The Peace of Marduk By Fish & RSB Jiolee@gmail.com http://jiolee.tripod.com/

* * *

“And you’re certain that you’ll be able to deliver the cargo to Ananke on schedule, Captain Reynolds? You’re certain that there’ll be absolutely no interference from official channels? That my –“

“It’ll be fine,” Malcolm Reynolds assured the anxious businessman. “Allow me to put all your fears to rest, Mr. Neveu; my ship and I don’t have any kinds of dealings with the Alliance unless it can’t be avoided, and I think a simple delivery, such as yours, will go smooth as glass.”

Manuel Neveu frowned. “And, and you’ll be sure that everything will be intact, won’t you?”

“Very sure. Won’t no harm come to your cargo if I have anything to say about it.” He paused and turned to glance at Zoe over his shoulder, then cleared his throat. “Pardon me, if we have anything to say about it. Because, my crew will do their best to ensure that… uhm, it’ll be fine.”

“I just want to be sure, I don’t, I don’t uhm, usually resort to these measures, but with the tariffs on alcohol these days-“

Mal spoke up quickly over Neveu as Zoe raised her eyebrows. “Well, we really do need to be getting on our travels, Mr. Neveu, if we’re to get your goods to where they’re supposed to be on time. Bye now.”

“Yes, yes, thank you so much, Captain,” Neveu said gratefully. “It was so nice of Inara to introduce us. I hope she’s well?”

“Yes, uhm, very well.” Mal started towards where Serenity was docked at Neveu’s private landing. “We’ll send you a wave once we’ve made the drop. You have yourself a nice day now, and let me worry about the rest.” Mal and Zoe quickly boarded the ship and retracted the ramp with a wave goodbye.

“Sir.”

“Yeah, Zoe?”

“Am I correct in thinking we’re smuggling a load of alcohol to Ananke?”

Mal tried to school his face into a blank expression. “Might be that’s so, might not. Either way, I’m ordering you to make sure not a word of this gets back to Jayne. You hear me? Not even a whiff.”

Zoe nodded, amused. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Then tell that husband of yours to take us out of the world and set a course for Ananke.” Mal began climbing the stairs up out of the cargo bay, with Zoe following close behind.

“Ananke’s not a four day trip from Persephone, we won’t have to rush to make the delivery.”

“I know, that’s why I like this job,” agreed Mal. “A nice easy run, with a nice relaxing trip. Smooth sailing.”

“You’re forgetting the part where we have Jayne and a load of rum.”

“Not a word, Zoe.”

“Sir.”

As they stepped off the stairs and into a corridor, Mal stopped and turned to Zoe. “In fact, don’t breathe a word of this to anybody. Just don’t. More likely to make it to Ananke with a complete inventory that way.”

As they passed through the mess hall, Jayne looked up from cleaning his pistol. “Hey, what’s our cargo, again?”

Mal and Zoe exchanged nervous glances, and then replied together, “Rugs.”

* * *

The following evening at dinner, Jayne ate halfheartedly and slammed his cup down on the table.

“Jayne, is there a reason for all that mess and fuss you’re making, or am I going to have ask you to eat alone from now on?” Mal asked around a mouthful of tomato.

“Gorrammit, Mal, I just want something with a little more bite to it, not this lan-dan jiang.”

“That’s water, Jayne.”

“I know that!” Jayne tossed his fork onto the table sullenly. “I could really go for a cask of rum right now. Somethin’, anything!”

Mal looked at Zoe suspiciously, then went back to his meal after Zoe shrugged innocently. He didn’t pay much attention as Shepherd Book and Jayne began talking about the merits of abstaining from alcohol, or when Kaylee wondered out loud exactly what kind of cargo they were delivering to Ananke. He only paid a half ear when River started with her crazy talk again.

“The sheep are not what they appear to be. They bleat for help when they’re stuck in the mud or when they’ve got their feet twisted up beneath them. So many feet, so many sheep.”

The conversations going on around the table fell silent as they turned to stare at River. In the quiet, muted beeping echoed down into the mess from the cockpit. Mal flicked a crouton at Wash. “Hey, you gonna answer that?”

“Huh? Oh, sure.” Wash stood up from the table slowly and headed towards the cockpit with several glances back over his shoulder at River. “Don’t let Jayne touch my food.”

Jayne smirked and stole an olive off of Wash’s salad.

Mal prodded his lettuce around absently and asked Simon, “You want to tell me what that was all about, Doctor? I don’t usually mind when she gets all creepy-like, but that was unusual even for her.”

“I have no idea, Captain,” Simon said, facing his sister. “River, that was very… uhm, cryptic. What were you trying to say?”

“They’re sheep. Sheep in wolf’s clothing. Take off grandma’s dress, find the wolf inside. They follow a shepherd who’s lost his way. Sun at his back, leading them away from home and the sea. They’re lost.”

Jayne stabbed a carrot with his fork and grumbled, “Yeah, that sure cleared up a whole lot.”

Wash came back into the mess hall and rested his hands on the back of his chair. “That signal we picked up was a distress beacon, coming from a ship not too far from here. How River heard the signal, I have no idea.”

Book leaned forward and laced his fingers together. “Did they say what kind of trouble they’re in?”

“I don’t know,” Wash admitted. “Something to do with their engine being down and they’re adrift. Should I change course?”

