“Jayne.”

“Yeah, Mal?”

“What’re you doing?”

“Hiding, Mal.”

“Why?”

“Uh, someone’s looking for me.”

“And you thought the food storage locker would be the best place?”

“Uh … yeah.”

“Was the word ‘food’ in any way the consideration here?”

“No! It’s a good hiding place. Easy to defend.”

“And?”

“And … there’s food.”

“You plannin’ on eating us out of hearth and home?”

“’Til River stops looking for me.”

“Ah. Jayne, she’s psychic.”

“So?”

“What did you do?”

“I kinda broke one of her gew-gaws.”

“Which one?”

“The little blue vase. The one with the yellow flowers on it. You know, the one ‘Nara got her for her last birthday.”

“I think I recall the squeal when she opened the wrapping paper, yes.”

“I mean, I stuck it back together, but she’s gonna know.”

“So this hiding is pre-emptive.”

“Pre-what?”

“Doing it before she finds out.”

“’Xactly! Mal, why’re you rolling your eyes?”

“How did this tragedy occur?”

“I was showing Cal my fast draw.”

“And you …”

“Yeah.”

“That’s what comes of grand-standing, Jayne.”

“Think you’re right, Mal.”

“So you’re gonna stay in here.”

“Forever. If’n I can get away with it.”

“With the food.”

“Good plan, huh?”

“She’ll notice. If nothing else, the smell’s going to eventually lead her to you.”

“Smell?”

“Or were you planning on making occasional forays to the bathroom and shower?”

“Oh. Right. Prob’ly.”

“Had you thought that far?”

“Not … no.”

“And I will, at the risk of repeating myself, say again that she’s psychic.”

“And at the risk of knocking your teeth down your throat, I say again … so?”

“So she knows already what you did. Where you are.”

“Mal, you know how she looks on them trinkets. She’ll want me to pay a forfeit. And she told me what it’d be the last time if I did it again.”

“I ain’t even gonna go down that alley.”

“Captain.”

“Oh, hey, River.”

“Are you hiding my late husband?”

“Late?”

“Soon-to-be.”

“Oh. Hey, moonbrain.”

“Do not moonbrain me. You broke it.”

“Yeah, but I fixed it, too!”

“You know what we agreed …”

“Aw, hell. I know.”

“Um, River …”

“Yes, captain?”

“This isn’t gonna deprive me of my public relations officer, is it?”

“Not permanently.”

“Only we’re gonna be landing on Threlfall in a couple of hours, and this job might be hazardous to my health if I don’t have his intimidatin’ nature along.”

“I will protect you.”

“Xiao nu …”

“Oh, all right. Nothing … debilitating. But I will require use of the bridge.”

“Do I want to know why?”

“No.”

“Oh. Good. Just … don’t break him.”

“I’ll try not to, captain.”

… .. .

“My eyes! My eyes!”

“Hank? What in the sphincter of hell are you going on about?”

“It … I just … they …”

“Take a breath.”

“I … okay.”

“Better?”

“No. I have to wash my brain out.”

“Why?”

“I just went up to the bridge so I could land us on Threlfall. I … the door was closed but it wasn’t … Mal, I’m never going to able to look at my chair ever again! Let alone sit in it!”

“Oh, diyu. River!”