53 Ganymede

Episode 28 - Strange Day

The market spills out onto the street, the overflow of vendors, customers, and stalls caught by the wide sidewalks that surround the old Henwick Theatre. Streams of shoppers file in and out of the grand double doors, their arms laden with baskets and bags of colourful produce.

The sunlight lends the world a golden hue and Claire feels as though she is watching the scene through a jar of liquid honey; she imagines she can taste its sweetness on her tongue as she meanders past the stalls. The liveliness of the crowd is invigorating and she lets its energy seep into her as she admires the elegant architecture of the centuries-old building and the scent of last night's rain mingled with earth, fruit, and freshly baked bread.

"What's next on the list?" Declan asks, leaning over her shoulder to spy the paper she holds, half-forgotten, in her right hand.

"Oh! Umm..." Claire considers the list, wondering idly how the others are doing with their own, "Eggs."

"Probably inside," he says, resting his hand against her back as they find their way into a current of shoppers heading towards the doors. As they climb a series of stone steps to the entrance, Declan asks, "Have you been to this market before?"

"No," says Claire, readjusting the canvas bag on her shoulder, "Usually just the farmer's market downtown."

Declan smiles and chuckles under his breath.

"What?" She asks.

"You'll see."

Claire furrows her brow and considers his unusually mischievous smile. Ganymede is rubbing off on him, she decides. Her attention is swiftly stolen as they pass through the doorway and into a large hall that was obviously once the lobby of a magnificent theatre. Wooden counters and stalls are built into the walls now, and vendors have even taken up residence in the ticket window and the bar.

"I never knew this place existed," Claire says, standing on her tiptoes to try to see further.

"It's pretty much the only market open on Sunday," Declan says, and Claire understands now why they have come so far out of their way to finish their task. As they search for a vendor that sells eggs, Declan continues, "They wanted to demolish the theatre a long time ago, like when my mom was a kid, but the community got together and convinced the city to keep it as a heritage site and use it for community events and stuff."

"It's such a beautiful building," Claire says, admiring a dramatic chandelier that seems to drip from the ceiling like a series frozen raindrops. It still holds an air of elegance, despite a few cobwebs and a handful of missing crystals.

"You haven't even seen the best part yet," Declan tells her as they pass through another set of doors into the auditorium. The seats have been stripped away leaving a large space with several alcoves, every corner stuffed with vendors.

"What's the best part?"

Without saying anything Declan points upwards. Claire tilts her head to the side and smiles in confusion before finally shrugging and looking up toward the ceiling. She grabs Declan's arm to avoid falling over.

Above and behind them is a rounded balcony filled with even more stalls, shoppers drifting from one to the other. Beyond that is the ceiling — a gilded dome painted to look like a night sky surrounded by the midnight waves of a great ocean. The thousands of tiny silver stars, along with the lifelike detail of the waves and the motion of the nearby shoppers, collide in a dizzying effect that makes Claire's head spin. She grips Declan's arm tightly, but doesn't look away from the intoxicating beauty of the ceiling.

"Almost done?"

Claire recognizes Marcus' voice but stares a few moments longer before lowering her gaze to his.