Mal wiped his mouth and pushed away from the table. “Think maybe I’ll see if I can have a little chat with the folks first. Wouldn’t want to leap before we look around a bit.” He followed Wash back to the cockpit and sat down in front of the monitor. He nodded for Wash to transmit. “This is Captain Reynolds, we picked up your distress beacon. What kind of trouble you folks in?”

A blond man appeared on the monitor, dressed in starched maroon robes. A little girl in a long dress of the same material in a pale yellow stood looking over his shoulder. “Greetings, Captain, I am Ammon of the Amaterasu. The peace of Merodach be with you.”

“Uh yeah, and thanks. Same to you.”

“Our engine broke down a week ago, and our engineer tells me that we lack the part necessary to fix it. Is there anything you could do for us?” He spoke in tranquil, measured tones.

“Well, I could have my mechanic hop on over to your ship, take a look at what’s wrong. There’s maybe something she could do for you, that being there’s a way she might be compensated for her time,” Mal said.

Ammon bowed his head slightly. “I’m sure we’ll be able to arrange something, Captain. We look forward to meeting you soon. Pax Ba’al Merodach.”

Mal switched off the signal and stood up. “Wash, is it going to be any inconvenience to stop and see what’s wrong their engine?”

“Not if we make it a short one.”

“Fine, then. Change our course, and let me know when we get there,” he instructed.

As Mal headed back down to finish his dinner, Wash called to him. “So who do you think this Merodach character is?”

“Whoever he is, let’s hope he pays well for our good will.”

* * *

Mal stood warily by the airlock, waiting for Serenity to finish docking procedures. A few moments after hearing the airlock seal with a satisfying thud, the inner hatch opened, and Ammon stepped into Serenity’s cargo hold. A young woman followed shyly behind him.

“Captain Reynolds,” Ammon said by way of greeting, dipping his head in an abbreviated bow. “Pax Ba’al Merodach. Once again, I thank you for coming to our aid. I offer the traditional Offerings of the Glorious Conflagration of Merodach to you as a token of friendship.”

The woman trailing behind him stepped forward, head bowed, and held up a fruit cupped in her palms to Mal, who took it awkwardly. She reached into her robes again and produced a small, bright-red frog, holding it forward expectantly. “Will you not partake of the Blazing Oracle of the Eleven Fiery Visions?”

“Maybe another time,” Mal said hesitantly. “Thanks though. As for the rest, it wasn’t too far out of our way.” Nodding behind him, he said, “This is part of my crew. Zoe, my first mate, Shepherd Book, and Kaylee, my mechanic. She’ll be the one takin’ a look at those scrambled engines of yours.”

With a wave of his hand, Ammon gestured to the woman, who had returned the frog to its hiding place. “Cayde, please escort the young lady to our engine room and give her any assistance she requires.” He smiled at Kaylee, who looked all too eager to be getting her hands dirty. “You will be working with our engineer, Telesto. He will meet you there.”

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to accompany Kaylee,” Shepherd Book spoke up. “Give her a hand if she needs one, maybe learn more about the peace of Merodach.”

Ammon inclined his head and Mal agreed with a quiet ok. “Well, if you’d like to accompany me up to the mess, perhaps we can put this glorious conflagration on display where all might enjoy it and maybe have ourselves a friendly palaver.”

“As Merodach wills it.”

The Captain paused a moment to take that in then nodded agreeably and led his guest up towards the dining area.

* * *

Clutching her toolbox in her arms, Kaylee glanced about the dilapidated interior of the Amaterasu curiously. Cayde was walking slightly ahead of them, parting a path through the crowded corridors. Interestingly, collisions were quite rare, and when they occurred the individuals involved immediately apologized with a slight dip of the head and a muttered request for forgiveness.

“Everyone keeps talking about someone named Merodach. Who is he?”

At that moment, Cayde reached out to grab the arm of a man wearing a maroon tunic. “Namu Pax Ba’al Merodach,” she said reflexively as she released his arm and turned to Kaylee and Shepherd. “This is my husband, Percival. He is a high priest of the order.” She smiled sweetly at her husband. “Kaylee wishes to learn about Merodach.” They began walking again towards the engine room.

Percival tugged at his collar thoughtfully. “Merodach, son of Ea, slayer of Tiamat. Merodach is life, Merodach is death, Merodach is eternity…”

“Oh,” Kaylee interrupted brightly. “He’s a god.”

Percival frowned. “Merodach is not a god. He is the one, true God, bringer of peace and keeper of the Soulfires within us.”

Book raised an eyebrow at this, but wisely refrained from commenting. The group navigated a sharp left turn and stepped into the engine room. Standing in the center of the room with his hands clasped neatly behind his back and his eyes closed was a young man dressed in yellow. He glanced up at their arrival and stepped forward to greet them. “Pax Ba’al Merodach. I apologize for my inattention. I was praying while waiting for your arrival. I am Telesto.”

Kaylee extended her hand, which Telesto stared at fearfully for a few moments before she let it drop awkwardly to her side. “I’m Kaylee. I understand there’s a problem with your engines?”

“Yes. They stopped functioning seven days ago. We have prayed to Merodach for deliverance from the infinity.” Telesto smiled blandly. “Then Merodach delivered you to us.”

Kaylee smiled back nervously as she knelt to lay her tools out on the metal grating. “Mind if I take a look?”

* * *

“Maybe you were supposed to, you know…” Wash trailed off as he followed Zoe down the scaffolding to the cargo hold.

Zoe shook her head. “I don’t, actually. Strange women in robes holding up frogs doesn’t exactly fall into my experiences, husband.”

