MyOwnKindOfFreedomStevenBrust

Published:2007Categorie(s):Fiction,ScienceFictionSource:http://dreamcafe.com/firefly.html

AboutBrust:StevenKarlZoltánBrust (bornNovember 23, 1955) is anAmerican fantasy and science fiction

authorofHungariandescent.Hewasamemberofthewriters'groupTheScribblies,whichincludedEmmaBull,PamelaDean,WillShetterly,NateBucklin,KaraDalkey,andPatriciaWrede,andalsobelongs to the Pre-Joycean Fellowship. He is best known for his novels about the assassin VladTaltos. His novels have been translated into German, Russian, Polish, Dutch, Czech, French andHebrew,asof2006.AgyarhastwodifferentFrenchtranslations.Mostofhisshortstoriesaresetinshareduniverses.TheseincludeEmmaBull'sandWillShetterley'sLiavek,RobertAsprin'sThieves'World,NeilGaiman'sSandmanandTerriWindling'sBorderlandSeries.Source:Wikipedia

Copyright:Pleasereadthelegalnoticeincludedinthise-bookand/orcheckthecopyrightstatusinyourcountry.

Note:ThisbookisbroughttoyoubyFeedbookshttp://www.feedbooks.comStrictlyforpersonaluse,donotusethisfileforcommercialpurposes.

This novel is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No DerivativeWorks3.0License.Thismeansyouarefreetoshare(copy,distribute,display,andperform)thisbookas longasyou leave theattribution(authorcredit) intact,makenomodifications,anddonotprofitfromitsdistribution.Forcompletelicenseinformationvisithttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/If you find a typographical error or have other corrections or feedback, please contact

kit@dreamcafe.com.Firefly and the Firefly universe are the property of JossWhedon,Mutant Enemy, Inc. and 20th

CenturyFox.Theyarelovinglyusedwithoutpermission.

ToCaliannFormanyreasons

Acknowledgments

ChristopherKindred twistedmy arm intowriting this one; blame him.AnneZanoni,my personalassistant, created the conditions where-by it was possible to write it, and Anne Murphy and JoelRosenbergkeptthemachineworkingsoIhadsomethingtowriteiton.Dr.FlashGordonwaskindenough to consult with me on wounds. Thanks to Will, Emma, and Pamela for long-distanceScriblification. The Chinese translations were by Trent Goulding. Thanks also to everyone in theBrowncoatschatwhoputupwithmyirritatingquestionsontheFireflyuniverse.In this,my first effort at amedia tie-in novel (yes,my soul is lost), it seems tacky to thank the

creator, cast, and crew of Firefly; but it feels wrong not to, so call this a half-assed nod in thatdirection.Forpeoplewhocareaboutsuchthings,thebookwaswritteninemacsonaboxrunningMandrake

Linux,thenIusedOpenOfficetoformatitforprinting.Thefinal layoutforonlinepublicationwascreatedwithMicrosoftWordandAdobeAcrobat.Peoplewhocareabout such thingsneed togetalife.

Prologue

Those who appreciate ginseng—either for its supposed medicinal qualities, or for its distinctiveflavor—arewillingtopayinordinatelyhighpricesforit.In the Southern Hemisphere of Paquin, about eighty kilometers east of the Scar (in the high

foothillsoftheNapalachain)isalong,meanderingforestcalledRunaround,fullofoaksandsugarmaples. It is thebest place in the 'verse to find—orgrow—theherb calledpanax, redberry, tartarroot,andginseng.It'saplantthatisabsurdlyeasytogrow,giventherightclimateandsoil:youcutafurrowintheautumn,dropintheseeds,packthemdown,andspendthenextfiveyearstappingmapletreesandshootingatpoachers.Inadditiontobeingtheeconomicbaseoftheregion,Ginsengisthenameofthebiggesttown,with

apopulationofalmostnine thousand, ifyou include thenearby rooters.The townhasaneffectivesewagesystem,cleanwater, severalpaved roads,dozensofpermanentbuildings,and, temporarily,just past the smokehouse, it had a Firefly-class transport, hunkered down in a clear field likesomethingthatpounceswaitingtopounce.Inside the vessel, even as her landing gear settled onto the rich dirt and plumes of smokewere

blownawayfromtheside-thrustersontheoutside,avoicecameovertheintercom:"We'redown.Wehavelandedsafely.Yes,throughahailstormoffire,oncemore,wehaveachievedlandfallinspiteofalltheobstaclesoftheheavens.Wearedelivered.Wemustkisstheground.Yes,Isay,theground,theholygroundwemust,uh,kiss."On the outside, the cargo door swung down.On the inside, a large, square-jawedmanwearing

loosepantsandagreentee-shirtsaid,"Needtobreakthatintercom.”Heputafingerintohisearandshookitasthepressurefinishedequalizing.Nearhim,alsolookingoutonPaquin,wasabrown-hairedwomanwearinggreasygraycover-alls.

"Thisworldsmellslikecandy,"shesaid."Smellslikemoneytome,"saidtheman.Twootherswalkedupnexttothem.Likethelargeman,theybothworesidearms:hiswasstandard

military-issueShacorpIXsemi-auto,herswasalever-actionsawed-offcarbine.Hewasclean-cut,andofaveragebuild;shewasdarkandathletic-looking.Shesaid,"Allright,let'smakethisquickandclean.Wemaketheexchange,andthenwe'reout."Themanglancedather.Sheglancedbackathim."Justtryingtosaveyouthetrouble,sir.Youmust

betiredofgivingthatspeech.""I'mappreciative,Zoë.Mostlikeit'lldoasmuchgoodaswhenIsayit."Thebigmansnickered,butdidn'tsayanything."Jayne,stayhereandseetotheloading.ZoëandIwillgoseeaboutpayment.""Ithoughtwewerebeingpaidontheotherside."Theonewho'dbeenaddressedassir(atitleheacceptedasifusedtoit)tiltedhisheadandpeered

upat the largerman."Yes, Jayne.Weare.And theyarebeingpaidat thisend. I think theycall thatcommerce.""Wait,Mal.We'repayingthem?I'mnotrealkeenongivingmoneytoabunchof—""IsitallrightwithyouifwepaythemwiththemoneySakaryagaveusforthatpurpose?""Uh…yeah.""Gladtohearit.Thenyoudon'tmindifwegoaheadanddothisdeal?Imean,Iwouldn'twantto

takeastepwithoutyourtamadeyunxu.""Suibianni,"saidJayneasMalandZoësetfootontoPaquin."Istilldon'tgetit,"hecontinuedaftertheyweregone.

Thewoman in cover-alls said, "Cap'n andZoë going to drop themoney off, then they load thecargo,thenwedropoffthecargoonHera,thenwegetpaid,thenwebuySerenityanewinduction—.""What I don't see is why we ain't just keeping the money and saving ourselves a lot of flying

around."Shesighed."Oh,Jayne,"shesaid,andwanderedbackintotheship.Sheclimbedthemetalstairway

up from themassive cargo hold that was the reason for the ship's existence and followed a longcorridor back to the med bay. A young man—he looked like he barely needed to shave—stoodlookingdownattheoccupiedexamtable.Heglancedupasthewomanapproachedandsaid,“HelloKaylee.”“Hey,Simon.How'sRiver?”“Sleeping,” he said, glancing once more at the small figure on the table. “I'm trying a new

treatment.She'llbeoutforanhourortwo.”“Wasshehavingmoredreams?”HelookedatKayleeandnodded,andtherewasacertaincommunicationthatpassedbetweenthem,

as if a conversation many times repeated didn't need yet another iteration. Instead, Kaylee said,“Checkers?”“Whynot?”Fiveandahalfhourslater,theholdwasloadedwithfourtonsofpre-cutmaple.Malpunchedthedoorclosedandsaid,"Wash,takeusoutoftheworld.""Thatpartwentprettysmooth,sir,"saidZoë."Yep.Fromnowon,you'regivingthespeech."Outside,thesoundmuffledbytheboat'sskin,theside-thrustersfired,andtheshiplifted.

1ChapterMyOwnKindofLie

Serenity:BridgeHealwayssmiledwhenSerenityfirstkissedatmo.Thatwasthemomentthatseparatedpilots;asloppyentrycostfuel,aperfectentrysavedfuel,and

thedifferencecouldbethedifferencebetweenahealthyprofitandadisastrousloss.Whenyoukissedatmo, itwas all touch; suddenly the number of variables increased by an order ofmagnitude: theshape of the ship, the tilt of her nose, the attitude adjusters, speed, direction, the density and exactcompositionoftheupperatmosphere—allofit.Malnevernoticed,ofcourse;noneofthemnoticed.They'donlynoticeifhediditbadly;thenhe

would,nodoubt,getallsortsoflooksandremarks.Anditwouldcutintohisprofitsasitwouldtherestofthecrew's.But none of thatwaswhyhemadehis entries as close to perfect as humanly possible: he did it

because itwaswhat he loved doing. The challenges to a pilot in the blackwere rare, and usuallyinvolvedsomeformof terror.But the first touchofatmoonanewplanet, settingup theslide, thedeceleration,balancingskinheatwithfuelcost,inert-dampwithgravity—feelingpartoftheboatinawayevenKaylee,blessherheart,couldneverknow—thosewerethemomentsofliving.Thatwasthebest.Hewasawareofthefirsthintofruddertoport,andnoseup,andthenthethrustcontrolwasunder

his righthand;andafter that forawhilehecouldno longer follow thedetails,becausehewasnolongerusingcontrols—itwasn'tcauseandeffect, itwasjustonelongeffectasdistinctionsblurred.Pilottocontrol,controltoboat,boattoatmo,atmotogravity,gravitytopilot:theywereallthesamethingasSerenitysangthesongonlyWashcouldhear.Afteraninterminabletwentysecondsthatwasoversoquicklyitmayneverhaveexisted,thedecisionsweremade,thehardpartpast,andeverythingwas,alas,easyagain.ItwasmorningonthispartofHera.Fromtheco-pilot'schair,Malsaid,"How'stheentry?""It'sanentry.They'reallthesame.""Howlongarewelookingat?""Twenty minutes, give or take. Unless I accidentally flip us over and lose control and send us

smashingintothegroundtoafierydemise.Thatwouldbequicker.""Okay.Well,don'tdothat.""Allright."WashsmiledasSerenityslidfullyintoatmo.Serenity:BridgeHe saw his pilot smiling at his own joke,was tempted tomake a remark, but just looked away

instead.What'swrongwithme?Inhismind,heplayedback the last severaldaysof the trip.He'dbeenshortwithKaylee,patient

withJayne,allbutignoredZoë,and,justnow,hehadaskedhispilotameaninglessquestion,justtobreakthesilence—asilencethathenormallydidn'tmind;asilencehenormallyliked.

Ithadtobethejob.Thatwastheonlyexplanation.Therehadtobesomethingaboutthejobthatwasbotheringhim.Hereviewedallthepieces,startingwiththeinitialcontactwiththeclient(seemedallright;apublic

posting,nothing tomake it appearaimedathiscrew), thecontactwith theclient's rep (overavid;shouldhehaveinsistedonmeetinginperson?),theplanforthedropoff(goodflatarea;easytospotapotentialambush),andtheguaranteeforthepayment(Flushsaidhe'dknowntheclient,Sakarya,foryears;he'dneverheardofhimtwistingonadeal).So,whatwashisgorramproblem?If hewas getting to the pointwhere hewas smelling trouble just because everythingwas going

right,he'dhavetogiveitupandhaoxianshidegongzuoba.Whenhefelttheslight,briefweightfluctuationandheardthede-presscyclekickin,hegotup,left

thebridge,andmadehiswaytothecargobay.Hethreadedhiswaypastthestacksoflumber.Predictably,Jaynewasthereaheadofhim."Aretheygoingtohavepeopletodotheunloading?I'm

notthatkeenoncarrying—""They'llhavepeople,"hesaid.Thebigmanglancedhim."Youallright?""Whywouldn'tIbe?"“Youbeenactingfunny.”Malshrugged.“Nope.Everything'sshiny,”hesaid."Notacareintheworld.”HisweightincreasedalittleasSerenitymadeherwaytowardtheground.Serenity:EngineroomShepoutedandloosenedthestarboardeqvalvehalfadegree.SheswappedthewrenchfortheI-

tester,appliedit,andlooked.ThensheturnedtoZoë,whowasleaningagainstabulkheadnexttothehammock."Thatmightdoit.""Dowhat?""Youdidn'tfeelthatlurchwhenthea-gravcycled?""Ididn'tnotice."Kayleefrowned."Well,okay.Hey,Zoë?""Mmmm?""HastheCap'nbeenactingfunny?""Youmean,morethanhehassinceInaraleft?""Oh.""Hmmm?""That'swhatitis.Inaraleft.""Honey,"saidZoë,"Iloveyou,butsometimesyou'reabitslow.""Wellwhydidn'the…."hervoicetrailedoff."YouknowtheCaptain."saidZoë."No,Idon't.""Well,neitherdoI,forthatmatter."KayleeputtheI-testerbackinitscaseandthecaseintothecabinet."We'realmostdown.Shouldwe

goexplore?""I'vebeenherebefore,"saidZoë.Zoëgotupandmadeherwaytowardthecargobay.Kayleefollowed,justforthecompany."Ilove

newworlds,"shesaid."They'resofullofpossib—""Soyou'vesaid."

Kayleelookedathersharply."I'msorry,"saidZoë."Isthisthefirsttimeyou'vebeenbacktoHera,sincethen?""Thesecond."Theydidn'ttalkanymoreastheymadetheirwaydownthepassageway,untiltheyreachedthestair

tothecargobay,whenZoësaid,"Itmustbehardonyou,stayingcheerfulallthetimeinaboatfullofusmorosetypes.""Notabit,"saidKaylee."Itjustcomesnatural.Ain'tnothingevergetsmedown."MalandJaynewerealreadythere,andthecargodoorwasjustopening.Serenity:MedbayHe had learned that therewere times not to arguewith his sister, sowhen she said, "There are

ghostshere,Simon,"hejustsaid,"We'llbestayingonSerenity.""They'realreadyhere.""Ghostscan'thurtus,River.""They'rehurtingZoë.""Zoëcantakecareofherself.""SometimestheyaskquestionsIcan'tanswer.SometimestheyaskquestionsIdon'twanttoanswer.

Theywanttoknowiftheywereright,Simon.HowcanIknowiftheywereright?"Simonwrappedhisarmsaroundhissister."They're goingout now," she said. "And they're going to leave footprintswhere theywalk.Tell

themheisn'twhotheythinkheusedtobe.""Whoisn't,River?""Theghost.Theonewho'sstillalive."Simon, from longexperience,didn't try toworkouthowaghostcouldbealive; therewere too

manythingshissistersaidthatdidn'tmakesense.Thetroublewas,therewerefar,fartoomanythingsthatdid."YouknowwhatIthink?"saidRiver."Whatdoyouthink?""IthinkyoushouldkissKaylee."Hestaredather."Whyshould…why…whatareyoutalkingabout?""Well?Haven'tyouthoughtaboutit?""Ofcoursenot."Riverfrowned,thinkingdeeplyforamoment."Well,”shesaid,“I'mnotgoingtodoitforyou."Hera:YuvaRoadHeracrunchedbeneathhisboots.Jayne'sbootsweremuchlikewhat themuddersofCantonwore:coming tomid-calf,heldonby

threebuckledstraps;buttheyalsohadsteeltoesforprotectionfromanythingdroppedonthemandforadditionalemphasisinanyargumentthatinvolvedkicking."Mal,wegoingtohaveanytimehere?""Timeforwhat,Jayne?""Forgettingadrink,andmaybegettingsexed.It'sbeensolong—""Dependshowsmooththingsgo.Ifeverythingisright,wecantakeadayorso."Zoësaid,"Andthingsalwaysgosmoothforus,don'tthey,sir?"Jaynepattedhis sidearm,aGreerModelBwithextendedmagazine, and said, "Igot a smoother

withme."

"Oh,good,"saidMal."Thatmakesmefeelallkindsofreassured.""Well,let'sjustreassurethisruttin'joband—""Jayne,that'senough.""Jayne,"saidZoë,"What'swiththesuddenurgencyforabar,anyway?""It'snothing.Justthesamefaceseverydayformonthsgetssortaold.""Mmmm,"saidZoë.Hera:YuvaRoadZoëglancedattheCaptain,butheappearedtobelostinthought.Still,theoperativewordtherewas

"appeared;"she'dknowntheCaptainmorethanoncetohavepickedupasubtletythatshe'dthoughthe'dmissed.And certainly he pickedup on things that she hadmissed, and then put them togethercorrectly.Muchashepridedhimselfonhisabilitytoformagoodplan,itwasthisotherskill,hiswayofseeinganodd little thingandknowingwhat itmeantandreacting to itcorrectly, thathadgottenthemoutofsomanysituationsthattheyoughtnevertohaveescaped.Itwason thisyongyuanbeidingwei laipigoudewanjuworldcalledHera thathehadnoticedan

overturnedsupplytruckonadesertedroad,andmovedhiscommandhalfaklicktothewestandsooutflankedwhatwould have been an ugly, ugly ambush.And again and again, the same thing hadhappened.SosheoughttotrusthimtopickuponJayne'soddity,and,notjustpickuponit,butfigureoutwhatitmeant.Whichwasmorethanshecoulddo.ExceptthattheCaptainjustwasn'thimselfthesedays,andthatwascauseforworry.The"town"ofYuvabeganabruptlyastheroadsplit intotwomainstreets,whichranparallelfor

aboutamilebeforethesouthernmost(“SouthStreet,”saidasign)leftyouatthetopofahillleadingdown towhere theminers lived inwhatwaseffectivelyadifferent, larger, andmuch filthier town.NorthStreetwashalfamilelonger,endinginthecompanysecurityoffice.OnSouthStreet,abright,clean-looking store stood on the right beneath a sign saying, "Company Store," opposite a smallpark-likearea,withapondandafewscrubbytrees.Sakarya'smansion(white,square,andimposing)wasperchedonasortofhillock(artificial,and

artificiallygreen)justsouthofthestore.Zoëcontinuedchewingover theproblem, thoughshe still scanned theempty street inahabit so

deeplyingrainedshecouldnevershakeit.CouldshetalktoherWashaboutwhatwasgoingonwiththeCaptain?Itgotintotrickyareasbetweenthem.They continued up the street, past the long, walled and gated driveway leading up the hill. The

effectwasmoreabsurdthanimposing—whysetthemansionbackfromatwo-streetlittletown?Tothenorthwasasmall,squarebrickbuilding,thatsaidinChinesecharacters,"office.""I'dimagine,"saidtheCaptain,"thatthisisit.""Good,"saidJayne."Let'sgetourruttin'money.""Youmayaswellrelax,"saidtheCaptain."We'reprobablygoingtobestuckwaitingforunloading

instructions,andwaitinglongertogetpaid.""Wotaoyandengyideng.Forhowlong?""A few hours, most like.Maybe a day. Rich guys take time before they're willing to part with

money.Yougoodwiththat,Zoë?”“Ofcourse,sir.Let'sgoin.”TheCaptainledtheway.Serenity:MedbayShehateditthatKayleewasafraidofher,andsoshedidn'tgoneartheengineroomanymorethan

shehadto.SheunderstoodwhyKayleefearedher:itwasbecauseKaylee,asmuchassheknewabout

engines,didn'treallyseehowanyonecouldbecomfortablewithfractalgeometry.Ithadallbeenthatoneincident,thetimemonthsagowhenKayleehadseenherfactorsomanyvariablesatonetime,intheskyplexwithalltheshootinggoingon.Toomanyvariables,andtheequationsolvedtooquickly,andKayleecouldn'tcomprehendit,andsoshewasafraid.OnceRiverhadtriedtoexplainthatproblemsinfractalgeometrywereeasierifyousolvedthem

fromtheinside,buttheexplanationhadcomeoutmuddled.Communicationwas so difficult, because you needed to access somany different parts of your

braintoformasentenceandtheyallworkedatdifferentspeeds,andthepartthattoldthesentencetovocalizeworkedatyetadifferent speed;and then therewere theants insideyourbrain interferingwitheverything.ShehadtriedtoexplainthattoSimononce,buthadgottenthatlookthatsaidhewasbeingPatient

andConcerned.Shehatedthatlook.Hehadthatlooknow,ashesatnexttoherbedintheinfirmaryandstudiedherinsidesonhischarts

thatdidn'tshowtheants."Iwishyoucould remembermore,"he said. "Imean, aboutwhat theydid toyou.Did theyever

explainwhattheyweretryingtomakeyouinto?""Yes,"shesaid."Theytoldmetheyweren'treallyants.""Ants?""Yes.Inmybrain.Theyaren'treallyants,Iknowthat.Ijustcallthemantsbecausethat'swhatitfeels

likewhen they gowalking around everywheremaking it hard to seewhere everything is that I'mtryingtoget.Icallthemants,buttheyaren't.""Allright.""They'rereallytermites."Shesneakedapeekathim.HehadtheLookagain."River—""IfIweredeeperthanthebay,I'dbeatidalestuary.ButthatassumesI'mgoingsomewhere.Only

I'mstayinghere.AndIthinkI'mgoingbackward.""Youaren'tgoingbackward.I'mgoingtofindoutwhattheydidtoyou,andundoit.""Notbeforehecomesback.""Who,River?""Who?""Whoiscomingback?""Oh.Noone.Anyonewho'sgonethatfarawaycanneverreallycomeback.ButtheCaptaindoesn't

knowthat.""River,Idon'tunderstandwhatyou'retellingme."Ofcoursehedidn'tunderstand.Howcouldheunderstandwhenhethoughtlinesofprobabilityonly

existedmetaphorically?Whenallhehad tounderstandwithwashimself?Whenhekepteverythingout?Whenhecouldn'tseethattheghostswhohadneverdiedweretheoneswhocouldhurtyouneverhadtheghostofachanceswerethattherightanswerswerealwaystothewrongquestioneverythingandbesureofnothingeverchangesinastasis—"River?""Iwasthinking.""Whatabout?""Nothing.Areyouhungry?Icancooksomething.""Whendidyoulearntocook?"Shestuckhertongueoutathim.Simonsmiledaffectionately."I'dlikeasnack.ShouldweaskKayleeifshewantstojoinus?"

"No.Shedoesn'tlikeme.""Ofcourseshedoes.""No,shedoesn't.She'sbeenafraidofmeeversinceIsolvedthatprobleminfractalgeometry.""Whywouldshebeafraidofyouforsolvingageometryproblem?""Somepeoplearejustafraidofnumbers."

2ChapterMyOwnKindofSickness

Yuva:CompanyofficeThreehourslatertheylefttheoffice."Well,"saidMal,"thatwasthemostfunI'veeverhad.""Yes,sir,"saidZoë."Iespeciallyenjoyedwheretheydidn'thaveanychairstositinwhilewewere

waiting."“Ilikedthewaytheyignoredus.”"Istillsayitwouldhavespedthingsupifyou'dletmeshootoneortwooftheclerks,"saidJayne."I'msuresomethingwouldhavehappenedfast,"saidMal."Anyway,wehaveafewhoursbefore

theyshowuptounloadus.Gogetadrinkifyouwant,Jayne."Jaynegrunted,butcontinuedwalkingwiththem.MalfeltZoëlookingathim.Whatthehellwasgoingonwithhisgorramcrew?Kayleewasactinglikeeverytimeshespoketo

him she was afraid of what he'd say, Zoë and Wash were having whispered conversations andexchanginglooks,andJayne….TheywentuptherampintoSerenity'sbowels.Kayleewasleaningontherailabove,witha"tellme

howitwent"look.Nexttoherwasanemptyspace."Zoë,letmeknowwhentheygethere.""Yes,sir."Jayne headed up the stairs toward his quarters.Mal followed him, then continued up toward the

bridge."Hey,Mal,”saidWash.“Howdiditgo?""Longandboring.Anythinghere?""Aninvasionbyseven-foottallcloneswithamericiumintheirveins,butIfoughtthemoffwiththe

lasercannon.Wegoingtounload?""No,theclientissendinghispeople.""Yougoingtosupervise?""IexpectIwill.""Good.Duringtheloading,Ijustendedupstandingtherelookinglikeanidiot."Malstaredathim."Yousupervisedtheloading?""Yeah.""IthoughtJaynewasgoingtodoit.""Heaskedmeto.Saidhewantedtorunanerrand."Anerrand?WhatsortoferrandcouldyourunonPaquin?Alltheyhavethereis….Without anotherwordhe stoodupand left thebridge,heading toward Jayne'squarters.Halfway

there,hestartedrunning.Bythetimehereachedit,hewascursingaswell.Hepushedopenthedoorandclimbeddowntheladder.Thebigmanwaslookingoverhisshoulder

atthedoor,facinghiscupboard,andholdingacanvassack."Yeah,Mal?""What'sinthesack,Jayne?"

"Huh?Nothing.Justsomestuff.""Let'sseewhatstuff.""Mal,there'snoneed—"Hecrossedthethreestepsandgrabbedthesack.Jaynedidn'tletgoofit,buttherewasnoneedto;it

wasopen."Wellnow,"saidMal."Those'llbringagoodprice.""Justalittleprivateenterpriseoper—""Justalittlematterofstealingfromaclient.""Hell,Mal.Westealallthetime.What'sthemeiyoushenmaliaobuqi?""Andwhat'sgoingtohappennexttimewewantajobthere?""Onegorramspotononegorrammoon—""Thatwe'llbegoingbacktoafterthisjobtoreturntheginseng.""I'llreturnthestuffwhenhouzicongwogangmenfeichulai.""We'rereturningitassoonaswe'vefinishedourbusinesshere.""There'snoruttin'wayI'mgivingthisstuffup.""Whyarewestilltalkingaboutthis—"Jaynepushedpasthim,climbedtheladder,andstarteddownthehall,stillholdinghissack.Malclimbedafterhim."Jayne!"ThereweretimeswhenhecoulddealwithJayne,andjustacceptitaspartofthejob.Andthenthere

wereothertimes.JaynestoppedandfacedMal.Malkepthisvoiceeven."Youleavethisboatwiththosegoods,you

won'tbecomingbackon."Jaynestaredathim,jawclenched.Malmethiseyesandwaited.Serenity:Catwalk"Captain,doyouhaveaminute?""Untiltheyshowupforthecargo,Ihavenothingbuttime."Simonnodded,openedhismouth,closeditagain."I—""Spititout,doctor.What'sonyourmind?"ItwassodifficulttalkingtotheCaptain;oneneverknewhowhe'dreact.Inaway,hisworldview

wasasskewedasRiver's,whichmadeitasbigachallengetofindtherightwordsaswhenspeakingwithKaylee.Hesaid,"Idon'tknowifthisisanyofmybusiness,butI—""Justsayit,doctor."Simontookabreath."IsawJaynewalkingout, lookinglike…well,carryingacoupleofduffel

bags.Big,fullbags,like,maybe,everythinghe—""Jaynehasleftthecrew.""Oh,"saidSimon."Anythingelse?""I…yes.I'mwonderingifhisleavingwill…thatis,I'mafraid—""YouthinkhemightsellyououttotheAlliance?""Well,we'veneverbeenexactlybestfriends.Andhis ideasof loyaltyare, let'ssay, idiosyncratic.

So,yes,I'mworriedhemightinformtheAllianceaboutus.""SoamI.Infact,Ithinkit'sprettynearasurething.""Oh.Well,then.""Anythingelseonyourmind?""Uh,no,thataboutcoversit."

"Good,then."Simonhesitatedforamoment,thenwentbacktocheckonhissister.YuvaAfter stowinghisgearat the localdepot,he spentanhourwanderingaroundYuva. In that time,

whilehefailedtospotapolicestation,hedidfindasmallshackthatsaid,"Security”atthewestendofNorthStreet.Well,thatwasgoingtobeeasierthanwalkingintoanactualpolicestation,anyway.Hemadesurehispistolwasconcealedbyhisshirt,tookadeepbreath,andwentin.Twobored-lookingsecurityguardssatbehindtwotinydesks,oneover-crowdedwithsmartpaper,

the other with comm gear. They both looked up at him as he entered; neither seemed especiallyinterested.Icouldtakethemboth,hethought.Oneofthem,wearingahatandapot-belly,said,"Yeah?""Ineedtouseyourcommtoreachafed."Theystaredathimforamoment."Thisajoke?""DoIlooklikeI'mjoking?""Whoareyou,anyway?""I'mtheguylookingtoreachthefeds.Youtheguysgonnatellthemwhyyouwouldn'tletme?"Hesawthatshothit.Theylookedateachother."What'syourname?""Noneofyourruttin'business.Areyougoingtohookmeupwiththefeds,ornot?"They looked at eachother again, thenpot-belly nodded at theother,whoplayedwith the comm

setupforaminute,putontheheadphones,thenspokeintothemic."ThisisStationHEninethreesixsixone,requestingcodesevenauthorization…no,acivilian…Hewon'tgiveit…Idon'tknow…allright."HeheldoutthemicandtheheadphonestoJayne."Okay,it'sallyours."Heputtheheadsetonandspokeintothemic."Youthere?"Hewaited."Hello?"Themanbehindtheconsoleclearedhisthroat."Youhavetopushthatbuttondowntotalk.""Yeah,"saidJayne.Then,"Anyonethere?"Avoicecrackledfromtheheadset."Identifyyourself.""Noruttin'way.Igotthelocationofafugitiveyouwantbad.HernameisRiverTam.Now,ifyou

don'twanther,justsayso,andI'llbeaboutmybusiness."Thepausewasverysatisfying;itlastedmostofaminute.Thentherewasanewvoice."Whereis

RiverTam?""Whereismymoney?""Telluswheresheis,andyou'llgetyourmoney.""Youguystriedthatwithmeoncebefore.Igothumped,andyoustilldon'thavethegirl.Iseethe

moneybeforeyougetwozuogaowandesuozai."Therewasanotherpause,then:"Allright,whatdoyoupropose?""YouknowwhattownI'min;howsooncanyougetsomeonehere?""Waitamoment.""Takeyourtime.Ihaveallday."Thistime,thepausewasagoodfiveminutes,whichJaynespentleaningonthedeskandgivingthe

twosecurityguardstheeye.Then,"Allright,wehavesomeonethere.""Already?""He canmeet you at the canteen in anhour. If youprefer someother place,we'll accommodate

you.""No,that'sfine."

"You'llnegotiateapricewithhim,andthepaymentarrangements.""Someoneyoutrust,eh?Allright,bethereinanhour.”Jaynetookofftheheadphonesandthemic,andtossedthembacktothesecurityguard.Theonein

thehatsaid,"What,theAlliancehasanagenthere?Isthatwhattheysaid?""Guessso,"saidJayne."Burnonyouguys,eh?"Hechuckledandheadedoutthedoorandtowardthecanteen.Serenity:Catwalk"Whataperfect,magnificentass."Zoëlookedaroundandspokeoverhershoulder."Ihopeyou'retalkingaboutme,andnotoneof

them."Washcameupnexttoherandlookeddownatthecargoarea."Idon'tknow.Thatonebytherampis

kindacute,inabig,hairy,beardedguysortofway.""Iwasjustthinkingthat.""CanIborrowthatbig,hairy,uglygunofyoursforjustaminute?I'llgiveitrightback.""Nowdear,youknowwe'renotsupposedtomurderthehelp.""Speakingofmurder,what'supwithJayne?"Sheshrugged."IaskedtheCaptain.Hegrunted.ButitlookslikeJayne'sgone.""Gone.Whatkindofgone?""Gonegone.""Oh."Shelookedatherman."Youseemdisappointed.Ididn'tthinkyouwerethatfondofhim.""Sweetie,I'mfondofpeoplewhohelpkeepyoualiveandwithallofyourmovingpartsintact.Not

tomentionthemotionlessparts,whichhavetheirowncharm.Anyideawhathappened?""No.Iimaginewe'llhearaboutiteventually.""It'llmakegreatdinnerconversation.Sweetie—”“Hmm?”“What'swrongwithMal?”“Thatisthequestion,isn'tit?”“No,honey.Thequestionis,whywon'tyoutalktomeaboutit.”Zoëreachedoverandsqueezedhisarm,thensteppedtotheintercom."Sir,they'reheretounload

theship.”"I'llberightdown."Washsaid,“Honey—”Shejustshookherhead,andhefellsilent.CompanyHeadquartersHewasbothat“work”andatworkwhenhisbeltbucklestartedvibrating.Helikeditwhenhecould

dobothatonce;itmadehimfeelthatthe'versewasbehavingthewayitwassupposedto.The“work”parthecoulddowithonlyaportionofhisbrain:download tonnageofdirtmoved,

downloadpercentageofpaydirt,downloadcontentofpaydirt,downloadproducefutures,downloadbauxitefutures,runtheprojections,breakthemdown,generatethereport.Tedious,but,onceyou'velearnedthesystem(andKitlearnedsystemsquicklyandeasily),therewasnothingtoit.Theworkpartwasmoreentertaining,more important, and just the least littlebit scary:monitor

everyoneelseintheofficewithouteverbeingcaughtdoingso,waitforsomeonetobesloppywithakeycode, sniff around in places he wasn't supposed to have access to, look for the fact, the hardnumber, thatwould add another layer of sealant to the case hewas building.And, if hewere very

lucky,maybehe'dbeabletogettoMissWuhan'ssystem,andthenhecouldjustwalkoutthedoorandbedonewithit.Whathedidnotwantwasanythingtobreakhimawayfrombothactivitiesatonce,andthat'sjust

whatitmeantwhenhisbeltbucklestartedvibrating.Gorramthemanyway;thisbetterbeimportant.Hegotupfromhisdesk,stretched,putonhisjacket,andmadehisleisurelywaytothemen'sroom.

Thatwasjustthesortofthinghewouldnoticeifsomeoneelsedidit:Whyisthatmanputtingonhiscoat touse themen'sroom?But itwasn't likelyanyofhisco-workerswould twig to it; theydidn'thavehistraining.Heclosed the stalldoor, and removedhisC-box from thecoatpocket.He fired itup, selecteda

reasonablemask,andmadetheconnection.Afterhisidentitywasestablishedandconfirmed,theydidn'twasteanytime.New instructions. Top priority, abort current operation if necessary. There is aman you have to

meet….Fiveminutes later,hewasout thedoor, leavingeverythingundonebehindhimand tryingnot to

thinkaboutthefeelinginthepitofhisstomach.Serenity:CargobayOnlythesmelloffresh-cutwoodwasleftintheemptyhold."Stillgoingsmooth,sir,"saidZoë."Wehaven'tbeenpaidyet.""Inoticedthat.""Solet'sgodoitnow."Helookedup.Washwasthere,leaningontherail."You'reincharge,"he

calledup."Supervise."Washnodded,butdidn'tmakeanyremarks.Kaylee'svoicecamethroughtheintercom."CanIgoout,Cap'n?Iwanttoseeifthere'sajunkyard

herewithamonolockforthegravboot.""Okay.Don't take too long. Ifwemanage to get paid, Iwant to be off theworld in a couple of

hours."ZoëfellintostepbesidehimastheymadetheirwayoutoftheboatandontotheroadintoYuva."Sir,anyideajustwhathewantsallthewoodfor?""Couldn'tsay.There'senoughforagood-sizedhouse,butnotforawholenewmansion."Theymadeittotheoffice,andlookedatthesignonthedoor.Heclickedonhiscommlink."Wash,canyoufindoutwhatlocaltimeis?"Thevoicecamebackinhisear,"Justasecond,Mal…it'saboutthirteenhundred.""Okay,Zoë.Wehaveanhourtokill.""Icouldstandabeer,sir.There'saplaceonNorthstreet,justastepfromtheiroffice.""Goodplan."Itwas a lowbuilding,madeout of the same sort of crumblingbrick asmost everything else in

Yuva,anddistinguishedonlybyaneatlystenciledsignthatsaid,"Canteen."Itwasdarkinside,surprisinglyclean,andmostlyempty.Mostly.MallookedatJayne,sittinginthebackcorner,thenlookedaway.HeledZoëtoatableonthefar

side.Thebartendercalled,"Ifyouwantsomething,you'llhavetogetitfromme.Notableservice 'till

evening.""I'llgetit,"saidMal.

"Thankyou,sir."Asheapproached,thebartendersaid,“WelcometoYuva.Youwithchattyoverthere?”“No,”saidMal,notturningaround."Whatsortofbeerdoyoudrink,whenyoudrinkbeer?"“Myown.Imakeitinback.Wehaveawinteralethatcameoutprettygood.”“Two.”The bartenderwas ofmedium height, had a shaved head, and seemed to be about Simon's age.

Young. Too young to have fought in the war. Mal still pegged people that way: could they havefought?Andiftheanswerwasyes,whichside?"Twoitis.”Maltookthebottles."They'recold.I'mimpressed."Thebartendersmiled."Weservethestaffhere,sonothingbutthebest.""Staff?""Officeworkers,andsuch."“Thatallthatcomeshere?”“Bothoffices,andthesecuritypeople.”“Bothoffices?”“Generaloffice,andtheoneswhoworkinMisterSakarya'shouse.Theimportantonesworkthere.

Theysitonthatsideoftheroom.”“Therearerulesforwhatsideoftheroomyousiton?”“Norules.Itjustworksitselfoutthatway.”"Whatdoeseveryoneelsedo?"“Everyoneelse?”“Intown.Theoneswhoaren'tsecurity,oroneofficeort'other.”"Iworkinabar.Thisbar,infact.See,thisisme,working.Inthebar.""Goodjob.Ownit,too?"Theotherlaughedalittle."Ineffect.Nottechnically.Onlyonemanownsthings.I'mjustgrateful

nottobediggingbauxite.""Oneman.ThatwouldbeSakarya."Henodded."MisterSakaryaownsprettymucheverythingonthesubcontinent,andquiteabitonthe

restoftheworld.""I'msurehefindsthatveryfulfilling.""Uhhuh.""Andnotsogoodfortherestofyou?"Thebartendermadeanon-committalgrunt.“Idookay.CallmeMark,bytheway.”“Mal.That'sZoë.”“Pleasure.”Malnodded,paid,andbroughtthebeersbacktothetable."Whatwasthatabout,sir?""Beer,andtheafter-affectsofbeingonthelosingside.""Oh?""Isortofaskedhimwhatthingswerelikehere.""And?""Hegavemethekindofansweryougivewhenyoudon'twanttogiveananswer.”"It'dbeafamiliarstory,sir.""SeemsImight'vehearditonceortwicebefore."Sheclearedherthroat."IseethatJayne—""Let'snottalkaboutit.""Yes,sir.Whatdoyouthinkofthosetwo?"

OtherthanJayne,theonlyothercustomersweretwolarge,rathershabbilydressedmenatatableagainstthewall."Thethugs?Theredhairedonehasapiecestrappedtohisrightankle.""Andsomethingbehindhisback;lookhowhe'ssitting.""I'mguessingaknife.Theotherone—""Withthepistolunderhisrightarm.""—Yes.He'stryingnottolooklikehe'swaitingforsomeone.""Goodcatch,sir;Ihadn'tnoticed."Iwas the firstone in thedoor.He twitched, thenrelaxedwhenhesawitwasn'twhoeverhewas

waitingfor."“Nicetheyaren'twaitingforus,anyway.”“I'minclinedtoagree.”"Thecurly-hairedoneismoreexperienced;heisn'tnervous.He'sdonethisbefore.""SohasRed,butnotasoften.He'seitherscared,orhavingafewqualmsofconscience."Zoënodded."Well,iftheyaren'twaitingforus,thenitisn'tanyofourbusiness.""That'smyconclusion.""So,whensomepoorslobcomesinheretoberobbed,orbeatenup,ormurdered—""Murdered,Ithink,lookingatthosetwo.They'llprobablypickafightwithhim.""Yes.So,whenthathappens,wejustignoreit.""Right.""Notourproblem.""Exactly.Wekeeprightondrinking.""Infact,sir,Ithinkthatwhenhecomesin,weshouldleave.""Goodthen.That'swhatwe'lldo.""Yes,sir.""Youtaketheredhead.""Right.Tellmeagainwhywe'redoingthis,sir?""Welikebeingheroes.""Whatifwe'reabouttosavethebadguy,sir?""Lookatthosetwoandtellmethey'rethegoodguys.""Yes,sir."Jaynewenttothebarandgotanotherdrink,carefullynotlookingatthem.Aboutfiveminuteslaterthedooropened."That'shim.""Yes,sir.Hecertainlylooksharmless.”Hewasofaverageheight,withsomethingofabelly,andappearedfairlyyounginspiteofstreaks

ofgrayrunningthroughhishairandhisbeard."Now,”saidMal,“iswhenRedgetsupandwalkstothebar,accidentallybumpingintohim.""Uhhuh."Redstoodupanddidacredibleimitationofadrunkbyswayingabitandusingthechairtosteady

himself.Itwouldhavebeenmorebelievableiftherehadbeenafewemptiesonhistable.Hebumpedintothenewcomeronhiswaytothebar,andproceededtostartcussinghimout.MalandZoëstoodupatthesametime.Malgavethecurly-hairedoneatthetableabigsmile,walkedover,andsatdown."CanIbuyyoua

drink?""Whothehellareyou?""Justafriendlystrangerwithaguninyourribs."

