The Juggernaut (Juggernaut #1)

Ten

They wandered through the market awhile longer. Malachi led the way, idly browsing things they didn't need and couldn't afford. Then Tila suddenly realised where they were headed.

She nudged Ellie and pointed at Malachi. A look of puzzlement crossed Ellie's face, then she understood what Tila was trying to tell her. She grinned at Tila, held her gaze and asked innocently, "Hey, Malachi. Where are we going?"

"Uh, nowhere. Why?"

"Nowhere?" said Tila.

"Oh," said Ellie, "Because I thought we were heading toward Nina's stall."

Malachi had his back to them but the girls knew he was blushing.

"Well, as we're in the area I just thought..." he trailed off into an unintelligible mumble. No plausible excuses came to mind.

"Thought what?" said Tila, who had no intention of letting Malachi off the hook too easily.

"I thought she might have something new for me," he finished helplessly.

"Something new like...?"

"Like news on ships," Malachi said, now more confident in his lie. "I don't know how she keeps up with it but she's always one step ahead of everyone else."

"So, that must be why she's so popular," said Tila. "It's good of her to let him know, isn't it, Ellie?"

"Why yes, Tila, it is!" Ellie's voice dripped with good-natured sarcasm.

"They must be getting on very well!"

"Yes, very well!"

"Shut up," said Malachi, refusing to turn around and see their grinning faces. "Anyway, my dad asks me to see her sometimes. She's a good information broker."

"I bet she is," said Tila. "Did he ask you today?" Ellie had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing.

"Shut up," he repeated.

They turned away from the central market area and headed for one of the terraces, where services and information rather than products and goods, were always on offer. Many of the services available would be illegal on any other space station but on the Juggernaut there was no law.

Malachi ignored the giggling and whispers behind him.

"Hey, Mal," said Tila. "How does Nina always know when new ships are coming in, anyway? There must be hundreds of people all over the Juggernaut wanting the same thing."

Grateful for a sensible question at last, Malachi said, "She pays people to look out for her, for one thing, and don't forget how big this place is. New ships arrive almost every week but no one can keep watch over the whole city. She makes sure she's the first to know about any new salvage. Otherwise someone else will strip them first. Plus, I gave her a list of parts we need in the shop so if anything comes in she sends me a message."

"What if someone else wants the same parts?" said Ellie.

"I don't know. It's never been a problem."

Ellie and Tila exchanged a wink.

"Why is that, do you think?" Tila asked innocently.

"I don't know. Why?"

"Oh, nothing," said Tila.

By now they had climbed a third of the way up the terraces. From here they had a commanding view of the main trading area below them. Tiers of stalls spanned out to either side, encircling the room, and more than a dozen more rose to the ceiling above them. Each level up had fewer stalls than the tier below until the top three levels were almost empty.