“Well, maybe you were supposed to, maybe get closer to the frog,” he suggested, holding up his hands in a pantomime. “Real close. Like, he’s a prince-in-disguise closer.”

“I don’t know that I want to get that close to anything that involves the word ‘burning’.”

“What about visions?” Wash pressed. “Fiery visions. Eleven of them.”

Zoe turned to Wash to say something, but stopped, staring over his shoulder.

“Now you’re starting to see the frog’s appeal. Aren’t you? Zoe?” he looked at his shoulders. “Is there something on me?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Wash, but I don’t think we were supposed to have any more visitors hanging around the airlock,” she explained, indicating the two maroon-clad figures huddling around the controls. She crossed the hold, raising her voice. “Excuse me, but may I ask what you’re doing here?”

A man pulled his hood back and dipped his head. “Namu Pax Ba’al Merodach. We did not mean to intrude, but my wife is with child and she was overcome. I brought her here because I thought the fresh air would be good for her. I am Assander, the peace of Merodach be with you.”

The other figure turned, keeping her head bowed, though she was clearly pregnant. “Pax Ba’al Merodach. I am Elara, the peace of Merodach be with you. This is such a lovely ship. Truly we have been blessed by your arrival.”

“Well, we’re glad to be such a blessing,” Wash replied.

Zoe half turned and indicated the other end of the hold. “Actually, we have a doctor of our very own. Perhaps he could take a look at that child of yours, make sure it was coming up healthy.”

“Thank you for your generosity,” Assander said, moving to leave. “But we would not want to be any trouble. The peace of Merodach be with you.”

Wash shrugged and turned around, but Zoe grabbed his arm and spun him around. “No, it’s no problem at all. The infirmary is just this way.”

Assander hesitated, and then nodded as Elara looked down at her stomach with concern. He made a noise in his nasal cavity. “We will follow you.”

* * *

“Thank the heavens that Merodach has granted us salvation from the darkness. He sent you as a flame to drive away the night.” Ammon paused as he sliced the fruit with a ceremonial knife produced from his robes. Blood-red juices dribbled from the seams onto the rough wooden table. “If you had not arrived and offered us help, we would surely have been devoured by Tiamat and her…”

“Yeah, so about that compensation,” Mal interrupted, taking a piece of pulp and popping it into his mouth. “What can you offer us?”

Ammon continued unabated. “The blessings of Merodach are strange and mysterious in nature. It is often difficult to comprehend his motives. Some of our weaker brothers had begun to lose faith in his methods when our engines failed, but now that you have arrived his plans have once again become clear…”

“Yes. And I’d be interested to know if any of those plans involved payment of some type.” Mal cleared his throat, reaching for a glass of water. The fruit was oddly spicy.

“Ah, yes, to worldly matters. We can provide you with the complete Book of Merodach, so it may stir the Inner Fires of your Soul.”

“My soul fires are fine, thanks. How about something more practical?”

Ammon sighed, clearly disappointed. “Very well. We have an excess of water and could part with some.”

“How much?”

“Fifty liters.”

“Sixty and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

Ammon waved his hand in acquiescence. “It is done.” Ammon flicked his wrist and the knife reappeared in his hand. He made an arcane gesture with it, and then the remainder of the fruit appeared in his other palm. He began cutting more slices.

Mal cleared his throat and reached for his glass again. “Actually, I’ve, uh, I’ve had enough, thank you.”

“Perhaps your followers will wish to partake,” Ammon replied, indicating Zoe and Wash as they approached, Assander and Elara in tow.

“My followers?” Mal repeated, looking over his shoulder. He guffawed as spotted his first officer and pilot. “Oh, those two never follow orders. Zoe, Wash, I see you’ve made some friends. How about the four of you partake of this glorious conflagration as a sign of friendship?”

Wash raised a hand and stepped forward with a bounce. “I’d love to, Captain.” He winked at Zoe and whispered, “Fiery visions.”

Zoe pointed toward the visitors. “Sir, we’re looking for Simon. Elara here’s in the family way and we’re looking for Simon to maybe see that the baby’s fine.” She looked at Wash who was mouthing the word ‘Eleven’ at her and grinning.

“I think I let him take his harebrained sister up to the bridge to look at those stars she likes so much,” Mal admitted. He took a piece of fruit and handed over to Zoe, who took a cautious bite. “Although, I must say I wasn’t expecting any more of Ammon’s fine followers to be coming aboard.”

Ammon bowed his head and made a sign with his fingers. “May Tiamat graze upon my innards at the world’s ending, Captain Reynolds. These two will be disciplined for their behavior.” He gave Assander a sidelong glare. The younger man met Ammon’s gaze for a second, then bowed and repeated Ammon’s sign.

“She just needed some fresh air,” Zoë insisted.

“It was no intrusion,” Mal agreed. “There’s no need to make with the discipline. In fact, I think it’d do to give the good doctor a distraction. And it’d get him and his sister off my bridge.”

“Well, then, if our business is complete, Captain, I shall return to my ship. I trust my followers will not inflict themselves upon you any longer than necessary in order to insure the health of the child,” said Ammon.

As Ammon passed, Assander leaned in and whispered, “It is done.”

The exchange went unnoticed. The captain moved to escort Ammon back to his ship. Ammon handed Mal a leather-bound book in a deep scarlet with strange runes stamped upon the cover in gold. Underneath, an English translation proclaimed it the Book of Merodach. “In case you change your mind,” the man said with a slight smile.