Theotherstaredathim.Therewasavoiceraisedwithinsults,mostoftheminChinese,butthatwasZoë's end of things, soMal continued watching Curly, who said, "You have no idea what you'regettinginvolvedin.""Igenerallydon't.Buthereweare,solet'sjuststayfriendly."Maldidn'tturnhisheadwhenheheardthethump;theotherdid,thenturnedbacktoMal."You'rean

idiot.""Probablytrue."Zoëcalled,"Secured,sir,”whichmeantthatMarkwasn'tdoinganythingeither.Malstoodup,andpermittedhimselfaquickglance.Zoë'sweaponwasout,andRedwasproneon

thefloor.Thewell-dressedstrangerwaslookingbackatMal.Markwasstandingverystill,bothofhishandsonthebar.Therewasacommunitonthewallnexttothecashbox,andthebartenderwasstayingwellawayfromit.Thestrangerhadn'tmoved."Escorthimout,Zoë.""Yes,sir."Whenheheard thedoor, henoddedonce toCurly, gavehima friendly smile, andbackedaway

fromthetable.Hefeltthedoorbehindhim,openedit,andsteppedthrough,holsteringhissidearm."Well,"hesaid."Thatwasalmosttooeasytobeanyfun.""Iwasjustthinkingthesamething,sir."Theystartedwalkingbacktotheboat,thestrangerbetweenthem,Zoëmostlywalkingbackwards,

keepinganeyeonthecanteen."Whosentyou?"askedthestranger."Noonesentus,"saidMal."Wejusthappenedtobeintherehavingadrink.""Uhhuh."Hesmiledasifsharingajokewiththem."Prettyremarkabletiming,then.""Timingisoneofourspecialties.I'mMalcolmReynolds,andthisisZoëWashburne.""Apleasure.Andofcourse,youknowmyname.""Uh,notsomuch.""We'reclear,sir,"saidZoë."Noonefollowingus.""Goodtohear.""Youdon'tknowmyname?Whatdidtheytellyou?""Who?"Hestopped.MalandZoëcontinuedacoupleofsteps,thentheystoppedtoo,andturnedtolookat

him."Uh,Ithankyoubothforyourhelp,butIneedtogetbacktowork.""Right.Whatwasyournameagain?""Kit.KitMerlyn."Malnodded."Well,seeyouaround,then.""Probably,"saidKit.Heturnedandstartedwalkingbacktotown."Well,"saidZoë."Forthevictimofamurderattempt,hetookitawfullycalm.""Iwasthinkingthesamethingmyownself.""Ontheotherhand,hewasn'tarmed.""No.""Thinkwe'llfindoutwhathisstoryis?""I'mafraidwemight.""Yes,sir.""Let'sgetbacktotheboat.We'llseeaboutgettingpaidinacoupleofhours.""Yes,sir."

Serenity:CommonroomKayleewasdrinkingteawhenMalandZoëcamein.Malpunchedtheintercombutton."Wash?""Yes,Mal?"camethecracklyvoice."Keepanearontheemergencychannelsforawhile.""WhatamIlisteningfor?""Alliance.""Howlongawhile?""Tillweleave."Hereleasedthebutton.Helookedtired."Howdiditgo?"askedKaylee."Hardtosay.""Didwegetpaid?""Notyet.""Oh."Malfrownedather."What'swrong?""Ijustwanttogetoffthisworld.Idon'tlikeit.""That's threeofus," saidZoë, takingachairoppositeher.TheCaptainwent into thekitchenand

startedpokingaround."What'syourproblemwithit?"heasked."Nojunkyard?""Thewholeplaceisajunkyard.""Hmmm.Lookedcleanenoughtome.""That'stheareafortheofficeworkers.Theminersliveontheothersideofthehill.""Oh.Ugly?"Kayleenodded."It'sanugly'verse,"saidMal."EspeciallyonIndependentworlds.You'veseenitbefore.""Notlikethis.""We'llbegonesoon,"saidZoë."Wejustneedtogetpaid—""Andthey'reallafraidofhim.That'swhatreallygottome.""Afraidofwho?"saidMal."Sakarya.Hehas everyone afraid.Theywere afraid to talk tome.Therewasone little girl, she

lookedrightatmeand…"Sheshookherhead.“Itwascreepy,”shefinished."Iexpectitwas,"saidMal."So,youdidn'tgetthatpart?""No.""Isthataproblem?""No,itjustmeanswe'lltwitchalittleandourearswillpopwhenthegravitynormalizes.""Allright,wecanlivewiththat.Kaylee….""Yes,Cap'n?""We'llbeoutofheresoon.Don'tletitpreyonyou."Shenodded,stoodup,andtookherteabacktotheengineroom,whereeverythingwassimpler.Serenity:BridgeWonderful."Untilweleave,"he'dsaid.Likehehadnothingtodoexceptsithereandlistentoadead

commchannelincasesomethingcameon.Well,infact,hedidn'thaveanythingelsetodo.Hecouldalwaysdoshadowpuppets,butitwasn'tas

muchfunwithoutZoëtoentertain."Untilweleave."Whyweren'tweleaving?Whatwastheretostayherefor?Obviously,theyhadn'tmanagedtoget

themoneyyet.Probablygottenintotrouble,goneoffandrescuedsomeonetheAlliancewanted,andnowtheywereallgoingtobehumped.Andhewasstucksittingherelisteningtoadeadchannellikeaquanmiantamadebaichi.Therecamethesoundofhisfavoritecombatboots."Hi,honey,”shesaid.“How'sitgoing?""Well,otherthanbeingstuckherelisteningtoadeadchannelincasesomethinghappens,I'mjust

fine.Whatdidyoudodownthere?""Nothing.Well,something.ButI thinkhewantsyoutolistenbecauseofJayne.Icantakeitfora

while,ifyouwant.""Sweetie,havingyouhereinsteadofmesortofdefeatsthepurposeof—wait.WhatdidJaynedo?""Nothing as far as I know.But I think theCaptain is afraid Jayne is going to tell the feds about

SimonandRiver.""Oh.Isee.So,ifwe'relucky,we'llhearaboutitsoonenoughtogetoffthisplanetwithoutgetting

paid."Zoëexhaled."Wash,whatdoyouwant?""Well,avacationwouldbenice.""Wash…."“Anditwouldbeevennicernottohavethisfeelingthateverythingisabouttofallapartonus.”“Wash.”Hesighed."Allright.""Wantsomethingtoeat?""Thatwouldbe—Hey!""What?"Asthechattercamefromhisheadphones,headjustedthegainanddroppedthefiltering.Withhis

other hand he slapped the "record" button, then switched on the intercom. "Mal, I'm gettingsomething."

3ChapterMyOwnKindofPast

NineyearspreviousBursaleanedforward."You'dkeepyourpresentrank,"hesaid."That'snotthatbiganinducement,"saidMal."Ah.ThenIsupposeitwouldn'thelpthatyou'dbeinlineforpromotion.""No.""Evenifyougetanicefancyofficelikethis?"Mallookedaroundatthepaper-thinwallsofthecubby-hole."Huh,"hesaid.TheColonel'sfacewaslong,bony,andpale.Hisnosehadbeenbrokenatleastonce,andtherewas

a long white scar running from his right ear to just below his chin. He wore brown, with theIndependents'lieutenantcolonelinsigniaonhisshoulders—wideshouldersforhisframe,givinghimasortofscarecrowappearance.Hisfeetstuckoutfromunderthelittledesk.Malfelthimselfbeingstudied."Okay,"saidtheColonel."Well,thepointremains.Thenatureofthe

warhaschanged.Unitslikeyourswereusefulwhentheywereallwehad.Thewarwassprungonuslike,um,likesomethingthatspringsonyou.Littledetachmentskeptthemsloweddownuntilwecould—""Iknowthe—""Don'tinterrupt,Sergeant."Mal'sjawclenched.Bursacontinued,"Untilwecouldorganize,recruit,andprepare.Now,everytimeoneofyourlittle

bands is rampaging through an area the army is in, it interferes with the operations of the army.You'redoingmoreharmthangoodnow,Sergeant.""Soyousay.""SoIsay."TheColonelfrowned."What'stheproblem,anyway?"MalstaredataspotovertheColonel'sshoulder."IfIhadwantedtotakeordersfromeveryonewho

likesgivingorders,Iwouldn'tbefightingtheAllianceinthefirstplace,wouldI?"Bursaletoutabreath."Okay.Icanseethat.Icanevenrespectit.Butthefightison.Youwantto

win?""I'dbeenplanningonit.""Me,too.WewanttodefeattheAlliance.Weneedregular,organizedforces.Bandslikeyoursare

harmingus.Thosewhowon'tjoinuswillhavetobesuppressed.""Suppressed.""WouldyoupreferIusedamoregraphicterm?YouknowwhatImean."“Isurelydo.""So,tomorrowmorning,youandyoursswearintotheregulararmy.""Whatifwemovetoadifferentsector,whereyoupeoplehaven'tgottentoyet?Wecanstill—""No,Sergeant.I'msorry."Malclenchedhisteeth."Sergeant,Ithinkyoucangivegoodservice.Wecanuseyou.Whateveryoumightthinkaboutthe

regulararmy,weareorganizednow,andwe'refightingyourfight.""I'llhavetroublebringingsomeoftheboysaround.""Troublemakers?""Afew.Butmostlythey'relikeme.TheysigneduptofightagainstwhatI'maskingthemtodo.""Goodtoknowyou'veidentifiedtheproblem.""Yeah,well—""Sergeant,they'lldoitiftheywanttowin,becausethat'stheonlywaywecanwin.Iftheydon'twant

theAlliancestickingtheirnosesuptheassofanyonewhowantstocarveoutaplaceforhimself,thenthey'regoingtohavetocomearound.""It'sjustthatsomeofthemcantearmeapart.""Idon'tdoubtit.""Andtheyaren'teasilycontrolled.""Iimagine.""Sowhatdoyoudo?""Youmean,howdoyoufacedownsomeonewho'sbiggerandmeanerthanyouanddoesn'twantto

dowhatyou'retellinghimto?""Yeah.Uptillnow,it'sbeenaboutconvincingthem.""Well,I'dliketosaysomethinggliblike,don'tletthemknowthey'rebiggerandmeanerthanyou,

but, really it isn't that simple. There isn't any simple answer to that.You can't back down, but youknowthat.""Isurelydo.""Howyouhandleitdependsontheindividual,andthesituation.But,Sergeant—""Yes,Colonel?""That'snotoneofthethingsI'mworriedabout.You'llfindaway.""Andthosewhowon'tbeconvinced?""Theycangiveuptheirweaponsandgotheirway.""Allright.""Andiftheyactasunauthorizedguerillas,they'llbetreatedascommonbrigands,andwe'llshoot

them.""Colonel—""Wecan'thaveit,Sergeant."Malsighed."Cantheyatleastkeeptheirsidearms?""No.""Mostofthosearetheirownpersonalweapons.""Whyarewestillarguingaboutwhat'sbeendecided?Isthereanythingelse?"Afteramoment,Malsaid,"Allright…sir.I'llhavemypeoplehereinthemorning."Bursanodded."Andby theafternoon,you'llbe inLieutenantSiro'splatoon,atpointon theroad

northofYeranton.""Tryingtogetuskilledrightaway,sir?""Nope.Idon'tneedyoukilled,IneedtokeeptheAllianceoutofYeranton,sotheydon'tswallowup

the one munitions plant we can count on in this gorram world. I need them kept out of there,Sergeant.""Allright.We'lldoourpart.""Iknow.Pickupacoatandarifleonyourwayout.""Ihavearifle.""Pickupanewone.""Yes,sir."

EighteenmonthspreviousThesilkyvoicesaid,"Let'stryitagain,MissTam."Thesilkyvoicealwayscalledher'MissTam.'Thesweetvoiceandthemonotonousvoicecalledher

"River."Thesilkyvoicewastheworst.Asitspoke,herskintingledandcolorsdancedinlittlespotsbeforehereyes—colorsthatsounded

deepandthreateningandtastedofsaltandgunmetal."Now,MissTam,bringthelinestogether."Onlythereweren'tanylines,therewereonlydots."Focusonthelines,MissTam."Somethingtwistedinsideofherhead,andthedotsbecamegray,theirsizespulsated,andshewas

falling,falling,fallingintothem.Shetriedtoscream,buttherewassomethinginhermouth.Shefellthroughoneofthedots,whichsplinteredandbecameinfinite.Shewishedshecouldscream.EightyearspreviousHehatedthis.No,hereally,reallyhatedthis.Theflyingpartwasfine.Hehadnotroublewiththeflyingpart.Helikedtheflyingpart.Itwasthepartwherepeoplekeptshootingathimthathehadaproblemwith.Andthentherewastheship.Hewasn'tfondoftheship.Ingeneral,theVortecLC9"Gopher"wasa

finemid-tolow-levelinterceptor:fastandmaneuverableinloweratmoonceyoulearnedhertricks,decentlyarmed,andwithtrulyastonishingverticalacceleration.Buthejustcouldn'tbehappyflyingashipwithathirdofawingandbothruddersshotoffbyaSAMthathadalsotakenouthalfherthrust."PioneerBluesix.Mayday,mayday.Have takenhit fromsurface toairmissile, amgoingdown.

Stand-byforlocation.Transmitting…now."Hisweaponsman'svoicecameintohisleftear."Hey,Chill,didIjusthearyousaysomethingabout

usgoingdown?""Well,Archie,theshipisgoingdown.Ifyoucanthinkofawaytostayupherewithoutit,I'llbe

okaywiththat.""We'reoverAllianceterritory.We'llbecapturedforsure.""Okay,Arch.You'reright.Ichangedmymind.We'lljustkeepflyingwithnothrustandnocontrol.""Don'tbemean,Chill.""Sorry."Heslidinandoutofaglide,managingtolosespeedandaltitudewithoutquitestalling.Or,atany

rate,onlystallingintermittently."Okay,we'rebelowmachone.Readytogoforaride?""Notreally.Yousurewehavetodothis?"Therewasalurchthatre-arrangedWash'sbackboneasthegravboottriedtosuckupmorethanit

couldhandle,gaveout,andcameinagainasbestitcould."I'msure.Eject!Eject!Eject!"Amomentlaterhesaid,"Arch?""Sorry,Chilly-boy.Somethingelseisbustedtoo.""Can'teject?""Nope.How'boutyours?""Idon'tknow.Well,partner,thisisgoingtobefun."

"Whatareyougoingtodo?""Land.""Chilly,youshouldbail.""Alittlesilence,please.Thedoctorisatwork."Hefoughtwithandagainsttheship,withandagainstgravity.Thegroundwascomingupfast."Like

aleafonthewind,"hemurmured.NineyearspreviousShefoundhimonamakeshiftroad,justinsideoneoftheguardposts.Heseemedlostinthought,

butgreetedherwithanod."Well,thatwasn'tsobad,Sergeant.""No,itwasn't.IcouldgetusedtoseeingtheAlliancerun.TheColonelknowshisbusiness.""Why,Sergeant,that'sthefirsttimeI'veeverheardyousayakindwordaboutanofficer.""Probablythelast,too.""Weheldthetown,anyway."Thesergeantglancedather."Okay,Zoë.Whatisit?""Well,we'vesurvivedabattle.Imean,notahit-and-rungrabatsupplies,butarealbattle.""Right.""Andweevenwon.""Ibelievewedid,yes.""Andmostofthemenperformedwell.""Inoticedthatsamething.""Acoupleofminorwounds,and,comparedtowhatwehadbefore,prettygoodmedicalcare.The

menarepleasedaboutthat,Sergeant.""Iheara'but'ontheway,Zoë.""Arewegoingtogetarealmealsometimeinhere,Sergeant?""Oh.Yeah,IguessIoughttocheckonthat.""They'dappreciateit."TheSergeantnodded,startedbacktowardtheencampment,thenstoppedandlookeddowntheroad

again."Weshouldmovearoundbehind themand takeashotat their supply line.Even if theyhaveenoughduckstochaseusout,it'llputthefearofGodintothem.They'llberunningallthewaybacktoCheskabymorning.""GoingtosuggestthattotheColonel,Sergeant?""Noneed.He'llcomeupwithithimself.Thosepoorbastards.""Who?Theenemy?""Yeah.Theyhavenoideawhatthey'regoingtoruninto.""Lambstotheslaughter,Sergeant.""That'sthehonesttruth,Zoë,"hesaid,andledthewayback.ThreeyearspreviousKayleeheardhernamecalledandpulledherselfoutfromundertheaftinertiainterlock."Yes,Cap'n?"The Captain and Zoë were standing there, flanking a tall, broad-shouldered man with a wide,

sensuousmouthandbrighteyes.Yum,saidalittlevoiceinherhead.Shegavehimherwarmestsmile."Kaylee,meetJayne,ournewestcrewmember.Jayne,Kayleeisourmechanic."She stood up, wiped her hands on her coveralls, and stuck out her hand. He wrapped it in his

massivepawandgrinned."Thisdealkeepsgettingbetterandbetter,"hesaidlookingherupanddown.Kayleefrowned,glancedat theCaptain, thenatZoë."Huh,"shesaid,andclimbedbackunderthe

interlockunit."Shealwaysthisfriendly?"saidthenewguy."No,Ithinkyou'respecial,"saidZoë."I'llintroduceyoutothepilot,"saidtheCaptain,andthreesetsoffootstepsretreated.I hate it when they open theirmouths and ruin everything, thought Kaylee, and returned to her

work.SixmonthspreviousI'msendingthiswithatwelvehourdelayfromapublicterminal.Bythetimeyoureceiveit,wewill

beaboardashipandwellawayfromthisworld.Obviously,I'mnotgoingtotellyouourdestination;theAllianceis,Iamquitecertain,carefullymonitoringeverythingyoureceive,fromeverysource,whereveryouare.Infact,Ihavenowayofknowingifyou'llreceivethis;theymaybeinterruptingyourcommunication.Iftheyare,then,maywhateverAllianceofficerisreadingthiszaitaqiaoxiaodiqiudemianqianshoudaoqianshangqiansidesiwang.And,yes,asyouknowbynow,Riveriswithme.Shewastortured,experimentedon,anddamaged.Byanyreasonabledefinition,shehasbeenturned

intoapsychotic.AndIdomeanturnedinto:thereareunmistakablesignsoforganicdamage.Theycutintoherbrain.At times, she is my sister. I hope to increase the frequency and duration of these moments. At

present, I'm tryingdifferentcocktailsofpsychotropicmedicationwithvaryingamountsofsuccess.Perhapsthereisacorrectivesurgerythatcouldundothedamageinflictedonherinthatplace,butwecan'tgotoarealhospitalwithouttheAlliancefindingherandputtingherbackintheAcademy,wheretheywouldcontinuetorturingandtwistingher.ThisIwillnotallow.Ireallydon'tknowifyou'llbereadingthis,andIdon'tknowhowyou'llrespond.I'msurprisedto

discoverthatthereisapartofmethatactuallycares.Iwill,perhaps,havetheopportunitytomessageyouagainwhentherearefurtherdevelopmentswithyourdaughter.Untilthen,Iremain,SimonNineyearspreviousHe usually liked hanging outwith Shorty, because itmade him seem taller,more cultured, and

certainlymoreintelligent.Usually.Justnowhewasn'tenjoyingitatall."Okay,Shorty,"hesaid,"whatIdon'tunderstandiswhyyouwenttosomuchworktomakesurethe

alarmwentoff.Ifyou'dignoredthegorramthing—""Iwastrying—"Shortyduckedasthreebulletsraisedacloudofplasterdustoverhishead."Corn,Iwastryingtoseeifithadbeenfixed.""Speakingoffixed,"saidJayne,tappinghisbeltknifewhileglaringatthesmallerman.Shortyscowledanddidn'tdignifythethreatwithananswer.ShortywasafootshorterthanJayne,whichwasn'treallythatshort,butJaynehadgivenhimthat

name to sortof remindhimwhowas incharge.Shortydidn'tmuchcare for that,but so farhadn'tobjected."Howmanyofthemyouthinkareoutthere,Corn?"askedShorty."Atleastthree."

"Betweenusandthedoor?""Atleasttwo.Probablyallofthem.""Andtherehavetobemorecoming.""Yeah.Theskimmer'srunning,though.""Ifwecangettoit.""Howmuchdoyouweigh?""Why?Youplanningtothrowmepastthem?""Notexactly."JaynereachedaroundandgrabbedShortybyhisbeltwithonehandandthebackofhisneckwith

theother,thenliftedhim."Whatthe—""Youknow,Shorty,IalwayshateditwhenyoucalledmeCorn."Hemadeabreakforthedoor.Bythetimehemadeittothedoor,Shortyhadbeenhitatleastfivetimes,andprobablymore.He

threwtheremainsintotwoofthemwhowerebunchedtogetherandchargedthethird,takingagrazeabovethehip.Thenhewasontopofthethird,thenhewasoutthedoor,and,yes,theskimmerwasrunning.Thirtysecondslaterhewasaroundthecornerandheadedoutoftown.Jayne sighed.Not the best result for that job: couldn't get to the vault and themoney in the tills

wasn'tanythingtoretireon.Andhewasbleeding.Andhissisterwasgoingtoneedanewhusband.Andhewasgoingtoneedanewworldtoliveon.Hedidn'twastetimegoinghome;justheadedstraightforthedocks.Fouryearsprevious"You'rearemarkableyoungman,"saidthewoman."Ma'am?"Sheseemedtobeonlyafewyearsolderthanhewas;tooyoungtobecallinghim"youngman."

Buttherewassomethingabouttheover-lit,antisepticoffice,devoidofalltracesofpersonality,thathintedatbothpowerandwisdom,forcingonhimthefeelingthatshehadtherighttoaddresshimthatway;and,herealized,causinghimtoaddressheras"ma'am"withouthishavingmadeanyconsciousdecisiontodoso.Interesting.Whowasshe,anyway?"Doyouknowwhyyou'rehere,Lieutenant?""Ihaven't a clue. Iwas told tocome in for anexit interview,but—"hemadeapointof looking

aroundthelargeoffice,"—thiscertainlyisn'tanexitinterviewinanynormalsense."She nodded slowly. Her nosewas sharp as a beak, which added to her effect, as did her short,

regulation haircut, and the severe outfit she wore—civilian garb that nevertheless hinted at themilitary.Andthentherewasthemarkonthesideofherforehead:unmistakablesignofnear-missbyasplitter.Andalaserburnonherneck."AsIsaid,aremarkableyoungman.Irefertowhatyou'vepickedupon.""Excuseme,ma'am—"whyfightit?"Buttheoffice,well,itseemsobvious.""Thatpart,yes. I refer toeverythingelseyou'vealreadyput togetheraboutwhoIam,andwhoI

represent.Thatwouldtellyouwhatyou'redoinghere,ifyouletit.""Idon't—""Goon,LieutenantMerlyn.Tellme."Henodded.Ifitwasatest,well,hehadalwaysenjoyedtests."You'veservedintheline,andbeen

woundedatleasttwice.""Goon."

"Youweremilitaryintelligenceatonetime,butyou'renolongerwiththeAllianceForces.""Whichtellsyouwhat?""Uh…somebranchofthefeds—thatis,AllianceSecurity—thatI'veneverheardof?""Whatsortofbranch?""Doingwhatyoudidwithmilitaryintelligence?""Verygood.So,whatareyoudoinghere,atjustthetimeyouwanttoleavethearmy?"Heblinked."Youwanttorecruitme,"hestated."Yes.""Idon't…I'dhavethoughtthat,ifsomeonethoughtIwasqualifiedforthat,I'dhavebeenrecruited

duringthewar.Oratleasttested.""Whatwasyourlastmission?""Wewereassignedtotrackdownarenegadegroupof…oh."Shenodded."Thelieutenantwasoneofus,"sheadded."Whichiswhyhekeptmakingmemakeallthedecisions.""Yes.""AndthepromotionmeantIpassedthetest.""Yes.Andthen,ofcourse,theylaiddownarms.""AndIhadnointentionofmakingacareerofthis,andso—""Whichbringustomyfirstquestion:whynot?""Whynotwhat?Becomecareermilitary?Ihatethearmy.""Thenwhydidyoure-enlist?""Thewarwasstillon.""Soyouenlistedasanidealist.""Actually,Ienlistedasaprivate.""Outofasenseofconviction.Becauseofthecause.""Ugh.Ifyouwanttoputitthatway.""Whatwouldyoucallit,Lieutenant?""I—allright.""YouwereborninablackoutzoneinNewTuscanyonAriel.Mostpeoplefromyourbackground

jointhearmybecauseit'stheironlywayout.""Ihadanuncle—""Weknowaboutyouruncle."Kitnodded."My point, Lieutenant, is that the war is over, and the problems are just beginning. The

Independentshavesurrendered;thatdoesn'tmeanthereisn'tworktobedone.And,ontopofthat,whatwillyoudo?Beyondleavingthearmy,howfarhaveyourplansgone?""Well,Iwasthinkingaboutaweek-longbenderononeofthecoreworlds.""Andafterthat?""I'mnotsure.I'dbeenthinkingaboutgoingintoteaching."Shenodded.“I'mnotsurprised;you'dbeagoodteacher.Youreadpeopleextraordinarilywell.But

you'dalsobegoodatwhatyou'realreadyhalftrainedfor.Readingpeopleisabigpartofourwork,too.Andthepayisalittlebetter.""Itshouldn'tbe.""Iknow.You'dalsogettrainingIthinkyou'denjoy.”“Trainingin—?”“Manythings.Howtobreakelectroniccodes,forstarters;youseemtohaveanaptitude.”

Heshrugged."SupposeItakeyouuponyouroffer.Yousaythere'sworktobedone.Whatsortofwork?"Shefrowned."Therearethings—""Excuseme.IaskedthatbecauseIhavesomeideasofthesortsofthingsthisdepartmentdoes,and

—""Andyouwantnopartofthem."Kitnodded."Ithinkwe'llbeabletofindyouworkyou'llbehappytodo.""Canyoubealittlemorespecific?""Notreally;notuntilyou'reswornin.""Bywhichtimeit'llbetoolate.""Youcanalwaysquit.""CanI?""Yes."Kitsighed."You'regoodatyourjob,ma'am.""Meaning?""Inspiteofallreason,somethinginmewantstotrustyou."Sevenyearsprevious"Colonel,we'rejustnotgettingthesupplies.""Iknow.""And,sofar,we'vehadfourregimentsassignedtothesameposition,withnothingbutemptyspace

oneachside.""Iknow.""Iftheydotrytocomethrough—""They will. They're massing. If it isn't the biggest and stupidest bluff of the century, they'll be

coming.""Well,wearen'tinanypositiontostopthem.""YouspokewithCaptainBaur?""Yes,sir.Shegavemepermissiontotalktoyoudirectly.""Butcouldn'tbebotheredtoherself?"Malshrugged."Shehasenoughonherhands.She'stryingtoscavengeammunition.Andboots.And

convince three other captains to take positions thatweren't assigned to them,with no orders fromupstairs.""Okay.""So,whatinthegorramhellisgoingon,Colonel?""They'repanicking,that'swhat.""Who?""Thehighcommand.""Great.""Butthegoodnewsis,theysentme.""Yes,sir.""Anditismyintentiontoholdthisvalley.""Idon't—""Sergeant,youcantellCaptainBaur,fromme,thatammunitionwillberunningbynoontomorrow.

Andwe'llhavethelinestraightenedoutbythisevening.""Andiftheyattackthisafternoon?"

"We'rehumped.Buttheywon't;theyalwayslaunchtheirattacksinthemorning.Youknowthat.""Yes,sir.""Oh,andplanonretreating.”“Sir?”“We'reouttoofar,whichisfine,sowedropback.Slowly.""Suck'emin?""Wheneverpossible.Letthemwinalittle,thenhitthemwhenthey'retakingabreath.We'reholding

theground,notthepositions.Sobereadytofallback,inanorderlyway.We'llbekeepingourflanksconnected,andhittingthemeverytimetheythinkwewon't.Therestofthetime,wemakeithardforthemtohitus.”"Yes,sir.Butifwearen'tdugin,Imean,ifweretreatfromourpositions—""Icamewithfifteenbatteriesofanti-aircraftguns,andwithabigbundleofSAMs.AndI'vebeen

promisedaircover.""Yes,sir.""Okay.Godoyourjob,andletmedomine.""Yes,sir.Andsir….""Yes,sergeant?""It'sgoodtoseeyouagain."NinemonthspreviousSupervisorWhitesaid,"Sorrytokeepyouwaiting,MisterMerlyn.Kit.MindifIcallyouKit?""Noproblem,Supervisor.""CallmeJerry.""Allright,Jerry.""What'sonyourmind?""Idon'tthinkI'mrightforthiskindofwork."Whitefrowned."Whatdoyoumean?Areyouthinkingofresigning?""Thinkingaboutit.""Canyoutellmewhat'scausedthis?""Mylastmission.""Hmm. I'm familiar with that mission; I was just looking over the report. Seems to have been

completedsatisfactorily.""Thankyou,Jerry.""So,what'stheproblem?""WhenIwasrecruited,IwaspromisedthatI'dbedoingworkIcouldbehappyabout.""Happy?""WorkIcouldfeelgoodabout."Thesupervisorfrowned,asifKithadjuststartedspeakingaborderworlddialect."Idon'tunderstand,Kit.Whatisthereaboutthatmissionyoudon'tfeelgoodabout?""Jerry,whatwasthenetresultofthewholefourteenmonthsofwork?""Anentireregionwasopenedupforsettlers.Andnowit'llbeirrigated,madefertile—""Jerry,itwasirrigatedbeforewestarted.Andfertile.Andthereweresettlersthere.Families.""And, according to your own information, at least ninety percent of them were Independent

sympathizers.""Buttheywere—""Thatwasaregionthatneversurrendered,Kit.Untilorderwasestablished,thewarwasreadyto

breakoutalloveragain.Youwanttofightthewaralloveragain?"

"Notespecially.""We could have moved in and just slaughtered everyone there. Would that have been more

humane?""No.""Thenexactlywhatshouldwehavedone?""Justwhatwedid.""Andso?""ButIwantnopartofit.""Youadmititneedstobedone,butaren'twillingtodoit?""Wellput,Jerry.That'sexactlyit.LikeIsaid,Idon'tthinkI'mrightforthiskindofwork.Idothe

rightthing,andI'msicktomystomachafterwards.YouwantatoughersortofguythanIam.""Accordingtoyourrecord,you'replentytough."Kitjustshookhishead."Okay,"saidthesupervisor."Look.I'drathernotloseyou.You'regoodatthiswork,andIrespect

that you have a conscience. Speaking for myself, I'd rather these operations were carried out bypeoplewithsomequalmsnowandthen,insteadofthepolishedthugswhousuallygoinforit.Soletmemakeasuggestion.""I'mlistening.""WhatifIgiveyouanoperationyou'lllike,andapproveof,andbeabletofeelgoodabout?You

doit,andwhenit'sdone,we'lltalkagain.""What'stheoperation?""It'sonHera,collectingevidencetoarrestandconvictaverybadman.""Okay,I'mlistening."

4ChapterMyOwnKindofStupid

Serenity:EngineroomHefoundherintheengineroom,ofcourse.Shewasfiddlingwithsomethingthatrequiredalarge

wrench inonehandandadirty rag in theother.She lookedupashe came in andgavehimabigsmile."Hello,Simon.""Hello,Kaylee.Areyouhungry?""Alittle.Whatdidyouhaveinmind?""IthoughtImightcookusupsomethingtoeat.""Simon!Youcook?"Hetriedtodecideifheoughttobeoffended."TherearesomethingsIcanmake.”"Andyouwanttocookforme?""Ifyouwon'tbetoocritical."ShegrinnedherKayleegrinathim,andhegotthatsensationinhisstomachagain."Whendidyou

learntocook?""Actually,Rivertaughtmeafewthingswhileweweregrowingup.She'stherealcook.""Wow!Ineverknew!Whyhasn'tshecookedhere?""She'smadesnacksformeacoupleoftimes,but,well,thereisn'tmuchyoucandohere.""Whynot?""Forrealcooking,youneedarealstove,arealoven…youknow,arealkitchen.Thethingsthey

haveincivilization."Shestaredathim.Shewasn'tsmilinganymore."Actually,"shesaidslowly,"I'mnotreallyhungry."Sheturnedbacktotheengine.Heopenedhismouth,closedit,openedit,thengaveupandwentto

findhissister.Shewasinherbunk,armswrappedaroundherknees."River,areyouhungry?""Thepreparationoffoodhasbeenacommunity-buildingandinterpersonalbondingactivitysince

before the dawn of history. The rituals and devices associated with food preparation are nearlyalways,inallcultures,mattersofprideandidentity.You'reanidiot.""River.""Ithinktherearesomeproteinchipsleftinthecupboardandsomesoydipinthecooler."ZoëandtheCaptainshowedupjustashewassettingoutthedip.Hesetthechipsdowninfrontof

hissisterandsatdownnexttoher."Thatwasagoodcall,doctor,"saidMal."Whatwas?""AboutJaynesellingyouandyoursisterouttotheAlliance."Hisheartsank.Riverpickedupachipandstudiedit intently."It iscarbon-based,"shesaid."That

makesitorganicbydefinition."

"Whathappened?"askedSimon."SuddenchatterontheAlliancesecuritychannel,"saidtheCaptain,"andthere'snoreasonforthat

here.It'sincode,butwecanbeprettysurewhatit'sabout.It'soriginisintheworld,onthiscontinent."Whatarewegoingtodo?""Washischeckingtheskytoseeifwehaveaclearpathout.Nopointinrunningstraightintoan

Allianceship.""Itisn'taboutme,"saidRiver."No,"saidSimon."It'saboutwhattheydidtoyou,andwhattheywanttodotoyouagain.""No,"saidRiver.ShelookedattheCaptain."It'stheAllianceagent.He'stryingtofindoutwhoyou

are.""Allianceagent?"saidMal."WhatAllianceagent?""Theoneyoumetinthecanteentoday."MallookedatRiver,thenatSimon,thenatZoë,thenatRiveragain."Doctor,isyoursisterreliable

whenshegetslikethis?""Uh,Ihavenoidea.""Sheiscompletelyreliable,"saidRiver."Sheisonlywrongabouttheimportantthings.""Well, I'mgladwecleared thatup," saidMal.Hesighed. "AgorramAllianceagent. I'dbemore

doubtsomeifitdidn'tanswerallsortsofquestions."TheCaptainandZoëwerelookingateachother.Simonclearedhisthroat."Feellikelettingmein

onthis?""Nothingmuchtoit,"saidMal."WesavedthelifeofanAllianceagenttoday.""Goodgoing,sir,"saidZoë.Serenity:DiningroomHepunchedtheintercom."Wash?""I'mstillchecking,Mal,butitlooksgood.""Skipit.Canyoupinpointthesource?""Skipit?Youmean,we'renotrunning?""Wash,Ineedyoutopinpointthesource.""Howclosedoyouneed?""Howclosecanyouget?""Gaoshenmagui,zenmahuishi?Idon'tknow.Givemeaminute.""Aminute,"saidMal.Heturned,leanedagainstthebulkhead,andclosedhiseyes."Wotaoyanfuza,”hesaid,andheaded

uptothebridge.Zoëfellintostepbesidehim."Forsomeonewhohatescomplications,sir,youdoseemtogooutofyourwaytocreatethem.""Youshouldbeusedtoit.""Oh,Iam.""Wellthen.I'dliketogetpaid.""Paidwouldbegood,sir.Whataboutthefed?""Whatabouthim?""We'renotgoingtodoanything?""Whatwouldyousuggestwedo,Zoë?""I'mnotsure,sir.""Well,ifyougetanyideas,letmeknow.""Ihaveaquestion,though.""Hmmm?"

"Ifthatwasafed,whowastryingtokillhim?""LotoffolkonthisworldgotnoreasontolovetheAlliance.""Yes,sir.Butnotlovingthemisonething,killingafedisanother.Andthatwasn'tjustkillingafed,

thatwasplanned.""There'ssomethingtothat.""So,whatdoyouthink,sir?""IthinkIwanttogetpaid.""Yes,sir."Washturnedhishead."Paid?ButIthoughtthisjobwaslegal.Arewesupposedtogetpaidforlegal

jobs,too?""Didyoufindthesource?""Itcamefromabouttwomilesawayfromus,Mal.Icanbringupamapoftownandshowyouthe

place.""Okay,takeusoutoftheworld.""Whataboutbeingpaid?""Don'tgiveupyet.""WhatcourseshouldIset?""None.Synchronousorbit;keepusrighthere.""Okay.""Sir?"saidZoë."Why—?""I'mtakingtheshuttledown.Ifsomethinggoeswrong,IwantSerenitytobeabletogetawayclean

sowedon'tloseRiverandSimon."“Andyou?”“I'minnodanger.”“Ofcoursenot,sir.You'regoingtofindthatAllianceagent,aren'tyou?""Allianceagent?"saidWash."What—?""Zoë,"saidMal."WhywouldIgoseekoutafed?""Becauseyou'recurious,sir,andcan'tleaveanythingalone.""Whatfed?"saidWash."I'lltellyouallaboutit,dear,"saidZoë.SheturnedbacktoMal."Butsir,Idon'tthink—""You'llbewaitingonSerenity.Itshouldn'ttakelong."Washclearedhisthroat,"Ifsomeonecould—""Printoutthatlocationforme,"saidMal.Zoëlookedathim."Ijustwanttoknowwhattoavoid,"hesaid."Yes,sir,"shesaid.Washgenerated themap, andhanded it tohim.He folded thee-paper,put it intohispocket, and

said,"Allright.Getusairborne,Wash.""Youyitian…”saidWash,andturnedbacktothecontrols.Zoësatdownintheco-pilot'schair.Malheadedbackdowntothediningroomtotelltheothers.Yuva:Sakarya'sofficeRennesdidn'tseemsolargewhenhestoodinfrontofSakarya'sdesk,tryingnottotremble.“Whodidyousendtodoit?”heasked.“TaylorandFalworth,sir.They'vealwaysbeen—”“Idiots,Rennes.Likeyou.Big,slow,andstupid.”“Yes,sir.”

