit though? Everyone knows smoked ribblelit isn’t new.”

Now, it was Luka’s turn to take on a predatory grin. He turned to Momma Nan. “You want to win the bet?” She nodded. “Then you’ve got to sell.”

“Sell?”

“There was a term on Earth, ‘captain of industry.’ It was a self-made person who excelled in their chosen field. They, for example, could resell you the clothes off your back or purchase your priceless family heirlooms for cents on the dollar, then turn around and sell them for millions. World Walker Barbeque means nothing. I made it up on the spot. But it could also mean everything.”

“Depending on how I ‘sell’ it.” Momma Nan carefully studied Luka. “You’re more devious than her.”

Luka just smiled.

“I don’t understand,” Eve said.

“He wants me to use ‘World Walker Barbeque’ as a way to sell meat.” The elder considered for a moment. “He wants me to sell the ‘story’ of World Walker Barbeque, actually.”

“Bingo,” Luka said with a smirk. “People love a good story. Entertainment is what we do here, after all. However, we are probably going to have to tweak the recipe. Can’t be selling boring food if World Walker Barbeque is so special.”

“Get that little squirt, Ren, over here then,” Momma Nan muttered. “After school.”

“I’m sure he’ll find his way over on his own.”

The village elder took a deep, calming breath… then yelled at the top of her lungs, “GET YOUR LUNCH FROM THE WORLD WALKER’S SMOKER! TRY ANOTHER WORLD’S CERTIFIED BEST TECHNIQUE TO COOK MEAT! BUY ONE GET ONE HALF OFF!”

Eve and Luka stood stunned.

Quietly, Momma Nan said, “I’ll make up the details as more people buy. I can’t be yelling all day.”