Zoe tugged Wash along behind her towards the bridge. She asked him, “How are those visions, dear?”

Wiping at tears and coughing, Wash shook his head. “Fiery.”

* * *

“Well, it looks like you’re going to have a healthy baby,” Simon declared, taking a step back from Elara. “Would you like to know the gender?”

“Oh no,” Assander said. “Merodach forbids such knowledge. It is said that to know a child’s gender before it comes into this world is to invite the wrath of Tiamat upon the birth. Both mother and child would be at great risk.” He looked over his shoulder as River poked her head in through the doorway.

“A human pregnancy is remarkably similar to a parasitic invasion of a host by Echinococcus granulosus,” she said. “Signs and symptoms resemble those of a space-occupying tumor.”

Simon cleared his throat as Wash suppressed a snicker. Assander and Elara looked confused. “You’ll have to excuse my sister,” Simon said. “She’s, well she’s very, that is, she’s-“

“She sees with the light of Merodach,” Elara said. “It is a rare blessing, to understand such disparate things. And in one so young. We have one like her aboard our ship.” She nodded to River, “The peace of Merodach be with you.”

“Marduk slew chaos, creating the world from Tiamat’s body and man from Kingu’s blood,” she replied. “Ea decreed that if you take life, life will be taken from you.”

“We should return to our vessel,” Assander spoke up. “Thank you for your assistance, Doctor. The peace of Merodach be with you in abundance.” He enunciated the name of his patron deity very clearly and motioned for Elara to join him as he left the infirmary.

River took a step forward, blocking their exit. “Marduk had to prove his worthiness to Ea before attaining the godhead. Many times, Ea threatened to strip him of his powers if he did not repent from wrongful and foolish deeds.”

Simon took his sister’s hand and gently guided her away from the doorway. “I’m sorry about that,” he said to Assander.

“It is nothing,” Assander said in response. He made an arcane gesture with his fingers in front of River. “The peace of Merodach be with you, child. May the Supreme Fire cleanse you of any impurities and allow the sight of Merodach to illumine your steps.” He stepped past River, who stuck her tongue out at his back.

* * *

“Well, here’s your problem right here,” Kaylee said from underneath the Amaterasu’s engine. Gritting her teeth, she yanked hard on her wrench, and with a satisfying clang the malfunctioning piece of machinery hit the deck.

“Are you alright, Kaylee?” Shepherd’s voice drifted over from the hallway where he was chatting with Percival.

“Fine,” she grunted, replacing the casing before handing her toolbox and the broken intake valve to Telesto. Crawling out, she pushed herself to her feet. With a content sigh, she brushed the hair back from her eyes and pointed to the scorches on the valve where the metal had been welded shut by extreme heat.

“Piece’s melted,” Kaylee announced proudly. “I can’t fix it, but I’ve got a spare you folks can use.”

“We are very grateful for your assistance, Kaylee. May Merodach bless you and your companions,” Telesto said, fingering the broken part almost nervously. Kaylee smiled, trying to put him at ease, and bent down to straighten up her toolbox.

“Have you had any visitors recently?” she asked as she wiped the grease from her hands with a rag.

“You are the first that Merodach has blessed us with in many days,” Telesto replied.

Kaylee stood and took the broken part from his hands, examining it once more with a frown. Shrugging, she handed it back and bent down once more.

“What is it?” Telesto asked. He definitely sounded anxious now.

“Nothing,” she replied, chewing on her lip. “It’s just that, if I didn’t know otherwise, I’d say that the damage had been caused deliberate, like.”

There was a long pause, and Kaylee glanced over her shoulder. “I didn’t mean-“

Something blunt and very heavy slammed into her upper arm. With a startled yelp, she tumbled onto her back, curling her body protectively around her shoulder. Telesto stood over her, a pipe clenched in his sweaty hands. He looked almost apologetic.

“Merodach forgive me.”

The pipe caught her above the eye, throwing her into blackness.

* * *

Percival shook his head angrily and made a slashing motion with his hand. “Your god is insignificant next to the power of Asaruludu, truly the light of gods, the mighty leader.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree with you, Percival,” Shepherd Book replied.

“Has your god,” Percival spat, “defeated the mighty chaos dragon, Tiamat? Did he wrestle with eternity and stand forward when no other god had the courage to face the rampaging waters of destiny?”

Book licked his lips and tried to remain calm. He began to explain his belief that Merodach was a false god created to distract worship from the True Lord when he heard a thud followed by a scream. He and Percival leaned into the engine room to see Telesto taking a step back from a motionless Kaylee. The Amaterasu’s engineer looked up at Book and Percival in alarm, and then slapped a control that began closing the engine room door.

The shepherd jumped back from the door and stared at Percival blankly. The Follower of Merodach stared back, equally stunned. Percival realized what had happened and his hands shot forward in an attack that Book deftly blocked. The two struggled in the corridor briefly until the heel of Book’s hand connected with Percival’s nose. Percival’s head snapped back, colliding with the bulkhead. Book looked up in alarm as hurried footsteps echoed from further up the corridor. He looked about anxiously before spotting an open air duct in the ceiling. The shepherd leapt up, caught hold of some ceiling piping and hauled himself into the crawlspace.

Below, several of Percival’s fellows clustered around the unconscious zealot. The little girl that had appeared on the viewscreen glided into their midst and the crowd dispersed. Book held his breath as their leader, Ammon, appeared.