“Andwhatdoyouknowaboutthosetwowhobrokeitup?”“I'vegottheirnames,sir.”Sakaryafelthiseyebrowsgoup.Thatwasfastwork,forRennes.“Doyou?Howdidyoumanage

that?”“Theycameintotheoffice—theotheroffice—forpayment.”“Payment?Forwhat?”“They'retheoneswehiredtobringthelumberfor—”“Them?”“Yes,sir.”“Andyoupaidthem?”“No,sir.Iwantedyourordersonthat.”“Isee.Goodthinkingforonce,Rennes.”“Thankyou,sir.”Sakaryaconsideredforamoment.“Allright,”hesaid.“Paytheminfull.”“Yes,sir.”“Thengetacrewtogether,followthemtotheirship,andkillthem.”“Yes,sir.”Yuva:Kit'saparmentOncehefinishedhisreporttoAsherHouseandadmittedtohimselfthatstayinginhishomewasno

longer safe, it took him threeminutes to shut everything down and get what he needed, and thentwentyminutestowalkacrosstowntotheplacehe'dalreadyprepared.Itwasn't the safest place, but itwas safer than home.And he had installed enough gear to do a

reasonableamountofworkoncehegot itsetup;andcertainlyenoughtogetholdofAsherHouseandsay,Whyinthegorramhelldidyoujustblowoffmylasteightmonthsofwork?Hedidnot,ofcourse,getholdoftheHouseandsaythat.Theverybestthingthatcouldhappenwith

suchacourseisthathe'dgetnoanswer.Buthehadtheequipmenttodohisownchecking.MalcolmReynolds,ZoëWashburne.Andifthatdidn'tbringupanythingdirectly,itwouldatleastbeaplacetostart.ThosebastardinAsherHousehadblowneightmonthsofinvestigationrightatthepointwhere—

well,maybetheyhadagoodreason.Theyhadbetterhaveagoodreason.Inanycase,theyhadtrainedhimtosniffoutandsiftthroughfactshewasn'tsupposedtobeableto

getaccessto;so,onewayoranother,hewasgoingtofindoutwhatthegorramreasonwas.Hesetupthemiscuesandfalseaddressesverycarefullybeforeenteringthesearchparameters.Twohourslaterhewasscowlingatthescreensasifitweretheirfault.Alittlevoiceinhisheadtold

himthatsomethingtheHousewenttosomuchtroubletohidemustbetoobigforthelikesofhim.Buteightmonthsofwork,ofgoodwork,ofimportantwork,allwashedawayinanhour.No,no.If

theyweregoingtodothat,hewasbloodywellgoingtoknowwhy.Hewipedhishandsonhisshirtandgotdowntoseriouswork.Serenity:Bridge"Sothat'stheshortversion,"shesaid."Yourescuedafed.""Yeah.""AndnowMalwantstogobackalonetogetthepayment.""Togetthepayment,and,unlessImissmyguess,tofindoutaboutthatfed."

"He'sbeingaheroagain,isn'the?"Shenodded.Washgavetheboatsomethrottle,andZoëfeltSerenitylift,followedbyasmalllurchastheI-grav

kickedin."Idon'tlikehimgoingdowntherebyhimself,"saidZoë."Yeah,well,theusbeingupherethingandthehimbeingdowntherethingisaproblemifanything

goeswrong.""That'swhatI'mthinking.""Ofcourse,whatarethechancesofanythinggoingwrong?""That'stheotherthingI'mthinking.""Deadcertain?""Prettymuch.""So,"hesaid,"whatdowedo?Icouldwaituntiltheshuttleislaunched,thenland.Imean,oncehe's

gone,you'reincharge.""Iknow.""Malwon'tlikethatmuch.""Iknow."Theydidn'tspeakforamoment,whileWashmadethecalculationsforageosynchronousorbit,and

tappeditin.ThenZoëfelthiseyesonher."Zoë,whatareyouthinking?"Shedidn'tanswer."You'replanningtogoafterhim,aren'tyou?""Ofcourse.""Iwishyouwouldn't.""Iknow.""Butyou'regoingtoanyway."Shenodded.HerhusbandsighedandturnedhisattentionbacktoguidingSerenity.Yuva:CanteenHe was careful not to drink too much, confining himself to beer that he nursed carefully, and

makingcertaintoeat.Therewassomethinggoingon,andhewasinthemiddleofit,andifhemademisstep,itcouldcosthimhisfreedom,orworse.Thefedsknewhewashere,buthadn'tmadecontactwithhim.Thatwasdangerous—itmeantthey

mightbeplanningtoturnonhim.Theyhadoncebefore,andhescowledatthememory.AndMalandZoëwerearound,probablypissedashellathim,andthatwasdangerous.Andtherewassomethingstrangegoingon,whatwithMalandZoëhavingsavedtheassofsomeonehedidn'trecognize,andthatwasdangerous.Ithadobviouslybeenatrap,butforwho?Forhim?Hecouldcutandrun.Hestillhadtheginsengsittinginarentedlocker;hecouldsellthatforenoughtobuypassageoff

world.Gobackandcallthefedsagain,tryforanothermeeting?Butifhe'djustmissedatrap,thenhe'dbecommittingsuicidebywalkingintothesecurityofficeagain.Howdidthisgetsogorramcomplicated?Hemutteredanddranksomemorebeer.Themoneyforthecrazygirlwouldbegood,sogood.Butwhatgoodwasmoneyifyouendedup

deadorinanAlliancelockdown?Heshouldplayitsafe.Heshouldsellthatginsengandgetpassageout,rightnow.Tonight.

Hewent up to the bar to get another beer, brought it back to his table, drank some, and lookedaroundthecanteen,slowlyfillingupwithwell-dressedcitizens—justthesortwhocouldaffordwhathewasselling,andwouldprobably love tohavearare, fine tea.Hecoulddo it.Hecouldbeawayfromthisgorramworldbytomorrowmorning.Hedranksomemorebeer."Naw,"hedecided.Serenity:DiningroomHe looked from thedoctor, toKaylee, toRiver. "Okay," he said. "Here's the situation:Malwent

backdownintheshuttletogetourpayment,andZoëfollowedhimintheothershuttletokeephimoutoftrouble."He bit his lip, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. "So, the question is, do we do what Mal

wanted,ordowegodownthere?""Wegoafterthem,"saidKaylee."That'swhattheCap'nwoulddoifitwereoneofus.""I know," saidWash. "Only there are two problemswith that. The first is, it's really Simon and

Riverwhoarerunningtherisk.Second,whatcanwedoifthey'reintrouble?"Simon shifted uncomfortably. "As to the first," he said, "I should point out that, uh, you are all

harboringknownfugitives,soitisn'tjustusrunningtherisk.""Youhaveapointthere,"saidWash."Astothesecond,"saidSimon,"I'mnotsure.Thethingis,I'mnotsurewhatthey'llruninto,ifthey

dorunintoanything.""Itjustdon'tseemrighttosituphereanddonothin',"saidKaylee."Iknow,"saidWash."I'dfeelbetteraboutdisobeyingtheCaptainifwehadareason.Aretheyintouchwithus?Willwe

knowifsomethinggoeswrong?""They'reboth talking toSerenity,butnot toeachother.Maldoesn'tknowthatZoëfollowedhim

yet.""Theywon'tbeherefortwodays,"saidRiver."MalandZoë?"askedSimon."Theywanttheirthing,"saidRiver."They'realongwayoff,butthedeadtravelfast.""River?"saidSimon."Twobytwo,"shesaid.Riverstoodupand left thedining room,heading towardhercabin.Simonstarted to followher,

stopped, turned back toWash, looked at Kaylee, and spread his hands. "Dowhatever you think isright,"hesaid,andhurriedafterhissister."Well,thatmakesiteasier,"saidWash.Hesighed.Amemorytuggedathissleeve,then,andhesaid,

"You know, Kaylee, just a few days before we dropped off the Shepherd, wewere sitting aroundreminiscing—""Imisshim,"saidKayleewistfully."Metoo.Wewerereminiscing,andhesaidsomethingabouthowalotofthingswouldhavebeena

loteasierifwehadlistenedtoRiverandjustbelievedwhatshesaid."Kayleetiltedherheadandsaid,"Hunh.""Yeah.Iwasabouttoaskhimwhathemeant,butIgotdistractedbysomething.Landing,Ithinkit

was."Heshrugged."So,"saidKaylee,"doesthatmeanweshoulddowhattheCaptainsaysandjustwaituphere?"Washnodded."I'mprettysurethat'swhatitmeans."

"Allright.""ButI'mnotgoingto."Kayleesmiled.Washsighedandheadedbacktothebridge.OutsideYuvaItwaseveningonHerawhenhenursedtheshuttletoastandstill.HewasgladWashwasn'tthereto

seethelanding;buthewasdownsafe,andnothingwasdamaged.Hecarefullywentthroughtheshutdownprocess,leavingthecommon."Wash?LetZoëknowI'm

down.""Willdo,Mal."Heresetthecommforthelocaloffice,andspokeoncemore."ThisisCaptainReynolds.Anyonethere?"Afteramoment,therewasananswer."Yeah.Wehaveyourpaymenthere.""Goingtobearoundforawhile?""Anotherhourorso.""I'llbethere."Thenheshutdownthecomm,aswell.Hepulledhispistol,checkedtheload,reholsteredit."Okay,"hemuttered."Let'sdothisthing."Helefttheshuttle,closedandlockedit.Fiftyfeetawaywastheroad;hetookit.Halfanhourlaterhestoodintheoffice,wherethewallswerewhiteandcleanandspacious,and

everythingblinkedandhummedandflickered,and the fewpeoplewhowereworking latewerealldressedmoreorlesslikeKithadbeen.Theplacegavehimthecreeps.Acoupleofquestionsledhimtotherightoffice,whichturnedouttobestandingopen.Initwasa

desk,andbehindthedeskafat,palemanoverflowedhischair,stubbyhandstypingatakeyboard.HelookedupasMalcamein."CaptainReynolds?"Malnodded."Good.Signhere,please."Thefatmanpassedhimaclipboardanda lightpen.Malsigned it,passed itback,andreceiveda

narrowpieceofpaper.""What'sthis?""Acheck.""Iwastold—""Signtheback.Icancashit."Hesignedit,passeditback,andreceivedathickenvelope.Heopeneditandcounted,gettingalook

butnocommentfromthefatman."Allhere,"hesaid.Theothernodded."I'mtoconveyMr.Sakarya'sthanks."Malnodded."Ifheneedsanythingelse,heknowshowtoreachus.""Indeed."Malstucktheenvelopeintohiscoatandlefttheroom,headingbackoutoftheoffice.Okay,good.

We'vebeenpaid.Alliswell,wecangetoutofherenow.Therewereafewpedestriansonthestreet,mostofthemlookinglikeofficeworkers,andmanyof

them,itseemed,headingtowardthecanteen.Hedugintohisapocket,andfoundthemapWashhadgivenhimandstudiedit,relatingit tothe

landmarksheknew.Itwasn'teasy.

What'sthedifference?I'mnotgoingtogohunthimup.What'sthepoint?He'safed.Badenoughtohavesavedhislife;there'snothingtobegainedbyhavinganythingmoretodowithhim.Nothingatall.Hestaredatthepaperandtriedtoworkitout.Pointless,hetoldhimself.Hefrowned.Oh,right.It'saboutahundredandfiftyyardsthatway.Hewentback to themainroadandfollowed itmostof thewayoutof town, turning to theright

untilhesawalowseriesofbungalows.Yep,hesaid.Hastobethatone.Hisfeetcarriedhimthatway,andrightuptothedoor.

5ChapterMyOwnKindofQuestions

YuvaHewas just about toknockon thedoorwhenheheard a crunchbehindhim.He turnedquickly,

reachingforhispistol,thenstoppedwithithalfoutoftheholster."Zoë!""Yes,sir?""Whatthexuexingdetamadediyuareyoudoinghere?""I'msorry,sir.HadyouexpectedmetowaitonSerenitywhileyouspoketothefedbyyourself?""Well,seeingashowIgavethatorder,Isortoffiguredonit,yes.Whatabouttherestofthem?""Itooktheothershuttle.They'restillupincloseorbit,geostationary.""Allright.Well,aslongaswe'rehere—""Ourfriendisn't.""Hmmm?""Thefed—assumingthat'swhatheis—lefthalfanhourago.""Oh.You'vebeenwaitinghere?""Yes,sir.""Idon'tsupposeyouknowwherehewent?""Yes,sir.""Youdo?""Yes,sir.""Where?""Followme,sir."Itwas fullydarkby this time.Theywalked through thedarkenedback streetsofYuva for about

fifteenminutes,untiltheystoppedinfrontofwhatseemed,inthelittleambientlighttherewas,tobealarge,blackobjectofindeterminateshape."Here,sir,"whisperedZoë.Malwhisperedback."Whatisit?""Inthelight,itseemedtobeawarehouseforthelandingfield.""Howbig?""Notterribly.""Okay."Hedugaroundinhiscoatpocketforaminute,thenwhispered,"Gotsomelight?"Zoëkeptthelightdim,buttheywereabletospotthedoor.Malpositionedhimselfonthesidewith

thelatch,Zoëtooktheother.Theybothdrewtheirweapons.Malfoundthelatchwithhislefthand,turnedit.The"click"seemedveryloud.Thedoorwasalso

loudwhenitopened.Hewaitedtoseeifanythingwouldhappen.When the floodlights came on, he let himself fall backward, staying near the wall, then rolled,

comingtorestonhisstomach,pistolpointingtowardthedoor.Zoëwasclearlyvisible,ononeknee,pistolandheadswingingbackandforth.Avoiceemergedfromthedoorway.

"I'mnotgoingtoshootatyou.I'dappreciateitifyou'dbeequallyreserved.""Who'sthere?"calledMal."It'sme.Kit.Ididn'tknowwhoyouwerewhenIhitthelights."Malloweredhispistol,pointingitatthegroundnexttohisfoot.Zoëpointedhersataspotonthe

groundmidwaybetweenherandthedoor.Hecameout, showingemptyhands, though therewasapistol tucked intohisbelt. "I take ityou

werelookingforme?""Thatwewere.""AndIassumeyoudidn'tsavemylifesixhoursagoinordertokillmenow,so,wouldyouliketo

comein?"MalglancedatZoë,whostoodup,holsteredhergun,andshrugged.Malstoodupandholsteredhis

own."Wellthen,"hesaid.Theyfollowedhiminside,Zoëclosingthedoorbehindthem.Kitflickedaheavyswitchjustinside

thedoor,presumablyturningoffthefloodlights.Theyfollowedhimdownabadlylithalltoasmalloffice,withcommequipment,monitors,andkeyboardsetabouthereandthere."Getcomfortable,"hesaid.Zoërolledhereyes."IsititallofHera,orjustYuvawherenoonebelievesinchairs?""Igetthechair,"saidKit,"becauseIgotherefirst."Zoëleanedagainstthewall,Maltookacornerofthedesk."Isthisahideoutyou'veusedbefore,or

wasitspurofthemoment?""I'vehaditinmind,justincase."MalfeltZoëlookingathim."Besttohaveabolthole,inyourlineofwork.""Yes,indeed.""Justwhatisyourlineofwork?"NowitwasKitstudyinghim.“I'madentist,”hesaidatlast.Malshrugged."Look,youdon'thaveacoveranymore;allyoucandoiswaittoberetrieved,and

hopethathappensbeforetheyfindyouandtakeanothershot.Whatharmisthereintellingus?""I'mwonderingifyou'retheoneswhoblewmycover.""Andthensavedyourlife?"Kitshrugged."Idon'tknow.Idon'tknowwhatyourangleis.Feelliketellingme?""You'dneverbelieveit,"saidZoë,staringataspotoverKit'sshoulder."Youdon'thavetotellusanything,"saidMal."We'renotgoingtothreatenanAllianceofficer.And

wearesurelynotgoingtotrytobeatitoutofyou.Butwecameintothemiddleofthis.Wewanttherestofthestory.Ifyoufeelliketellingus."Kitleanedbackandstaredattheceiling."WhatbroughtyoutoYuva,anyway?I'velearnedwhoyou

are,butthatonlystartsthequestions.Youaren'tminers,andIhaven'tseenyouaroundtheoffice.I'dsaysecurity,butyouaren'twearing—""Icaptainatransportship.WewerehiredtopickupsomelumberforMisterSakarya.""Yeah,thatmatcheswhatIlearned.Butisittrue?""Sure,"saidthecaptain."Whynot?""Okay.Youpickedupsomelumber.Andthen?"Malshrugged."Wewerewaitingtogetpaid,sawthosetwointhecanteen,decidedtointerferewith

theirfun.""MisterSakarya,"repeatedKit."Yes.""WhatdoyouknowofMisterSakarya?""Well,Igatherhe'snotburdenedbyexcessivekindnesstowardhisemployees."

"Youcouldsaythat.""He seems like a thousandothers I've seen.Bigking in a little kingdom.Probably enjoys it too

much.""Yeah,well.""Wellwhat?""Nothing.""Nothingyoucantellusabouthim?""Sorry.""Oraboutwhatyou'redoing?""Sorry.""Aren'tyoucuriousabouthowweblewyourcover?""Didyou?""Notonpurpose."Kitshrugged.Malsaid,"Butthen,someonetriestoknockyouontheheadthedayweshowuphere,andithasn't

happenedbefore,oryou'dhavebeenarmedandexpectingit.Bithardtocallitcoincidence,isn'tit?""What'syourpoint?""Thatyoumightbecuriousabouthowithappened.""MaybeIam.""Andifyoutelluswhatyouknow,andwetellyouwhatweknow,wemightbothlearnsomething.""Sorry.Can'tdoit.""Isupposeyoucouldn'tjustifyrevealinganythingtoanyonewithoutclearanceforit.""Closeenough.""Ashameaboutthat.""Isupposeitis.""Doyouhavetotellthem?""Yes.""Butyouarecurious,aren'tyou,Kit?""I'll admit to that. But I'm afraid, well, you know. I'm sorry I couldn't be more help, Captain

Reynolds."Malpushedhimselfawayfromthewall,noddedtoKit,andheadedout.Zoëfell intostepnextto

him."Ihaveaquestion,sir.""Whatisit?""Didwelearnanything?"“Well,wehave a lotmore questions thanwedid before, but, yeah,we learned some things.We

confirmedthathe'safed.AndhewasonsortofmissionherethathadsomethingtodowithSakarya,andsomethingaboutourarrivalheremesseduphismissionandalmostgothimkilled.""Isee.Somethingaboutourarrival.""Right.""ThenIhaveanotherquestion.""What'sthat?""AnyobjectionifIhuntdownJayneandblowhisheadoff?"“He'soffthecrew.”“So?”"Can'tblameasnakeforslithering,Zoë.""No,sir.Butifyoublowitsheadoff,you'llslowitdownsome."

Yuva:CanteenHesatinthecanteen,nursinghisbeer,andtriedtoworkitout.Havingdecidedtostickaroundand

goforthegold,hereallyhadtoknowwhatwasgoingon.Okay,whatexactlyweretheevents,inorder?First,he'dmadecontactwiththeAlliance,andbeentoldthatanagentwouldbemeetinghiminthe

Canteen.Thiswastheonlycanteenintown.Theotherplace,downthehill,wasjustcalled,"Thebar."So,hewasintherightplace.Second,he'dcomehere,andwaitedabouthalfanhourinaplacethatwascompletelyemptyexcept

forthebartender.Ifthebartenderwasafed,whichdidn'tseemlikelytobeginwith,whyhadn'thesaidsomething?Third,twoguyshadcomein.Theycouldhavebeenfeds—theywerearmed,andcertainlylooked

like theywere thereforbusiness.Butwhytwoof them?Hehadn'tbeen told therewouldbe twoofthem.That'swhyhe'dputhishandonhispistol the second they'dcome in.But they'd ignoredhimcompletely,insteadwatchingthedoor.Fourth,Mal andZoë had come in.He'd damn near opened firewhen they'dwalked through the

door, figuring they'd foundoutwhathewasup toandwanted to stophim.But they'dpretendedhewasn'teventhere.Fifth,theotherguycamein,theoneinthefancyclothes.Hecouldhavebeenafed.Butthenthose

twootherguysmadetheirmove,liketheyweregoingtokillhim,andMalandZoëhadsavedhim.NowayMalandZoëweregoingtorescueafed.Itdidn'tmakesense.Noneofitmadesense.Buthehadtofigureitout,becausehecouldn'tgointoahigh-riskoperationlikethiswithoutany

ideaofwhowasonwhichside,orevenwhatthesideswere.Well,okay.Let'sjustthinkthisthrough.CouldMalshowinguptherebecoincidence?Well,sure;iftheywerestuckwaitingforsomething,

likepaymentforthejob,howmanyotherplaceswerethere?Butwhataboutthatguytheysaved?MalandZoësavedhim,sonowayhewasafed;thatmuchhecouldcounton.So,ifhewasn'tafed,whowashe?Andwhowantedtokillhim,andwhy?Whyhadn't the fed shownup, anyway?Whatever their attitude toward him, Jayne, heknew they

wantedthedoctorandhissister;theywantedthembad.Sowhydidn'ttheyshow?Heleanedbackinhischairandsippedhisbeer,nursingit.OutsideYuvaTheywerenearlybacktotheshuttleMalhadflown."Okay,sir,nowweknow.""Yeah.""Atleast,wemightknowsomeofit.”“Right.”“So,dowedoanythingaboutit?""Yeah.We'vebeenpaid,soIflyyoubacktoShuttleOne,wegetbacktoSerenityandgetoffthis

world.""Goodplan,sir.""Gladyouapprove.""Onlyoneproblemwithit.Doyoureallyintendtodoit?"Theshuttlewasthere,andappearedundisturbed.

"Yeah,"hesaid."Thisisnoneofourconcern.""That'swhatyousaidbefore,sir.""AndIwasright,too.""Yes,sir."Mal punched the combination and door opened.Theywent in.Mal sat down in the pilot's chair,

flippedonthecomm,andfoundthechannelforSerenity."Wash?""Righthere,Mal.""Wegotpaid,andwe'reonthewayhome.""Uh…."ZoëlookedatMal,whosaid,"Wash?Isthereaproblem?""Notaproblem,exactly.""Talktome,Wash.""Well,foronething,Zoëwentdownafteryou.""Iknow.She'swithmenow.""Oh,good.Allrightthen.""Whatelse?""Else?""Yousaidforonething.""Oh.Right.Well,that'salittlehardtoexplain.""Wash.""Sir,"saidZoë."Wemightwanttoholdoffonthis.""Whyisthat?""BecauseIjustcaughtaglimpseofsomethingmetallicoutthere.""Wash,I'llcallyouback."Hedisconnectedanddrewhisweapon;herswasalreadyinherhand,thoughshehadnomemoryof

pullingit."Youonlysawone?"heasked."Yes,sir.Oneglint.Shouldn'twegetoutofhere?""Yes,unlessthere'saweapontrainedonthedoor,waitingforustogooverthereandcloseit.""Youwanttofindout?""Notespecially.""Shouldwejuststandhereforever?""Notsuchagoodideaeither.""Weshouldhaveclosedthedoorwhenwecamein,sir.""Goodthinking."Zoëshruggedandkneltdownbythesideofthedoor.Malstoodbehindher."Ready,sir?I'llgetit.""I'llgetit.""No,sir.Ican—"Mallungedacrossthethreshold,rollingandcomingupontheothersideofthedoor.Withasmallpartofherbrainthatwasn'totherwiseoccupied,shethought,Younevergetusedtothe

waybulletskickintothingsaroundyousomuchsoonerthanyouhearthereport.Therewasnoneedtospeak.Therewereat least threeof them, theweaponsweresemi-auto,and

theywerefiringatthreedifferentlevels.Nowayweretheygoingoutthere.Thedoorswungclosed."Yougood,sir?"

"Didn'tevenfeelabreeze.""Good,then.""I'llfireitup,"saidMal."Letme,sir.""Allright."She slid herself into the pilot's seat. Bullets continued striking the side of the shuttle. She

disengaged the guidance lock, engaged the power, and armed the controls. It wasn't as smooth asWashwouldhavedoneit,butitdidn'ttakealotlonger.Sheputherhandonthethrottle,kickedinthegravboot,andsaid,"Well,nowwhat?""Uh,nowwegetoutofhere?""Notgoingtohappen,sir.""Uh…"Zoëgotupandbrieflyinspectedtheareaoppositethehatch,nodded,andsatbackdown."Oneof

thoseshotsthatcameinthroughthehatchknockedouttheg-line.We'renotgoinganywhere,sir.""Ah.Well.AndjustwhenIthoughteverythingwasperfect."Anoccasionalbullethitthehull,withasoundlikeahammerhittingananvilthroughapillow.Malfrowned."Iwonderhowlongwecanstayinhereandjustletthemshootatus.""Untiltheyrealizethatwe'rejustgoingtosithere,andgoandgetexplosives.""Thatsoundsaboutright.""Or,dependingonwhotheyare,theycouldjustbringupartillery.""You'refullofgoodcheer.""Well,theyaren'taskingustosurrender,sowedon'thavetoworryaboutwhetherthey'regoingto

trickus.""Nowthat'sagoodcheerywaytolookatthings,Zoë."Shesquintedthroughthewindow.Wasthat…?"Ithinkthey'regettingreinforced.""Oh,that'sgood.I'dhatetothinkweweren'toutnumbered.""Wewouldn'twantthat,wouldwe.""Ifweknewwhere theywerecomingfrom,andwho theywere,"saidMal,"wemightbeable to

guesshowsoonthey'llbeabletogetexplosives."“Yessir.Andsomethingelsebothersme.”“Youmean,whoitistryingtokillus?”“Yes,sir.IfitwasSakarya,hewouldn'thavepaidus.”“Yep.”"Sir?""Yes?""Wecoulduseanewplan.""Wecouldatthat,"hesaid.Yuva:WarehouseThe conversation with the captain and his first mate ought to have given him a lot more

informationthanitdid.Hestaredatthecommgear.WhatwasitaboutthatshipthathadgottenAsherHousesoexcited?Therewerenoactivewarrants

onthecaptain,justastringofdroppedcharges;sowhatelsedidtheyhave?Orwhoelse?Coulditbeawho?Therehadbeentheinstructionstomeetwithsomeoneandnegotiateapricefor

information.Thecaptaindidn'thavetheinformation,sosomeoneelseontheshipdid.Someonewhowouldwhat,selloutthatcaptain?Butthesameproblemkeptreturning,innewforms:whatcouldtheHousewantsobadlythatthey'dblowaneight-monthoperationforit,justatthepointitwasaboutto

payoff?Andhowcouldhehaveneverheardawhisperofsomethingthatbig?Heturnedbacktohisgearandpondered.Serenity:BridgeOneeyeonthebeacon,oneeyeontheglideplane,heslidthroughtheincreasinglythickatmo.It

was just as well that this sort of flying required almost no thought, because his mind was oneverythingelse.WhatwasgoingonwithZoë?HeknewthattoneMalhadused—thattoo-too-calmsign-off.Therewassomethinggoingon.Hishandtwitchedtowardthecomm,thenback.Gorram it, he would not break into whatever they were in the middle of, just because he was

worried.Hewouldnot.Itwasn'tasiftheyhadn'tbeenintightscrapesbefore.Anditwasn'tasiftherewereanythinghecoulddothathewasn'tdoing—thatis,gettingbackthereasfastashecould.Asfastashecouldwouldbeagoodtenminutes.Alotcouldhappenintenminutes.WhatwasgoingonwithZoë?Heheardafootstepbehindhim,andalmostlosthisgroove.Hesparedaglanceoverhisshoulder."River!Uh,hellothere.""Youshould."Helookedattheyoke,theI-set,thegravlock,theattitudecontrols,andrealizedsuddenlyhowlittle

pressureitwouldtakeonanyoneofhowmanythingstosendthemcrashingontotheworld."Maybethisisn'ttheplaceyoushouldberightnow.""Youshouldcall,"saidRiver.Hesparedheranotherlook.Hereyeswereslightlywide,herhandswereinfistsathersides,and

shewasn'tmovingatall."Ishould…youmean,IshouldgetholdofZoëandMal?I'mstilltenminutesaway,there'snothing

Icandoyet.AndifIinterrupttheminthemiddleofsomething—""Youdon'tfixfaith;itfixesyou,"shesaid,andturnedaroundandleftthebridge.Heletouthisbreath,nothavingbeenawareofholdingit,andcheckedhisglidepathagain.Allwas

well.Youdon'tfixfaith….Nowwhatdidthatmean?

6ChapterMyOwnKindofFlying

OutsideYuvaThecommcrackled."Mal?What'sgoingondownthere?""Hihun,"saidZoë."Nothingmuch.We'rebeingshotat.""Oh,isthatall?""Prettymuch.""Areyoushootingback?""Haven'tquitefiguredouthowtodothat,yet.""Thenwhyyouaren'toutofthere?""Can't.Theg-linegotshotout.""Beiyachiyangedeshuiniudezinü.Canyougetoutoftheshuttle?""Notjustatthemoment.Thereareatleastsixofthem,Ithink,andthey'resortofshootingatthe

door.""Youcouldturntheshuttlearound.""Withoutthegrav-boot?""Yes."ShecouldalmostseetheCaptain'searsperkup,andhesilentlymouthed,"Youcan?""Wash,tellmehow.""Over-ridethewingcontrolssotheydon'textend.Youknowhowtodothat?"Zoëlookedoverthecontrols."Idon't—""Leftside,undertheconsole.It'sasmallsilverswitchlabeledS.E.Over.""Gotit.""Okay.Noseallthewaydown.Alltheway,likeyou'redoingafullpowerdive.Thenyougiveit

somejuice.Justalittle;toomuchandyou'llflipher.""Okay.""Thenbothbowattitude jetson full, thenyank theyokehardaround inwhicheverdirectionyou

want to turn.You'llhave tocut theattitude jets fastwhenyougetabout fortypercentof theway towhereyouwanttobe."“Fortypercent?How—”“Guess.”"Okay,Wash.I'vegotit."Shebegansettingitup,goingoverthecontrolscarefully."Hey,Wash,"saidtheCaptain."Yes,Mal?""Whatdidyoucallabout?""Idon'tknow.”“Youdon'tknow?”“ItwassomethingtheShepherdsaid,aboutbelievingRiver.""You'regoingtohavetoexplainthattomelater."

"I'lltry.""Ready,sir,"saidZoë."Talktoyoulater,Wash,"saidtheCaptain.Then,"Zoë,let'sgetsomeoutsidelight.Iwanttoseeif

wecanfindsomecoveronthestarboardside.Ifthisworks,we'regoingtohavetomakeafastbreakforit."She flipped on the externalswhile he stared out. Severalmore bullets thwanged into the shuttle.

"Hundanaretryingtokillaninnocentshuttle,"hesaid."Okay.Seethatrock,thebigone?""Iseeit.""Lotoftreesaroundit.That'swhatwemakefor.""Yes,sir."Henoddedandpositionedhimselfbythedooroncemore.Sheranherhandsoverthecontrolsshe'dneed,inorder,twice."I'mready,"shesaid."Me,too.""You'dbetterholdontosomething,sir.""I'mholding.Let'sdothisthing.""Yes,sir."Shepushed theyoke forward.No response, of course, beyonda little pressure.She took adeep

breath,and,assheletitout,andgaveitsomethrottle,thenalittlemore,then—.Thevesselshuddered,andthetailrose;shewaslookinghardattheground.Behindhersheheard

theCaptaincatchhisfooting.Shefiredupbothattitudethrustersandspunhard,andtherewasalurchthatcouldn'tpossiblyhave

been right.She felt panic for the first time in tenyears, killed the attitude jets and straightened theyoke.Asshewascatchingherbreath,sheheardthedooropen."Move!"saidtheCaptain.Shewantedtoexplainthat,infact,ithadn'tworked;thatshe'dpanicked,theywerestillfacingthe

sameway,andhewasabouttochargeoutintomoremassedfirepowerthantheyseensincethewar.Therewere only twoproblemswith doing so: oneproblemwas that theCaptainwasout the dooralready,andtheotherproblemwasthatsowasshe.OutsideYuvaHespottedtherock,rightwhereitshouldbe,andmadeforit.Hetookthelastfewfeetintheair,

rolled,andcameuptooneknee.Aninstantlater,Zoëwasnexttohim,alsoonaknee,weaponout."Goodjob,Zoë;thatwastheperfectspot.""Thankyou,sir.""Anyideawhatdirectiontheothershuttleisfromhere?""Yes,sir.Pastthisone,andpastallofthem.""Isee.Longwayaroundthen.""Yes,sir.""Okay.Timetorun."Theydid.Lights occasionally flickered near them, and from time to time there were reports of shots. It

remindedhertoomuchoftheaftermathofBelerophon,whendefeathadfirstkickedherintheteeth,whenshe'dreallylearnedwhatitwasliketobeonthelosingside.Sheshookhermemoriesaside,andconcentratedonrunning; thatwashardenough.Alittle light

fromapale,thinhalf-moonandevenlessfromthesliverofanothergavejustenoughlighttoavoidthetrees,ifshewascareful;hereyestoldherenoughtostaywiththecaptain.

Theterrainclearedalittle."Idon'tsupposethatyouhaveanyideaifwe'reneartheothershuttle?""No,sir.Ilandedaquarterofamileeastofyou,butI'mafraidIdon'tknowhowfarwe'vegone.""Okay,then…what'sthatsound?"Theybothstoppedtolistenforamoment,then,"Horses,"saidtheCaptain."They'llcatchuseasyintheopen.""Yes,theywill.Iwonderifwecanmakeitbacktothetrees."Serenity:Bridge"Zoë?Didyoutrythat?"Heboostedtheengineabittoslowhisdecent.Thealtimeter,calibratedforthisplace,saidhewas

onlyaboutninehundredmetersfromthedeck."Zoë?Mal?Areyouthere?"Nothing….Hegaveitmorepowerandcametoastop,hoveringjustoverthetreeline.Heturnedonthefloods

andcheckedtheviewbelow.Theshuttlewasthere,itsdooropen.Nosignofanyactivity.Aninfraredscanpickeduptheslowlycoolingengine,therapidlycoolingelectronics,andnothingelse.Well, if they'dpulled itoff, theywouldn'tbe in theshuttle,would they?They'dbeheading to the

othershuttle,whichwas…lookedlikeaquarterofamileeast."Zoë?Mal?"Nothing.Well,inanycase,theyweren'tthereyet.Hekilledthelightbutkeptontheinfrared,andheadedeast,slowly.Hefoundthemalmostatonce—theyhadtobethetwobrightspots,persuedby….Yes.Theywereonhorseback,andthoselittleflasheshadtobegunfire.Hehitthelightsanddroppedlower,thenlowerstill.Theyscatterednicely.Herose,madeasharpone-eighty,andcamebackagain.Therewasagroupofthree.Hedropped

toward them, and three horses were running wildly, and without their riders. The shooting hadstopped.Hewentbackforanotherpass."Swoop,"hesaidtohimself."Swoop,swoop.It'slikewaltzing."Herealizedthathewassmiling.Yuva:CanteenThereweren'tanygorramanswers.That'swhatitcameto:nogorramanswersatall.Hefinishedhisbeer,andyelledforanotherone.Thebartenderdidn'thearhim,orchosetoignore

him,sohepushedpastthegoodcitizensofYuvauptothebar.Hestartedtoorderanotherbeer,thenchanged hismind andmade itwhiskey.He started to bring it back to his table, then shrugged anddownedit. Itwassurprisinglysmooth,burningjusta littleonhis tongue, thebackofhis throat.Heorderedanotherandlookedaroundtheroom.Upright citizens, one and all. All of them polite, and none of them looking like they could be

pushedintoaruckus.Sad.He'dreallyhaveenjoyedachancetogetsomeofhisfrustrationout.He finished thewhiskey,blinked, andnoticed that the roomwasgettinga little fuzzyaround the

edges.Good.Heorderedanother,drainedit,wipedhislipswiththebackofhishand.Therewerealotofpeoplehere;theremustbesomeoneintheroomwho'dbewillingtotussle,if

pushedright.Heturnedbacktothebar,andstumbledagainstit.Heorderedanother.

Thebartendersaid,"Maybeit'dbebetterifyousloweddownabit."Jaynegrinnedslowly.Yuva:WarehouseHisbraintappedthekeyswhilehishandsabsorbedtheinformation.Bringitup,senditoff,knockitdown,checkthesignalforlistenersorintruders,moveontothe

next:orderandprocess, logicandvision,waiting for theslapofepiphany if itchose tocome,butkeeppokingandpryingandfiguringuntilthen.Thiswaswhathedid;thiswaswhathewasgoodat.Collectthepieces,makesenseofthem,look

forthefactthatdidn'tfitin,thenfollowitwhereveritled.Thathistargetwasnowhisownpeoplewasnolongerevenaconsideration;theworkwaseverything,ithadbecomeitsowngoal.Namesandfiguresanddata-pointsofhistoryflashedbeforehim,thesearchbecomingwiderand

wider,thensometimesnarrowingintoatightbeamuntilpossibilitybecamenegative,andthesearchwidenedagain.Thegoalhadvanishedlongago;theprocesswasnowalltherewas,andhereveledinit.Serenity:CargobayKayleewaswaitingwhentheycamein,bothofthemoutofbreath."Cap'n!You'rebleeding!""Nottoobad,"hesaid."Weneedsomeworkonshuttletwo.""Okay.Butyou'redrippingonthefloor."TheCaptainglanceddownathisupperthighandshiftedhisweight.Hesquishedaudibly."Firstwe

havetogetitbackaboard.AndI'dliketorecovertheothershuttlefirst.""Icandothat,sir,"saidZoë."Gogetfixedup."WashcamerattlingdownthestairsandwrappedhisarmsaroundZoë."Goodjob,Wash,"saidtheCaptain.Simon appeared next, looked them over, and said, "All right, Captain, let's get you to the

infirmary.""Idon'tthinkwe…."hepausedinmid-sentence,waveredonhisfeet,andsaid,"Allright."Simon

putanarmundertheCaptain'sshoulderandledhimoff."I'llberightback,"saidZoë."You'llbewhat?"saidWash."Ineedtogettheshuttle.""Honey-pooch,youjustgotbackin,andtherearepeopleouttherewhowanttoshootatyou.Why

don'tIbringSerenitytotheshuttles?""Thefuelcost.""Ganzhexieranliaofei.""TheCaptainsaid—""Bayigeranliaodianchilaicaochuanzhang.Wecanjust—""Okay,compromise.Givemeanexactlocationontheonewe'realmostontopof,I'llgogetit,and

meetyounexttotheotherone."Washexhaledslowly."Allright,"hesaid.Kayleetriednottosmile.Washwassoadorablewhenhewasbeingprotective."I'llgetmytools,"

shesaid.Twentyminuteslater,sheenteredshuttletwo,noddingtoZoë."Didtheyshootatyouanymore?""Nosignofthem."

"Good.""Ohhhh.""Whatisit?""Oneofthebulletsknockedapieceofthebulkheadthroughthehydraulics.We'vegotfluidallover

theplace.Howdidyougetthegrav-boottowork?""Wedidn't.""Oh.Okay.It'llneedtobewelded.AndIhopewehavemorefluidsomewhere.""Needanyhelp?""No,thanks."Shegrinned."Unlessyouwanttohelpwiththecleanup.""I'llpass,thanks."Shepulledoutthewelderandgoggles,settingthemnexttothebullethole.Almostwithoutthinking

about it, shemovedback to theengine toclose thevalve, thenup to thecontrols tomakesure thateverythingwaspoweredoff.Thedrillwasinherhand,boltpullerinserted,andthenthepanelwasoff,exposingthedamaged

line,fluidstilldrippingfromit.Shesighedandrubbedherhandalongthebulkhead."Poorli'lguy,"shesaid.Serenity:Medbay"You'vebeenwoundedherebefore,"hesaid,hisprobehoveringovertheinjury."Shrapnel,"saidtheCaptain."Dhu-Kang.Isitthesamespot?""Nearenough.""Thataproblem?""Idon'tknow,yet.Canyounot—?""Sorry."TheCaptainvisiblyrelaxedagainsttheexamtableandstaredupattheceiling.Simonopenedthewoundandstudiedit."Interesting,"hesaid.HefelttheCaptainlookingathim."Oh,sorry.Cleanentryandexit,but,it'sodd.""Doctor,therearecertainsortsofpainyouranestheticisn'tdealingwith.""Yes.Your previous injury, or, rather, the scar fromyour previous injury, pushedyour artery a

quarterofaninchtotheleft.Otherwiseyoumighthavebledtodeathbeforeyougothere.""Sothen,thatmeansI'mnotgoingtobleedtodeath,right?IjustaskonaccountofI'minterested.""You'llbefine.I'mgoingtocleanitout,sewyouup,andyou'llbereadytohavemoreholesputin

you.""Good.I'mlookingforwardtothat.""Pleasetrynottomoveyourleg.Itdidn'tmissthearterybyallthatmuch.""Son,doyouenjoythis?""Patchingupbulletholes?""Wellnotthatasmuchas,well,yes.""Doyouenjoygettingthemputinyou?""Notsomuch.""There'sasatisfactionwhensomeonecomesin—""Idon'tmeantheafterward.Imeanwhileyou'redoingit.""Oh.Um,askmeanothertime.I'msortofbusyrightnow.""That'swhatIthought."

