The Last Spartan: Different Paths by A. E. McCullough

Author:A. E. McCullough [McCullough, A. E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
ISBN: 9781470086237
Amazon: 1470086239
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2012-03-19T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Iaido paused at an information terminal to locate his destination.

Although he had been to Haven many times, the station was so large that he had never visited every shop. The retrofitted starbase was broken down into six major sections. The operations section at the very ‘top’ of the station was considered off limits to non-essential personnel, while the lowest sections consisted primarily of storage and uninhabitable areas. The space docks took up most of the outer region, which left one area for the market and the remaining two for living quarters.

The info terminal directed him to the ‘Louisville Deck’ – which was level twenty-two of the Market section. Every level was named for a city, modern, ancient or otherwise. Since Haven had a multi-cultural population, sometimes the names were odd. Supposedly helped the inhabitants recall their roots and made it easier for many to find their way around. Iaido always found it trivial and frustrating but since he couldn’t change it, he just accepted it.

Locating his destination, Iaido paused to study his surroundings before entering.

It was a trinket shop and seemed to be filled with knick-knacks from all over the galaxy. Several baskets of rugs and a stuffed long-toothed cat adorned the storefront with only one aisle way visible and seemed to wind through the store. The traffic on this level was less than they had encountered earlier but there was still a steady flow of people moving about. Iaido leaned against the opposite wall and calmly waited.

Talia looked around. “What are we waiting for?”

“Patience. Just because that is our destination, that doesn’t mean I am going to rush in without a proper recon.”

“Recon?”

Iaido rolled his eyes and took a calming breath. “It’s a military term for reconnaissance.” He nodded at the store. “We have no idea what’s in there but by watching traffic patterns we can learn a lot. For example, since we have arrived approximately one-hundred and seventy-five people have passed the shop but no one has entered. Furthermore, both stores to either side have had steady traffic. What does that tell you?”

“I don’t know.” Talia shrugged and brushed a stray lock of her silver hair behind her ears.

“Either the store owner Ishmael or the merchandise he sells isn’t popular with the locals.”

Talia pulled out her tarot deck and began to shuffle them. Iaido realized that it was a nervous habit she had and said nothing about it as he continued to watch for ten more minutes without anyone entering or exiting the store. Pushing himself from the wall, they moved across the pedestrian traffic and stepped inside.

If walking into the Sylvan Embassy in New Atlanta was like stepping back in time, then entering this shop was like entering a nineteenth century museum crossed with a vaudeville magic store and there is no other way to describe the place other than cluttered. There were knick-knacks piled on top of boxes which were stacked next to piles of junk. Iaido didn’t even recognize most of the trinkets in the store.

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