“Telesto, I pray you open this door with all due haste,” Ammon intoned. The door opened. Telesto stepped forward and prostrated himself before Ammon.

“Namu Pax Ba’al Merodach,” Telesto said in a shaky voice. “The, the mechanic discovered that the engine had been tampered with purposefully. She, she was suspicious. I was forced to subdue her.”

Ammon indicated for Telesto to rise. “Peace of Merodach be with you, Telesto. You have done no wrong. Merodach has delivered unto us a gift.” He turned to address his followers still gathered in the corridor. “A sacrifice. It is written in the Nineteenth Prophecy of the Tablet of Destinies. We shall offer up this virgin girl to Merodach in thanks for his many blessings,” he said with inspired fervor. “Zanna, make preparations for the Glorious Ritual of Searing Incandescent Consumption.”

As Ammon led his followers away, the little girl remained, staring up at Book’s hiding place. Book began crawling towards what he reckoned was the general direction of Serenity, spurred on by a growing dread. The strange little girl, visible through the air duct grating, kept pace with him, head thrown back and blue eyes gazing up at the ceiling, until she was called away.

“Himalia, attend,” a voice came from down the corridor. Himalia stared at Book for a few heartbeats more, then disappeared around the corner silently.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Book continued crawling towards Serenity. It wasn’t long, however, before his sense of direction failed him within the narrow confines of the ship. It was as though he was being driven deeper into the Amaterasu, and soon Book was forced to admit that he was, in fact, lost.

* * *

“So what are you going to name your baby?” Zoe asked, squeezing Wash’s arm in a none-too-subtle hint.

Elara gave her a fearful look. “It is forbidden to speak the name of the child aloud until it is able to hear it, and to take the name as its own.”

They stopped outside Elara and Assander’s quarters, and Wash flattened himself against the wall to get out of the way of the people filling the corridor. “Okay,” he said agreeably, giving his wife a look that was both familiar and meaningful. “Well, it was nice meeting you. Bye now.”

“Could you point us towards the engine room? I’d like to see how our mechanic is getting on with those repairs.”

“Certainly,” Assander said politely, giving them a short list of turns to make. With directions and many blessings from Merodach, Zoe and Wash began making their way through the crowded ship, drawing stares from the other passengers.

“They’re having a baby, honey,” Zoe observed, hooking her arm through Wash’s. “And they live on a spaceship. Can’t we have a baby, even though we live on a spaceship?”

“Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean we can too,” Wash replied. In response, Zoe cuddled up next to him and he sighed in exasperation. “Zoe, we’ve been through this – Serenity is no place for a baby.”

Zoe drew back a little. “You think I wouldn’t be a good mother?”

“No, no, no,” Wash reassured hurriedly, planting a kiss on the top of her head. “You’d be a great mother. The best. But even you can’t protect a child at every moment. Remember the fire, when you were hurt?”

Zoe nodded, and started to interrupt, but Wash held up a hand.

“No, wait. Zoe, I was so worried about you. The ship was falling apart, we were off course, but I didn’t care. I was totally focused on you. Everyone else was trying to keep Serenity in one piece…if we had had a child, I don’t know who…” His voice trailed off, and he stopped in the hallway, reaching out to gently catch her face between his palms. “Baby, you would be a wonderful mother, and when the time is right, you will be. But not here. Not now. Our children deserve to grow up in a place where they are safe and where they will always have two parents that will love them.”

Zoe looked up at him uncertainly. “So someday we’ll have a baby?”

“As many as you want,” Wash assured, leaning down to kiss her softly. People filed around them, whispering and pointing, obviously uncomfortable in Zoe and Wash’s presence. Noticing the stares, Wash straightened, breaking the kiss. Taking her hand in his, he gave it a gentle squeeze, but didn’t let go as they resumed their walk to the engine room.

“You don’t want Jayne to end up raising our baby, do you, dear?” he joked.

“So when we do have a baby,” Zoe began. “What do you want to name her?”

“Her?” Wash repeated. “I think we should come up with a name that could work regardless of whether it was a her or a him. Like Jayne. Think about it.”

“I’m not naming my daughter after Jayne,” she insisted. “Or my son for that matter.”

“I’ve always enjoyed the notion of scalding a young man named Junior,” Wash said hopefully.

Zoe laughed as they made the last proscribed turn and stepped into the engine room, startling a man hunched over the engine. “Uhm, excuse me, we’re looking for Kaylee.”

“Yes, yes! Pax Ba’al Merodach,” Telesto greeted. He mopped his brow with the sleeve of his yellow robes. “Well, she is, that is, she left. Returned to your ship. Along with the Shepherd.” He turned back to the engine. “Peace of Merodach be with you.”

The couple stood in the doorway a few moments, then slowly turned and started making their way back to the ship. After a few wrong turns, and many mumbled apologies, Zoe and Wash stepped back through the airlock and onto Serenity.

In the open space of the cargo hold, Mal and Jayne were tossing horseshoes. Wash leapt out of the way of a particularly ill-aimed toss by Jayne.

“Did you see the blissful couple safely home?” Mal asked.

“That we did, sir,” Zoe agreed.

“Guess I’ll go get ready to leave, seeing as we’re pretty much done here,” Wash said, starting up the stairs to the bridge. “Right?”

“Don’t go getting too ahead of yourself there,” Mal told him. He made a face as his horseshoe missed the mark. “We’re missing our mechanic, we’re missing our shepherd, and we’re missing our water, so we’re not leaving just yet.”