7ChapterMyOwnKindofLove

Serenity:BridgeShetookherselfuptothebridge,satherselfintheco-pilot'schair,andwaited.Sheknewwhatwas

coming, and trying to avoid it would just make it worse. Her husband stared through the frontwindow.SerenitywasdoingwhatWashcalled"sleeping"—asclose toafullshutdownasshecouldgetwithout requiringhours towarmup.Thecommwas still up, though thekeyboards and settingwerelocked,andifyouconcentrated,youcouldjustfeel thegentlestofvibrations.Everythingwasveryquiet;theco-pilot'schairgaveasqueakassheleanedback.Eventually,hesaid,"Iknowyouhavetotakerisks.""Iheara'but'coming.""Butcan'tMalmanagetokeeptherisksdowntowhat'snecessary,insteadof—""That'sjustwhathedoes.I'veneverknowntheCaptaintotakeanunnecessaryrisk.""Nowthat'sjustnottrue.""Well,okay.I'veneverknownhimtotakeriskshedidn'tthinkwerejustified.""Likesendingyououttogetthatshuttlewhenthewoodswerefullof—""Theyweredisorganized and confused, thanks toyou.Thebest time to retrieve the shuttleswas

rightthen,beforetheenemycouldregroup.""Regroup.That'soneofthosearmywords,isn'tit?""Sweetie,sarcasmisnotoneofyourmoreendearingtraits."Washmutteredunderhisbreath.Thenhesaid,"Look,IthinkI'vebeenverypatient—""Withwhat?WithmebeingwhatIwaswhenwemet?"Hestaredoutatthetreesandtheskyforthespaceofseveralbreaths."You'reright,"hesaid.Shenodded."ButIdon'tlikeit."Shenoddedagain."Isthereevergoingtobeatimewhenwestop?""Anddowhat?"shesaid."Thinkyoucouldbehappyifyouweren'tflying?""No.""NeithercouldI.""Thinkyoucouldbehappyifyouweren'talmostgettingkilledquitesooften?""Howdoyouplan toarrange that?Wework theborderworlds,because that'swherewecanget

jobs,andstayofftheAlliance'sradar.Andthat'showthingsareouthere.Weworkforpeoplelookingforanedge,andthatmeanssometimestheytrytokillusforit.""Iknow.""Ihateitwhenyoulooksoglum.""We'vebeenpaid,haven'twe?"Shenodded."Howlonguntilweleavethisrock?""That'suptotheCaptain."

"Anyideawhatthedelayis?""Ithinkhehastomakeadecision.""Whatdecision?""I'mnotexactlysure."Shewonderedhowmuchtosay,thendecidedthatthetruthwasprobablythe

safest."Something'sbotheringhim,andIcan'tbegintofigureoutwhatitis."Henodded.Shestoodupfromtheco-pilot'schair, leanedoverandkissedthebackofhisneck.Helookedat

herandhiseyesweresmiling.Itdidsomethingtoherwhenhiseyessmiledlikethat."Wanttoheadtothediningroom?"heasked."Hungry?""Iwasthinkingwecouldstopatthekitchen,pickupasnack,circlethediningroomtabletopickup

somespeed,thenslantbacktoourbunk."Herpulsequickenedjustalittle."Myman,thenavigator."Serenity:DiningroomSimonnoddedtoWashandZoëastheyenteredthediningroomandrummagedaroundbrieflyin

thekitchen.Theyeachgavehimaquicksmile,andmaybeabiggeronetohissister,thentheyweregone,Washwalkingaroundthetableonce,verysomberly.FromZoë'sexpressionandthewinkshegaveRiver,itwassomesortofprivatejokebetweenthem.WiththeexceptionofJayne,who, itseemed,wasnolongerpartof thecrew,nooneappearedto

resentRiver.Everyonelikedher.Sometimes,itseemedeventheCaptainlikedher;atleast,asmuchashecouldlikeanyone.At themoment, shewasstaringdownataplateofproteinandsoyandartificialpork flavoring,

makingdesignsinitwithherchopsticks.Justlikeafour-year-oldchild,exceptthatthedesignswereanything but random doodling: the movement of the chopsticks was deft, precise, and deliberate,usingbothofthemlikeanartistusingtwobrushesatonce."Whatisthat?"heaskedher.Shestoppedwhatshewasdoingandstaredatitforamoment,frowning.Shetiltedherhead,and

thefrowndeepened.Thenshepickeduptheplateandhurleditatthewall.Shestaredattheplaceonthetablewheretheplatehadbeen."Thedistinctionbetweenabstractandrepresentationalartisarbitrarytothepointofmeaningless.

Onlythenwhywasthedistinctionevermade?"Simonwent into the kitchen and got a bucket and a sponge. He picked up the plate and started

cleaning thewall,gladnooneelsehadheard thenoiseandcome to investigate.He felthis sister'seyesonhisback."I'msorry,Simon,"shesaid.Hedroppedthespongeinthebucket,satdownnexttoher,andputhisarmaroundher."It'sallright,

mei-mei."Sheleanedintohisshoulder.Hesaidsoftly,"Canyoutellmewhatitwasyouweredrawing?""Amap,"shesaid."Amapofwhat?"Shespokeintohischest."HowyougetfromaColoneltoamonsterandback.Butwhatgoodisa

mapwhenyouaren'tgoinganywhere?""We'llbeleavingheresoon,River.""No,wewon't.""River—""Butit'sallright.You'llprotectme.Youalwaysprotectme."

TherewasalumpinSimon'sthroat.Hegotup,wentbackto thebucket,andcontinuedcleaningthewall.Riverfoundanothersponge

andkneltdowntohelphim."Art,"shesaidastheywipeditaway.Simonlookedather."It'sthesecondpersonpresentsingularformoftheverb'tobe,'"shesaid.“Iknewthat,”hetoldher.Serenity:CatwalkTheCaptainwas standing above the cargo bay, staring at nothing. "Hey, Cap'n," she said. "The

shuttleisfixed,butIusedthelastofthefluidtorefillherlines.We'regoingtohavetogetmore."Henodded,hiseyesstillfixedoffinthedistance.Shealmostaskedhimwhatwaswrong,butdidn't.Shecontinuedbacktotheengineroom,and,just

becauseitmadehernervoustobelowonfluid,shecheckedallthehydraulics."Well,ifthatisn't…."Sheshookherheadindisgust.Allthatcheckingonthea-grav,anditwasnothingmorethanlow

fluid in the control line. You'd thinkWash would have noticed the control was sluggish. No, thatwasn'tfair;itwasherjobtokeepuponthesethings.Andnowtheywereoutoffluid.Sherubbedthebulkhead."I'msorry,honey,"shewhispered."SometimesI'mjuststupid."Shetossedherhairbackoverhershoulder.ShecouldapologizetoSerenitylater;nowshehadto

comeupwithasolution.Solution.Yes.Justwhat exactlywas the solution for hydraulic fluid, and howmuch tolerancewas there?And

couldsherigupafilterforwhatshe'dcleanedupfromthespill?Well,sure;afilterwouldbeeasyenough:justtakeaspareintakefilterandreversespinonthewet-pullshe'dusedfortheclean-up.Thehoseitselfwouldworktochannelit.Andsheonlyneededalittle—justabitmorethanaliter,mostlike.Shepattedthebulkhead."Don'tworry,hun.We'llhaveyoufixeduprightinnotime."Serenity'slow,clearpurrseemedtosaythatitwasallright,thatSerenitytrustedher.If anyone had asked, she'd have said that she knew verywell that such feelingswere all in her

imagination.Butshewasgladnoonewasaroundtoaskthequestion,becauseshehatedlying.Serenity:ShuttletwoAsKaylee headed back toward the Engine room, hemade hisway into the shuttle.He knew he

didn'tneedtoinspectherwork,buthealsoknewshe'dappreciateitifhedid.Hesawtheunrepaired,harmlessindentationsfromthebullets,butsawnosignofKaylee'srepair

work.Shereallywasverygood.Hewasgorramluckytohaveher.Helefttheshuttle,andcrossedoverintotheotherone,tellinghimselfheoughttogiveitaonce-

over,justtomakesureitwasreadytogo.Itwasbare,empty,andfunctional,justlikeshuttletwo,onlymore-so,becauseshuttletwohadno

memoriesofeverhavingbeenanythingelse.AmIreallystillsmellingincenseinhere,orisitmyimagination?Ithastobemyimagination.Hesatdowninthepilot'schair,andtouchedthecontrols.Hestoodupagain,ballinguphisfistsandrelaxingthemagain,shakinghishead.

IfInarawerehere,she'dbecallinghimsixkindsofanidiotforeventhinkingaboutdoinganythingbuttakingthemoneyandblasting.Andshe'dberight.Andhe'dmake some remark abouthowmuchexperience shehad in this sort of thing, and then

she'dgivehimthatlook….Heswallowedandlookeddownathishands.Stupid.He was being stupid. Why waste time thinking about Inara, when he had decisions to make,

decisionsaffectinghiscrew,hisboat,hisfuture.And, put thatway, the decisionwas easy. Zoëwouldn't hesitate: get out of theworld.Wash and

Kayleewouldn'tunderstandwhyheevenhadtothinkaboutit.Thedoctormighthaveanidea,ifhethought about it, but hewouldn't think about it.AndRiver,well,who knewhowhermindworkedanyway?Itoughttobeaneasydecision.ExceptthatforallInarawouldtellhimhewasafooltobethinkingaboutit,shewastheonehe'd

havetroublelookingintheeyeifhejustletitalone.Whatwouldhehavetoldher,ifshewerehere?Nothing.Hewouldhavedoneeverythinghecould

toavoidtheconversation."Well,yousee,Inara,itturnsoutthisguywhohiredusisareal,first-classbastard. In his own way, worse than Niska. Forced indenture. You know what that means? That'sslaveryunderanothername,Inara.He'srunninghisminesonslave labor.Sure,allwedid isbringhimwood,butthenwesavedthelifeofafedwhowastryingtoshuthimdown.AndnowIhavetodecideifthatmeanswe'reinvolvedinthis.Andifweareinvolved,how?"Whatwouldshesay?Nothing,becausehewouldn'thavehadthatconversationwithher.He'dhave

said,"I'mjustponderingsomethings."Andshe'dhaveputmostofittogether,gorramheranyway.Andshe'dhavesaidsomethingsnide,

andhe'dhavegottenmad,butpartofhimwouldhavelistened,and—Andwhenhadheassignedtheroleofconsciencetoa—Thewordrefusedtoquiteforminhismind.Healmostlaughed,realizingit.He'dcalledherthatto

herfaceoftenenough,butnowwhenshewasn'tevenontheboat,hecouldn't.Shipboardromancescomplicatethings.Buttheyoughttostopcomplicatingthingswhentheywereover.Hewonderedwhatshewasdoingrightnow.Thenheguessed,andstartedtosmashhisfistintothe

bulkhead.Hestoppedasheimaginedtryingtoexplaintheinjurytothedoctor,andthedamagetothebulkheadtoKaylee.He turned abruptly and left the shuttle,making hisway to the Engine room,whereKayleewas

doingsomethingincomprehensibleinvolvingthewetpull."Theshuttlelooksgood,Kaylee,"hesaid."Thanks, Cap'n. If you can giveme a couple of hours, I should have the I-grav smoothed out.

Thoughitisn'treallyimportant.Icanalways—""Acoupleofhours?Wecandothat."Acoupleofhoursmoretomakeuphismind;thatwasgood.Hecouldusethetimetowrestlewith

hisconscience.Hechuckled."Whatdidyousay,Cap'n?""Hmmm?Oh,nothing,Iwasjustmutteringtomyself."Awhoreforaconscienceindeed!Hetookhimself to thebridge longenoughtomakesure theboatwassecurelybuttonedup, then

wentbacktohisbunktoliedown,closehiseyes,andtrytothink.

8ChapterMyOwnKindofLie

Serenity:WashandZoë'squartersHegaveZoëakissonthecheek,gotup,anddressed.Sherolledoverandsighed.Hesmiled,made

hiswaytothebridge,andleanedbackinthepilot'schair.HepartiallywokeupSerenityanddidsomechecks:nothingontheperimeter,notransmissionshadcomein.Good.Hetappedtheintercom."Howwedoing,Kaylee?"Afterabouttenseconds,hervoicecameback."Justaboutthere.Sheshouldbesmootherintoand

outofrealgravnow.Ifyoucangivemeanothertenminutes,she'llbereadytofly.""Okay.SofarasIknow,wearen'tgoinganywhererightaway.""Why?What'sgoingon?""IwishIknew."Hesatfacingthefrontwindow.TherehadbeentimeshehadwantedtosmackMalhard.Therehadbeentimeshewouldprobably

havedoneso,ifhehadn'tknownthatMalcouldandwouldhavepummeledhimintothedeckwithoutbreakingasweat.Butthiswasdifferent;therewassomethingwrongwithMal,andwhateveritwas,itwasworkingitswaythrougheveryaspectoflifeonSerenity.Itwasliketryingtoflywithcontrolsthatmightdowhatyouexpected,ormightdosomethingentirelydifferent.Noonecouldflylikethat.He'dbeenscaredbefore.Manytimes.He'dbeenscaredthefirsttimehe'dsoloed,onhisfirst(and

only) combat mission, and more times than he could count since joining this crew. But this wasdifferent; this was intangible, and therefore much worse; this was a fear he couldn't look at it.Somethingwaswrong, and therefore somethingbadwas liable to happen, and therewas no tellingwhat.He staredout through thewindow,wishinghehad some sort of idea, until oneof the small red

lightsbelowthenavstartedflashing.Serenity:Mal'squartersTheintercomcrackledandWash'svoiceemergedfromit."Mal,wehaveavisitor."Hiseyesstillclosed,hefoundthebutton,pushedit."I'llberightup."Heopenedhis eyes,heavedhimselfupandmadehisway to thebridge.Washwas staringat the

console,finetuning."Some sort of armored vehicle," he said. "About half a click away, coming on slow. Should I

deploytheguns?""Wedon'thaveanyguns.""Oh,right.Ikeepforgettingthat.Whydon'twehaveanyguns?""Howlongtowarmupandgo?""Uh…twominutes,ifKayleeisready."IfKaylee isready, thoughtMal.Well,she'dsaidacoupleofhours,andthatusuallymeantninety

minutes.Hecheckedtheclock,thenhittheintercom."Kaylee,weready?"

"Anytime,Cap'n.""Takeusupassoonasyoucan,Wash?""Outoftheworld?"heasked,evenashewasrunningthroughthewarmup."No,we'rejustgoingtoscootabit."Washdidn'tanswer. It looked likesomethingwasbotheringhim,but therewasno time toworry

aboutitnow."Wash,givemesound."It took Mal a moment to identify the sound of trees rustling in the wind, followed by a low

motorizedhum."Isitinsightyet,Wash?""Uh…no.Butithastobeclose.I'mtryingtobringit…thereitis.""Yeah,allright.Armoredcar,single-mountsquatteronit.Couldbeworse.""How?""Well,thesquatcouldbepointedatus.""Isn'tit…?"Yeah,it'sturning.Arewewarm?""We'rewarm.""Go."Washpushedthethrottleandaroarfilledthebridge."Mafannibawaitoudeshengyinguandiao,Mal?"saidWash.Malreachedforwardclickedofftheexternal,andthesoundabruptlydied."Thankyou,"saidWash."Bringusuptofiveclicks."Zoëcameintothebridge."So,we'releaving?""We'reavoidingasquatter,"saidMal."Asquatter,sir?"Zoëfrowned,andMalsawhermindworking"Mountedonwhatlookedlikeafrog,unmodified."Malwatchedhermindwork,reconstructingthefrog,andwhenthey'd lastfacedone,andputting

thingstogether,andthendecidingnottoaskanyquestions."Bringustotheothersideoftown,thensetusdown.""Mal,youthinkitwasSakarya?"CountonWashtoaskthequestionZoëchosenotto."Ifitisn't,I'mcuriousaboutwhoelsehasaccesstooldmilitarygear.Ifitis,I'mcuriousaboutwhy

hebotheredpayingusfirst.""Oh.Goodthen,"saidWash."Andjustwhyarewesettingdownagain,seeingashowwe'repaid

andall?"CountonWashtoaskthequestionZoëhadbeenchoosingnottoaskallday."Theclient,"hesaidatlast."Sakarya.Therearethingsabouthim,whathe'sdoing.Iwanttofindout

alittlemorebeforeweleave.""Oh,youmean,hemightnotbearealniceguy,likemostofthepeopleweworkfor?"Malglancedathim,butdidn'tanswer."Mal,whendidthisbecomeourbusiness?""When—"Hebrokeoff."Justsetusdown,Wash.""Yes,sir,Captain,sir."Malclampedhismouthshut.HefeltZoënotlookingathim.Serenitybeganherdescent."Huh," saidWash. "I don't knowwhatKaylee did, but this is smoother. I hadn't even noticed the

jerkinessuntilitwasgone."Serenitytouchedthegroundwithbarelyanudge,thensettledlikeacat."Wanthertosleep,Mal?""Sameasbefore.Savesomefuel.Idon'texpecttobeoffworldforawhile,yet.""Thenyou'vedecided,sir?"saidZoë."I'vedecidedIatleastwanttoknowmore.We'llstayhereandgetsomesleepuntilmorning,and

seeiftheycomeback.Iftheydo,takeusupagain.""Mal,whydon'twedosomecheckingonthisguy?Icanatleastseewhat'spublicontheCortex.""No,there'snopoint…yesthereis.Goodidea.Dothat."WhatamIafraidI'llfindout?hewondered.Serenity:DiningroomThenextmorning,whenSimonthoughthewastheonlyoneawake,Zoëcamewalkingthroughthe

diningroom,adistractedlookonherface.Hesaid,"Arewetakingoffsoon?"Zoëstoppedandlookedathim.Hecontinued,"Weseemtohave

goneup,thenbackdown.I'mwondering—""I don't know.We learned something, but I don't knowwhat effect it will have on theCaptain's

decision.""Learnedsomething?Youmean,inthelastfewminutes?""Lastnight.WashdidsomecheckingontheCortex.""Oh.Whatdidwelearn?"“WelearnedthatSakaryaisarightbastard.""Sakarya?""Theguywedeliveredthelumberfor.""Oh.Whatdifferencedoesthatmake?Imean,we'veworkedforplentyofrightbastardsbefore.""Notonthislevel.Heownseverythingonthissideofthemountain,andrunsitlikeaslavecamp.

Theydig thebauxite, send it away forprocessing,andmove the topsoil tohis farms.He'smakingmoneyhandoverfistfromthemineshere,andslave-laboronthefarms.Mostofthekidsworkonthefarms.""Kids?""Ageseightandup.Sometimesyounger,ifthey'rebig.""Aren'ttherelawsagainstthat?""Supposedly.Anyway, it isn't pretty. InYuva,wherehe lives,wedon't see theworstof it. I don't

thinkwewantto.""Istilldon'tsee—""NeitherdoI.There'ssomethingmore,andIhaven'tfiguredoutwhatitis.""Somethingmore?""TheCaptainis,well,it'slikesomething'sbittenhim.Itisn'tjustbeinghere,there'ssomethingelse.

SomethinghesawontheCortex."“Didn'tyou—?”“Hequasheditafterhelookedatit.”“Youcould—”“Yes,butIwon't.”"Whatdidyoumeanaboutbeinghere?”“Thisworld.Hera.”“Whatisit…Oh.Yes.Thisiswhereitis,isn'tit?""Begpardon?"

"SerenityValley.It'shere,isn'tit?""Othersideoftheworld."Henodded."IsthataffectingtheCaptain?Imean,beinghereagain?""Thisisthesecondtimewe'vebeenheresincethewar.Itdidn'tseemtobotherhimmuchthefirst

time.""That'ssomethingI'mnevergoingtounderstand.Imean,whatitmusthavebeenlike.""No,youneverwill.""Whataboutyou?Imean,doesitaffectyoutobebackhere?""Areyouatraumaspecialist,orapsychiatrist,doctor?""Justcurious.""Canyoubecuriousaboutsomethingelse?""Yes.ArewegoingtobeoutofherebeforethefedsshowuplookingforRiver?""HastheCaptaineverfailedtoseethatRiverwassafesinceyousignedon?""No.ButtheCaptainhasn'tbeenhimselflately.""Aslongashehasn'tbecomeJayne,Idon'tthinkyouhaveanythingtoworryabout.""It'shardnottoworry.""Howhasshebeen?"They always asked that, and he never knew how to answer.How has she been?Comparedwith

what?Tenyearsago?Tenminutesago?Didtheywanttoknowifshewasrecovering,orjustifshewereabouttodosomethingcrazy?"Therehaven'tbeenany,uh,incidents.ButshesaysthingsthatIcan'tfollow,butthatI'msuremake

asortofsensetoher.It'sliketryingtocrackacode.""That'sbeengoingonforawhile.""Moresincewelandedhere.Shetalksaboutghosts,andmaps."Zoënodded."Ifshe'slookingforghosts,shecametotherightworld.""Iimagine.Butwhenshetalksaboutghosts,Idon'tknow,itdoesn'tmakesense.""No,ghostsdon'tmakesense.What'syourpoint?""ShepherdBook toldme about a time she torehisBible apart.Literally.Rippedpagesout of it,

becauseitdidn'tmakesense.""And?""AndhowdoyouripaparttheBiblebecauseitdoesn'tmakesense,butstillbelieveinghosts?"Zoë leaned against the table, folded her arms, and studied him. "Doctor, aren't you asking too

much,whenyouexpecthertobeconsistent?"Hesighed.Howtoexplain?He'dbeenmoreandmoregettingthefeelingthat,inherownway,she

wasconsistent.ButZoëwasn'tsomeonewhorespondedwelltopeoplehavingfeelingsaboutthings."Ithinkshe'susing'ghost'asametaphor,"hesaidatlast."Ametaphorforwhat?""Idon'tknow.Maybesomethingshe'safraidof.""So,whatissheafraidof?""Beingcaughtandsentback."Zoënodded."And,"saidSimon,"Ithinkshe'safraidI'llresenther.""Doyou?""Areyouasoldier,orapsychiatrist?""Justcurious.Doyouresenther?""No….""Ihearda'but'there."

"I'mafraidsomedayImight.""Letsomedaytakecareofitself,doctor.Wehavetoworryabouttoday.""Iknow,"hesaid."Iknow."Serenity:Engineroom"Wellnuts," she said to theemptyengine room. "Weneverclearedatmo;howam I supposed to

knowifthisworks?"Serenitywasbackontheground,andseemedasdisappointedaboutitasKaylee.Serenitywantedto

fly;sheenjoyedflying.Sittingonthegroundwassomethingshehadtodoonceinawhiletogetthewherewithalsheneededtoswimthroughtheblack.Kayleesighed.Shere-checkedherworkontheI-grav,anditseemedfine.Whatkeptgoingthroughhermindwas

whatwouldhappenifshe'dmadesomesillymistake:thefirstsignwouldbeashimmy,andthenWashwould notice that he was having trouble getting lift, and then the grav-boot would just quit, andthen….Washwasagoodenoughpilottogivethemagoodlandingonjetsalone;shewassureofit.Butitwasn'taboutcrashinganddying;Serenitywouldneverdothat.Itwasaboutallthelittlethings

that,ifshegotthemwrong,mightleaveSerenitywhereshewasnow,ontheground;mightleaveherconsignedtothescrapheap,andallofthemwithoutahome.TheCaptaintookcareofthecrew,butwithouttheship,therewasnocrewtotakecareof;andthatmeant,suddenly,shewasnomore.Theywereallnowhere.Shehatedthesetimeswhentheywerejustsitting,givinghertoomuchtimetothink.Shere-checkedherworkontheI-gravonemoretime.Serenity:River'sroomSometimesshedreamedthattheywerestaringather,fromtheinside.Sometimesshedreamedthat

they were walking around inside of her, poking her with needles. Sometimes she dreamed thatSerenitywas insideofhermind,whichwas insideof theAcademy,whichwas insideofhermind.Whenthathappened,shebecameconfused.Thenshe'dwakeup,andshe'dfeelthedrugsrunningthroughher,andshe'dwonderwhattheywere

doing.She'dbecomelucid,forawhile,andremindherselfthatshehadtotrustherbrother,butthenhewouldchangeintohandswithtubesandneedles,andshe'dseethingswithherears,orknowthingswithoutknowinghow;therewouldbevoicesthatthedrugscouldn'tkeepquiet.Sometimesthevoicesjustspoke;sometimestheywhispered,andsometimestheysang.Whenthey

spoke,itwastoaskherquestionsshedidn'tunderstand.Whentheywhispered,itwassecretsshedidn'twanttoknow.Whentheysang,itwasallnumbers,andsheheardthetruthofthenumbersbutdidn'tdarebelievethem.Andthenthevoiceswouldbequietagain,leavingherwiththedrugsandthememoriesofwhitetile

and steel and long tubes and sensations thatwouldn't go into any categories, leavingher inside ofherselflikeacatinarain-soakedcardboardbox.Thentheeffectsofthedrugswouldfade,leavingherwithonlyhermemories.Thenshewouldhuddleonherbedandshiver.Serenity:CargobayShestoodthereandwaited;heappearedinaboutthreeminutes."I'mready,sir,"shesaid."SoIsee.Whatareyoureadyfor?""Togolookaround,seeifwecanfindoutwhat'sgoingon."

"IdobelieveI'mbecomingpredictable.""Yes,sir.""Let'sgo,then."The doors slid open, and for the hundredth time, she noticed how slowly the ramp seemed to

descendattimeslikethis.Forthehundredthtime,shewonderedhowitwasthatshewasstillalive,nottomentionhaving theuseofbotheyes,bothears,andall four limbs.Hell, shewasn'tevenall thatscarredup.Andhermanlikedthescarsshehad.Focus,Zoë!"Townisthatway."Zoënodded, turned tomatch theCaptain's stride, thenstopped.TheCaptainwentonapace, then

stoppedhimself."Whatisit,Zoë?""Sir,didyouleaveinstructions?""Instructionsfor—?""Forwhen thatbigmovingcannon showsuphere and starts shootingatSerenitywhilewe're in

town."TheCaptainblinked."Right.Thoseinstructions."Hepickeduphisportablecommunit."Wash?"Itcrackled."Yes,Mal?""Keeptheboatwarm.Ifthere'strouble,getupandoutandkeeptheshipsafe.""Allright.""Wash?""Yes?""That'sanorder.""Okay.""Thatmeans that, ifyoudecide to ignore itagain,andputmyboatat risk, Iwillcomebackand

breakbothofyourarms.""Mal,Ican'tflywithbrokenarms.""Makeitlegs,then.""Okay,legsIcandealwith.""Wash,doit.""Allright.Understood.""Sayitback.""Ifthere'stroublehere,I'llgetSerenityupandsafe.""Out."Heclickedoffthecomm."Thinkhe'lldoit,Zoë?""Fifty-fifty,sir.""Gaisifanshangdewangba…Allright."TheycontinuedwalkingtowardYuva.Theweightoftheweaponatherhipcomfortedher."Sir,mindifIaskwhatwe'regoingtodo?""Don'tmindatall."Afteranotherhalfadozenstepsshesaid,"Itakeitthatyoudon'thaveaplan.""Don'tIalwayshaveaplan?""No,sir.Youusuallymakeitupasyougo.""That'snottrue.I'vehadalotofplans.""Yes,sir.""It'sjustthattheydon'talwaysworkoutexactly.""Yes,sir.""Myplan,suchasitis,istopokearoundandseeifsomethingcomesup.Inparticular,I'dliketo

haveatalkwithJayne.""WithJayne,sir?""Doyouknowhowmuchofthishesetoff?""No….""NeitherdoI.AndI'dliketo.""Whatdoyouthinkhemighthavedone?""Whatwereweallthinkinghe'ddo?""CallinthefedsonRiverandthedoctor.Buthowcouldthathavehadanythingtodowiththis?""Ihavenoidea.AndI'mabitcurioustoo.Aren'tyou?""Nowthatyoumentionit,yesIam."Theycontinuedwalking.HowoftenhadshewonderedwhatwouldhappenifandwhensheandJaynehadtofaceoff?Well,

nowitmighthappen.Shediscoveredthatshewasmildlycurious,butnotespeciallynervousabouttheidea."Anyworries,Zoë?""Worries,sir?""AboutJayne."Howdidhekeepdoingthat?"No,sir."No, a fightwith Jaynewasn'twhat shewasworried about; thatwould go as itwent.But, as she

walked, shedidwhat shehaddoneahundred timesbefore: sheprayed to aGod inwhomshe justbarelybelievedthatshewouldn'tlettheCaptaindown.

9ChapterMyOwnKindofChoices

Yuva:CanteenThedoortothecanteenswungopenatnoon,andheandZoëwerewaiting.Thebartender,keysstill

inhishand,glancedoverhisshoulderastheyentered."Well,"hesaid,"offtoanearly—oh.""Iseeyourememberus,Mark."Hestoppedafewfeetfromthebar,hiseyeswent to thecommunitnext to thecashbox, thenhe

turnedback."Mal,andZoë.""Youhaveagoodmemoryfornames.""I'mnotlookingfortrouble.""Shiny,"saidMal."Wedidn'tbringany.”"Allright.I'mgoingbackbehindthebarnow.""Nooneisstoppingyou.Iwouldtakeitasakindnessifyoudidn'tmakeanycalls,though."Thebartendernodded,wentbehind thebar,andclosed theflap thatcompleted it.Hedropped the

keysnexttotheregister,andturnedaround,movingslowlyasifhehadweaponstrainedonhim.MalandZoëhadkepttheirweaponsholstered,butMarkclearlyhadn'tforgotten."Okay,"hesaid."What'syourpleasure?""Justaquestionortwo."Hiseyesnarrowed."Allright,ask.""Therewasafellowinherelastnight.Big,heavydrinker,stranger.Youaskedifwewerewithhim

—""Iknowwhoyoumean.""We'relookingforhim.""Heshouldbeeasytofind."MalfeltZoëlookingathim.Althoughsheprobablydidn'trealizeit,thatlookmeantthebartender

wassafe;she'dneverhavetakenhereyesoffhimotherwise."Caretoexplainwhatyoumean?""He'seitherattheaidstationorthelockdown.Ithinkthelockdown;hedidn'tseemtobehurttoo

bad.""Whathappened?"Theothershrugged."Hegotdrunk,tookaswingatme,startedbeatingoncustomers.Ihadtocall

theLocals. Ifhewasa friendofyours, I'msorry. Ididn'thaveanychoice.Heshouldhavehadhisdrinkdownthehill,withtheminers,ifhewantedtocutloose.Hewasbustingup—""No,"saidMal."He'snofriend.ButIwouldliketotalktohim.Anyideawhatthechargeswillbe?""Drunkanddisorderly,Isuppose.""Okay.Ishouldseeaboutthefine."Thebartendershiftedonhisfeet,andlookeddownatthebar."Uh,Mal….""Mmm?""Thatisn'thowthingsworkhere."Malstudiedhim,thenlookedatZoë,andthenback."Okay.Maybeyou'dbestgoaheadandexplain

howthingsdoworkhere."

Yuva:TownjailHemanagedtoreachthealuminumtoiletbeforehisstomachemptiedhimself.Hestraightenedup,

reachedthealuminumsink,andrinsedouthismouth.Thetasteof thewatermadeitonlybarelyanimprovement.Hemadeitbacktothealuminumbenchandstretched.Heclosedhiseyes,openedthem,andcursedlongandcreatively.Hetookaninventoryofhispains,

andnothinghurttoomuch;theworstweretheknucklesofhisrighthand,wherehe'dclockedthatfatlüzidejiba.Therewasarattle,apause,andthedoorswungout.Theyweregood—theylookedbeforeopening

thedoor—buttheyunlockeditfirst,sotheyweren'tallthatgood.Buthewasn'tabouttotryanythingnow;hewasn'tinshapeforit,anddidn'tknowenough.Whenthedooropened,therewasanunarmedguardthere.Heswungtohisfeet,andsawanarmed

guardafewpacesbehindhim.Okay,sotheyknewtheirbusiness."JayneCobb?"saidtheguard.Jaynewaited."IsyournameJayneCobb?"He continuedwaiting.The guard shrugged. "You're chargedwith two counts of battery and one

chargeofpublicdrunkenness.Anything tosay?Ifyouaren't JayneCobb,now's the time tosayso,exceptIwasondutylastnightwhenyouwerehauledin,soitdoesn'tmuchmatter.""Anythingtosay?What,you'remyjudge?"Theguardnodded."Wehandleminoradministrativemattersatthislevel.Ifyou'dkilledsomeone,

we'dhaveto—""DoIgeta—""No."Jayneglaredathim."Well,youjustdowhatyoudo."The guard nodded, and read from a clipboard. "Jayne Cobb, you are hereby sentenced to five

weeksofindenturetoHeracorp—""Indenture?"Jaynerosetohisfeet.Thesecondguardtookastepforwardandswunghisshotgunso

itwasabitclosertopointingtowardJayne.Heestimatedhischances.Hedidn't like them.Heshrugged.Fiveweeks in themineswouldn'tbe

anyfun,buthe'dlivedthroughworse."Allright,"hesaid."Maybewe'llhaveatalkwhenIgetout."Theguardsmirked.Jaynewasn'talwaysthebestatreadingpeople,butheknewwhatasmirkmeant.Heglaredat the

guard."Allright,howdoesitwork?""Howdoeswhatwo—""Humpthatfayu.Howdotheydoit?"Yuva:Canteen"It varies," saidMark, "but there's always something.Maybe you show up fiveminutes late for

work,that'sanothersixmonths.Maybeyouleaveforlunchaminuteearly,that'sanothersix.Pushinganotherworker,twomonths;pushingataguard,anotheryear.Obscenity—""Okay,"saidMal."Howdotheygetawaywiththat?""Who'sgoingtostophim?""What,doeshehaveanarmybackinghim?"“Callitalargesecurityforce.”"Huh."

Thebartenderreachedunderthecounter,butemergedwithnothingmorethanadampcloth,withwhichheabsentlyattackedsomeofthesplotchesonthestainlesssteelcounterinfrontofhim."Whataboutyou?"hesaid."Hmmm?""Whatareyoudoinghere?""Deliveringcutmaple.""Ahh."Thebartendersmiled."Youknowwhatit'sfor?""It'sforme.I'vebeenwantinganewplace,andhe'sbeenpromisingmeoneformostofayearnow.

Arealsaloon,madeofgoodwood.KnowwhatImean?AndIwantswingingdoors,holowindows,adartboard,aflyballbooth,maybeacoupleofpooltables.So,whatwasthatruckusaboutlastnight?ThosetwoguysyoupickedonwereonMisterSakarya'sprivatesecuritystaff."MalfeltaquickglancefromZoë,andcheckedhistongue,thensaid,"Apersonalmatter.""Foryoursake,Ihopeitstayspersonal.""I'mliketofeelthesameway.Whereisthelockdown?""Backofthesecurityoffice,justdownthestreet.""Thesecurityofficeforthecompany?""That'sright.""TheyhousethelockdownfortheLocals?"Thebartendernodded."Well.Youhavetolikeitthattheymakenoefforttohideit."Markstareddownattheraginhishand.Malshrugged,noddedtoZoë,andtheymadetheirwayoutthedoor."Sir—""IneedtotalktoJayne.""Sir,tellmeyouaren'tthinkingaboutbreakingJayneoutofalockdown.""Ijustneedtotalktohim.""Andwhentheydon'tletusseehim,whichtheywon't?""We'llthinkofsomething.""Thinkofsomething,sir?""Yep.""Okay.Well.SmearmewithenginegreaseandcallmeKaylee.I'mjustfullofoptimism.""Thereitis;that'sthesecurityoffice.Arewesupposedtoknock?""Couldn'tsay,sir."Theywentin.Twomensatbehinddesks,facingeachother.Bothlookedupastheyentered."Goodafternoon,"saidMal."Canyoutellmewheretofindthelockdown?"Thebiggerofthetwosaid,"Youwanttobeputinjail?""Notexactly,"saidMal."There'ssomeoneyouhavehere.HowdoIarrangetovisithim?"Thetwosecurityofficerslookedateachother.Twominuteslater,theywalkedoutagain."Don'tsayit,Zoë.""Ihaveto,sir."Malsighed."Allright.Sayit.""Nowiswhenyouneedtothinkofsomething.""Feelbetter?""Yes,thankyou,sir."Hestoppedwhentheygotbacktothestreet,notsurewhichwaytoturn.

"Hehasanarmy,sir.""Asmallone,sure.""Topullajailbreakwouldbesuicide.""Didyouseethatplace?YouandIcouldwalkinthereandwalkoutwithhim.""Thenwhat?Theyhaveanarmy,sir.""Well,Isupposetheydo,kindof.""Youdon'toweJayneanything.""Itisn'taboutowingJayne,it'saboutneedingtoaskhimsomequestions.""Sir,whatmakesyouthinkhe'llanswer?""Ifwebreakhimoutofjail,he'llanswer.""Wouldyoumindtellingmewhatyouwanttoaskhim?""I'dliketofindoutwhathemighthavedonethatsetallthisoff.""Ithinkit'ssafetosayhetriedtocallintheAlliancetogettherewardonRiverandSimon.""I'msurehedid,Zoë.Thenwhathappened?""Youthinkhe'dknow?""Allright,Zoë.Howwouldyousuggestwefindout?""I'dsuggest,sir,thatwedon't.ThatwegetbacktoSerenityandgetoffthisgorramworld.""Can'tdothat,Zoë.""Anzhaoyitoubeiyangedeliniudeshuzuixiwangwhynot?"Heclosedhiseyes."Let'sgobacktothecanteenandhaveabeerwhileIthinkaboutthis.""Yes,sir.I'mgoodwithtwooutofthree."YuvaShematchedpaceswith theCaptain as theyheaded the short block toward the canteen.Her eyes

neverstoppedmoving,andhermindneverstoppedworking.Shewas,bynow,verymuchawarethattherewasmorethanonethinggoingon.Yes,theCaptain

hadbeenbehavingoddlyeversinceInarahadleft;butthatwasn'tallofit.Therewassomethingelse,anditwassomethingthatcouldgettheCaptainkilled—nottomentionWash,herself,andtherestofthecrew.ShewasalsoverymuchawarethatshewasclosertotheCaptainthananyoneelse:sheknewhim

better, andhe'daccept things fromher thathewouldn't fromanyoneelse.But therewere lines thatshe'dnevercrossed,andhehadputthoselinesthereforareason.Sheknewwhythewallswerethere;she had her own walls that permitted her to live in Serenity Valley. It had taken a long series ofaccidentsandtremendousefforttoletWashinsideasfarashewas.AndWashunderstoodenoughofthosebarriersandlinestorespectthem,andtoloveheranyway;thatwashowtheysurvived.TheCaptaindidn'thaveanyone;hadconsistentlypushedawayInarawhenshe'dcometoclose to

them.Andnow,itseemed,shewasgoingtohavetobreakthoselines,orjumprightoverthem,ornone

ofthemwouldgetoutofthis.Shewasn'tsureshecoulddoit.TheCaptainopenedthedoor,andtheyenteredtheCanteen.Yuva:TownjailThecelldoorshutwithaclang.They'dbebackinawhile,after"processing"him,andthenitwas

offtothemines.Washegoingtohavebetterchancesofmakingabreakhere,orfromthemineitself?Well,makingtheattemptheredidn'tmeanhecouldn'ttrylater.Andgettingofftheworld,oratleastoffthecontinent,wasgoingtobeaprobleminanycase.

