It was a young boy of perhaps nine or ten. Craig caught sight of him as he motioned urgently. He wore a shabby, torn version of what appeared to be a space service uniform.
"I'm not buying anything, son," Craig said, pausing briefly.
"Come here, quick!" insisted the boy, his eyes large in a dirty face. "You already bought too much."
The boy was motioning him to follow. He had stepped between two buildings. Craig approached him with suspicion.
"What did you say?"
"Slip in here quick! You bought from Nave the peddler. You bought poly, didn't ya?"
"How did you...." Craig began.
"Tell you later. Slip through here quick or they'll send you to Hardy!"
The genuine fear of the youngster conveyed itself to Craig. With effort he forced his body through the space between the old buildings. At first he did not intend to follow the boy, but only to stop him for an explanation. The boy, however, continued down the tight corridor formed by the buildings.
"There's a window soon," he said from ahead of Craig. "Hurry. You lost time with that peddler."