“We’re missing our water?” Wash asked.

“We’re missing Kaylee and Book?” Zoe said over her husband. “Didn’t they come back?”

“Because that’s what the flustered yellow guy said,” Wash added.

Mal shook his head. “Haven’t side a hair of either of them since they left.”

Wash shrugged. “Possible they could have gotten lost in that dirty old ship. Lost in those cramped, dank, crowded, dank…” He trailed off. “So, we’re missing our water?”

“Ammon’s graciously offered us sixty liters in addition to the complete Book of Merodach.”

“Is it… fire water?” Wash pressed. “Did he say how many visions it came with?”

“Not now, dear,” Zoe said. She turned back to the captain. “Sir, do you think one of us might maybe want to go looking for them? This side trip is starting to take a little longer than we’d planned.”

“We’ve still got a few hours before we’re late to Ananke,” Mal said. He tapped his chin thoughtfully while Jayne lined up his next shot. Jayne overthrew his horseshoe again.

Zoe turned to the captain. Mal had a deeply thoughtful expression on his face. “Sir?”

“I’m just a little confused, is all,” he admitted. “It shouldn’t be taking this long for Kaylee to fix up their ship. And Wash is right that they’ve been a little slow to get us our payment… although they were pretty quick with the great and fiery Book of Merodach.” He started out of the cargo bay towards the bridge. “I’m gonna go call our friend Ammon, see what he has to say about all this.”

On the bridge, Zoe and Book crowded over Mal’s shoulder as he sat down in front of the viewer. Wash took his customary pilot’s seat and pushed his dinosaurs around lazily. Jayne leaned on his elbow in the doorway, making a face.

“I’m dialing the ship now,” Wash announced, reaching up to flip a set of three switches.

Mal wiped at the tiny camera set above the viewscreen. Ammon appeared on the screen bearing a beatific expression. His fingers described an intricate symbol before his smiling visage and he made a little bow. “Captain Reynolds. It is my profound delight to speak with you again so soon, my dear friend. Peace of Merodach be with you in abundance. Have you discovered the Illuminated Path to the Enflamed Spirit as witnessed by the Twenty-Third Prophet of the Fiery Vision?”

“Uh, no, not actually,” Mal admitted. “Though I was hoping a prophet of some kind could illuminate the path back to Serenity for a few of my crewmembers.”

Ammon’s ear-to-ear smile widened. “If you are speaking of your engineer, Captain, allow me to put all your fears to rest. A scorching prophecy struck down my engineer nearly a week ago, prompting the young man to sabotage our vessel. You may have become informed of the truly wretched condition Merodach has placed us in as a test of faith. But no more! For in our time of trial, Merodach bestowed upon his sons and daughters a gift and a blessing. Serenity will carry the Blessed Light throughout the ‘verse, once she has been properly illumined. Your mechanic, though, has an even more glorious destiny, for she will be sacrificed to Esizkur, sitting aloft in the house of prayer, that his worshipers may bring their presents before him. That, from him, they may receive their assignments. Everything is as Merodach wills it.” Ammon raised his chin upward, brought his fists to his chest then bowed deeply.

“She ain’t a virgin!” Jayne offered loudly.

Mal glared over his shoulder then turned back to Ammon. “If you so much as lay a hand on her-“

“Please, Captain,” Ammon interjected, shaking his head sadly. “There is no need to resort to base threats. We are not barbarians; it is in fact a great honor to be offered up to Esizkur, sitting aloft in the house of prayer. Rejoice, for she shall see the light of Merodach. Now, please excuse me, Captain; preparations for the ceremony are almost complete and my presence is required.” Ammon disappeared from the screen.

Mal got to his feet. “Zoe, you’re with me, we’re going to go get our mechanic back, and then we’re leaving these nutjobs right where we found them. Jayne, you’ll stay aboard the ship, make sure none of Ammon’s crew gets aboard and tries to start illuminating things. Wash, get the ship started, and be ready to go as soon as we’re back.” He started out of the bridge.

“Sir? We’re going to get our shepherd back, too, right?” Zoe called after him.

“Yeah, him, too! And tell that doctor to be ready in case something goes terribly, horribly wrong!”

* * *

Something with the consistency of honey slid down the bridge of her nose, gathering in a pool on her upper lip. Kaylee tried to raise her hand to wipe away the offending substance, but something held her arm firmly to her side, so instead she licked it off with the tip of her tongue. The stuff was acrid, and she began to gag as it hit the back of her throat.

“Do you desire water?” a voice asked, and Kaylee opened her eyes to find Cayde, the young woman who had escorted her earlier, standing beside her. Weakly, she nodded, and Cayde held a cup to her lips while Kaylee washed the bitter taste from her mouth. After a moment, Cayde stepped back, and Kaylee pulled her wrists and ankles ineffectually against their bindings.

“What happened? What was that stuff? Why am I all tied up?” she asked, words quickened and jumbled by fear. Unfamiliar hands began rubbing a sticky, sweet lotion onto her stomach; she tried to jerk away, but was held fast at the hips.

“Do not be frightened,” Cayde said calmly as she reached out a finger covered in black goo and touched it to Kaylee’s cheek. “You were chosen as a virgin sacrifice to Merodach, to thank him for his many gifts. These ashes,” Cayde gestured to a bowl on a nearby table, “are of the Blazing Oracle of the Eleven Fiery Visions and will mark you so that Merodach will accept your Soulfire into his house of prayer. You are restrained to ensure that the preparations will be completed with all expediency.”