Ifhehadthechance,heshouldstopbythepubliclockersandpickuphisbags;hewantedhisguns,andthecashfromsellingthatginsengmightmakethedifference.Goodthinghe'dnabbedit.Outofhabit,he lookedaround thecell foranything thatmightbecomeaweapon.Thechair, the

bed,thetoilet,andthesinkwereallonepieceandbuiltin.Thedraininthefloorwaswelded.Hewaswearingaone-piece,lightbluecover-allthatclosedwithVelcro.Onthepositiveside,heknewtheproceduretheyusedwhenopeninghiscell.Hehadaprettygood

chanceoftakingthembothout,ifhewasfast.Thenhe'dbearmed.Afterthat….Howmanywere there?Andwhatgorramdirectiondidheneed togo?Maybe, from thehall,he

couldsee.Thebuildingwasn'tallthatbig;howhardcoulditbe?Heclosedhiseyes,leanedhisheadback,andtriedtothink.Thissortofthingjustneverwashisstrength;that'swhyhe'dalwayshookedupwithsomeoneelse

todotheplanning,todothefiguring.That'swhyithadworkedsowellwiththislastcrew,upuntilMalhaddecidedtobearuaixiaodezacaodechuixiayinjingaboutthegorramginseng.Nopointinthinkingaboutthatnow.Nopointinthinkingaboutwhathewasn'tgoodat,hehadto

concentrateonwhathewasgoingtodo.Thedoorrattled,clunked,andopened.Hisideaofasuddenlungeatthedoorvanishedatonce;therewasawholecrowdbackthere."Hereheis,"saidoneofthem.Afatmansteppedforwardandsaid,"Ah.You."IttookJayneamoment,butherecognizedoneofthetwosecurityofficersfromwhenhemadethe

calltotheFeds."Whatthegorramhelldoyouwant?""You'reapopularman,MisterCobb.""Yeah.Theyputupastatueofmeon—""Payattention.Youmightbeabletogetoutofthis."Jayneglared."Allright,I'mlistening.""It'lltakesometalking.Standupandholdoutyourhands."He hesitated, looked at the odds again, and cooperated. Theymanacled hiswrists, then attached

thosetofetters,andlockedbothtohisbelt,permittinghimtotakesmallsteps,andhardlytomove.Theyledhimoutofthecell,threeinfrontofhim,twobehind.Thetwobehindhimheldshotguns,andhecouldtellbytheirfootstepsthathewouldn'thavehadmuchofachancetogettothemevenifhehadn'tbeenhobbled.Hekeptclosetrackofwherethey'dgoneanyway,justincase.Theyreachedasmalloffice.ThefatonegesturedJayneinside,thensaid,"Waithere,"totheothers,

andshutthedoor."Goahead,MisterCobb.Sitdown.Let'sseeifwecandosomebusiness.""Yougottheguns.I'mlistening.""Didyouknowyou'rewantedforquestioninginthemurderofanAllianceofficer,andaidingthe

escapeoftwofugitives?""What?Ineverkilledno—""Maybe not, but onewas found dead in a hospital onAriel,with skin under his fingernails that

matchesyourDNA."Jaynefeltascowlgrowingonhisface,andtriedhisbesttosuppressit."Fortunately,"theofficercontinued,"we'renotAlliance.Wedon'tmuchcarewhatyoudidonAriel.

Wehaveyougoodforwhatyoudidrighthere.""What,gettingdrunk?""Didn'ttheytellyouthecharges?""Theytoldme."

"Soyouunderstandyoursituation.""What'sthegorramoffer?""Yesterday,youcameintomyofficeanddemandedcontactwiththeAlliance,andthenwefindyou

havearecordofhavingmurderedaFederalofficer."Theofficehadaglasswindow,anddidn't look like itwas intended tobe secure.But therewere

thoserestraints.Thisguyhadthekey.Hemeasuredthedistanceacrossthedesk."Sowhat'sgoingonwithyouandtheAlliance?""What,Itellyouthat,andyouletmego?""Let'sjustsayit'sastart.""What'stherest?"Theofficershookhishead."No.Telluswhatyouknow,thenwe'lltalk."Jayneconsideredhisoptions.Thereappearedtobeexactlytwo:hecouldtellthemwhatheknew,

andhopetheykeptuptheirendofthebargain,orhecouldlungeacrossthedeskatthisguy,hopingtotakehimdowninspiteoftherestraints,andgetaweaponfromhim,andgethimselfunlockedbeforereinforcementsshowedup,andthenfighthiswayout.Eitherway,hedidn'tlikeitmuch.Yuva:WarehouseHeleanedbackinhischair,staringatpicturesofSimonandRiverTam,alongwithpertinentfacts.

On another screen was the translated readout of a secure and heavily coded file detailing certainrelationshipsbetweenParliamentandtheBlueSunCorporation.SpecialDeputiesdispatchedtoYuva,onHera.Yeah,okay,great.Nowwhat?Hedeletedallreferencestohisresearch,andcertainlytheresults,fromhismachine,andthenwent

overitagaintoremovetheelectronictracesthathe'devenbeenlookingforthem.Hewasthorough;ittookagoodtwohourstodo,butthiswassomethinghewasgoodat.Whenhewasfinished,alltheinformationhe'dgatheredwasgone.Exceptthathestillrememberedit.Nowwhat?Serenity:River'sroomTwobytwo,handsofblue.Theywere coming.And if they reached her, theywould take her back, and she'd never get out

again.Shedidn'twanttogoback.Morethananything,shedidn'twanttogoback.Butthereweretheghosts,too.Shehadtoldthemabouttheghosts,buttheyhadn'tlistened.Theycouldn'tlisten,becausetheydidn't

havethemathtounderstand,andsherecognizedthattheoneskillshedidn'thavewasthatofateacher.TheShepherdhadbeenabletoteach,buthispathofprobabilityhadledtodifferentintersections,sonowtherewasnoonetoteach,andtheyhadtolearniftheyweretodealwiththeghosts.Shecouldn'tdealwiththeghosts,becausetheyweren'therghosts.Shecouldmaybehelpthemdeal

withtheghosts,butifshedid….Twobytwo,handsofblue.Shedidn'thearhimcomein,butwhenshelookedup,hewasthere,hisface,asalways,smiling,and

worried."Mei-mei,areyouallright?"

Heaskeditasif itwereaquestionthatcouldbeanswered,asifaninfinityofvariablescouldbeencompassedinasingleconstant.Shestruggledtotranslate,tosimplify,todetermineessence,andtorephrase the question into terms that could become a single, determinate answer that he wouldunderstand,andthatwouldbeaslittlealieasshecouldmanage."I'mtornbetweenprobabilityvectorswithmutuallyexclusivebenefitsandthelikelydestructionof

differenttargetsandIcan'tfindatrajectorythatavoidsallofthenegativeoutcomeswithoutaradicalshiftintheentirematrix,whichwehaven'tthecapabilitytocarryoutanyway,andIhaveaheadache."Simonhesitated."I'llgetyousomethingfortheheadache,"hesaid.Yuva:CanteenMarkgavethemtheirbeersandthenactedasifthey'dnevermet.MalledZoëtoacornertableand

satdown."It'sabadidea,sir,"shesaid."Mostlikeitis.""Okay.Howarewegoingtodoit?""IguessweshouldseeifWashcanfindusalayoutofthelocallockdown."HefeltZoëstudyinghim."Youdon'tlikethiseither,doyousir?""Notallthatmuch.""Isitreallynecessary?""Yourbeer'sgettingwarm.""Thankyou,sir.Iwouldn'twanttogetkilledwiththetasteofwarmbeerinmymouth.""Zoë—""MaybeIshouldorderarawegg.""Zoë—""Thinktheyhaveraweggshere?Imean,realones?""Zoë—""Afakeegginmybeerbeforedyingwouldn'tbeatallthesamething.Don'tyouagree,sir?""Zoë,whatthegorramhellareyoudoing?""Tryingtofigureoutwhatthegorramhellyouaredoing,sir.Ican'tbackyourplayifIcan'tseeit.""Zoë,Ican't—""Youneedtoletmein,sir.Ican'thelpfromtheoutside.Notthistime."Malleanedbackinhischairandstaredathisbeer,tryingtokeepallexpressionoffhisface,soZoë

wouldn't see that hewas feeling thewalls closing in. Shewaited, silent,with all the patience she'dlearned in thewar,waiting for attacks that they knewwere coming, but never knewwhen orwhatformthey'dtake.Patiencewasapowerfulforce.Theydranktheirbeersandwaitedforeachother.Eventually,Malstartedspeaking.Serenity:BridgeThealarmneverwentoff.Thefirstwarninghehad,lessthanaminuteafterdisconnectingwithMal,waswhenSerenityshook

andpitchedaboutthreedegreestostarboardbeforerightingherselfagain."Wangbadan,"hesaid,hishandsalreadyfindingtheemergencywarm-upsequence.Withhisfirst

spare fraction of a second he punched the intercom and said, "Kaylee!" and checked to seewhichindicatorswereblinkingred,whichweresolidred,andwhichweregreen.Thegrav-bootwasstillgood,theengineswouldfire,and—Inlesstimethanittooktothinkaboutit,Serenitywasofftheground.Shewasn'thappyaboutit;she

moaned,andthecontrolsfoughthimandcomplained,andhedidn'tdare leaveatmo.But theywereairbornebeforewhateveritwasthathadhappenedhadtimetohappenagain.Kaylee'svoicecameback."I'mlooking.""Hullintegrityisbreached,sowecan'tgettoohigh,butIcangoup.IneedtoknowifIcancount

onallmyattitudeadjusters.""Topofthelist,then.Ninetyseconds.""Go."Hervoicesoundedicycalm.Serenityfoughthim;asensationhelikednotatall;somewherenottoofarbelowthesurfacewas

thepanicyou feelwhenyou try toopenyoureyesbut they'realreadyopen;whenyou reach foraglassandyourarmdoesn'tmove.Andnottoofarbelowthatwasthememoryoftheoneothertimehe'dfeltcontrolsactlikethis;andtheknowledgethattherewasnoejectingfromSerenity.Threekilometersuptheairwasnoticeablythinner;theshiptriedtograspandclawatwhatthere

was,andhateditthattherewasnothingtoholdonto.Kaylee'svoicecameback."Ifoundyourcontrolproblems.Halfthestarboardextenderisgone.""Copythat,Kaylee."Damn. If itwas thewholeextender;or,betteryet,bothextenders, thiswouldbemucheasier.No

wondershewasfightingherself."I'llgetyoumorewhenIhaveit."Hedidn'tdaretakeheranyhigher.Andhewasn'tterriblyexcitedabouttryingtolandher.Andhe

couldn'tkeepcontrolofherofthiswayformuchlonger.Hiswholebodywascommittedtokeepingherintheair;leavinghismindfreetoreflectonwhich

waytogo,whenallthewaysledthesameway:down,andmuchtoofast.

10ChapterMyOwnKindofCourage

Yuva:Jail"Sothen,MisterCobb—if that'syourname—whatwill itbe?Spendtherestofyour lifedigging

bauxite,oransweraverysimplequestion?""Idon'tknow.Soundskindacomplicatedtome.I'maprettysimpleguyatheart.""Ofcourse,youmightnotbediggingbauxite;youmightbehaulingtopsoil.Asackatatime,on

yourback.Thatsoundlikefun?""Ialwaysdidliketheoutdoors.""I'mlosingpatience,MisterCobb.""Yeah,wellyou'rebreakingmyheart,Mister—whatdidyousayyournamewas?""Ididn't.""Well,ain'twegonnabefriends?"Theofficer'smouthworked,thenhesaid,"Rennes.OfficerRennes.""Yeah,wellmyheartisbreaking,OfficerRennes.""Itisn'tyourheartwe'regoingtobreak.""Careful.Ifyouscareme,Imightfaint.""Youaren'tinanybargainingposition,MisterCobb.Ifyoudon'twanttotellus,that'sfine.Wedon't

needtoknow.""That'sruttin'good,becauseIdon'tneedtotellyou.""Areyousure,MisterCobb?""Yeah,tellyouwhat.I'llansweryourquestionsgenwodejibajiangudechazainidezuiba."OfficerRennespunchedabuttononhisdesk."Cometakethismanbacktohiscell,"hesaid.Then

heshookhishead,satback,andfoldedhisarms.Serenity:EngineroomIttookheraboutfiveminutestoconcludethattherewasnowaytofixtheextenderwithoutlanding,

sosheturnedherattentiontotheuglyholeintheafthull,starboardside.IthadcomerightthroughtotheEngineroom,notthreefeetfromherhammock.Wash'svoicecamethrough."Kaylee,isthereanythingyoucandotogivemesomestability?Ican't

holdthismuchlonger,andthere'snowaywesurvivealandinglikethis.""Icouldmaybeboosttheattitudeadjusters,butI'dhavetorunthemparalleltothethrusters.""Whichmeans?""More engine, more juice, more I-grav, more gees, more thrust, more power on attitude, less

control,more—""Okay,Igetit.Howlongtosetitup?""Idon'tknow.I'venevertrieditbefore.Theengine'sgoingtocutoutwhileI'mhookingitup.""Kaylee…."Shecouldhearthestraininhisvoice.She'dneverheardthatfromhimbefore."Ifthe

enginecutsout,wedie.""I'monlytalkingabouthalfasecondorso,whileIswitchlines."

"Halfasecond?Okay,maybeIcanholdher.Setitup,butletmeknowbeforeyoudoit.""Iwill.""AndKaylee,itwouldbeveryhelpfulyoucouldhurryonthis.""It'dbeeasieroutofatmo,sowe'dstopbucking.""Kaylee,Ican'tholdthismuchlonger,andtheairtightwon'trespondfromhere.""I'llgocloseit;I'mrightthere.""Chuileifo,nijiushi!Kaylee,getyourpressuresuiton!""Iknowthat,Wash.Iwill.""First!""Allright.Givemeaminutetogetsuited,thenI'llworkontheATlines.""Hurry."Noquestionaboutit.Washwasscared.Kayleewouldhavebeentoo,onlytherewasnotime.Yuva:Canteen"Okay,Zoë.Wereadytodothisthing?""Ready."OnthetableinfrontofhimwerethenotesfromWashaboutthelayoutofthesecurityoffice,and

thelockdownbehindit.Hegavethenotesalastlook,foldedthemupandputtheminapocket,thenstoodup.Zoëwaswithhim.TheyexchangednodswithMarkonthewayoutofthecanteen.They reachedNorthStreet; therewasn't a great deal of activity.As they approached the security

office,Zoësaid,"Thatwasn'ttherebefore,wasit?""Nope.""Lookslikethesortofthingyou'dtransportaprisonerin,doesn'tit,sir?""Yep.""Wemightbetoolate.""It'spossible."Theywerewithin fifty feetof thehovercraftwhen theofficedooropened, and therewas Jayne:

shackled,fettered,withaguardinfrontandoneateachside."Orwecouldhavecomeatjusttherighttime,"saidMal."Wechangingplanssir?""Don'twealways?""Prettymuch.""Whatdoyouthinkabouttakingthehovercraft?""Shouldwork.""Yougetthedriver."Asitwentdown,Maldecided,itplayedoutfarsmoother,andevenslickerthanithadanyrightto:

thesecurityguardsloadedJayneintothebackofthe'craft,bywhichtimeZoëhadsecuredthedriver.The securityguards locked thedoor and foundMal'sweaponpointing at them.A fewwordswereexchanged,andthethreesecurityofficerswereonthegroundwiththeirhandsclaspedbehindtheirnecks.Malstopped longenough to removeasetofkeysfromoneof them,hoping theywere theright

ones but not caring toomuch, thenhe climbed into the passenger seat, and theywere out of therebeforehehadtimetoclosethedoor.Thenheflippedonhiscommandsaid,"Wash,getherwarmedup."Hisonlyresponsewasstatic.Heboostedthesignalandtriedagain.Thenboosteditstillmore,andthenmaxedit.

Wash'svoice,whenitcamethrough,wasveryfaint."Yeah,Mal.Well,therehavebeensomedevelopments.""Wash,whereareyou?""Aboutsevenclicksfromyourposition.""Allright.""Straightup."Yuva:OutsidethejailHepulledhimselftohisfeet,mutteringgeneralizedcursestowardthedriverofthe 'craft.They'd

taken off before he'd even had time to sit, knocking him onto the floor.Hemade it to one of theopposingsetsofbuilt-insteelbenches,andsatdown.Heneededtorelax,tobeready,fromtheminutethedooropened,tonotewherehewas,whatthe

conditionswere,andtobeginplanninghisescape.Whydidn'tIjusttellthemwhattheywantedtoknow?heaskedhimselfforperhapsthefiftiethtime

inasmanyminutes.Itisn'tlikeIowethecaptainanything.No,therewasnopointinthinkingaboutthat.Heneededtobeathisbest,togettheinformation,to

formulateaplan.Exceptthatformulatingplanswasneverhisbestgame.No,nowwasnotthetimetothinkaboutthat,either.Beready,Jayne.Youneedallyourgorramwitsaboutyoufromtheinstantthatdooropens.Itwassoonerthanhethought.Theabruptstopalmostknockedhimtotheflooragain,buthekept

hisseat.Thebackopened,andthelightstruckhiseyes."Okay,Jayne,"saidMal."Let'sseeifanyofthesekeysfit.It'llmakerunningeasier."OutsideYuvaShekeptaneyeout for theirpursuers,whocouldn'tbeall that farbehind,and,asMalunlocked

Jayne,shetriedtosparehalfaneyeforhim,aswell."Running?"hesaid."Whydon'twetake—""Okay,Zoë…we'regood.""Whataboutthehardware?""Goodidea."Malgatheredupthechainsandrestraintsandsettheminthevehicle,thenclosedthereardoorand

noddedtoher.Sheleanedintothehovercraft,setit,strappeddownthethrottleandjumpedback.The'crafttookoffdowntheroad,wobblingabitfromtheopendoor."Theyhaveatrace-lockonit,"saidMal."Intothewoodsnow,andlet'srun."Beforetheyhadgonefiftymeters,twopatrolvehiclescamehumminguptheroad;fortunately,they

continuedafterthe'craftwithoutevenslowingdown."Ihearhorses,"saidMal.Zoënodded,andtheycontinuedrunning."Anyonegotasparegun?"saidJayne."Let'sjustrunfornow.""IlikerunningmorewhenIgotaguninmyhand."Afewminuteslatertheystoppedandlistened."Nothingyet,"saidMal.Jaynesaid,"Aboutthatgun…."ShelookedattheCaptain.Asfarasshewasconcerned,Jayneunarmedwasmuchbettercompany

thanJaynearmed."Yeah,"saidMal."Let'stalkaboutthat.""Don'tneednoruttin'talk,"saidJayne."Ineedaruttin'weapon.""We'llsee.""Ifyouweren'tplanningtogivemeaweapon,why'dyoubustmeoutofthere?""Foryourmind,"saidMal."Weneedallkindsofyourwisdom.""Whatthegorramhellareyoutalkingabout?""I'llexplainlater.Rightnow,Iwantmoredistance.Let'srun.""Agun—""I'llgiveyouagunuguotakazainidegangmenzhongernihainengpaodehua,Jayne."Thebigmanscowled,andtheyransomemore.Goodcall,Captain.Halfanhourlatertheystoppedandlistenedagain.Stillnothing.Malfoundhiscommlink."Wash?

Youthere?"Crackleandhissand,"Justbarely,Mal.""Canyougetafixonus?""Mal,ifIletgoofthesecontrolslongenoughtodothat,we'regoingdownhard.""Allright.Ifyougetthechance,we'restayinghereforabit.""Copy,that.""Allright,Jayne,"saidtheCaptain."Let'stalk."Zoëfoldedherarms,herfingersbrushingthebuttofthebackuppistolunderherleftarm;shekept

acloseeyeonJayne.Serenity:Diningroom"I'mnot surewhat'sgoingon,mei-mei," saidherbrother, "but Idon't think it's anythingwecan

helpwith.""She'sbeenshot,"saidRiver."Who?""Serenity.""Oh.Yes,Ifeltthat.Butwemanagedtotakeoff,andnowI'mnotsure—""Theothersarewaitingforus,andwecan'tgetthere.""Idon't—""Theholeistoobig,andtherepairsaretooslow.Wecan'tlandintime.""Mei-mei,there'snothingwecando."Every once in awhile, in all the conflicting rhymes and rhythms and colors and equations and

smells that made the criss-crossing interference patterns that were her thoughts, something camethroughclearandclean,almostpainfulinitssharpcontrasttoeverythingelse.Itwasneverasight,animage; sometimes it was a chord progression, sometimes it was tactile. This time, it was likebecomingasinewavewiththetideofbattlecomingin,andthereweremomentstryingtofloatinonher.Shewasasawareofthemasonecouldbeawareofasinglematchinaroomofpuredarkness.Itwasamoment,andthewavewouldadvance,andthenrecede,andmaybesomethingwouldstill

bethere,andmaybeitwouldnot.Shecouldtasteitlikeasingledropoflemonjuice.Thatoneplace,thatonetime.Andallshehadtodowassomethingshehadneverdonebefore.Butitwasnotasdifficultadecisionasitcouldhavebeen,becauseforher,failurewouldmeanlittle

piecesofherselfscatteredaboutHera,andTheywouldneverbeabletotouchherafterthat.

Herhesitationwassobrief,herbrotherdidn'tevennoticeit."Yesthereis,"shesaid."Icansavethem."OutsideYuvaMalclickedoffthecomm,lookedatJayne,lookedatZoë,andshrugged."Didyoucatchanyofthat,sir?""Ipickedupthatyourmisterisabusyguy.""Yes,sir.""Anditseemslikemyboathasgotaholeputinit.""Theyfoundherwiththegun.""Speakingofguns—"saidJayne."Soitseems,"saidMaltoZoë."Andsomeonewasn'tpayingattentiontotheproximity—""Andtheyputacamofieldupinfrontofher."Malstopped."Acamofield?Wherewouldtheygettechnologylikethat?"Zoëstaredathim."Oh,"hesaidatlast."Yeah,weranintoafewofthose,didn'twe?""Yes,sir.""Notfivethousandmilesfromthisherespot.""Yes,sir."Jayneclearedhisthroat."IknowZoëcarriesabackuppieceunderherarm.Ifyoucouldmaybe—""Jayne,I'mgettingtoyou.Inthemeantime,yourjobistocreateaslargeafieldofsilencearound

youasyoucanmanage.Istheideacomingthrough?"Jaynescowledloudly."So,whatnow,sir?""Idon'tknow.Myboathasaholeinit,andwe'restuckonthegorramworldIhatethemost,where

we'vejustbustedafugitiveoutofjailaftersavingthelifeofanAllianceagent,andI'mtryingtoresistthetemptationtoputaholeinthefugitivewe'vejustrescued."WhatdidI—""SoI'mopentosuggestions,Zoë.""IsuggestyouanswerJayne'squestion,sir.""Answerhisquestion?""Hewasaskingwhathedid.""That'swhatI'dliketoknow,"saidMal."Exactly,"saidZoë."Oh.Right."HeturnedtoJayne."Whatdidyoudo?""Huh?Ididn'tdoaruttin'thing!Igotalittledrunkandclockedaloudmouth—""No,Jayne.I'mnottalkingaboutlastnight.""Thenwhatareyou…oh.""Yeah,oh.""Youkickedmeoffyourgorramship!Iwasn'tonyourgorramcrew!""Soyoucouldn'twaittofindoutwhatyoucouldgetforRiver'sscalp.""So?"Oddly,MalrealizedhewasnotsuddenlytakenwiththeurgetokillJayne.Hewassuddenlytaken

withtheurgetoshootJayneinbothkneecaps,lethimliethereforawhile,thenkillhim."Allright,"hesaid,keepinghisvoiceeven—whichrequiredmoreeffortthanhe'dusedinseveral

near-runskirmishes."We'llgetintothatlater.Rightnow,Iwanttoknowwhathappened.""Huh?Youknowwhathappened.Icalledthefedsonthatwangudeshaguagentashenjingbingde

meimei.Whatelsedoyouneedtoknow?""Howdidyoucallthem?""Huh?Igotholdofacommunit—""Whatcommunit?Where?""Inthatsamegorramsecurityhutyoujustbustedmeoutof.""Theyhaveadirectlink?""Whywouldn'tthey?""Ithoughttheywereaprivatesecurityforce.""Theyare,andthey'realsotheLocals.""That'sright,sotheyare.Allright,whathappened?""How'boutwetalkabouthowIdidn'tdonothingwrong,seeingIwasn'ton—"JaynebrokeoffasMaldrewhispistolandleveleditatJayne'sfacefromadistanceofaroundthree

inches. Mal heard the familiar sound of Zoë's carbine coming from her hip, and knew he wascovered."Thereareanumberofthingsgoingonrightnow,Jayne,andIneedtolearnwhattheyare,andsoI

needyoutoanswerquestions.TheonlythingIwanttodolessthantalkaboutanythingelseisexplaintoyouwhyIneedthoseanswers.Soyou'regoingtotellmewhatIwanttoknow,orIamgoingtostartputtingholesinyou,andI'mnottooparticularaboutwheretheyare,orhowmany.Nowdowehaveameetingofmindsonthissubject?”Jayneglowered.Malwaited."Youkeepsayingwhathappened,andIkeeptellingyou.So—""Sotellmehowitplayedout.""Iwalkedin,saidIwantedtogetamessagetothefeds.Theysetupthelink—""Justlikethat?""Ihadtodosomeconvincing.""Howdidyouconvincethem?""Iaskedthemhowitwouldgodownwiththemiftheydidn'tletme.""Allright.Thenwhat?""Theygavemethemic.ItoldtheFedsaboutthecrazygirl.""Uhhuh.Andwhatdidtheysay?""Wenegotiated.""Theywantedthedetails?""Yeah.IsaidIwantedmoneyfirst.""Didyoutellthemwhoshewas?"Jaynebarelyhesitated."Yeah.""And?""Theysaidthey'dhavesomeonetheretomeetmeandwe'dagreeonaprice.""When?""Theysaidanhour.""Right,"saidMal.Yeah,okay.Nowaytherewasafedstationthatclose.Andiftheywantedtosend

someonespecial,itmightbedays.Sothey'dgrabbedupthenearestagent,knockedhimoffwhateverassignmenthewason,and—"Andallthistime,whatwerethesecurityofficersdoing?""Huh?""Whileyouweretalkingtothefeds,whereweretheofficers,ortheLocals,whosetyouupwiththe

connection?""Whatdoyoumean?Theywerejustsittingthere."

"Justsittingthere.""Yeah.""Listening.""Isupposetheymighthavebeen."Malsighed."Youknow,Jayne,you'vedonesomestupidthingsfromtimetotime.""Maybe.""Ithinkthistimeyoupeggedthemeter.""Whatthe—"Zoëspokeforthefirsttime."Sir,couldtheyhaveputittogether,gotwordtoSakarya,andsetitup

thatfast?""Inanhour?Whynot?Thisisn'ttheAlliance,thisisjustoneguyrunningthingshimself.Andhe's

someonewhobelievesinmovingfast.""Yes,sir.Thatheis."Jaynesaid,"Whatinthe—""Shutup,"saidMal."Nowwhat,sir?""Idon'tknow.Nowwetrytonotgetcaughtuntilwecanfigureawayoutofhere.""Whatabouthim?"shegesturedtowardJayne."Wecouldkillhim.""Hey!"saidJayne."Yes,sir.Orjustshoothiminthelegandlethimgetcaught.""Maybethere'sareward.""Ifthat'sajoke,"saidJayne,"Iain'tlaughingnone.""Andwhatifitisn'tajoke?Thenyougonnalaugh?"Jaynestaredathim."Yougonnadome,goaheadanddome.Quityakking.""Igottafiguresome.YougotanyspecialreasonwhyIoughttoletyoulive,Jayne?""Ididn'tmentionyouortheboat.""When?""When they questioned me. They said they'd drop the charges and let me go if I told them

everything."Malsearchedthebigman'sface.Aswellasbeingstupid,Jaynewasoneoftheworstliarshe'dever

met.Thistime,oddlyenough,hewasn'tlying."Whydidn'tyou?""Hell,Idon'tknow.Ijustdidn't."Zoësaid,"Sir,I'mhearingabuzzboat."Malglancedup."Yeah,okay.Let'sfindsomecover."Zoësaid,"Sir,iftheyhaveinfrared—""Unlikely.Toomuchbouncefromthistopsoilduringdaylight.""Butiftheydo—""Thenwe'rehumped.Let'sgo.""Whatabouthim?""Hecomeswithusfornow.""Idon'tthinkyoucantakethechancewithhim,sir.""SureIcan.Let'strythisway."OutsideYuvaJaynefollowedMal,keenlyawareofZoëandhersawed-offbehindhimthewholetime.Hedidn't

feelanyspecialresentmentforZoë'sbeingsodeterminedtokillhim;heknewwellenoughit'swhathewouldhavedone.Hewasn'tsurewhytheCaptainhadn'tjustdoneit,butheneverdidquiteknowwhattheCaptainwouldorwouldn'tdo,orwhy.HeknewtheCaptainhadsomesortofcodehekeptto;buthehadneverbeenabletofigureoutwhatthatcodewas.Itmadethingsgorramconfusing.Anditwasimpossibletofigureouthowtousethatcodeagainsthim.SohefollowedMaltowardcover,andtriedtoforgetabouttheweaponbehindhim.Ifhehadthe

chance,he'dturnonZoë,takeoutMal,and—No,infact,hewouldn't.Hewasn'tsurewhy,buthewouldn't.He'dgoalongwiththem,andtrytogetoutofthiswiththem,

andiftheykilledhim,that'sjusthowitcameout.Hewasn't exactly surewhyhemade that decision, but neither did he spendmuch time trying to

figureitout.Theyfoundatreewithaparticularlythickcoveringofbranches,andduckedunderit.

11ChapterMyOwnKindofHate

OutsideYuvaThebuzzboatwasnowclearlyaudible,movingslowly,justalittlewayseastandabouttwohundred

metersofftheground.WhatwastheCaptainthinkingthistime?LettingJaynelivewasjustcrazy.Andifhebelievedthatstoryaboutnothavinggiventhemawayto

theLocals,thenhewascompletelyoffhisnut.Ofcourse,itmightbepartofsomelargerplan;butifitwas,she'dappreciatebeingletinonit.Jayne,aspartofthecrew,waslikeabarelycontrolledelement,alwaysjustabitmorelikelytosave

themthantogetthemkilled.Jayne,notaspartofthecrew,wasjustdangerous;anylittleslipandhe'dturnonthembothwithoutgivingitasecondthought.WhatwastheCaptainthinking?Hehadbetrayedmembersofhiscrew—twice.Hehadproved,overandoveragain,thathecared

nothing—nothing—foranyoneexcepthimself.HehadendangeredtheCaptain,and,bynow,Wash,Kaylee,andSerenityherself.Hewasdoingnogoodtoanyonestillwalking;therewasnopossiblereasonforallowingit.Shekeptunderthecoverofthetree,holdingherweapononJayne,andhopingthebuzzboatdidn't

haveinfraredscanners.Itwassotemptingtojustpullthetrigger.Soverytempting.SheputhertrustintheCaptainandwaited.OutsideYuvaThebuzzingvanishedoff to theeast, andhesawMalbreatha sighof relief;Zoëdidn't seem to

react."Safeforawhile,"saidMal."Youguysaresafe,"saidJayne."Whatareyou—""Haven'tdecidedyet,Jayne.""Sunsetsinacoupleofhours,"saidZoë."They'llbebackwithinfrared."Malnodded."Withanyluck,bythattimewe'llbe….""We'llbewhat,sir?"askedZoëwhenMaldidn'tfinishthesentence.Malflippedonhiscommlink."Wash,howarewedoing?"Therewasanagonizingdelay—maybetwoseconds—thenWashsaid,"Stillflying,Mal.""Goingtobeabletocomefetchus?"Anotherpause,then,"No.Notsoon.Maybe,ifKaylee…takeawhile."Maldisconnected."We'reonourown,"hesaid.Jaynethoughtaboutaskingforagunagain,butdecideditwouldbeawasteofbreath.Helpless.I'mruttin'helpless.Localschasingmetomakearuttin'minerforlifeofme,andagorram

carbineatmyback,andallIcandoissithereandwaitforwhathappens."Okay,"saidMal,withthesortoffinalityinhisvoicethatindicateshe'ddecidedonaplan.

MalhadaplanNowI'mreallyhumped.Yuva:Sakarya'sofficeMisterSakarya'sofficewasfullofopenspaces,windows,naturalwoods,andpaddedchairs.His

deskwaswideandwrappedaroundinagentlecurvetothebigwindowthatlookedoutonashallowhillleadingdowntoapond.Afewtreesflankedthepond,andafamilyofducksfloatedinit.Therewasonechairfacingthedesk,anditwas,atpresent,unoccupied;theheavymaninthegrayuniformstood,sweating.Sakaryasat,glowering.Hisvoicewasbarelycontrolledashesaid,"Howdidtheydoit,Rennes?""It was well-planned, and well-timed, Mister Sakarya. We were transferring the prisoner for

transport,hadjustgottenhimloaded,whentheywerethere.Theygotthedrop—""Well-timed,"repeatedSakarya."Yousayitwaswell-timed.""Yes,sir.""Whoknewwhenyou'dbedoingthetransfer?""Sir?"Sakaryaclosedhiseyesandcountedtoeight."Howmanypeopleknewthetransferschedule,andwhowerethey?""Therewasnotransferschedule,sir.Wefinishedthepaperwork,thenmovedhim—""Thenhowcouldithavebeenwell-timed,youpieceofga-sa?"Renneswilted,sputtered,andsaid,"Imeant—""Youmeanttheygotthedroponyoubecauseyouweren'texpectinghimtoberescued,andsoyou

wereallgoingthroughthemotionswithoutpayingattention.Isthatcorrect?"Rennescringedandlookeddown."Isit?""Yes,sir."Sakaryanodded."Allright.Whatarewedoingaboutit?""Threebuzz-boats,roadblocks,andwe'veputadetailonsearchingthewoodseastoftown,since

that's…thatistosay,wethinkthey'rehiding—""Youthink?""Wefoundthevehicletheyhijacked,anditwasempty.Backtrackingalongthe—""You'vemessedthisupjustabouteverywayyoucould,haven'tyou?""Yes,sir."Sakaryaletoutalong,slowbreath."Allright,"hesaidatlast."Keepmeinformed,andtrynottoscrewupanymore.""Yes,sir.Thankyou,sir."Sakaryanoddedandwavedhimoutof theroom.Whenhewasgone,Sakaryahitabuttononhis

desk.Avoicecamebackatonce:"Yes,Filo?"Hegrimaced. "MissWuhan,OfficerRennes ison thewayout.Have someonegethim, slaphim

withindentures,andsendhimtoSiteFour.Idon'twanttoseehimagain.""Allright.""Andwe'llneedsomeonetotakeoverhispost.Promotewhoeverishissecondincommand.""Allright."Silencefelllikeacurtaininhisoffice.Thewhole thinghadbeenbungled from thebeginning. Itwasn't just theescape: thatman,Cobb,

shouldneverhavebeenprocessedanyway.And that ship shouldneverhavebeenpermittedoff theground.Cobb should have been questioned, fined, and released.Didn't those idiots realize that the

gorramAlliance was here? And that this Cobb was, one way or another, connected with it? Thateverythinghehadcouldcome tumblingdown justbecause these idiots refused to think, refused tochangetacticswhenthesituationchanged?Thewhole thingwouldhave tobecrushed,and fast.Cobbwouldhave tobekilled.His rescuers

wouldhave tobekilled.And, aboveall, thatbloodydamned, snooping, sniveling little spy for thefedswouldhavetobefoundandmadetovanish.Andonceallthatwasdonehewasgoingtohavetofindawaytolievery,verylowforawhile;he'dhavetochangehiswholeoperation,whichwouldcosthim,well,alot.Heturnedandfacedhiswindow.Hefeltlikeorderingtheduckskilled,butheknewhe'dregretit

later.Yuva:WarehouseFinally finishinga rutting exercise in rutting futility, hedisconnectedhis rutting comlink,which

heldalltheruttinginformationhe'dgatheredineightruttingmonths.Itwasafairquestionwhichbotheredhimmore:theeightmonthswastedontheinvestigation;the

fact that hewaswithin a couple ofweeks of having it sewn upwhen hewas required to blowhiscover;thestupidreasonforblowinghiscover;orthefactthatiftheydidn'tshowuptoretrievehimsoon,he'dprobablydieonthisstupidrock.Itwasonethingtoknow,intheabstract,thatfieldworkwasrisky;itwasanotherthingtoknowthat

hewasbeinghuntedlikeananimalandcouldbesnuffedoutatanymoment.Andallbecausesomepissantbureaucratdecidedsomepissantfugitivewasmoreimportantthaneightmonthsfromhislife,eightmonthsfromthelifeofhis three-mansupportstaffbackhome,at leastaquarterofamillioncredits,and,aboveall,thejobofseeingtoitthatthisbastarddidn'tgetawaywithwhathewasdoing.Not even taking into account what a successful prosecutionmight do to the—probably dozens,

maybescoresof—bastardsdoingthesamethingontheirownlittleworlds.Beinghunteddidn'tfrightenhimonlybecausehewastoobusybeingpissedoff.Wheneverhecouldconcentrateonthebigpicture,he likedwhathewasdoing:hewasmakinga

difference,hewasmakinglivesbetterforpeoplewhocouldn'tstandupforthemselves,hewastakingdownthebadguys.Butitwashardtokeephismindonthebigpicturewheneverydetailrangedfrombunglingstupiditytooutrightevil.Thecurewasbetterthanthedisease,hetoldhimself.Butjustbarely.OutsideYuvaZoësaid,"What'stheplan,sir?""Well,seemsthethreeofuscan'tdomuchagainstthewholepasselthey'rethrowingatus.""Trueenough,sir.""Especiallyaswe'renotkeenongivingJayneafirearm."Jaynesaid,"Canwereconsid—""SoIfigureweneedreinforcements.""Goodcall,sir.Gotabattalioninmind?""Betterthanthat.Majorreinforcements.""Howmany?""One.""Hooray,sir.We'resaved,"saidZoë.Jaynestaredathim."You'regoingtobringthegorramfedinonthis."Mal cocked his head at the big man. "Damn, Jayne. When did you get higher order cerebral

function?""Idon'tknowthatmathstuff.""Sir,youaren'treally—""Yes.""Dowehaveanywayofreachinghim?""Sure.WewalkbacktoYuvaandfindhim.""Walkbackto…Ithinkit'sabadidea,sir.""Maybe,butwe'redoingit.Let'sheadtotown.""Ithinkyououghttoreconsider,sir.""Zoë,I'mnotusedtohavingmyordersquestioned."Zoëlookedathimandwaited."Allright,"hesaid.“Iamusedtohavingmyordersquestioned.Butwe'reheadingbacktotown.""Yes,sir."Jaynesaid,"WhyshouldIgobackthere,ifyouwon'tevengivemeagorramgun?"Zoëpokedhiminthebackwithhercarbine.Maltookhislackofreplyforagreement.Theywerestill indeepwoodswhenthesunset.Theykept listeningforbuzzboatsorhorses,but

theyheardonlythesoundsofwhateverwildlifehadbeenimportedtomakethewoodsseemnatural.Everyonceinawhile,hethoughtashewalked,IgettiredofsoundingconfidentwhenIain't.It's

almostlikelyingtothem,makingitseemlikeIknowwhatexactlyI'mdoing,whenallIhaveisanideathat'sjustabitbetterthananyotheridea.Anditdoesn'thelpthatZoëknowsdamnedwellwhatI'mdoing,andgoesalongwithitanyway;almostmakesitworse.Hementallyshookhimself.What'sgoingonwithme?WhyamIdoingthisnow?"Damnthiswholeworld,"saidZoë."Ihatebeingonit,Ihatemarchingonit,Ihate—"Mallookedather."Sorry,sir.""No,it'sjustIwashavingthosesamethoughts."Itwas full dark, so they had to slowdown a bit; the light from twoof themoons, one of them

almostfull,wasjustbarelyenoughtokeepthemfromwalkingintotrees.Theystoppedfromtimetotimetocheckthedirection,andtolisten."Ithinkwe'regettingclose,"saidZoë.Jayne,blessedly,didn'tsayanything."Onceweleavethewoods,wehaveaboutaquarterofamiletocross.Wegoslowandsteady,like

webelong.Oncewehittown,weheadtothatwarehouse,andhopethefedisstillthere.Keeptotheshadows.Idoubtthey'relookingforusintown,butbecareful."He felt Zoë nod, and heard Jayne grunt, and they moved forward. The woods ended abruptly,

leavingthemonrocky,brokenhillsthatremindedhimofotherpartsofthissameworld.Memorieswantedtofloodhim;hefocusedonthetaskathand.Gorramthiswholeworld.Yuva:WarehouseSomethingrattledonthewindow.He'dhaveturnedthelightout,butitwasalreadyoff.Hewaitedforafewminutes, thencarefully

lookedout.Therewerethreefiguresstandingthere,outinplainsight,liketheywerewaiting.Eveninthedim

light,herecognizedtwoofthemfromtheirshape.Well,allrightthen.Hearmedhimself,wentdownthehall,openedthedoor,andsteppedout.Hekepthimselfnexttothe

wall.Theywerestillthere,andstillsilhouetted.Onlyonewasholdingaweapon,andthatweaponwaspointingsquarelyatthebackofthelargestofthethree.Hesteppedawayfromthewall."Goodevening,"hesaid."Sofar,"saidCaptainReynolds."Goingtoinviteusin?""Allright.Comein."He stuckhispistolback inhisbelt and led them inside,down thehall, past theofficehe'd taken

over,andtoasecondoffice,whichhadtheadvantageofbeingwindowless.Heturnedonalight,andwaitedwhilealloftheireyesadjusted;thenhefocusedonthebigman."Youweresupposedtomeetmeinthecanteen.""Figured,"hesaid.Malsaid,"Kit,meetJayne.YoualreadyknowZoë."Kitnodded."Whatbringsyoutomylittlesanctuary?""Weneedyourhelp,andyouneedourhelp,"saidthecaptain.“Seemlikethatgivesusgroundsto

dosomebargaining."Kitstudiedthecaptain,wishinghehadaccesstoafullpsychworkupoftheman.Hedidn'tseemlike

the trickster sort; but a good confidenceman never did. So: play it careful, pull outwhat intel hecould,giveawaytheminimum,committonothing."Let'sstartwiththepartwhereIneedyourhelp,"hesaid."Iimagineyoucouldexplainthatifyou

tried,soI'lldothelistening.""You have people coming to pull you out," said the captain, as if he knew it for fact,which he

almostcertainlydidnot.Kitwaited,givinghimnothingonewayortheother.Reynoldswenton,"Youdon'tmuchcottontoleavingthejobunfinished,onaccountofyouwerebehindthisonepersonal."Nowthatwaseitheradaringguess,orsomeprettysharpdeduction.If itwasdeduction, itmeant

eitherthismanhadawayoftappingintosomefilestherewasnowayhecouldgetto,or…."Youknowalotabouthim.""Justwhat'sontheCortex.""Youstartoutlyingnow,Captain,andit'sgoingtoputaseverestrainonourrelationship.""Mostlywhat'sontheCortex.Someotherstuff,too.""Allright.I'mstilldoingthelisteningpart.""So,wehelpyoufinishwhatyoustarted,youhelpusgetthegorramhelloutofherealive.That's

thedeal.Youwantit?""Getyououtalive?Okay,now,lastIheard,youhadaship.What'skeepingyouhere?""Theshipgothit,andhadtobreaksky.She'shanginguptherenowwiththebestpilotinthe'verse

fighting to keep her there. Can't land on account of a big hole in her hull and toomany controlsurfacesshottohell.""WhatdoyouimagineIcando?""Getustoasafeplaceuntilmyboatisworkingagain.Iknowyougotpeoplecoming.""Youdo.""Ido.""Allright,supposeIdo.Whatdoyoumeanabouthelpingmefinishthejob?""Wecantakehimout.""Takehimout.""Yeah.""You'reofferingtocommitmurdertoanagentoftheAngloSinoAlliance?""What,thatoffendsyou?""There'sthisthingcalledthelaw,CaptainReynolds.""Yeah.TheAllianceenforcesit;itdoesn'tseemtomuchcareaboutfollowingit."

