"One hundred bears apiece," I said smugly. "Cockatoo is already contracting to-"
"I told you never to mention that creature to me again!" Peacock shrieked. "He must not steal an Original Hog from me, do you hear? I simply couldn't bear it! But all this is getting so expensive . . . '
I gave Peacock my best understanding smile. "Peacock, old man," I said, "I have a little business proposition for you . . . .
Well, that's all there was to it. You guessed it, now when Peacock makes one of his messes in some henpecked caveman's cave, it always includes at least one Original Hog, or maybe a couple Original Treesloths-Treesloth being another jerk Artist I have under contract. I sell the painting to Peacock for a hundred bears, and he charges his suck-er, client, two hundred bears for the same mess of bearfat and bison chips. Peacock calls this Interior Decorating.
I call it "Civilization." Maybe it'll last for a couple of months, if I'm lucky.