Kaylee’s laugh was high-pitched and slightly hysterical. “This has all been a huge misunderstanding. You can’t sacrifice me, I’m not a virgin, I have sex all the time. Every day. With any man that has a pulse, in fact, honest…”

Cayde gave her a look of profound pity. “It is a great honor to be chosen,” she repeated. “Do not disgrace yourself in the eyes of Merodach by lying.”

“I’m not lying!” Kaylee shouted in panic. “I’VE HAD SEX!” But her protests went unheard. Twisting her head wildly, her wide eyes fell upon another woman who had a very tight grasp on one of the little red frogs she had seen earlier in Serenity’s cargo hold. Without so much as a second thought, the woman dropped the frog into a bowl of blazing flames. The frog writhed in the inferno for a few moments before being incinerated. The cultist sprinkled water on the fire until it was extinguished; all that was left of the frog was smoke and a watery paste of ashes. Cayde took the cooling bowl from her colleague, dipped her finger in, and began to smear the still-warm remains onto Kaylee’s forehead.

* * *

Mal kicked aside trash and got his foot tangled in a discarded rag. He shook it off and stopped, biting his lip. “Zoe, I hate to have to ask you this in such a dire situation.”

“Sir?”

“Do you have any idea where we are?”

“In fact I don’t, sir,” Zoe admitted. “I was just following you.”

“I was expecting some weird chanting or humming or conflagrations to illumine our way,” he explained. “I didn’t think we’d actually have to search the whole gorram ship.” He took a step back from the intersection as the sound of racing footsteps approached from the opposite direction. Mal put his foot out and a cultist tripped and sprawled on the deck. He pushed himself halfway to his feet and the captain hauled him the rest of the way. “Hi. Maybe you could give us some directions.” The young man stammered. Mal rolled his eyes. “Look, kid, we ain’t gonna hurt ya. Unless you and your friends’ve done something to deserve it.”

“Pax Ba’al Merodach!” the youth finally managed to blubber out loudly.

“Yeah, we got that. Why don’t you take us off towards that ceremony you’re late for, and we can all have the peace of Merodach,” Mal suggested, tapping his pistol against the cultist’s forehead. His guide nodded, speechless and gestured down the corridor. Mal set him back on his feet and motioned for Zoe to follow.

“We, we,” the boy began. He seemed to collect himself. “Merodach has truly blessed us with your presence.”

“Kid, I’m really not looking to be hearing about that right now,” Mal said. He waited as the cultist smoothed his yellow robes out and straightened his back. “This the place?”

The cultist nodded. “The Glorious Ritual of Searing Incandescent Consumption will begin shortly.” He sniffed. “It is not for those of the Smoldering Soulfires.”

“Just open it up.”

The doors opened and Percival greeted the late arrival with a frown. “Merodach does not lightly forgive tardiness, Daffyd. Merodach demands the strictest adherence to his Illuminated Path. Merodach requires all his sons to rise as one in the glorious dawn of his-“ The High Priest stopped as he became aware of Mal and Zoe. His expression brightened. “Pax Ba’al Merodach. It is good that you are here to witness the Incandescent Consumption.” He began to lead them into the chamber. “Few are ever blessed enough to be present at such a glorious ritual and for those of you who know the Consumed, it is truly an incomparable honor.”

“I think you’ve mistaken our presence,” Mal said, raising his voice. Percival looked puzzled, then stepped aside. Mal looked down into the chamber. He was standing atop a short flight of stairs that led into a sunken assembly area that appeared to be a refitted cargo bay. Cultists were standing nearly shoulder-to-shoulder, their robes darkening in color from yellow on the outermost edges toward the deep maroon surrounding a short bier upon which rested Kaylee. Ammon stood beside her, apparently leading his followers in a prayer.

“Tuku, whose holy spell their mouths shall murmur, who with his holy charm has uprooted all the evil ones,” Ammon intoned. The throng of robes echoed his words back. “Gibil, who maintains the sharp point of the weapon, who creates artful works in the battle with Tiamat.” He paused and continued. “Merodach, who is firm in his order. His command unalterable. The utterance of his mouth, no god shall change. When he looks he does not turn away his neck. When he is angry, no god can withstand his wrath. Vast is his mind, broad his sympathy. Sinner and transgressor will be confounded before him. The teaching which the leader has voiced in his presence shall be as the True Word of Merodach.”

“Hey!” Mal yelled, announcing himself. “I’ve got some true words of my own to share with y’all. And they start with requiring the timely return of my mechanic you’ve got all trussed up there.”

“Captain,” Ammon bowed his head. “It is good that you are here. I-“

“Not interested.” Mal raised his pistol. “Now, I don’t have any particular kind of problem with people following Merodach into his wonderful inferno, but when you get to taking my crew along with you, well, then we’ve got a problem.”

“This is a sacred journey that she must undertake in order to fulfill her destiny as written in the Nineteenth Prophecy of the Tablet of Destinies,” Percival insisted fiercely. He took a step back as Mal pointed the pistol at him.

“We’re kind of into making our own destinies on Serenity,” Mal told him. He took a few steps down into the chamber, keeping his pistol trained on Ammon. “Now turn her loose. Or I’ll be helping you along to the hot place before your time.”