"Wewillarguepoliticsanothertime,Captain.Fornow,I'lljustsaythatIdeclineyouroffer.Wedonotcommitmurder."AsReynoldsstartedtospeak,hesaid,"Verywell,ifyouprefer,Idonotcommitmurder.""Youmusthaveanicesetofproblemswiththemthatemployyou."Kitshrugged."Allright,soyoudon'twanttokillhim.Whatdoyouwant?""I'mafraidIcan't—""Evidence,right?Proofofforcedindenture,childlabor,safetyviolations.That'swhatyou'reafter,

isn'tit?""Supposeitis.""Supposewecandothat?""How?""That'sourbusiness.""Thereareacoupleofproblems.ThefirstisthatI'mnotgoingtobelieveyoucandoitunlessyou

tellmehowyou'replanningtogoaboutit.Thesecondis,Ihavenowaytogetyouoffthisworlduntilmypeopleshowup,andthatwon'tbeforacoupleofdays.AndSakarya'speoplearelookingformeashardasthey'relookingforyou,and,betweenthem,Idon'tseeanywaytheyaren'tgoingtofindusbothbeforethen.""Yeah,well,that'saproblem.Howclosearethey?""FromwhatI'vepickedupoftheircode,they'regoingtobestartingabuildingbybuildingsearch

tomorrowmorning.""Tomorrowmorning.That's…what?"TheonecalledZoëspokeforthefirsttime."Sixhours,sir.""Sixhours.""Yes,sir.""Well,isn'tthatjustshiny.""Yes,sir.""Youwereoutoftown,weren'tyou?"askedKit."Yes.""East?""Yes,how'dyouknow?""Theyfoundtracks.Bynow,theperimeterissealed.""Isee.""Soyou'vehumpedyourselfprettygood,Captain.""It'saspecialty.Youhaveatapintotheirline,Itakeit?"Hehesitated,then,"Yes.""Andtheircode?""Mostofit.""Impressive.""It'saspecialty.""Ilikeyoursbetter.Where'syourgear?""Nextofficedown,butthere'sawindow,sonolights.""Canyouseeatallinthere?""Abitfiltersinfromthemoons.""Okay.Mindifwegothere?"Kitshruggedandledtheway.Whentheyreachedtheotheroffice,hefiredupthelink,listenedontheheadphonesforabit,and

said,"Nothingnew.""Goodtohave,though."Kitnodded."It'showIlearnedaboutthejailbreak.""So,youknowwhoweare.""Itakeityoumean,Iknowwhoyou'recarrying.Yes.SimonandRiverTam.""Isee."Kitfelttheweightofhissidearm,andwonderedhowlongitwouldtakethecaptaintodrawhis.Zoë

hadhersout,butitwasstillpointedatthebigman.Heleanedforwardtomakeameaninglessadjustmentonthecomm,andinsodoingmovedabout

twoinchestohisright,positioninghimselfsothebigmanwassquarelybetweenhimandthesawed-off,andkepthiseyeonthecaptain."Andwhatdoyouplantodoaboutthat?"askedthecaptain."MyonlyordersweretomeetwithyourmanCobbandnegotiateadeal.I'vealreadyreportedthat

thatfellthrough.""Andso?""Ifyouhadawayoutofhere,wemighthavesomethingtodealwithafterall.""What,usrescueyou?That'snotwhatIhadinmind.Andifyoudon'tmindmysayingso—""You'resaferwithmedead.""Seemslike.""Onlyyoudon'tdothat.""Idon't?""Nope.""What,youhaveapsychmake-uponme?"Thecaptainalmostsmirked."Forthis,Idon'tneedone."Reynoldsshrugged."Maybeyou'rerightandIdon'tmuchcarefortheideaofshootingyoucold.

Stilldon'tmeanI'dcrossthestreettosaveyou,evenifIcould,nowthatIknowwhoyouare.""Ihavesomethingtobargainwith.""What'sthat?""SimonandRiverTam.""Idon't—""Icanthrowthemoffforawhile."HefelttheintensityofReynold'sstare."Idon'tgetit,"thecaptainsaidatlast."Areyouthatscared?""No,"saidKit."ButifIlivethroughthis,IstillhaveachanceoftakingdownSakarya."Thecaptainrockedback,almostasifhe'dbeenhit.Herecoveredquickly,though,andsaid,"Okay,

don'tseeasitmattersmuch;wegotnomeansto—""Sir,"saidZoë.Thecaptainfrownedandlookedather."Whatisit?"Zoëwaslookingoutthewindow."Ithinkwehavethemeans."Everyonefollowedhergaze.Asmall,close-rangeshuttlewassettlingdownoutsidetheoffice.The four of them stared at it, frozen in place, until the door swung open and a small figure

emerged.Zoë was staring at the captain, as if he could produce an explanation for what she clearly

consideredimpossible.Jayne'smouthopenedandclosed."Na,zhanwozaiqiaokelidangzhong,jiusongwodaoleisibiangeitamenchiba,"saidthecaptain."Letmeguess,"saidKit."I'mabouttomeetRiverTam."

12ChapterMyOwnKindofLanding

Yuva:WarehouseThefedgrabbedasmalldiskandstuckitinhispocket."Theevidence?"askedMal."Whatthereisofit.Nothingelseherematters.""Allrightthen,"saidZoë."Someoneprobablysawtheshuttleland.Maybeweshouldmove."Malnodded."Let'shurry;she'lltakeoffabitsluggishwithfiveonboard.""Five,sir?"saidZoë."I'mtakingourfriendthefeduponhisoffer.""Yes,sir.Five?""Oh."MallookedatJayne,whostaredbackathim.ThenheturnedbacktoZoë."Five,"hesaid."Yes,sir,"shesaid,managingtoputafullhold'sworthofdisapprovalintothewords.Malignoredher,andsaidtoJayne,"Nothingissettled."Jaynegrunted.Rivermetthemhalfwaytotheshuttle.MaldecidedthatanyquestionswouldwaituntiltheywerebackonSerenity.Oratleastintheair.Or

atleastbuckledin."River,whereinthegorramhelldidyoulearntoflyagorramshuttle?"hesaid."TheoperationofanLS-seventypeCorelessA-driveisimpliedbythewidthtoforceratioofthe

mainthruster,thenumberandpositionoftheattitudejets,andthelimitednumberofcontrolsurfaces.Washhasabook.""Abook?"Riverbeathimtothepilot'schairwithoutappearingtotry;hedecidednottoargue,andslidinto

theco-pilot's seat.She turnedaroundand lookedat the fed likehewasacuriousspeciesofspider.Thensheturnedbacktothecontrols."Abook?"saidMal.Riverfireduptheshuttlelike,well,likeapilot."Heloanedittome.""Whendidyoureadthisbook?"Hewaspressedbackintotheseatasthenosepointedup,thenshehititandtheyleapedskyward."Aboutanhourago.Thebookhadsomemistakes,"sheadded."Wewillneverspeakofthisagain,"saidMal.AboveHeraShe made a fewmental notes to pass on to Kaylee: the calibration of the guide-scope was off

enoughtomakelock-onbumpyifitwerefollowed,thespinnerwasoff-balance,andtheenginekeptwanting tocough.Withanotherpartofherattention,shefollowed theguide-scope(makingmental

adjustments),bringingtheshuttleclosertothelockdownpoint.Withanotherpartofherattentionsheconsideredwhatdesignimprovementsmightbemadeontheshuttle—or,moreprecisely,whatshe'dhavetostudyinordertomakereasonablesuggestionsforsuchimprovements.Withanotherpartofherattentionshetriednottothinkaboutthemenwhowerecomingcloserwitheachminute;thattookafairbitofattention:notthinkingaboutsomething.Andwiththerestofherattention….Itwassomuchbetterwhenshewasbusy.When her mind and body were both occupied, the voices didn't have time to get inside her.

Everythingwasquiet,andshecoulddoandshecouldthinkandshecouldbe.Peoplespokeabout"freedom"buttheydidn'tknowwhatitwas.Freedomwasbeingabletodowhat

youweremeanttodo.Justthat;nomore.Andmostofthemdidn'tappreciateit,becausemostofthemhadneverbeenwithoutit.Simondidn'tunderstandthat.Washdidn'tunderstandthat,thoughhe'dbeenheldcaptive.EvenZoë

didn'tunderstand.Mal,though.Malunderstood.Sometimes,whenshecouldsparetheattention,shecriedforhim.Shemadethelastadjustmentandtheshuttleslidhomewitha"click"andthevoicescameback.Serenity:NearshuttlebayTheCaptaintoldJaynetostayinhisquarterswhentheygotthere."CanIgetsomefood?""Yeah.Getit,bringitbacktoyourbunkandstaytheretillIcomegetyou."Astheshuttledooropened,Zoëwasrunningthroughthelocationsofthefirearmsontheship,and

howmanyofthemwouldbebetweentheairlockandJayne'sbunk.Atleastone,shedecided,whichwaswaytoomany.Simonwaswaitingwhentheysteppedoutoftheshuttle."River!Whatdidyoudo?"ThoughRiver'sbackwastoher,Zoëcouldimaginethefrown."Isthatatrickquestion?"Thedoctortookhissister'sarm,andthetwoofthemwentofftowardthemedbay,Simon'svoice

graduallyclimbinginbothpitchandvolume.Zoëshruggedandtunedthemout.Shemadeherwaydirectlyupthestairs,pastthebunksanduptothebridge,heavierbytwopistols,

whichshesetdownintheco-pilot'schair."Wash!"He didn't turn around. "Hey, baby. Come look upon the empty shell that was once your big,

powerfullovemachine.It'sbeenprettyuglyuphere.""You'reallright?""Dependswhatyoumeanbyallright.Whenthisisover,I'mgoingtosleepforthreeweeks.""Butyoumadeit?We'reinastableorbit?""You'dhavehadafuntimedockingtheshuttleifwe'dstillbeenbouncingaround.""Yeah,didyouknowRiverwasgoingtotaketheshuttle?""Notexactly.SheaskedifshecouldlookattheLS-Sevenmanual,andhalfanhourlater—""Yeah.TheCaptainalmosthadacoronarywhenitlanded,andshesteppedout.""She'sscary.""Thatsheis.""Well,I'mgladyou'reback.""Withcompany.""Oh?"

"Webroughtafedwithus.""Afed?Ontheship?""It'salongstory.""Whereishe?""TheCaptainputhiminBook'soldroom,andaskedhimtostaythereuntilwefigurethingsout.""Oh.Areweevergoingtofigurethingsout?""Unlikely.Howarethingshere?""Kayleeistryingtogetusinshapetofly.Oratleastlimptosomewherewecangetfixedup.She's

outsidenow,workingonapatch.We—"Hefrownedatsomething,muttered,andflippedacoupleofswitches.Forthenextseveralseconds,

shecouldseehimfightingwiththeshipinawayshe'dneverseenbefore;someofthejerkinessofthemovements penetrated the inertia field, andZoë had to shift her feet to keep her balance.Then henodded, scowled, shut thingsdownagain,andcontinuedwithwhathe'dbeensayingas if therehadbeennointerruption."Theengineroomissealedoff,soshe'stryingtoworkinasuit.Can'tbefun.AndIhaven'tquitefiguredoutwhywedidn'tjustgetawayfromthisworldwhenwecouldhave.""It'scomplicated,"saidZoë.Washstartedtosaysomething,andshehadthesuddenfeelingthatthis

wasgoingtogosomewhereshedidn'tlike;somewhereinvolvingtheCaptain,andexplanations,andloyalty."Also,Jaynecamebackwithus,"shesaid.Itworked."He'sbackonthecrew?"heasked."No.Atleast,notyet.Buthe'sontheship,anyway.Notsurewhereitgoesfromthere.""Straightdown,"saidWash.Zoënodded."Thatmuchisprettycertain,"shesaid.Serenity:EngineroomItreallywashardtoworkinapressuresuit.It wasn't just the loss of manual dexterity, or mobility; it was that there was the sense that she

couldn'tactuallytouchSerenity.Itwassurprisinghowmuchshelearnedjustfromcontact;feelingtherhythmofherengine, theconstant littleadjustmentsof theartificialgravity, there-balancingof theinertiaguide.Andnowshewaswithoutit,andSerenitywashurt;hurtworsethanKayleehadeverseen.Tosay,

"structuraldamage"justdidn'texpressit.TherewasaholeinSerenity.Theblackwasinsideher,whensheexistedtokeeptheblackoutthere.Herheartbeatassmoothasever,andlife-supportstillworked,and,afterabitofwork,shehadinertialthrust.Butshewasn'tsupposedtoberiggedthatway,likeaguytryingtowalkononefootandonehand

whileeatingthroughhisnose.Shecoulddoitforawhile,butshedidn'tmuchlikeit,andprettysoonnowshe'djustquit.Kaylee didn't much care to be out here, either; surrounded by the black, Hera there huge and

swirlinggreenaboveher,likeshewasgoingtograbSerenityanddragherdown;andbelowherfeetSerenitywithhergapingwound,onlymagneticbootsandalifelinekeepinghersecuredwhileWashmadehisadjustments.Andshereallywantedtoscratchhernose.Sheshouldcomeupwithawaytowipeone'sbrowwhilewearingapressuresuit.Itreallycouldn't

bethathardtodo.Thenshecouldworkonawaytoscratchone'sback.Okay,nevermind,backtothejob.Kayleelaidouttheweldinggear,andthepiecesofscrapshe'dfoundinthehold,andeyedthebig

woundthatwas,ifnotherbiggestproblem,thenatleastthenextoneshehadtofixifshewastogettotheothers.

Shestartedfilingawayatthejaggededges."I'msorry,baby,"shemurmured.Serenity:Nearshuttlebay"IsKityourrealname?""Whywouldthatmatter?""Don'tfigureitwould,justasking.So,howd'youseethisworking?""Youmean,gettingmebackintothehandsofmypeoplewhileyougoonyourway?""Yeah,that'swhatImean.""OrdoyoumeanhowamIgoingtobringdownSakaryanowthatI'mofftheworldandmycover's

blown.""Imightmeanthat,too.""Ormaybe how I'mgoing to singlehandedly end all poverty, injustice and disease in the 'verse,

includingamongasyetundiscoveredalienspecies.""That'slesslikely.""Youneverknow.""Howisitgoingtowork?""GetontheCortex,I'llgiveyouthecode,youarrangeameetingwithanAlliancevessel,wemake

thetransfer,yougoonyourway.""Okay,secondidea.""Andtheproblemwiththatis?""Theyknowaboutus.""Yousureaboutthat?""Jayne told them he had the Tams. The Locals have connected Serenity with the Tams. All the

Alliance—""Serenity,"hesaid."That'sthenameoftheboat.""Iwasthere,"Kitheardhimselfsaying."What?""SerenityValley.Iwasthere.Someofmyfirstinteltraining—sussingoutyourpositions,tryingto

figureanyweakspots.Theymademe…itwastough."Maldidn'tsayanything."Youmadeahellofafight,"saidKit.Afteramoment,Malsaid,"AlltheAlliancehastodoistapintotheLocals'comm,whichisabout

thefirstthingthey'ddo,yes?""Yes.""After that Jayne could put it all together. I'm not getting next to an Alliance ship, whatever

guaranteesyougiveme.Iftheyneedto,they'lllietoyoutogettotheTams.Won'tthey?"Kithesitated,thennodded."So," continued Reynolds, "what's your next idea?We can set you down somewhere, either on

Hera,orsomewhereelse,andthenletthemknowwhereyouare.""Iguessthat'swhatwe'lldo,then.""Youhungry?""Starving.""Me,too.Wehaveproteininninedifferentflavorsandsomedriedapricots.I'llshowyouwherethe

kitchenis,thenI'mgoingtogocheckonmymechanic,seehowshe'sdoing."SomethingwentoffinKit'shead,then—thatfeelingthat,allofasudden,hehadallthepiecesifhe

justputthemtogether.HenoddedtoReynolds,andfollowedhimtothekitchen,hismindracing.

CaptainReynoldsknew;therewasnootherexplanation.Andthatputanentirelydifferentlightonthings.Thecaptainheadeddowntowardengineering.Kitfollowedhimabsently,buthismindwasn'tonit.

Heneededtothinkthisthrough.Serenity:EngineroomTheairtightdooropened,andKayleewasstandingthere,stillinherpressuresuit,buthelmetoff."Fixed?"heasked."Sortof,"shesaid."Stillneedssomework,andsheisn'tgoingtotaketobeingputonthesolidwith

halfthestarboardextendermissing,but—""Getsomerest,Kaylee.Rest,eatsomething,relax."Kayleeleanedagainstthebulkhead,closedhereyes,andnodded."Okay,Cap'n.Whatareyougoing

todo?""Trytocomeupwiththerightquestions,soIknowwheretoputalltheseanswersIgot."Kayleeshookherhead."Thatalmostmadesense.""Yeah,"saidMal."That'sabouthowI'vebeenfeelingforsometime."Kaylee steppedupandkissedhimon the cheek,herpressure suit bumpinghis collarbone. "It'll

workout,Cap'n.""Nowwegottwowitchesonthisboat?"She just smiled, shook her head, and thunked off toward her bunk. For one crazy moment, he

wantedtofollowher.Nottosexher,butjusttoliedownandclosehiseyesandbenexttoherforabit.Hetookadeepbreathandletitoutslow,thenmadehiswaytotheMedBay,thefedstillwithhim.

Asexpected,RiverandSimonwereboththere,Riverstaringupattheceilingwithaglazedlook;shejustbarelyrespondedwithhewalkedin."River,youdidgoodtoday.""Captain,"saidSimon,"sheneedlesslyrisked—""Noneedlessaboutit,Doctor.Wewerehumpeddownthere.Youplanningtoflytheshuttletoget

us?""Washcouldhave—""Washleftthebridgeaminute,andthisboat'dbescatteredallovertheworld,andyouwithit.""Idon'twanther—""Yourwantsain'tgot toostrongaholdonmyintentions,Doctor.I'd thinkabrightyoungfellow

likeyouwouldhavesussedthatoutbynow."Thedoctor staredathimfor just longenough to lethimknowhowhe feltabout that, thensaid,

"Riversaysthey'recoming.""Who?""Shedidn'tsay.Shejustsaid,'they'recoming.'""Well,lestshe'sjustspoutinggibberish,I'dguessit'dbethefeds,andwewerefiguringhardonthat

already.Now,ifsheknewwhentheywerecoming—""Tomorrow,earlyafternoon,"saidRiver.Mal lookedather, thenat thedoctor, thenbackatRiver. "Somethingcreepifyingaboutyou,"he

said.Riverdidn'tanswer;sheseemedtohavefallenasleep.Malshrugged,turned,andmadehiswayuptowardthebridge.Ashewalked,henoticedthatthefed

wasstillwithhim,andstilllookingimpenetrable."Well,anythoughts?"Kitlookedup."Plenty.Howwouldyoufeelaboutlettingmemakecontactwithmypeople?"

"YourpeoplemeanstheAlliance,don'tit?""Yes."“Itoldyouabout—”“Nottoarrangeapick-up.Ijustwanttomakecontact.”"Don'tseemlikethatwouldbeinmybestinterest.""Doesn'tseemlikeit,butitwouldbe.""Youwantmetojusttrustyou?""Yes.""Whendoyouneedtodothis?""Beforeyoudowhateveritisyou'regoingtodo.""I'llthinkonit.Meantime,I'mheadingtowardthebridge.Youcanbeinthediningroom,oryour

quarters.IcatchyouanywhereelseonmyboatandI'llkillyou.""Youdon'tneedtothreatenme,Captain.IknowwhereIstand.""Doyou?""Itoldyou,Iwasthere.""Yeah,youdidatthat."Mallefthiminthediningroomandheadeduptothebridge."Don'tmindme, you two. I'll just stand here andwonderwhy there are twoweapons in the co-

pilot'schair."ZoëandWashbroketheirclinch,WashgivingMalsomethingofanannoyedlook.Zoësaid,"KeepingthemoutofJayne'shands.""Ah.Gooddecision.""Thankyou,sir."He said, "Just letting you two know that we need to be out of here by tomorrow afternoon,

accordingtoahighlyreliablesourceIdon'ttrustatall.""Mal,"saidWash,"canyoutellmewhywearen'tleavingthisplacenow?""No,I'mnotsureIcan.""Oh.Well.Allright,then.That'sallIneeded.""There'ssomethingsthatgottobesettledonthatworld.""Why?""'Cause,"saidMal."She'shandlingalittlebetternow,"saidWash."Kayleedidsomething.""She'lldothat,"saidMal."Canyougetusonthegroundasthingsstand?""Notsure,"saidWash."Butwe'retwoandahalfdaysfromTagwyn.""Tagwyn?""Anorbitingrepairdock,around—""No,onthegroundhere."Washstaredathim."Areyouserious,Mal?""Justwanttoknowifyoucandoit.""Mal,Ican'tkeepmyeyesopenanymore.Ican'tlandahandkerchiefonthefloor.Icouldmaybe,if

Igotlucky,punchinthecoordinatestoTagwynandstartusthere,butwithoutbeingheretomonitor—""Gotobed,Wash.We'lltalkinthemorning.ZoëandIcantakeshiftskeepingusinthesky."Foronce,Washhadnoremarks.Heraisedhisarm,andZoëtookandhauledhimtohisfeet,kissed

him,andescortedhimtowardthedoor."I'llbebacktoworkoutshiftsafterI'veputmyexhaustedmantobed,"shesaid."Exhausted?"saidWash."IfIsleepforfiveyearsImightmakeituptoexhausted."

Malnoddedandsatdown in thepilot'schair,andstaredat the lineofdawnonHera through thefrontwindow—anuglyworld,fullofsicklygreensandoppressiveblues.Yuvaappeareddownandofftotheright;inSerenityValley,awayontheotherside,thesunwouldjustbesetting.HewatchedHeralikeasnakewatchesarabbit.Thenhetappedtheintercomforthediningroom."Anyonethere?"Noresponse.Hetriedtheroom

he'dgivenKit,theShepherd'soldroom."Fed?Youaround?"Kit'svoicecameback."I'mhere.""Oncewe'reontheground,comeonuptothebridgeandmakeyourcall,"hesaid.Serenity:Bridge"Goodmorning,sir.""You'reagoodrelief,Zoë.""Anything?""She'sdoingabumpandgrind;youhavetoknockofftheautopilot,bringherbacktothegrid,then

turnitonagain;seemslikeeverytwentyminutesorso.Itisn'ttoobad.""Allright.""Wash?""Hewassnoringbeforehewashorizontal.""Hedidagoodday'swork.Agoodweek'swork.""Yes,sir."Hestoodandsteppedoutof thewaysoshecould take thepilot's seat, thenhepickedup the two

pistolsandheldthemwhilehesatintheco-pilot'sseat."I'mgoingtotalktoJayne,"hesaid.Shebarelynodded,concentratingoncheckingtheauto-pilot'ssettings,andthepositiongrid."Zoë,Iwantthisguy."Thistimeshemadenopretenseofnodding;justcontinuedcheckingtheboard."Zoë?""Yes,sir?""Youknowwhy,don'tyou?""Thewar'sover,sir.Iseemtorememberhearingyousaythatonceortwice.""It'snotaboutthewar.""Ofcourseit'saboutthewar,sir."Heleanedback,andstaredoutasHeradriftedslowlyfromhisrighttohisleft,untilhewasstaring

intotheblack."Youdon'tthinkit'smaybeaboutwhat'shappeningonthatthereverypieceofgroundbelowus?""No,sir.Idon't.""So,Itakeityouwantnopartofit,Zoë?""Ididn'tsaythat,sir.""Then—""I'djustfeelbettergoingintothisifyouknewwhyweweredoingit.I'llbackyoueitherway.But

I'dratheryouknew.""Ain'tnoonetotellme.MaybeiftheShepherdwerestillhere,he'dexplainit.""You'dignorehim,sir.""MostlikeIwould.So,yougoingtotellme?""IwouldifIcould.""IjustknowIgottodothis.Ican'tletitalone.It'severything.It'sthewar,it'sthe…it'severything.""You'rebringingJaynebackon."

"Mightbe.""AndworkingwithanAllianceagent.""Yeah.""Whatdoyoubelieveinanymore,sir?""Mycrew.""Andwhatdoesthisdoforyourcrew?""Wozenmayangbeiladaozhegehuatidangzhong?"Hestaredoutintotheblack.Serenitylurched;

though buffered by the artificial gravity, he could still feel it. Zoë killed the auto-pilot, re-settledSerenityonhercourse,andre-engagedtheauto-pilot.Sheturnedthepilot'schairandfacedhim."Ihavetoputitaway,"hesaid."Sir,threedaysago,youdidn'tevenknow—""Yes,butnowIdo.Anditmakesitalldifferent.Allofit.Allthewayback,andwhat'shappening

hereandnow.Itisn'tonething,it'sallofit.""Yes,sir.Butwhataboutthefed?""Funnyyoushouldask.""Sir?""He'sjustbeentryingtofiguremeout.""Ah.Isee.Well,thatmusthavebeenentertaining.""Ididfigurehimout.""Sir?""Ifiguredoutwhyhe'sdoingthis.""HewantstotakedownSakarya,becausehelikesbeatingbadguys?""That'spartofit.""Andtherest?""SimonandRiver.""Hewantsthem?""No,hewantsthemtogetaway.""Idon't—""Hewent and found out whowewere, andwho theywere, and he figures it ain't right for the

Alliance to come downwith all the law and everything for someonewho decided to drop out ofschool.""Buthe'sAlliance.""Yeah,heis.Putshiminanastyspot,doesn'tit?""So,he'llhelpus?""Notdirectly.Hecan't.He'sabeliever.""Hestillbelieves,eventhough—""Eventhough."Zoë shookher head.That sort of conflict couldn't happen inZoë'sworld. InZoë'sworld itwas

people,notideas.Forpeoplelikethefeditwasboth,anditwasnofunwhentheysmashedintoeachother.ThatwasafeelingMalcouldunderstand."Zoë?""Sir?""Thanks.""Yes,sir.""I'dbestbeaboutmybusiness."He stood up and looked at the two holstered pistols in his hands; it took him a moment to

rememberwhytheywerethere.Serenity:DiningroomHeandMalhadtheplacetothethemselves."Goahead,Jayne.Sitdown.""I'dbeenaboutto,butthanksfortheinvite."Jaynesatheavily."Okay,"saidMal."Let'stalk.""Whyareyouworryingaboutmewhenyouhaveagorramfedtenfeetawayfromloonygirl?""Becausethefedain'tneverbeenonmycrew,Jayne.""Yeah.Whatyouwanttotalkabout?""Theyofferedyouadeal?""Who,theLocals?Yeah,Itoldyou.Ididn'ttakeit.""I'mstillworkingoncalculatingwhynot."Afewlieswentthroughhishead,buttherewasMal,lookingathim,and…"Ididn'tlikehowthey

askedme."Malnodded."Idon'tdenythatyoubeenusefultohavearoundatimeortwo.""Welldamn,Mal.Them'sthenicestwordsyoueversentinmydirection.""Likelytheyare.Butyoubeenalotoftroubletomeandmine.""Whatdidyouexpect?Youthrewmeoffyourgorramcrew.YouthinkmaybeI'drunoutandbuy

youflowers?""Alwayshavelikedchrysanthemums.""Zoëtriestokillme,Mal,I'mgonna—""Zoëain'tgoingtodomorethanItellherto,Jayne,'lessyouputyourfootbadwrong.""That'sacomfort.""We'regoingintosomething,Jayne.""Intowhat?""Settlingsomeoldbusiness.Coulduseanotherguninthis.Youcanbebackonifyouwant.""Anymoneyinit?""Notacredit,notacent.""Well,there'sapowerfulinducement.""Thereanyinducementinthis,yousussitoutonyourown.""Whataboutmyginseng?""Yougiveitback.Welivethroughthis,wereturnit.""It'sinalockerintown,alongwithallmygear.""Maybewe'llhavethechancetoretrieveit.""Whataboutthatfed?""Whatabouthim?""Heinthis?""That'suptohim.Hedon'ttaketouskillingnoone,andIintendsomeviolencetotakeplace.""That'swhyyouwantmeback?""No,Iwantyoubackcuzsomeonemightwantviolencetotakeplacetowardus.""WhatifIsayno?""We'lltrytogetyousomewheresafe,outofthearea.Nopromises.""DoIgotsometimetodecide?""Allthetimeyouwanttillwestarttomove.""Whenwillthatbe?"

"Aboutaminute.You'reaskingalotofquestions,Jayne.""Yeah,andyouaren'tgivingalotofgoodanswers.""Thatmeanyou'reout?""Naw,whenhaveIeverbeenabletostayoutofafight?""Wheneveryoucouldn'tgetanythingoutofit."Couldn'targuewiththat.He remembered the cell, and remembered what he'd realized there: there wasn't any point in

fightingit,hejustwasn'tanygoodonhisown."Yeah.I'min,"hesaid.Malsetthetwopistolsonthetable,andslidthemdowntohim,oneatatime.Serenity:BridgeAfterasleepthatlastedaroundtenhours,hefeltworldsbetter,andasreadyasheeverwouldbe.Heplayedaroundtheupperedgesofatmoforafewseconds,justtotesthowshewasresponding.

Hewasn'tentirelyhappywiththeresult,but—"Canyoudoit?"askedMal."Thinkso,"hesaid.Hebadlywantedtoadd,"butIcan'tthinkwhywewantto,"buthebithistongue

andconcentratedonflying.The upper atmosphere of Hera smacked Serenity back and forth hard enough to penetrate the

artificialgravity;hefeltherbuckingandkickingandwantingtoputhernosedownandtumble.Thefirstchancehegot,heleanedoveranddialeddownthecabintemperature,becausehewassweatingalot.Afankickedin,andacoolbreezestruckhisface,anditfeltsogoodhealmostsmiled.Theatmospherethickened,makingtheresistancestrongerbutlessvariable:aFireflywasnotbuilt

foraerodynamics;sheoughtnottobesubjecttoupdrafts,andcross-winds,andbuffeting.Atleastnotthismuch.Hegaveheranattitudeadjustment justas shebucked thewrongway,and forahorriblesecond,

Serenity almost flipped and tumbled, internal and external inertiawanting to combine to shootherlikeawatermelonseed.Aplasticpterodactylandtriceratopsfellfromhisconsoleandhitthefloor.HebroughtSerenity'snosebackup,toobusyforthemomenttocurse.TheintercomcrackledwithMal'svoice."Wash!Whatthegorramhellis—"Heshutitoffandfoughttheair,theship,theworld.Malhadsaid,"TrytosetusdowneastofYuva,ifyoucanfindaclearinginthewoods."Hehadsaid,"Mal,ifIcangetusdowninonepieceitwillbe—No,I'mnotlookingforaclearing

inthewoods,I'mlookingforthebiggestflatemptyspaceIcanfind,andthenI'mprayinglikehell."Malhad,foronce,justacceptedit.Whyweretheydoingthis,anyway?BecauseMalwas the captain, that'swhy.And because, however stupid some ofMal's stunts had

been,somehowtheyhadalwayspulledthrough,andkeptflying.Hewasn'tsureexactlywherehewas,but,thatwasaclearspacebelowthem.Okay,timeforthefun

part.Heflippedthetwosidethrustersintolandingpositionandspuntheenginefaster,gettingmorethrusttofightgravity.Theshakethroughtheyokerattledhisentirebody.IfIcrackatooth,I'mgoingtobeannoyed.Hefocusedonasinglepointonthegroundthroughtheprimaryscope;thetrue-altnumbersfalling

much too fast.Stillmore thrust, still lesscontrol—andhealmost forgot to lower the landinggear,whichwouldhavebeenanembarrassingwaytowrecktheship.Toomuchthrusttoland;toolittletofighttheinstabilityfromthebrokenextender.Atfiftymeters:

much too close to the ground to play, but still high enough to easily kill them all. At least the

placementwasgood,andtheanglewas,hadbeengoodasecondago,wasgoodagain,buthowdidwegettoone-fiftyand,allright,shecouldyawasmuchasshewantedto,butpleasedon'tpitchdowntoseventymaybejustabumpcarefulcarefultoomuchandwe'llbeonourbellyanddeadbeforeyoucansaybrontosaurusokaythatonehelpedattheexpenseoffine,fineyawcandowhatitwantsuntilyesreducethatextrathrustsowecomedowntodon'troll!attitudegoodgoodjustmaybeifweswoopabitwecangettothemagicthreemetermarkanddropandjustcrackthelandinggearwhichwouldokaystopthat,noseisgoodagainholditholditrighttheresweetbabypleaseworkwithmeonetimeonetimeandnownosedownthenuptwometers?Cutcutcut!Noseupfortheloveof—Heclickedontheintercom."We'redown,fellowtravelers.Nosweat."HeleanedbackonhischairandclosedhiseyesandifMalhadbeenonthebridgeWashwouldhave

punchedhimrightinthemouth.

13ChapterMyOwnKindofanswers

Serenity:PassageHewalkedwith thecaptain,passingtheglazed,exhausted,nearlystumblingpilotontheirwayto

thebridge.Thecaptainstoppedastheypassed.Thepilotandthecaptainexchangedafewwords,buthecouldn'tquitemakeoutwhat theywere.Kitcontinuedonto thebridge,where thecaptain joinedhimamomentlater.Thecaptaingesturedtowardthecommgearandsaid,"Itakeityouknowhowtousethisstuff?"Kitbitbackasarcasticanswerandjustnodded."TheAlliancegaveyouallthetraining,"observedReynolds.Kitnoddedandwaitedforthewhateverpointwascoming."Andso,"continuedthecaptain,"Iguessthat'sagoodreasonforyoutosellyoursoultothem.""Areyoulookingforanargument,captain?""Morecuriousaboutwhyyou'ddosomethinglikethat.""WoulditmeananythingtoyouifIsaidjobsatisfaction?""Might.ButIhavetowonderwhatsortofjobsatisfactionthereisin—""ShuttingdownpeoplelikeSakarya?"Thecaptainshruggedandfellsilent.Kitsettherightchannelonthecomm,setupwhatlittlemaskingsignalwasavailableonthisgear.It

tookacoupleofminutestopickuptheWHORU;hesentbacktheIMandappropriatecodes.Ittookanothercoupleofminutestogetfullaccess,thenhesettledintoaskhisquestions.Thecaptainsatnexttohim,sayingnotaword,makingnotamotion.Kitmadethefirstrequest,andwaited.Intothesilencehesaid,"ThereisonethingI'velearnedabout

Sakarya,andthat'sthathe'sgoodatwhathedoes.""Howlongyoubeenonthis?""Eightmonths.""Don'tseemlikesomuch.""Ialsogotenoughfactsandfigurestoindict.""Wellthen—""Notenoughtoconvict,though.Notreliably.""Mywayiseasier.""Yourwaycanbe turnedonyou.Anytimeyoupissoffsomeonewith theAlliance,weuseyour

way,youcouldjustbeshotdown.Youlikethatidea?"Thecaptaindidn'tanswer."You got some indictments against you,” Kit continued, “but no convictions. You going to

complainthatweinsistonevidence?"Thecaptainshrugged."ButyoumissedthepointaboutSakaryabeinggoodatwhathedoes,"saidKit."Tellme.""Partofbeinggoodatitiskeepingcarefulrecords."

"Thesortthatcouldconvicthim?""Yep.""So,howdoyougetthem?""I'mworkingonthatnow."AsKitworked,thecaptainsaid,"WhatI'mnotsureof,iswhyyoucare.""It'swhatIdo,goafterthebadguys.""Somemightsaywe'rebadguys.""Yougotnoconvictionsonyourrecord.""No.Butthere'stalkwe'reharbor—""Youtryingtotalkmeintoarrestingyou,CaptainReynolds?""Youwantedtodothat,youwould.I'mjustsatisfyingsomecuriosityisall.""SoamI.""Aboutwhat?"Kitcheckedthesignalstrengthandstartedthenextcross-load.He lookedupat thecaptain,and thought forabitabouthowhonestananswer togive.What the

hell,hedecided."AboutwhySergeantMalcolmReynolds,orCaptainMalcolmReynolds,whospendshistimesteeringclearoftheAlliance,andmostofhisenergykeepingtwobadlywantedfugitivesoutofAlliancehands,wentoutofhiswaytosavethelifeofafederalagent.""Oh,that,"saidthecaptain."Yes.""Wasanaccident.Didn'tknowwhatyouwere.""Ifiguredoutthatpart.Itstilldoesn'tanswerthequestion.""Yes,itdoes.""Thenwhodidyouthinkyouwererescuing?""Didn'tknow;I justdidn't like thelookof thosetwoguyswhoweresittingaroundwaitingtodo

someone.""Butitwasn'tanyofyour—""Theyirritatedme.""Why?""Because.""Okay,"saidKit."Maybebecauseyouwalkedinthereandfiguredwhattheyweredoing,andyou

couldn'tstandnottoletthemknowhowbadtheywereatit?”The captain didn't answer, which, Kit decided, almost certainly counted as an affirmative. He

returnedhisattentiontothenextandlastcross-loadheneeded."Okay,gotit,"hesaidaminutelater."Oh,good,"saidtheCaptain."Thenourproblemsaresolved."Kitdidn'treply;hewasthinkingoverwhathe'dlearned,andtryingtocomeupwithawaytouseit.Hewasprettysuretherewasone,andhedidn'tmuchcareforit.Yuva:Sarkarya'sofficeAnnaleeWuhanhadbeenhispersonalsecretaryfor fiveyears,whichwasmore than three times

longer than anyone else had survived on his staff. She was efficient, loyal, unambitious, keenlyobservant,andhadnosenseofhumor.Shealsohadalonglistofirritatingtraits,headedbyarefusalto call him anything but Filo, which was how she had first been introduced him, in a smallschoolhousewhereshehadtaughtnottwentymilesfromthisspot.Shewalkedintotheroom,andsatdownwithoutbeingasked;whichwasanotheroftheirritating

traits.

