▁first ▁published ▁in ▁Isaac ▁As im ov ' s ▁Science ▁F iction ▁Magazine ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁ ▁Plot ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁government ▁has ▁out la wed ▁but ter ▁and ▁un tre ated ▁eggs ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁high ▁ch ol ester ol ▁content . ▁G ur ney , ▁an ▁anti ques ▁deal er ▁in ▁rural ▁New ▁Jersey ▁disco vers ▁several ▁far mers ▁who ▁are ▁producing ▁the ▁' real ▁stuff ' ▁and ▁starts ▁dealing ▁in ▁them , ▁thus ▁becoming ▁a ▁' lip id leg ger '. ▁▁ ▁A ▁de cade ▁after ▁the ▁ban , ▁G ur ney ▁is ▁approached ▁by ▁an ▁out - of - t owner ▁for ▁his ▁product , ▁and ▁only ▁after ▁showing ▁the ▁goods ▁does ▁the ▁man ▁reve al ▁he ▁is ▁in ▁fact ▁a ▁Health ▁Department ▁inspect or ▁- ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁a ▁drug ▁b ust . ▁However , ▁G ur ney ' s ▁insight ▁reve als ▁that ▁the ▁man ▁himself ▁enjo ys ▁but tered ▁bis cu its , ▁but ▁has ▁not ▁had ▁one ▁since ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁child . ▁He ▁is ▁thus ▁able ▁to ▁s way ▁the ▁man ▁into ▁e ating ▁one , ▁upon ▁which ▁he ▁accepts ▁several ▁st icks ▁of ▁but ter ▁as ▁a ▁b ri be ▁in ▁lieu ▁of ▁the ▁arrest , ▁imp lying ▁that ▁he ▁will ▁become ▁a ▁regular ▁customer ▁of ▁G ur ney ' s . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁story ▁clos es , ▁G ur ney ▁makes ▁note ▁of ▁a ▁newspaper ▁article ▁about ▁a ▁planned ▁ban ▁on ▁cart o ons ▁de