"Goodmorning,Filo,"shesaid."Goodmorning,MissWuhan.Whatdoweknow?""Thereisstrongreasontobelievetheagentes—""Thetraitor,MissWuhan.Let'scallthingsbytheirrightname,shallwe?""Certainly,Filo.TheagentescapedwiththefugitivefromSerenityin—""What?""Serenity.Theship.Theagentandthefugitiveescapedinashortrangeshuttlelastnight,anditis

allbutcertainthattheyarenowbackonSerenity.""Serenity.""Yes.""Andis—Serenity—gone?""Asyet,wehavebeenunabletoconfirmthat.Therehasbeennosignofamajorthrustfromthat

region escaping Hera, but they could, for one reason or another, have used low thrust, and wewouldn'tknow.""Ortheycouldstillbethere.""Theycouldindeed.""Andtheshipiscertainlyinjured.""Acleanshot,butshewasabletobreakatmo."Sakaryasighed."Itdoesn'tmakesense.""Whatdoesn'tFilo?""Weknowabout the traitor,andheknowsweknow.Thatremoveshisusefulness.Whywouldhe

stay?Andwhylinkupwith—""Wedon'tknowthatthey'restillhere."Interruptinghimwasanotherofherannoyingtraits."No, butwe're going to assume they are untilwe have proof they've left.Andwe do know that

they'realltogether.Whatcouldbringthemtogether?""Youcould,Filo.""Me?""They'dcometogetherbecausetheybothhateyou.""They?"Ilookeduptheship,Serenity.""Howdidyoulearnthename?""Sir,youhiredthatship.""Ihiredit?""Ihiredit,inyourname.Togetthelumberforyourson'snewCanteen.""Isee.Serenity.Interestingname.""Filo,thenameisn'tacoincidence.""What—?""Here'sthefile."Hetookthee-paperfromherhand,automaticallyreacheduptoforwardtabtoskiptothesecond

page,wherethegutsoftheinformationusuallystarted,buthestoppedhimself.Itwasrightthere,onthetitlepage."Serenity,"itsaid."Firefly-classtransport.CaptainMalcolmReynolds."Heleanedbackinhischairandclosedhiseyes."Well,"hesaid."Yes,Filo.""Well,well,well.""Yes,Filo."

"BringmemynewheadofSecurity."Serenity:Medbay"IsawJaynewalkingbywithagun—""He'sbackonthecrew,"saidthecaptain."Uh…okay.""We're going in.Staywith the ship,watchyour sister, andbe ready to patchus upwhenweget

back.""Aren'tIalways?""Youareatthat.""What'sthecaperthistime?""Caper?""Isthatthewrongword?""Cometothediningroom.""ShouldIgetRiver?""She'salreadythere."Simonnoddedand followed thecaptainup thestairsand then forward.Everyoneelsewas there,

includingJayne,and includingsomeonehehadn'tseenbefore:astockymanwithaneatly trimmedbeard and mild eyes; he reminded Simon of a biology professor he'd liked quite a bit. He wasspeaking to River, who was looking at him as if he were a laboratory specimen of somethingcompletely new in the 'verse. He started toward her, but she looked up and caught his eye; sheappearedtobeallright.Thereissuchathingasbeingover-protective,heremindedhimself,andtookaseatnexttoKaylee,

whogavehimasmilethatmadehisheartskipabeat.Helookedatthecaptain,whowasstandingattheheadofthetable,lookinglike—God!Heremindsmeofmyfather!NowonderIdon'ttrusthim!Hemissedthefirstfewwordsthecaptainspoke;whenhecamebacktothepresent,heheard,"…

justtobeclear,there'snomoneyinvolved.It'ssomethingIgottado."Washsaid,"Mal,isthis—"thenhebrokeoff.SimonnoticedZoë'shandonhisarm.WashandZoë

lookedateachother,butSimoncouldn'treadwhatevermighthavepassedbetweenthem.Simonsaid,"Dowegettoknowanythingaboutthis,otherthanyoumightgetuskilled?""Sure,Doctor.MightgetuscaughtbytheAlliance,too."Ashesaidthat,hiseyesshiftedtothestranger."Uh,nottoberude,"saidSimon,"butcanyoutellme—""Kit,"saidthecaptain."HisnameisKit.""He'safed,"saidZoë."Buthe'sonourside,"saidJayne.Simon'smindreeled."He'sawhat?"Riversaid,"Technicallyspeaking, it isn't treason if therearenoviolationsof the laworexplicit

orders,oractionsclearlycontrarytotheinterestofthebodytowhomoneowesloyalty.""Thankyouforthat,"saidthecaptain."She'sright,"saidtheonewho'djustbeenidentifiedasafed."Sheoftenis,"saidSimon."Let'sfocusonthejob,"saidthecaptain."Goodidea,"saidSimon."Let'sjustignorethatthereisanAllianceagentsitting—""Yes,"saidthecaptain."Let'signorethat."Simonsaid,"Idon'tthink—"

"Good.That'showIlikeyoubest.""Sir,"saidZoë,"Ithinkhedeservesanexplanation.It'shissister—""It'shissister,"saidthefed,"whoIampretendingdoesnotexist,aspartofabargainImadewith

thecaptain,andifanyofyouevertellanyoneIsaidso,I'llmakeitmylife'sworktohuntyoudownandmakeyouregretbeingborn."Simon'sbiologyteacherhadneversoundedlikethat.Riversaid,"Technicallyspeaking,itisn'ttreasonifthereare—""Itdoesn'thavetobe,"saidthefed."Let'smoveon,"saidthecaptain."Iwanttoknowifeveryoneisin.""I'malwaysin,"saidKaylee."I'min,"saidZoë."Alreadytoldyou,"saidJayne.Washsaid,"CanIjustfindoutwhy—"thenhelookedatZoë,shrugged,andsaid,"Allright,Iguess

I'mbeingtoldI'min.""Goodboy,"saidZoë.Simonfeltthecaptain'seyesonhim.Hehesitated,thensaid,"Ifsomeonecomesinhurt,I'llpatch

himup.IstheresomethingelseI'msupposedtodo?""Yes.Tellmeyou'rewithus.""DoesthathavesomepracticaleffectIdon'tunderstand?""No,Ijustwanttohearit.""Withoutlettingmeknowwhatitis?Whatit'sabout?""Sakaryaisabadguy,andwemeantotakehimdown.""Nowwe'reinthebusinessoftakingdownbadguys?"Kayleesaid,"What'swrongwiththat?""Well,foronething,we'recriminals.Doesn'tthatmakeusbadguys?""Iexpectitmight,"saidMal."But,what,he'sworse?""Allkinds,"saidMal.Washclearedhis throat andglancedatZoë.Whenshedidn'tgivehima sign,he said, "Thishas

somethingtodowithstuffIfoundontheCortex,right?Forcedindenture,childlabo—""Yes,"saidMal."I justwanttosay,"saidSimon,"that ifyou'reaskingmetosignupforthings,I'dratherbetold

what'shappeningasithappens."Thecaptainsaid,"Doc—"SimonlookedatKaylee,whowaslookingrightbackathim,hereyesverylarge."Okay,I'min,"hesaid.Thecaptainnodded."Allright.River?""Riverhasneverbeenout,"shesaid.

14ChapterMyOwnKindofClever

Yuva:Sakarya'sofficeItwasn'toveryet.Therewasnowaytoknowwhatwascoming,howitwascoming,orwhen,butitwasn'tover.ThathadalwaysbeentheproblemwiththegorramAlliance:theyjustcouldn'tleaveamanalone.

Andtheykeptcoming.They'dfoundawaytoputamanontheinside,buthe'dbeenexposed,makinghimuseless;sonowthey'dcomeupwithanewway.Heturnedaround,facingoutathispond,andwatchedtheducks.Now thatwas thequestion, really:whyhad they let theirmanblowhiscover?TheAlliancehad

neverbeensneaky:justbig,clunky,big,determined,andbig.Itrolledoveryou,itdidn'ttrytooutfoxyou.Iftheyhadpulledtheirman,itwasn'tatrick,itwasbecausetheyneededhimforsomethingelse.Questionone:Whatwasthesomethingelse?Questiontwo:Didheactuallyneedtoknow?Theducksswaminsinglefile,aroundandaroundthepond.Occasionallythemotherwouldturn

her head, and was maybe giving out an instructional quack. He should get some microphonesinstalledoutthere,sohecouldhearthem.Ducksoundswouldbepleasant,fromtimetotime.Adirectattack?Probablynot;thatisn'thowagentswork.Butthen,therewerethingsgoingonthathehadn'tfigured

out,yet.Heneededtoplantsomeoneinwiththemsohecouldfindout.He'dhavedoneitlongago,ifhe'dhadany idea theywere interested inhim.But thatwas for later; fornow,he'dputhis securityforcesonalert,justtobesafe.Andthatship,Serenity.Itwasawildcard.Hadtheyslippedoff?No,hejustdidn'tthinkso.Ifthey

couldn'tbefoundinthesky,itwasmorelikelythey'd….Yes, gorram it. They'd landed. They'd come back. Not the Alliance, but Sergeant Malcolm

Reynolds,thatwaswhathadbeenbotheringhimallday.Yep.Nodoubtaboutit:heneededhissecurityforcesonhighalert,andheneededtobehuntingfor

thatgorramship.TheonlywaytostopsomeonelikeReynoldswas toget tohimfirst,andhithimhard.Hepushedabuttononhisdesk,andbegangivingthenecessaryorders.Serenity:Diningroom"Okay,"hesaid."Kit,let'sseethoseplans."Thefednoddedandunrolledasheafofpaperonthetable."Hereare theentrances,"hesaid,pointing to fivespots, "plusground floorwindowshere,here,

here,here,andhere.""Wheredowegoin?"saidJayne."Wedon'tknowyet, Jayne" saidMal. "That'swhatwe're trying to figureout.Youknow,makea

planandallthat."

Kitcontinued,"Theperimeterguardsarehereandhere,apaireach,andanothertwopairmakingacircuit,coveringeverypointeverytwominutes.Anygivenspotmightbeoutofsightofliveguardsforthirtyseconds,max,thoughtherearestillcameras.""Lookedatwhere?""Guardstationinthehouse,here,andalsointhesecurityoffice,thoughthere'safairchancenoone

inthesecurityofficeisbotheringtolookatthem.""Can'tcountonthat,"saidMal."Sakarya'sprobablyputtingthemonalert.""Thinkheknowswe'recoming?"saidKit."I'dcountonit.""Allright.""Howaretheyarmed?""The guards have rifles, sidearms, and shockrocks. The rest of the force on duty, about forty a

shift,arequarteredhere,betweenthehouseandthesecurityoffice.Theycandeployandbeanywhereinthehouseoronthegroundswithinaboutthreeminutesafterthealertisgiven."Washsaid,"AretheyLocals,orprivatesecurity?""Both,"saidMalandKitatthesametime."Forty,"saidJayne.Kitnodded."Letmethink.Fortyofthem,fourofus.That's…uh,moreofthem.""Can'tgetonepastyou,Jayne,"saidMal."So,weblowupthebarracks?""Don'tthinkthat'sliketohappen,"saidMal."Whynot?"Zoësaid,"Jayne,we'renotgoingtoblowupfortyLocals.We'renotatwarwith theLocals.The

Alliancewon'ttaketousblowingupfortyLocals.They'llnotice.They'll—""TheAlliance?Nowwe'reworrying about theAlliance? Ifwewereworried about theAlliance,

whydidweinviteagorramfedtothisparty?""Infact,"saidKit,"it'sthegorramfedinvitingyoutohisparty,andheisn'tentirelysurewhyhe's

doingit,buthepromisesyouit'llbeabadideatoblowupfortyLocals."Jaynesaid,"Notifwestartoutbyblowingupthefed.""Jayne,"saidMal."Yourquestionsbeenanswered.""Allright,"saidthebigman."Sowhatdowedo?""Wecouldgiveup,"saidWash."Surrender.Throwourselvesontheirmercyandbegforgiveness.

Maybeifwesoundreallysincere—""Howdotheygetword?"saidMal."Hmm?"saidKit."Ifthemanorgivesanalarm,howdoesthebarracksgetit?""Oh."Kitfrowned."Ihavethefrequency,ifyou'rethinkingwecouldjamit.""Wasthinkingthat.Theyhaveabackupsystem?""Don'tknow.""Couldyoujamit,Wash?""Yep.Course,someonefiguresitout,hecouldworkaroundit.""Howlongwouldthattake?""Dependshowgoodheis.Thirtyseconds?Fiveminutes?Anhour?Thereisn'tanywaytoknow.""Allright.Let'ssaywecankeepthemreinforcementsout.Westillneedtogetpasttheguardsonthe

perimeter,andinthehouse."Jaynesaid,"Canwe,like,shootsomebody?Orwejustgoinginwavingourgunsaroundhopingto

scare'emtodeath?""Disarmthemandimmobilizethem,"saidMal."Defendyourselfifyouhaveto.Butwe'regetting

aheadofourselves.I'drathergetpastasmanyof'emaswecan.""Youcouldtaketheshuttle,"saidWash.FirstJayne,nowWash.Sometimeshiscrewcouldbereallydense."We'regoingtotaketheshuttle,

Wash,"hesaidpatiently."Thepoint is,howtofindtherightplacetoset itdown,andthentherightwayin,andthenhowwe—""No,Imean,youcouldtaketheshuttlealltheway.""Idon'tgetwhat—"Washstabbedataplaceontheplan."That'stheoffice,right?""Yes….""So,taketheshuttlerightin.""Wash,thewindowsareonly—""Niaozaithewindows.Lookattheplans.Thewallsareeightcentimetersthickwherethestudsare,

andholloweverywhereelse,andyousaidtheplaceisbuiltofcedar.Icouldlandontopofhisdesk,ifyoucantellmewherethedeskis."Noonespokeforalongmoment."Youknow,"saidKit,"that'snotahalf-badidea.""Wash,canyoureallybringusthroughawall?"saidMal."Withyouflying,therewillbefiveinthe

shuttle.It'sgoingtobesluggish.""Hecandoit,"saidZoëbeforeWashcouldanswer.Washjustnodded."Howmuchweightwillthefloortake?""Whatdoestheshuttleweigh?""Withfiveofusinit?Abouteighttons."`“Whataboutgettingoutagain?”saidMal.Washshrugged.“Spin,gooutthewaywecame.Ifthefloorwillhold.”Kitfrownedandlookedovertheplansomemore."Reinforcedcedar.Eighttonsdistributedover…

Ithinkwe'llbeallright.""There'ssomethingtobesaidforit,"saidMal."Youcan'tfigurethey'relookingforit.Kit?""I'mgoodwithit.""Jayne?""What,smashingthroughthewallofaguy'shouse?WhatpartofthatcouldInotlike?""Okay,soundslikeaplan.Kit,whatdoyouknowabouttiming?""Youmean,whenarewelikelytofindhimsittingathisdesk?""Yes.""Hedoesmostofhisworkearlymorning,orearlyafternoon.""Whatislocaltimerightnow?""Almosteleven,"saidKaylee.Kit said, "I'vegot somenumbers.Givemea fewminutes to run them,and I'llgiveyouan ideal

time.""Good.Wash,canyoushowKayleehowtojamthatsignal?""Easy.Icansetitupsoshejusthastohitthepower.""Good,then.Whatelse?""Sir,"saidZoë."Whatarewegoingtodowhenwegetinthere?"Killhim,hethought.“We'llsee,”hesaid.Serenity:Jayne'squarters

Hesatonhisbunk,andwasnotentirelyhappywiththestateofthe'verse.ItwasahellofatimeforVeratobelockedawayinagorramstoragelocker.Andallofhisother

hardwarewithher.Allhehadweretwopistols,onewiththreesparemagazines,onewithfour.Andwiththissortofwork,ariflecouldmakeallthedifference.On theotherhand, if theywereallkilledcrashing through thewall, itwouldn'tmatterwhat sort

weaponshewascarrying.Thatwascomforting.He stripped, cleaned, and re-assembled both weapons, enjoying going through the motions his

handsknewsowell.Thatwascomforting,too.Butifthingswentwrong—No,thatwasstupid.Somethinglikethis,howcouldthingsnotgowrong?Theonlyquestionswere,

howmanythingswouldgowrong,andwhichwerethey?Andthatsortoffiguring,heknew,wasnothisparticularskill.HeputthesparemagazinesfortheCenturyMarauderVIinhisright-handcoatpocket,andtheones

fortheDevtrexSI-4inhisleft.RightCentury,herepeated.RightCentury.It'stherightcentury.Heh.That's funny. TheMarauder went into his belt, the SI into his left-hand pants pocket. He'd use theMarauderfirst,ofcourse.Theybuiltagoodweapon;youcoulddrivenailswiththebutt,thendrivemorenailswiththebarrel,andyou'dstillhaveaweaponthatwouldfirecleanandhitwhatyouaimedat.TheDevtrex,well,itwouldfiremostofthetime,ifitwaskeptclean.Malhadaplan.TheFedhadaplan,too.Okay,then.Fine.Iftheylandedalive,andgotoutofthe

shuttlealive,he'djuststartshooting,andstopwheneverythinginsightwasdead.There,hethought.NowIhaveaplan,too.Serenity:ShuttleoneIt'sallinthedetails,heremindedhimself.Hewaslookingovertheshuttle,studyingthepositionoftheseats,andthedistancefromeachtothe

door.Therewas thedoor control itself, and that'swhere someonewouldbe standing tooperate it.Therefore—Gorramit.Theretoomanyvariables; toomanyunknowns;toomanythingsthatcouldgo, ifnot

wrong,thenatleastdifferent.Andthatwouldbeplentytoupsetanyplanhecouldcomeupwithmoregeneralthan,takeanyopportunitytomakethingsworkoutright.Hecheckedhissidearm.Inthesevenyearssincetheendofthewar,hehadneverfiredashotexceptattherange;hadnever

comeclosetoneedingto.Andnow….He'dalwaysthoughtofhimselfasaplodder.Therewere field agentswho couldgo into situationswhere therewas liable to be shooting and

stabbingandcloseescapes.Andtherewerefieldagentswhocouldappearatacrimesceneandputtogetherwhat had happened like rolling a vid.He had never thought of himself as either of thosetypes:hewentin,tookasmuchtimeaswasneededtoestablishagoodcover,tookasmuchtimeasneededtogathertheevidence,assembledtheinformationinneat,clear,andprecisereports,andthen,ifnecessary,testifiedincourt.You don't fire up an ASREV to jump from the core to the border. You don't pull the pin on a

grenadetotapintosomeone'sCortextransmission.Youdon'tuseatranq-guntosearchadatabaseforsignsoftaxfraud.Hewasa toolof theAlliance,andhewas finewith that;buthewas thewrong tool for this job.

Only, if he didn't do it, it wouldn't get done. And if it didn't get done, he'd not onlywasted eightmonthsofhislife,buthe'dblownthefirstassignmenthe'deveractuallycaredabout.Gorram those ruttingbastards tohell.Whycouldn't theyhave just lethimdohis job, insteadof

bollixing the whole thing just to rip over some poor girl who had yet to be even suspected of acrime?Hecouldn'tsaveher,ofcourse.TheSpecialDeputieswerecoming,andheknewsomethingofhow

theyworked.Theydidn't get stopped.All he coulddo, as a salve forhis conscience,was to try tocompletehismissionbeforetheyarrived.Oncetheywerehere,hewouldn'tbeableto….Nowthereisaninterestingthought.Iwonderifthatcouldwork.Helookedaroundtheshuttleagain,andconsidered.Hetookacloselookatthecommequipment.Yes,itjustmightwork.HelefttheshuttleandwentoffinsearchofRiverTam.Whenheknockedonthedoorofherroom,

shesaid,"Comein,AgentMerlyn."Thecaptainwasright,shewasabit"creepifying."Hesaid,"RiverTam…mayIcallyouRiver?"She nodded, watching him closely, as if he were a peculiar object; not something to fear, but

somethingtostudy.Hewasn'tentirelycertainhelikedit."Ihaveaquestionforyou.Doyoualreadyknow,orshallIaskit?""Both,"shesaid."Yousaidthey'dbeshowingupintheafternoon.Canyoutellmemoreprecisely—""They'llhitloweratmo,nearenoughtopickuponSerenity'sgear,at13:18localtime,whichwill

putthemseventeenpointthreeminutesfromnearestlandfall.""Thankyou."He stoodup andgot out, because, gorram it, shewas creepifying.Hewent off to find thepilot.

Thenhehadtotalktothecaptain,nowthatheknewwhattotellhim.Serenity:Bridge"Andthat,"hesaid,"oughttobeallyouneed.Whenit'stime,hitthis.Ifthatlightgoesgreen,it's

working.""Whatifitdoesn'tgogreen?"askedKaylee"Thenitisn'tworking.""ButwhatdoIdo?""Callme.""You'regoing tobe able to tellmehow to fix itwhileyou're in themiddleof landinga shuttle

throughawallinsideabuilding?""No,butI'llknowtopanic.""Wash,areyouworried?""Worried?No,notatall.Soscaredmysphinctershaveslammedshut,butnotworried.""Wash—""Kaylee,Iknowyouwantmetosaysomethingreassuring.Andbelieveme,I'dloveto.Butthisis

themost insane thingwe've ever done.Andwhatwithone thing and another, that bar has been setprettyhigh."Kayleesatdownintheco-pilot'sseat,andturnedaway.Hershouldersshook."Kaylee—""Ijustdon'twantyoutodie.Allofyou.AndIdon'twantyoutodiewhenI'mnotthere.WhatamI

supposetodoifyouallgetkilledinthere?Andwhatareyoudoingitfor?""Whydidyousayyouwerein?""Because…Idon'tknow.Ijustdid.Iam.I'mnotgoingtosayI'mnotin.""Well,ifthingsgobad,I'llbetRivercouldlearnenoughtoflySerenityoutofhere."

"Wash!""Iknow.Thatisn'twhatyoumean.""You'llbeintouch,won'tyou?""OfcourseIwill.""Ifthingsgetbad,willyouletmeknow?""Why?""Cuz.""Kaylee,whatareyougoingtodo?""If youdie, I can putRiver andSimon into the other shuttle and…what do you care, anyway?

You'llbedead."Washstaredatherforamoment.Heknewwhatshemeanttodo;thequestionwas,howtotalkher

outofit?"Actually," saidsomeonewhosevoicehedidn't recognizeat first, "Ihavean idea for something

thatwouldbemuchmoreuseful,andleaveyoualiveattheendofit.Maybeus,too."WashlookedupandsawtheAllianceagent,justenteringthebridge."Whatareyoudoinguphere?""Lookingforyou.You'reHobanWashburne,right?""Wash,"hesaid."Andwhatwereyoulookingformefor?""LikeIsaid,Ihaveanidea.""I'llhavetoaskthecaptain,whateveritis.""Howaboutifyoulistenfirst,andthendecidewhatyouwanttodoaboutit.Andyou—Kaywinnet

Frye?"Kayleenodded."Youlistentoo,becauseifitworks,you'regoingtohavetodoit."Kayleenoddedagain,andtheylistened.Threeminutes later,Wash looked at Kaylee. She looked back at himwith an unusually serious

expression;hereyeswerejustalittlered,buttheyweredry."Ontheotherhand,"saidWash."Maybewedon'thavetoaskMalafterall."Serenity:Bridge"Thatsortofputsitonme,don'tit?""Well,"saidWash."Inamannerofspeaking,fromacertainperspective,Isupposeyoucouldsay

thatyourrôle—""Yes,"saidKit."Iwasgettingthere,"saidWash."Canyoudoit?"askedKit."Oh,easy."Washstaredather."Kaylee,sometimesyou…allright.I'llsetitup.""And,"saidKit,"Ishouldgetbacktotheshuttle.""I'llwalkwithyou,"saidKaylee.ShefeltWash'spuzzledlookonherback,butdidn'twanttotakethetimetoexplain.Besides,she

hadnoideawhattheexplanationwas.Whenshehadn'tsaidanythingbythetimetheypassedthediningroom,Kitsaid,"What'sonyour

mind?""Whydoyoudoit?""Dowhat?""WorkfortheAlliance.""Oh.That.IthoughtyoumeantwhydoIbetraythembynotreportingthatIknowwhereapairof

badlywantedfugitivesare."

"No.Well,thattoo.""Ithinkit'sagoodideathatpeoplelikeSakaryabestopped.Don'tyou?""Well, yes, but does thatmeanpeople likeSimon andRiver have to be hunteddown,when they

neverdidanything?""Seemslikeitdoes.""Well,that'swrong!"Kitdidn'tsayanything."You know it is," she continued. "That'swhy you're here, isn't it? That'swhy you're doing this.

Becauseyouknowwhatthey'redoingiswrong."Kitstilldidn'tsayanything."Youknow, theygrindpeopleup.People likeSimonandRiver,andpeople likeyou.That'swhat

theydo.Theygrindpeopleup.""Iknow,"saidKit.Serenity:DiningroomTheothershadlefttogoabouttheirbusiness,exceptforSimon,whosatwithher,butwaslostin

his own thoughts. She stared at the tabletop andwaited forwhat had to be coming. It took severalminutes."Couldn'tyouhavesaidsomethingtostopthem?"She'dbeenexpectingthequestioninsomeform,butthewayitcameoutwas,well,itaddedlevels

of complexity that she knewher brother couldn't have considered. Stopped them?Whowas them?Whatsortof"stopped"didhemean?Washeaskingiftheywereprogrammedwithsafewords?Washeaskingiftheycouldbeheldmotionlessbyhervoice?Ittookhersometimetosortthroughthepossiblemeaningstocomeupwiththehighestprobability

interpretation.Andonceshehad,itonlyraisedmorequestions:whatwasheactuallyafraidof?And,ifhethoughttheirintendedactivitywassuchabadidea,whyhadheagreedtoit?Goingpastallofthat,shepulledanothermeaningout:hetrustedher,andwantedtobereassured

thateverythingwasgoingtobeallright.Hewasfrightened.Well,butthereweresomanythingstobefrightenedof.Thereweremencoming together,and theywouldbehereverysoon,and theywere terrifying.

AndthereweresomanywaysthingscouldgowrongbetweenwhatMalwantedtodoandwhat theagentwantedtodo.Andtherewerealwaystheflukeoccurrencesthat,inaplanasintricateastheirs,couldsoeasily,atsomanypoints,makeitallgobad.Thereweremissedshotsandjammedweapons.Thereweresuddengustsofwindwhiletheshuttlewasup.ThechanceSerenitywouldbefoundtoosoon.Andsomuchmore.Bythetimeshecouldgiveherbrotheralltheprobabilitiesforallthemishaps,whateverwasgoing

tohappenwouldhavehappeneda long timebefore,at least for themostusefuldefinitionof"longtime"inthiscontext.Buthewasherbrother,andhewasfrightened,andheneededreassurance,andshedidn'twanttolie

tohim.So,shedeterminedwhichhighprobabilityeventhadthegreatestchanceofmakingwhathefearedcometrue,andsheconsidereditcarefully,andwaspleasedtobeabletogiveherbrothertheanswerhewanted."Don'tworry,"shesaid."WashandtheAllianceagenttalkedKayleeoutofcrashingSerenityinto

thehouse."Itwasstrange,judgingfromthelookonhisface,howlittlethatappearedtoreassurehim.

15ChapterMyOwnKindofpresent

13:07Heranthroughthepreliminarychecklistasecondtimebeforehestartedwarminguptheshuttle.He

thoughtaboutrunningthroughitathird,buttherewasanoldsayingtotheeffectthatyoushouldn'tstartgettingparanoidwhentimewasrunningout.Actually, therewasn'tanysuchsaying,but thereshouldbe.Washdecidedthat ifhelivedthrough

this,he'dhavetocomeupwithone.Meanwhile,hestartedthewarmupprocess,againcheckingeachstepcarefully.Itwasn'tlikethiswouldbethetrickiestflyinghe'deverdone.Quite.Noreasontobenervous.Hefeltanobscuredisappointmentwhenthewarmupsequencewascompleted,becausenowhehad

nothingtodoexceptwaituntilitwastimetomove.Oh, right:one thing thatwasalwaysnecessarywhenyouwereunluckyenough tobegoing into

mortaldanger,butluckyenoughtohaveadvancewarning.Hegotbackfromthetoiletandsatdownagain.Thispilot'schairwasfine,butitdidn'tfeelthesame

ashis.He leanedhis headback and closedhis eyes.Now,what?Washe reallyout ofways tokilltime?No,hecouldlookovertheplansagain,andre-checktheroute,especiallythefinalapproach.He'd

onlybeenoveritfourtimessofar,andonlyoncecross-checkingitwiththeweatherreport.He checked the time, and found that it was less than fiveminutes until launch. His palms were

suddenlymoist,andhismouthdry.Thatwasallright,though;he'dbefinewhenitwastimetolaunch.13:15Thepilotwasalreadyinplace,butnooneelsewas,sohecouldchoosehisseat."Welcomeaboard,welcomeaboard,"saidtheonecalledWash,turninginhischair."Passengersare

advisedtostrapdownfortheirownsafety,and,asalways,weremindyouthatWashburnPassengerServiceisnotresponsibleforlostluggage,air-sickness,orsuddenlyexplodingintofieryruin."Thefirstmatewasinnext;shekissedthepilot,squeezedhisshoulder,andsatdownnext tohim.

Thecaptainandthemercenarycameinlast;thecaptaintookapositionnearthedoor."Isittime?"heasked."Aboutaminute,"said thepilot."And,not tobepainfullyobvious,butyoushouldallmakesure

you'restrappedingood."Thenhestabbedabutton."Kaylee,openusup.""Copy,"camehervoice.Amomentlater,thepilotspokeagain."Kaylee?""Stillhere.""Openusup,Kaylee.""But…oh.Thatwastheotherone.Thereyougo.""Thankyou,Kaylee.""Goodluck,allofyou.""Disengaginginthree…two…one…free."

Therewasamildjolt,adrop,andKitwasshovedbackintohischair.Okay,Kit,myboy.You'reinitnow.Therewasafaintwhirringsoundasthewingsdeployed,andtheysettledintotheflight.Hewiped

hishandsonhispants.The flightwasscheduled to last justover twenty-sixminutes.Andendveryabruptly.Heputhishandonthebucklethatwouldreleasehisrestraints.I'llbetI'dhavemadeareallygoodschoolteacher.

13:16Serenitygavealittlesighandexpressedadesiretolisttostarboardwhentheshuttleseparated,but

hergyroswhirred,andshesettledin.Kayleesatinthepilot'schairandwatchedtheclock,aswellasthescreenthatWashhadsetup.Itwasseventeenminutesafterthirteenhundred.Thescreenwasclear.Shetriedtorelax.Itwasn'teasyuphereonthebridge,inthischair,butshetried.Itwasstillseventeenminutesafter.Thescreenwasstillclear.Shenoticedthathereyeshurt,andrealizedthatitwasbecauseshehadn'tbeenlettingherselfblink.

Sheblinkedseveraltimes,rapidly,then,insuddenpanic,lookedatthescreen.Itwasstillclear.Anditwasstillseventeenminutesafter.Along,longtimelateritwaseighteenminutesafter.Andthescreenwasstillclear.Sheheardherselfmakealittlemewingsound.Andthescreenwasstillclear.Andthenthescreenwasn'tclearanymore.Sheheardasound,midwaybetweenasighandasqueek,andrealizeditcamefromher.Herhandwasshakingasshereachedforthegreenswitchmarkedwiththebrightorangetape.The"click"assheflippeditseemedveryloud.Sowas thenextclickasshestarted the timer for the jammingsignalWashhadsetup;acounter

appeared in the upper right corner of the front screen. It started at nineteen minutes and begancountingdown.Two lights far to the right turnedgreen. Inamoment, theywere joinedbya thirdone, flashing.

Informationbegantofilltheupper-mostmonitor,andthenthebliponthescreenshe'dbeenwatchingmovedacrossthetop,stopped,andbegantoapproachthecenter.Slowly,butstillmuchtoofast.She remained in thepilot's chair, shakingandwaitingand trying towatch three screensatonce,

becauseanewblipwasgoingtoappearononeofthem,andthenshe'dhavetomovequickly.13:24MissWuhan'svoicecameovertheintercom."Filo."Hetorehimselfawayfromtheprojectionshewastryingtorun.Theworstthingthatbackstabbing

fedhaddone,he'dbeenthinking,wasdeprivehimofsomeonewhoknewhowtodothose.He'dhavetohiresomeonesoon;andthistimedoathoroughbackgroundcheckonthegorrambastard."Whatisit?""Serenityhasbeenfound,landed,abouttwentymilesoutoftown.""Getmesecurity.""They'rewaiting,Filo.I'llswitchyouovernow.""Securityhere.Thisis—""YouhavealockonSerenity?"

"Yes,sir.""Goodwork.SendaCatfish.Nomessingaround.Leaveacraterthere.""Yes,sir.We'reonit."Hestartedtoswitchoff,butsuddenly,fornoreasonhewasconsciousof,hesaid,"Wait.How'dthe

breakhappen?""Sir?""Howdidyoufindher?""Shestartedtransmittinganidentbeacon."Helookedoutathisduckpond.Anidentbeacon?Suddenlystartedtransmittinganidentbeacon?

Whyinthegorramhellwouldtheydothat?"Holdamoment,"hesaid."Yes,sir."Hismindworkedquickly."Okay,dispatchtheCatfish,butscanthemfirst.Ifthereisnooneaboard,

thenholdoffonattackingandgetholdofme.Repeatyourorders."Theotherdidso,withoutflaw."Okay,move,"saidSakarya.Hedidn'tknowwhatwashappening,buthewasprettysurethatwhateveritwaswouldhappensoon.Heglancedattheclock:itwas13:28.13:28Shefelttheshuttlelevelout,andfromwhatshecouldtell,theywereabouteightyorninetymeters

offthedeck.Shewasn'tworriedaboutit; ifsomethingwasgoingtogowrong(andsomethingwasalmostsuretogowrong)itwouldn'tbewiththeflying.Shehadseentheroutetheyplannedtotake,curving around a twisting terrain to stay off radar, and she never for amoment doubted that, justabouttenminutesfromnow,they'darriveamidcrashingandsplinteringofwood,andthey'darriveintact.Itwasthepartafterthatsheworriedabout,andsheworriedaboutitonseverallevels.TheCaptain

hadsomethinginmind.Thefedhadsomethinginmind.Andshehadtheuncomfortablefeelingthather husband had something inmind, or, at least, that therewas something he knew that hewasn'ttalkingabout.Yes,shewasworried.Butshewasalsoverymuchawarethat,atthismoment,therewasnothingshe

coulddoaboutthatworry;nothingatalluntilthenextstageoftheoperationbegan.Andwhenthathappened,inadditiontoeverythingelse,sheintendedtokeepacloseeyeonthatfed.Theshuttlemadeasoft,gentleturnandasmoothrise.No,shedidn'tknowwhatwasgoingonwithherman,buthecouldcertainly fly.Yes, indeed,he

couldfly.Sheleanedoveralittlesoshecouldreadtheclockaroundhisleftarm.Itwas13:32.13:32Hesatwithhissisterinthediningroom,tryingtobepatient.Itbecameharderaftershesuddenly

said,"They'rehere.""Who?"heasked,notentirelysurehewantedananswer.Insteadofanswer,however,Riverstood

up."Let'sgo,"shesaid."Where?"Kaylee'svoicecameovertheintercom."Simon!River!Intoshuttleone,now!"Simonstaredathissisterforjustamoment.Shesmiledbackandledthewaytowardtheshuttle.Kayleewasalreadythere.Hesaid,"Whatarewe—"

Kayleestartedtoanswer,butRiversaid,"Notnow,Simon.Thereisn'tanytime.""Allright,"saidSimon,wishinghehadatleastsomevagueideaofwhatwashappening.Riveratoncesatdowninthepilot'sseat."Strapyourselvesin,"shesaid,asshewentthroughthe

warmupsequence."We'reoffinfive.""Isthatfiveminutes,orfiveseconds?"askedSimon."Boob,"saidRiver,andSimonfeltlikehe'dbeenkickedastheshuttleleapedfromitsberth.Itwas13:36.13:36Analeepatchedsecuritythroughwithoutannouncingit."Sir,thisisUnitOne,andwe'reatthesite.

Scancomplete,nosignoflife.Bothshuttleshavebeenlaunched.""Holdyourfireandcheckthearea.Anysignofeithershuttle?""Vaporsignsconsistentwithshort-rangeshuttles.""Canyoufixdirection?""That'saffirmative,sir.Oppositedirections,onedirectlytowardtown,theotherdirectlyaway.""Followtheoneheadingtowardtown.Overtakeanddestroyit.""Yes—there'saproblem,sir."Something insidehimtwistedandsank;he'dhad that feelingbefore,and thememorycameback

strong."There'saproblem,"he'dbeentold,followedbywordthattheartillerysupportwasn'tcomingthrough."Whatistheproblem,UnitOne?""We'rebeingorderedtogroundandbeboarded."Old habits came back, and heard himself sounding completely calm as he said, "Ordered by

whom?""They identify themselvesasSpecialDeputiesof theAngloSinoAlliance, sir.We'vebeengiven

oneminutetocomply.""Whatisthesituation?""They'reinsomesortofshort-rangevehicle.”"Doyouseeanyarmament?""No,sir.Nothingvisible.""Anythingelseinthevicinity?"Therewasabriefpause,then,"No,sir.Clearsky,nosignofanythingontheground.""UnitOne,attack.Blowthemoutofthesky.""Yes,sir.Engaging."Hecountedtoten,thensaid,“Report."Amomentlater,hesaid,"UnitOne?"Hemutteredacurseandsaid,"Security,areyoustillthere?Whatareyoupickingup?"Nothing."Security,reportonthestatusofunitone."Afterfivesecondsheletoutaslowbreath."Okay,"hesaidaloud."Thiscan'tbegood."Theclockonhisdesksaid13:41.13:39Riversettheshuttledown,gentlyasafeather.AsfarasSimoncouldguess,theywereamileortwo

fromSerenity."What'shappening?"hesaid.Riversaid,"Theyblewupthesecurityshipthatwassenttobombus.""They…"HelookedatKaylee,anddiscoveredthathewasholdingherhand.Hewasn'tsurewhen

orhowthathadhappened,butherhandfeltcoolandgoodinhis.Shewaslookingathim.

"Idon'tknow,"shesaid."I'mscared."Sheneedn'thavetoldhimthatlast;hecouldseeit.Hetriedtothinkofsomethingtosaytoreassure

her,butcouldn'tthinkofanythingthatdidn'tjustsoundstupid.Hesqueezedherhand."River,"saidSimon."Whoblewupwhatsecurityship?""Twobytwo,handsofblue.""River—""Buttheyaren'tcomingforus.They'reflyingaway.Wecangobacktotheshipnow.""Areyousure?"Riversenthimawitheringglanceoverhershoulder."Iwish,"saidSimon,"thatIhadsomeidea—""It was his idea," said Kaylee, as she unstrapped herself, released his hand, and stood up. "The

Allianceagent.AndWash's.Theyworkeditouttogether.""Workedwhatout?"KayleeleanedoverRiverandpressedabuttonontheconsole."Whatwasthat?"Simonheardanedgeofpanicinhisvoice."Therecall,"saidKaylee."Nowwecanreturntotheship.""But—""Strapin,"saidRiver.Itwas13:42.13:42Itwaseasierthanitoughttohavebeen.Thewindwasprettymild,and,ashebeganthefinalapproach,almostdirectlyinhisteeth;andno

onewas shooting at him; and all the landmarks were clear and easy to follow. It was an awfullystraightforwardpieceofflyingforhowscaryitwas.Heswungtheshuttlearound,niceandeasy,holdingataboutthreehundredfeet,andgotavisualon

thehouse."Ican'tbelieveI'mdoingthis,"hesaidtonooneinparticular."Whatsurprisesmeisthatitwasyouridea,"saidMal."Rubitin,"mutteredWash.Thehouse,andthenthespotonthewall; inhismind,hesuperimposedabigXonit,andaimed

rightforthatspot.Itwascominguponthemfast."What'sthatindicatormean?"saidMalsuddenly.“Whatindic—”“Theone'sthatflashing.”"Oh,that?"saidWash."Nothing.Therecall.ItmeansthatKaylee,River,andSimonarereturningto

Serenity.""Returning?"saidMal."Idon't—whatthegorramhellisgoingon?""I'll explain later, saidWash. The house rushed up at him. "You know, this is mind-numbingly

stupid,"heremarked.Hekilledthethrust,hittheairbreaks,andgaveherabitoftheretros,thenalotmorejustastheyhit

thewall.13:43Hehadmaybetwosecondsofwarningthatsomethingwasgoingtohappen,andnonewhatsoever

ofwhatitwas.Old, old reflexeswere still operating, however, and hewas out of his chair and rolling on the

groundalmostbeforethesoundreachedhim,andwellbeforehehadtimetofigureoutjustwhathadhappened.Afewsplinterscuthimhereandthere,buthedidn'tnotice.When the noise stopped, he raised his head, and his first thoughtwas that someone had fired a

missileathim,and ithadn'texploded.By the timehe realizedwhat it actuallywas, thedoorof thevesselwasopening.Hehad,bythistime,slippedsofarintohisoldbattlereflexesthathefoundhishandwasreachingforasidearmhehadn'tcarriedinsevenyears.13:44With some detached part of hismind, he realized that what hewas experiencingwas a lot like

trying to stayonabadly spookedhorse.Withanother smallpart,heputasidewhatever itwas thatWashhadcookedupwithouttellinghim;therewasjustnotimetoworryaboutitnow.Withthemoreimportantandlessconsciouspartofhismind,heunsnappedhisrestraintsandhitthe

buttontoopenthedoor,andasthedoorswungopenhesawthatthefedwasalreadypasthimandwasoutthedoor.Guymovesfast.He drew his weapon and followed the fed out into the shambles that had been—he hoped—

Sakarya'soffice,feelingZoëandJaynebehindhim."Jayne,"hesaid,"coverthedoor."Onethinghehadn'tanticipatedwasthatitwouldbehardtosee;buttherewasdust—sawdust,most

likely—everywhere.Itstunghiseyesandnose.Goggles,dammit;Ishouldhavebroughtgoggles.Afterwhat seemed likeahorribly long time,he focusedon the tallman, just coming tohis feet

against thewall tohis left.Themansaid, "Goodafternoon,SergeantReynolds.Youmakequiteanentry."Malswunghispistoltocoverhim."Goodafternoon,ColonelBursa.You'reabouttomakequitean

exit.""Couldbe,"saidtheex-colonel,"butI'mnotsureyourteamisincompleteagreementaboutthat."Mal tookaquickglancearoundtheroom.Jaynehadhispistolpointingat thedoor.Zoëhadher

carbinepointingatthefed.ThefedhadhispistolpointingatMal.Oops,hethought.

16ChapterMyOwnKindofHealth

Sakarya'sofficeHerreactionshadbeenautomatic.ShesawapistolleveledattheCaptain,andshe'dbeenprepared

tocutdownthefed;shestoppedonlywhensherealizedthathewasn'tshooting.Shekepttheweaponpointingatthefedandwaitedforthelittletwitcharoundhiseyesthatindicated

hewasabouttopullthetrigger,orforanorderfromtheCaptain;butasshedid,itoccurredtoherwithsomethingofashock thatshevery,verybadlywanted to turnhercarbineandput tworoundsintoBursa'schest.Thedesirecameonsostrongthat,foramoment,herhandsalmosttrembled.Butshedidn'tdoit,ofcourse.Sheheldherpositionandwaitedfororders,becausethat'swhatshe

did.Sakarya'sofficeWiththecornerofhiseye,hesawWashleavetheship,lookaround,andthenheadforthedoorof

theoffice.Beforehegot there it swungopenand twomendressed ingreencoveralls andholdingriflescamethrough.MalkepthisattentionandhisweapononBursawhileJaynefiredtwice.Whenthebodieshitthefloor,Washcontinued,steppingaroundthem."Whereareyougoing?"saidJayne."Outforastroll,"saidWash."Iwon'tbeaminute."ThenJaynesaid,"Hey!"andswunghisrifletocoverthefed."Stayonthedoor,Jayne,"saidMal."Weshouldprobablytalk,"saidKit."Okay.Butwe'reallholdinggunshere,andsomeone'sarmisgoingtogettiredsoon,andweall

knowwhatthatmeans.""I'lltalkfast.Ican'tletyoukillthisman.""Youknowwhoheis?""Iknewbeforeyoudid.""Youknowwhohewas?""YouroldcommandingofficerwhenyoufoughtfortheIndependents."“Hewasmorethanthattome.”“Ifigured.Hewasyourhero,wasn'the?”“Iwouldn'tputitlikethat.”“No,youwouldn't.Butitwastrue.Hementoredyou,taughtyouaboutcommand,showedyou—”“Shutup.”"Andlookathimnow.Hethrewawayhisname,hisrank,andhisscruples.Thatmustbefeichang

buyukuaiforyou.Itmustfeellikeabetrayalofeverything—”“Isaidshutup.”“Allright.Butyoudon'tgettocommitmurder."Bursa/Sakaryastoodthere,handsclearofhisbodybutnotraised,andgavenoindicationthatthe

conversationhadanythingtodowithhim,oreventhathewaslisteningtoit.

"I'mnotconvincedyoucanstopme,"saidMal.Sakarya'sofficeAsomewhatelderlywomansatbehindadesk,speakingintoamicrophonewithasenseofurgency."Hithere,"saidWash."Ineedtoborrowyourprocessorforamoment.IpromiseIwon'thurtit.""Who—?""Sorry, ma'am. I'm in kind of a hurry. And you're not going to be able to reach your security

peopleanyway.So,ifyou'lljustletme…ugh.Whichoneofthese…?Okay,that'sthedirectlinktotheCortex,sooneofthesemustbe,ah,Isee.Idon'tknowifIhavetherightconnectionhere.Okay,thisoughtto—there.Yes.AguynamedMisterUniverseshowedmehowtodothis.Weirdname,huh?Nothalfasweirdastheguyis.Wemetinflightschool.Worstpilotyouever…okay,thatshoulddoit.Justgivemehalfasecondtomakesurethecross-loadworked.Yep.Okay.Youcanhaveyourdeskagain.Thanks."Sakarya'sofficeKit really hoped the captain couldn't tell how scared he was, or how bad he was at this whole

pointinggunsbusiness.It'sfunny,whentheyhadtriedtokillhiminthecanteenhehadn'tbeenscaredatall;maybehe'dbeentoobusytryingtoworkoutwhathadhappened.Butnow,whenhehadthegun,itwasmuchworse.Ofcourse,thatsawed-offcarbinepointingstraightathischestmightbepartofthereason.Hesaid,"Idon'tneedtostatetheobvious,doI?"Thecaptainsaid,"Youmean,thepartaboutIshoothim,youshootme,Zoëshootsyou,andJayne

fliesoffintothesunset?""Somethinglikethat."“Worksforme,”saidthemercenarywithoutturninghishead."No,youdon'tneedtopointthatout.""So,tellmethis:whatdoyouthinkwilldomoregood?Killingthisguy,ormakinganexampleof

himtoeveryoneelseontheborderworldswhowantstotrythesamething?""Couldn'tsay,"saidthecaptain."Idon'tconjurewithmoregoodandlessgood,justwithwhat'sin

frontofme.""TheIndependentslostthewar,CaptainReynolds.""Yeah,Ireadthatsomewhere.""Letsupposethecausewasright.Thenwhat?"“Youdon'tbelievethat.”“No,Idon't.ButsupposeI'mwrong.Thenwhat?”"Thenit'sadamnshamewelost.""JustwhatIwasthinking.Meanssomebadhappened.""Idon'tthinkyou'remakingyourpointrealwell,AgentMerlyn.""So,howabout,ifsomebadhappened,youletusdowhatgoodwecando,tosortofmakeupfor

someofit."Washcamethroughthedoor."Wash!"saidJayne."Ialmostputonethroughyourgorramhead!"Washignoredhim,andspoketoKit."Igotit,"hesaid."Verifyit.""How?"Thecaptainsaid,"Wash—""Onesecond,Mal."

Kitsaid,"Slidethelittlebrownbuttononthebacktheotherway,thenhitstart."Washsaid,"Twogreenlights."Okay,herewego.Ithappensoritdoesn't.Kitrotatedhiswholebodyuntil,weaponandall,hewasfacingSakarya.Hesaid,"FiloBursa,alias

FiloSakarya,youareboundbylawforviolationsofAllianceLaborCodesectionnineteenpartthree,forcedindenture,andsectionseventeenpartfive,childlabor,andadditionalchargestobedeterminedbyadulyauthorizedcourt."Thenhewaited.Sakarya'sofficeHesobadlywantedtopullthetrigger;towatchBursafalltothegroundtwitching.Toshoothimin

thechest,sohe'djusthaveenoughtotimetoknowhewasdying.Butitwasn'tthatgorramsimple.He'dneverfeltthiswayinafirefight.Evenasayoungrecruit,whenhedidn'tknowhowtohandlehimself,he'ddoneaswellascouldbe

expected: keeping his head down and shooting in the general direction of the enemy.But thiswasdifferent.Itwasn'tclear.Itwasn'tobvious.Thereweretoomanyanswers,andallofthemhadsomerightandsomewrong.WhenthefedpointedhisgunatBursa,Zoëhadimmediatelyturnedherstowardthedoor;nowhe

heardthereportofhercarbineat thesametimeasJayne'spistol,andtwomoreofBursa'ssecurityforcefellinthedoorway,nexttotheircompanions,oneofwhomwasmoaningandwrithing,whiletheotherwasn'tmovingatall."Sir,"saidZoë,withoutturningherhead,"whateveryou'regoingtodo,I'dsuggestdoingitsoon.""Realsoon,"saidWash,fromdirectlybehindhim."Someone'sgottenpastthejamming.Songyiqiedaotamadediyu.Inafirefight,heeitherknewtherightthingtodo,orheknewsomethingtodothat,atleast,wasn't

wrong.Theonlythingworsethanhavingtomakethissortofdecisionwashavingtomakethissortofdecisioninahurry.Helookedoveratthefed."Idon'toweyouagorramthing,"hesaid."Iknow.""AndIoweyourAllianceevenless.""Iknow."Malloweredhispistolandheardhimselfsaying,"Takehim,then.He'syours."Sakarya'sofficeAtensionshedidn'tknowshewasfeelingdrainedoutofherwhentheCaptainspoke.Sheheldher

positionandkeptherfocusonthedoorwhilesheheardaclankingsoundthathadtobecuffsgoingaroundColonelBursa'swrists.Sheheldherposition,waitingfortheordertoembark."Wash,how'stheshuttle?""It'sgoingtobefungettingitturnedaroundinhere,buteverythingworks.""Youcanflyusout?""Yes.""Withsixofusaboard?"Sheheardthehesitation,then,"Idon't—""Five,"saidthefed."Taketheprisoner.I'mstayinghere.I'llcometocollecthimlater.""Youknowthey'llkillyou,"heheardtheCaptainsaying."Oddlyenough,theywon't.ButI'dhurryifIwereyou.TherearetwoSpecialDeputiesontheway,

andyou'dmuchratherfacedownSakarya'ssecurityforcethanthesetwo.Trustmeonthat.""Allofyou,move,"saidtheCaptain.“Buttonedupandflyinginthirtyseconds."ShetookapositionnexttoBursa,grabbedhisarm,jabbedhersawed-offintohisback,andguided

himtowardtheshuttle.Heseemedreluctanttomove.Shedroppedthebarreloftheweapon,proddedhimagain,andsaid,"Colonel,ifyouevenhesitate,"shesaid,"I'llblowyourballsoffandwe'lldragyouin.Andyoucan'tknowhowmuchIwanttoblowyourballsoff."Theymovedtowardtheshuttle.Sakarya'sofficeRearguardagain.Ashebacked toward the shuttle, keepinghis eyeon thedoor, he saw the fed leaving, and felt a

sudden temptation to put a round into him, just because he could. Then the fedwas coming backthrough the door, faster then he'd left. After about five steps he stopped, turned, fired twice, thenbackedupandofftotheside.Crap.Jaynemovedforwardanddroppedtohisbelly,holdingtheMarauderwithbothhands."Jayne!"calledMal."Whatareyoudoing?"Now therewasagoodquestion.He'd justbeen thinkingaboutplugging thegorramfed, just for

fun,andnowhewas—Awholebushelfullofthemcamethroughthedoor,severalofthemgettingineachother'sway,a

coupleofthemtripping.Notthebest trainedtroopsI'veeverseen,he thought.Meanwhile, the littlecounterinthebackofhisheadrecordedthatafterfiringsixtimes,hehadfourteenroundsleftinthemagazine.Thecaptainwasfiringfrombehindhim,andtheagentfromofftohisrightsomewhere,thoughhewasn'tconsciouslyawareofhowheknew.Anothervoice joined thechorus; ithad tobeZoë.Hehopedthatruttin'bastardintheshuttlewaswellsecured,butitwasn'thisjobtoworryaboutthat.Healsomadeamentalnote:IshouldreallysuggesttotheCaptainthatwepickupsomegrenades.Hefiredsixmoretimes,veryfast,thenthedoorwaywasclear.Weretheyhangingback,waiting,or

hadtheyrun?Onlyonewaytofindout.Hestoodup,thendiscoveredhewasonhisstomachagain.Whatthe—?Hetriedtostandagain,andfailed.Thenhandsgrabbedhimbythearms;Mal'sandZoë's,anddraggedhimtowardtheshuttle.Thefed

waslookingathim,holdingasmokingpistol,andthenhewasinside,andwasbeingstrappedintoachair."Youcan reallygetusoutofhere?"saidMal,whichseemedveryodd,becauseJaynehadnever

claimedtobeapilot,andhewasn'teveninthepilot'schair."Watchme,"saidWash."HowisJayne?""Oneintheshoulderthatwentstraightdown,oneintheleftcalf.I'mnotsurehowbad.Zoëtooka

scratchinthehand.That'sall.Nowgetusoutofhere.""I'monit."Therewasashiverastheshuttlestartedup.HowisJayne?Oneintheshoulder?Hey,that'smyname.WasthereanotherJaynehedidn'tknow

about?Bedamnedfunnyifoneofthosebastardshe'dshothadthesamenameashim.Theshuttleroseaboutafootofftheflooranddidaneatonehundredeightydegreeturninplace.

JaynewantedtoaskWashnottodothat,becausethemotionmadehimqueasy;butitseemedlikealotofefforttotalk.Washguided the shuttle neatly through the hole it hadmade coming inwith a force that pushed

Jayneintohischair.Astheshipslowedforaturn,hefelthimselfmovingforward.Hereachedoutto

holdtheseatinfrontofhim.Forjustasecond,hefeltahorriblepaininhisback,thenhedidn't.Sakarya'sofficeTheCaptainsaid,"Wash,whatjusthappened?"Heturnedhisheadjustenoughforthemtohearhimoverthewhineoftheengineandthewhirof

thewingsdeploying."Idon'tknow,exactly,except that Ipluggeda thing intoa thingandpushedabutton.""Youmadeanarrangementwiththefed.""Yeah,Mal.Anarrangementtogetusoutofthatplacealive.Itworked,too.Sorryifithurtyour

feelings.""Youknewwhatwasgoingtohappen."Washmadeaminorcourseadjustmentandgainedalotofaltitude."Can'tsayasIdid,actually.ButI

hadaprettygoodideathatifyouwentinandkilledthatguy,allsortsofthingsweregoingtohappen,includingthebunchofusprobablygettingshot.""How?Howdidthat—?""Mal,thefedwasnotgoingtoletyoushoothisprisoner.""Yourwifewasgoingtoshootthefedifhe'dtried.""Yeah,Mal.AndIwasn'treallyhappywiththatidea.Andyouweren'teither.""Soyoutookitonyourself—""Yes,Idid.""Whoelse?""Nooneelse.""Thefedhastohavebeenpartofit.""Well,yeah,thefed.Mal,ifyou'regoingtoshootmeforit,wouldyoupleasewaituntilI'mdone

flyingthisthing?"Zoë felt theCaptain's eyes on her from the seat to her right, but she kept her own eyes staring

straightahead."Zoë,"hesaid."Ineedtoknowwhereyoustand.Ican'thave—""Sir."Apause."Yes?""Iwasn'tpartofit.AndIwouldn'thavegoneforit.Butwhileyou'rethinkingthisover,there'sone

thingforyoutoconsider.""Andthatis?""They'reright.""They'rerighttojustdecide—""Thateveryonceinawhileyouhavetobesavedfromyourself?Yes,sir.""And those SpecialDeputies hewas talking about?Are they going to just fly away?You know

they'reafterthedoctorandhissister,andyouknowtheywon'tstopuntiltheyfindher.""Yeah,"saidWashasheleveledouttheshuttle."Well,IguessIshouldexplainthatpartofit.""Iguessyoushould,"saidtheCaptain.Zoëclosedhereyesforamoment.Itwasstartingtolookliketherewasahorrid,uglychoiceshe

wasn'tgoingtohavetomake.Thistime.Serenity:BridgeWash'svoicecameoverthecomm."Kaylee,youthere?""I'mhere,Wash.How…howareyou?""Mal is lookingforsomeone tokill,andJayne tookabadone,buteverything is fineother than

that.Havethedoctorstandingby.We'recomingin.Lockinginthree…two…one…locked."

ShewantedtoknowiftheCaptainknewaboutherinvolvement,butshecouldn'tthinkofanywaytoask the question. She thought about getting up and going tomeet them as they left the shuttle; shethoughtaboutgoingback to theengineroomandwaiting there. In theend,she justnotifiedSimonthathehadapatient,thensatinWash'schairandwaited.Sakarya'sofficeThesecurityforceshadvanished,nodoubtdownthestairs.Hefeltratherlikepattinghimselfon

theback;fourofthemhadheldoffmorethanthirty,andevenmadethemrun.Butinallconsciencehecouldn't,becauseheknewtheyhadthesuperiorposition,andheknewjustwhojoinedthosesecurityforcesandwhatsortoftrainingtheyhadneverreceived,andbecausenowhehadtodealwithMissWuhan.MissWuhanwasstaringathim."You!"shefinallymanaged."Hetrustedyou,andyoubetrayed—""MissWuhan,youhavethreechoices.Youcanbeboundbylaw,youcanforcemetoshootyou,or

youcanwalkoutofhere rightnow. I'dpreferyoudidn't take thesecondoption; Idon'tmuchcareabouttheothertwo.""You'reafederalagent.""That'sright.""Whatyoudidwasillegal.""In fact itwasn't. I got the evidence to convict, and I can showprobable cause.Of course, if I'd

failedtogettheevidence,youmightsayI'dhavebeenbreathingmetaphoricalvacuum.ButIgotit,soalliswellandhappy.Now,doyouwanttogodownwithhim,orgodownforgood,orgoaway?""Thesecurityforceswillbebacksoon.They'llkillyoubeforeyoucan—""Not before I shoot you if you're still herewhen they arrive. I'm not big on shooting little old

ladies,butIwill.Trustme."Thelittleoldladyhesitated,thenwithoutanotherwordheadedoutthedoor.Hesatinthechairandwaited.Securityforces?Shehadnoideawhattherealdangerwas.Tohellwiththegorramsecurityforces,

therewouldn'tbemorethanthirtyofthem.ButthereweretwoSpecialDeputiescoming;thatwastherealproblem.Heheardafaintscufflingandraisedvoicescomingfromsomedistanceaway,nodoubtdownthe

stairs.Heleanedbackinthechair,andtookacoupleofdeepbreaths.Hekepthispistolinhishand,outofsightbeneaththedesk.Therewere two of them, as expected; except for odd, skin-tight blue gloves, theywere dressed

simply,muchlikehewas;theycouldhaveworkedintheofficewithhimandwouldhavefitinnicely."Goodday, gentlemen," he said, before they could speak. "I'mKitMerlyn,AngloSinoAlliance

Security,InvestigationsDepartment,Identificationnumbersixthreedashfouroneseven,reportingtoCommissionerGeraldWhite.I'mnotexpectingyoutoidentifyyourselves;Iknowwhoyouareandwhyyou'rehere."He felt himself come under intent scrutiny. The other, shorter one, spoke in a pleasant, almost

melodicvoice:"AgentMerlyn,whydoyouhaveaweaponconcealedunderthatdesk?"He'd been expecting that question. "Because I know how you gentlemen work, and I have no

intentionoflettingyoukillmeifIcanpreventit.Ihaveamantoprosecute,and—""Youthinkwe'dkilloneofourownwithnoreason?""No,you'dneedareason,butIhavenoideawhatyoumightdecideisareason,soI'mplayingit

safe.""Verywell,"saidthethinnerone."Thenwherearethey?""SimonandRiverTamlefttheworldtwenty-fourhoursagoinaFireflyclasstransport.Theymade

arendezvousincloseorbitwithanasyetunidentifiedSeagull-classtransport,transferedtoher,andlefttheworld.TheFirefly,Serenity,landedbackhere.Itemporarilycommandeeredandsearchedherinordertocompletemyownmission.I'llbefilingafullreport—""DidyouspeakwiththeTams?""Ihadnocontactwiththematanytime,onlywithacrewmemberofSerenitywhointendedtogive

themup.""ThatwouldaMisterJayneCobb?"saidtheother."Thatiscorrect,yes.""Andwhereishe?""Tothebestofmyknowledgeandbelief,heisafugitivesomewhereintheworld,havingescaped

thelocallockup.""Howdidheescape?"saidtheshorterofthetwo."Hehadhelp.Idon'tknowmorethatthat;itdoesn'tfallwithinthepurviewofmyinvestigation."Theylookedateachother."Wearen'tgoingtokillyou,"saidthethinnerone."ThenI'llbeequallypolite,"saidKit."Isthereanythingelseyoucantellus?""TheSeagullwasonaheadingforNewHall.Theyhaveaday'sstart,buttheyaren'tfast."“Youcouldhavereportedthatyesterday.”“Notmyjob,”saidKit.The thinner one nodded. "When youmake your final report, see to it a copy comes to Special

Operations.Markit'AttentionHeadwater.'""Allright."Thetwoofthemnoddedandwalkedoutoftheroom,andKitstartedbreathingagain.Howeverhe

didn'tmoveforagoodfiveminutes,justincase.Buttheywerewellandtrulygone,theonlythingleftwouldbecarnagedownstairs.Hewishedtherewereawaytowalkpastitwithoutseeingit.Foronething,hedidn'trelishdecidingifhewereobligatedtoputitinhisreport.Heusedthecommequipmentatthedesktoarrangefortransport.Serenity:Medbay"Sitoverthere,"hetoldZoë."I'llgettoyouinaminute.""I'mfine,"shesaid,buthebarelyheardher;hewasalreadyconcentratingonJayne,wholayonthe

table,facedownandsleeping;thebleedinghadstoppedforthemoment.Simonpreparedhistools,thenmadehisfirstexamination.Pulseallright,bloodpressuregood—

andthereitwas:hecouldseetheexitwoundinthetrapezius.Hestudiedtheentrypoint,lookedattheangle,anddecidedthebullethadn'tdoneanybouncingaround,whichwasgood."Ithinkhe'llbefine,"hesaidaloud."Yougoingtofixhim,doctor?"askedMal."Yes.""Why?"Simonmight have replied, but he was too busy, and the question was too stupid to deserve an

answeranyway.

17ChapterMyOwnKindofTruth

Serenity:MedBayInamomentof relative lucidity,herealizedhe'dbeenshotagain.Thathewasback inSerenity's

medbayagain.Hetried toput together theeventsof the last fewhours,days,buthecouldn'tmakethingsfit,anditwastoomuchefforttotry.Shortlyafterthat,thingswentfuzzyagain.Someindeterminate time later,hesawthedoctor's facepeeringathim.He tried toask ifhewas

goingtolive,buthecouldn'tmakehismouthworkright.“You'rebackonSerenity,”saidthedoctor,asifthathadbeenhisquestion.“WhereelsewouldIbe,”hetriedtosay,butitwouldn'tcomeourright.Notthatitmattered.Serenity:EngineRoomZoë'svoicecamethroughthespeaker.“Captainwantseveryoneinthediningroom.Kaylee, leaning against the port battery casing, stared at the box. Itwas a technology that hadn't

changedinhundredsofyears:a thinmembraneset tovibratingbythemotionofelectronsthroughinsulatedwires.Powerrequirements:almostnil.Control.Itwasallaboutcontrol,aboutfinetuning,aboutprecision.Itwasthesamesortofprecisioncontrol,inadifferentway,thatletWashdowhathedid.AndtheCaptaindowhathedid.Bigthings,turnedintosmallthings,thenmovedandturnedbackintobigthings.Shestaredatthespeaker.“Kaylee?”“I'llbethere,”shesaid.Hervoicesoundedoddinherears.Thespeakerwentdead.“Ihavetobethere,”shetoldtheemptyengineroom.“It'smyjobtokeep

Serenityrunning.”Serenity:River'sRoomSometimesitseemeditwasjustamatterofkeepingherbalance.Toofarinonedirectionandshe

wouldseeanything;wouldjustsittherefortherestofherlifelikethecat-tailsinastill-life.Toofarin another direction, and it would all rush in on her at once so that shewould burst and becomenother.Toofarinanotherdirection,andshewouldbecomenon-existant.Toofarinanotherdirection,andtheywouldfindherandtakeherback.Toofarinanotherdirection….Theproblemwasthereweretoomanydirections,andyouhadtostaybalancedamongallofthem.

Itwaslikedance;ifyoucouldfindthebalancepoint,youcoulddoanything.Thatwas thebeautyof flying.Shewouldhave toaskWashhehowdid it,howhemade it likea

dance.ThewayKayleemadeSerenity dance.ThewaySimondancedwithhis hands,whenhewasoperating.ThewayMaldancedbetweendisasterandtriumph.ThewayZoedancedaroundbetweenMal'sordersandMal'swishes.ThewayJayne…Jayne.Jaynewastheonlyonewhodidn'tdance.Hehadnobalance.That'swhyhedidallofthosethings,hecouldn'tfindhisbalancepoint.

Shegotup,then,andwalkedtotheMedBay.Simonlookedupandsaid,“Whatisit,River?”butsheignored him. She went over to Jayne, who had was looking upward with fractured shards ofconsciousnesscomingandgoinglikehisbreath;wrungout,shotfullofdrugsandholeswithhislifeflowingthroughtubesandhisspiritspreadingthroughtheshipliketheghostlockedupinthehold.She stared down into Jayne's half-open eyes. “Boxing is just like ballet,” she told him, “except

there'snomusicandtheyhiteachother.”Then,satisfied,sheturnedandwentbacktoherroom.Serenity:CargoBayShewalkedawayfromthespeakerandtookanotherglanceatSakarya.Hewaswellsecuredtothe

stairwaywithsteelcuffs.Therewasnothingwithinninefeetofhim.Helookedbackather;hiseyesweredeadthings.“Food, water, and toilet break in an hour,” she told him. Then she turned back to the speaker,

punchedabuttonandsaid,“Wash,surveillancecheck.”“We'regood,”hesaid.“Diningroom?”“Yes.”“Allright,I'llbethereassoonasI'msurenothingiscomingtoeatus.”She looked at the prisoner again, wondering why she didn't hate him; wondering if there was

somethingthathaddied,somewherealongtheroad.Someone said, “So, did you think it was good operation?” Zoë recognized her own voice, and

wishedtotellshecouldtakethewordsback.“Quiteprofessional,”hesaid.“DoyouactuallycarewhatIthink?”“Evidently.”Henoddedalittle.“Why?”“Idon'tknow.”“No,Imean,whywasitimportanttoruinme?”“Weweremuchtoolateforthat,Colonel.”“Gladtohavegivenyoutheopeningfortheline,butyouknowitdoesn'tanswerthequestion.”“Yesitdoes,”shesaid,andturnedandheadedupthestairway,hearingherbootsclankloudlyinthe

wide,emptyspaceofthehold.Serenity:River'sRoom“River,”hetoldhissisterpatiently,“weneedtogettothediningroom.”Hewantedtoaskherwhat

shehadmeantwhenshespoketoJayne,buthewasafraidshemighttellhim.“It'snotthatfar,”shesaidreassuringly,butmadenomovetogetupfromherbed.“Malisexpectingustobethere.”Shegavehimalookhecouldn'tinterpret.“Yes.He'sgoingtoaskquestions,andhe'llwantanswers,

onlytheanswershewantswon'tbethere.”Aftersomehesitation,heaskedit.“Wherewilltheybe?”“Inthecargohold,”shesaid,asifitshouldhavebeenobvious.“Wheretheghostis.”Simonmadeafewconnectionsinhishead,putafewthingstogether,andnoddedslowly.“Yousee,

River,wecan't always tellwhenyou're speaking inmetaphors, andwhenyou'rebeing literal.Thatmakesithard—”“WhatmakesyouthinkIcantell?”Shesoundedgenuinelycurious.“Touseametaphor,orasimile,requiresactivatingapartofthebrainthat…“hetrailedoff.“It

isn't that you can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy, it's that you can't express thedifference.Thelanguagecenters…Imighthavesomething.”

“Butwhataboutseeingthefuture?”Hefrowned.“Youseethefuture?”“Iseemyfuture.Iseemoretests.”Shestuckhertongueoutathim.“WhatelsecanIdo?”“Youwantmetoremember.”Henodded.“Idon'twanttoremember.”“Iknow.But…”helookedforthewords.“Ithinkyou'reinastateofluciddreaming,whileyou're

awake.”Shewasquietforwhatseemedlikealongtime,thensheturnedherdeepeyesonhimandsaid,“But

howcanyoudoanythingaboutit?”“I'matraumaspecialist,”hesaid.“Comeon,let'sgotothediningroom.”Serenity:BridgeHefeltahandonhisshoulderandknewitwithoutturningaround;hadknownwhenheheardthe

footsteps.“Everythingisallright?”heasked,andfeltherhesitation.“Didyouhearfromthefeds?”“AgentMerlynsaidhe'dbeshowingupsometimeinthenexthour.”“Good.”Shestoodtherebehindhim,justtouchinghim.“Sweetiekins,what'swrong?”“Idon'tknowhowthisisgoingtocomeout.”“Youmean,Mal?”“Whatwedid—”“WhatIdid,youmean.”“TheCaptainwon'tlikeit.”“Thenwe'llhavetostageamutiny.”“Wash,that'snotfunny.That'salmostwhatwedid.”HestaredoutatthelightbluecloudlessskyofHera.“Didyouseeanotherchoice?”“That'snotthepoint.”“Whynot?It'swhatyou'vebeendoingforthelastsixyears.AndMaltoo.Whenyoudon'thaveany

choice,youdowhatyouhaveto.”Herhandstillrestedonhisshoulder.“Thenwhat?”shesaidsoftly.“Whathappensafterthat,Wash?”Helockedontheautopilotandstoodup.“MaybeIcanfindajobperformingwithfinger-puppets.”Shewrappedherarmsaroundhim.“AndwhatwouldIdo?”“Cookmydinnerandrubmytiredfingers.Ouch.”Sheshookherhead,smiling.“Somethings,youandIjustain'tcutoutfor.”“It'llbefine.”“TheCaptain—”“Thisisourhome.Heknowsthat.Andit'shishomebecausewe'rehere,andheknowsthattoo.”“Ifhegetspushedtoofar—”“Youknow,forsomeonewho'sknownMallongerthananyoftherestofus,youdon'thavealotof

faithinhim.Comeon,let'snotkeepthemwaiting.”

Serenity:DiningroomTheyweresittingaroundthetable.OnhisleftwasKaylee,lookingatthetableonfrontofher;then

Simon,lookingatKaylee;thenRiver,lookingatnothing;thenWashandZoë,whowereinvolvedinsomesortofwhisperedconversation."Allright,"hesaid,lookingateachofthemoneatatime."IgotabitofmadIain'tusedupyet,so

now'sthetime.Wash,maybeyoucanstartbytellingmehowithappenedthatyouconcoctedaplanwiththefedbehindmyback.I'dexpectthatfromJayne,notfromyou."Washlookeddownatthetable."Notgoodenough,Wash.Ineedananswer."Stillnothing.Hefelttheknotofangerinhisbelly;henoticedhisrighthand,sittingonthetable,wasstartingto

shake. It didn'tmake sense. Itwasn't likeWash todo something like that; not, at any rate, unless itinvolvedprotectingZoë,or—"Kaylee,"hestated.Shelookedup."Yes,Cap'n?"Therewasatremorinhervoice."Yougotsomethingtoaddtothis?"Hermouthopenedandclosed,andsheglancedatWash,as if forsupport.Shegot it, too."Mal,"

saidWash."ShewasgoingtocrashSerenityintothehouse."HelookedatWash,whowasnowstaringback,andthenatKaylee,whohadreturnedtostudyingthe

table-top."Huh?Why?""Because,"saidWash,"shethoughtwewereallgoingtodie.""Weweren'tgoingtodie.""Yesyouwere,"saidRiver."Youweregoingtokilltheghost,andthenthewizardwasgoingtokill

you,andthenZoëwasgoingtokilltheagent,andthenthesecurityforces—""Youweren'teventhere!"saidMal.Hesuddenlyfelteveryonelookingathim."Which,"hecontinuedlessforcefully,"doesn'tmeanyou'rewrong.""Sir,"saidZoë,"you'vebeenoffyourgame.We'vebeencoveringforyou.Sorry,butthat'showit

is.""Howlongasthisbeengoingon?"Noonespokeforwhatseemedalongtime,thenKayleesaid,"SinceInaraleft,"anditwashisturn

tohavenothingtosay.Shewasn'teventhere,andshewasstillcomplicatingthings.Hisangerflared,andhebadlywanted

tofindsomethingtothroworsomeonetohit."Youcan'tblameher.”Anacidicresponsecametohislips,thenherealizedthatnoonehadsaidanything;thevoicehad

beeninhishead.Great.NowI'mhearingvoices.He said, "This can't work ifmy crew feels they can just concoct their own planwhenever they

conjureI'mnotworkingright.Noblethought,maybe,butitcan'tworkthatway."Zoësaid,"Thenwhatdoyouwantustodo,sir?IfWashhadn'tacted,we'dallbedeadnow.""WithallrespecttolittlemissDelphihere,youcan'tknowthat."Thistime,thesilencewaseloquent,andlastedlonger,untilZoësaid,"Sir,whatdoyouwantusto

do?""Timeslikethis,"saidMal,"Ialwaysaskmyself,'whatwouldJaynedo?'"Helookedaround."Not,

youunderstand,thatI'ddoit;Ijustaskmyself."Hedidn'tevengetacourtesylaugh."Allright,allofyouseemtothinkI'minatwistoverInara,but—"

"Idon't,"saidRiver.Nowalleyeswereonher."Allright,"saidMal."AndwhatdoestheOraclethink?""Youjustneededtolayaghosttorest.""Ghost?""Theghostyouhavechainedup.Ghostsusuallywalkaroundwithchains.It'straditional.""Idon't—""Nowyou'redonewiththeghost,soit'sallfine.""Youthinkso?"Rivernodded."NowyoucanmakeyourselfmiserableoverInara.""Doctor,"saidMal,"isyoursisterashrinkaswellas,uh,whateverelsesheis?""Captain,"saidthedoctor,"IgiveyoumywordIhavenoideaallthethingsmysistermightbe."WhateverMalmighthavecomeupwith to say to thatwas interruptedby thedoublebuzzof the

proximityindicator."I'llgocheckonthat,"saidWash,soundingrelieved.Heheadeduptothebridge.EveryoneexceptRiverwasnowstaringatthetabletop;shewaslookingrightatMal.Afteravery

longanduncomfortabletwominutes,Wash'svoicecameovertheintercom."Mal,thefedishereandwantstocomein.""Whythehellnot?"hesaidunderhisbreath.Thenhestoodup,punchedtheintercombutton,and

said,"Okay,Wash.Lethimin."Theyallgotupandheadedforthecargobay.Zoëreachedthebuttonfirst,andopenedtheairlock,

letdowntheramp.Washjoinedthem.Kitcamein,holdingapairoflargeduffelbags.Hesetthemdown."Iopenedthelockers,gathering

evidence.Thisisyourman'sstuff.He'llwantitback,ifhelives.""He'lllive,"saidMal.Kitnodded."Iwouldn'tstayherelong,ifIwereyou.TheSpecialDeputiesareeventuallygoingto

figureoutyouaren'twhereIsaidyouwere,andthey'llcomebackthiswayfirsttopickupyourtrail.""Thatgoingtomakeithotforyou?"askedMal."Hard to say. I can cover a trail pretty good. I might get away with it. And I completed my

assignment;thatshouldcountforsomething.Speakingof,mayIhavemyprisoner?""Zoëwillfetchhimforyou.""Hashesaidanything?""Ihaven'taskedhimanything.Didn'ttrustmyself."Kitnodded."Ishouldbemoving too. Ihavereports tofile,aprosecution toarrange,andmaybe

evenajobtokeep,ifI'mlucky.""Ifyoucallthatajob.""Ido.""Zoë," saidMal, shrugging. "Go fetch theprisoner.KayleeandWash,get theboatwarmedup; I

wanttobeofftheworldinfiveminutes.""Cap'n,"saidKaylee,"she'sstillprettyhurt.Guidanceisbad,wegotabighole—""Canwemakeittoarepairstation?"Therewasapause,then,"Ithinkso.""Thenwemove.Arepairstation,thenbacktoPaquin.""Paquin,sir?"saidZoë."Gotsomeginsengtoreturn,"hesaid,proddingJayne'sbagswithhistoe."Yes,sir,"saidZoëandwentofftofetchBursa-Sakarya.Washwentbacktothebridge,Kayleeto

theengineroom.

Thedoctorsaid,"I'llgoseetoitJayneissecured,"andheadedtowardthemedbay."Don'tworry," saidRiver. "She'll be back," and turned to followher brother, leavingMal alone

withthefed."Mustbehard," saidKit. "Heused tobeoneof thegoodguys,whichmakes itmuchworse. I'm

impressedyoudidn'tkillhim.""I'mjustproudasapapaofthat.""And,"continuedthefed,"hereIam,andIusedtobeoneofthebadguys.""Stillare,inmybook.""Isthatright?Letmeaskyousomething,CaptainReynolds.Duringthefirsttwoyearsofthewar,

ninety-fivepercentoftheAllianceforceswerevolunteers.Afterthat,theystillmadeuptheheartofthearmy.Whatdoyousupposemadethemvolunteer?""Couldn'tsay.""Youdon'tthinkmaybetheybelievedinwhattheywerefightingfor?""Maybeso.Folkbeenwrongaboutthingsbefore,believeditwasokaytotellotherfolkhowtolive.

Nothingnewthere.""AndmaybetheythoughtitwouldbeagoodideatostoptheSakaryasinthe'verse.Andmaybethey

wereright.""Youworryaboutright,AgentMerlyn,andkeepfixingthe'verse.Igottofixmyboat.""Goodluckwiththat,"hesaid.Zoëshowedupthen,onearmontheshackledprisoner.Mallookedhimintheeye."Gotanythingto

say,Colonel?"Bursamethiseye."It'swhathappenswhenyouloseeverything,"hesaid."Notalways,"saidMal."Sometimesyoufindanewthing."Thefedtookholdoftheprisoner,andledhimdowntheramp.Malwalkedoverandpunchedthe

button; the ramp raised, and theworldofHeravanished from sight.As the airlock closed,Wash'svoicecameoverthespeaker:"Strapin,everyone.We'reoffthegroundintwominutes,andwe'restillinroughshape.”“Itcouldbebumpy,"saidZoë.Mal lookedather.She lookedbackathim."Just tryingtosaveyouthe trouble,sir;youmustbe

tiredofsayingthat."TheywalkedbacktowardtheheartofSerenity.

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