“We will not.” Ammon turned and dipped the sunburst brand he held into a nearby container. He brought it back out and stepped towards Kaylee, who watched fearfully.

“Captain!” Kaylee exclaimed. “Tell them I’m not a virgin!” Acid dripped from the brand onto the hem of her white robes, hissing as they burned through the cloth.

“She’s not!” Mal agreed. He swallowed. “In fact, I’ve slept with her many a time.” He nodded towards Zoe. “Her, too. Kaylee did, I mean. So let’s let the nice not-virgin mechanic go and we can call it a day.”

Ammon hesitated, then raised the brand.

Mal brandished his gun and cocked it. “Put it down. Or I swear to Merodach, I will end you.”

“Namtillaku, the god who maintains life.” Ammon chanted as the brand descended.

Mal’s finger curled around the trigger and squeezed. The customary bang which typically accompanied the act was replaced by a hollow click. He held up the barrel to a cursory inspection, re-aimed and again tried to fire. He looked back at Zoe, confused and desperate. Her gun also failed to behave appropriately.

“Your weapons will be of no use here, while we are under the sacred protection of Merodach,” Ammon informed him as he plunged the brand towards Kaylee’s navel.

Mal and Zoe surged forward into the assembled cultists, spurred on by Kaylee’s anguished cry of pain. The crowd slowly parted as the captain shoved his way towards the center. He broke through the last few ranks, only to be suddenly restrained by a pair of cultists who wrestled him away from Kaylee.

“Namu Pax Ba’al Merodach,” many of the cultists said in unison.

“If you mean that by way of apology,” Mal grunted. “It’s not quite enough.”

“I fear, Captain,” Ammon said, replacing the holy brand of Merodach beside the bier. “That the Peace of Merodach will be slow in coming to you.” He produced a lead chalice, filled it with acid, and held it over Kaylee’s trembling lips. “Kingu’s blood, from which mankind was created, will purify you.”

“Stop.” The voice rang out in the eerie silence of the assembly area, seeming to emanate from the very walls of the chamber.

“This is the will of Merodach!” Ammon snapped.

“But it is not the will of Ea.” Mal looked up to see River appear at the top of the stairs.

“Ea gave herself to the power of Merodach long ago, child.” Ammon stared at her hard, impatience and condescension coloring his tone. “Now leave us. You disgrace Merodach and the sacred place in which we worship him.”

“Ea abdicated her throne above the gods to her son, provided that he ruled justly over the mortal and the divine.” River took one step forward, her bare toes hanging over the lip of the stairs. “But he has not.”

“Merodach has reigned for thousands of years,” Ammon answered. The pitcher filled with Kingu’s blood was still clenched tightly in his hands, but he seemed not to notice. His knuckles had gone white against the dark patina of the lead. “Shazu, who knows the heart of the gods, who subdues the insubmissive, from who the evil-doer cannot escape.” He sneered. “Do not come crawling back to me now, Ea, a shadow of what you once were, begging for your former glory.”

“I am your mother!” River shouted. “Whatever powers you may have had were given to you by me, Marduk, and I and no other can seize them from you! You may think you know the hearts of the gods, my son, but they have turned from you in fear. You demand sacrifices, demand pain. You have strayed from the path I left for you to follow.”

“Your path was for fools, mother,” Ammon spat. His pupils glinted large and black against the blue of his irises. “Do not forget that it was I that slew Tiamat and Kingu, twin dragons of Chaos, and from them created the cosmos and mankind. And the gods cried, ‘Nebiru, you uphold the course of the stars of heaven, may you shepherd all the gods like sheep!’ Even you, mother, proclaimed thus: ‘He whose names his fathers have glorified, he is indeed even as I; his name shall be Ea.’”

“But with my blessings came commands: ‘All my combined rites he shall administer; all my instructions he shall carry out!’” River closed a fist and raised it to her chest. “You have ignored my teachings, Marduk. The gods have spoken, and it is their word that you must obey now, not they yours.”

“When you were unable to kill Tiamat you turned to me, in you weakness and cowardice. And now you dare challenge me, your savior and your protector? You cannot match my strength; even my son Nabu outstrips your might.” Ammon paced in agitation, occasionally glancing down at Kaylee’s still form. “If devotion from the gods is too much to ask, surely to demand it from mankind, my creation, is my right as sovereign.”

“The price of allegiance that you and your son exact is far too high. You may not take this girl before her time.” She lifted her chin imperiously. “We will not permit it.”

“She is mine to sacrifice as I please! Nabu has given her to me!” Ammon’s hand descended swiftly atop the brand recently imprinted upon Kaylee. His fingers clutched harshly at her flesh.

“It is clear that I cannot reason with you. Your reign is at an end. The holy storm of my wrath shall wash your taint from this world.” River tipped her head back, her long dark hair running down her shoulders like water. “I am now as Arilma, the exalted one, who tears off the crown.”

Ammon let the blood of Kingu fall at his feet. He spoke with a slowly mounting menace, until his voice rose to a shrill cry that set his followers back in fear. “As is written in the Enuma Elish, ‘He is truly the Son of the Sun, most radiant of gods is he, in his brilliant light may they walk forever. Creation, destruction, deliverance, grace- shall be by his command!’ I am Merodach! I am Ea!”

“None but I shall claim that name.” River held her arms out, her elbows at her sides, and her palms opened upwards.

Ammon fell silent, his mouth open in voiceless agony. He doubled over in pain as deeply crimson tears flowed from the corner of his eyes. The cult leader gasped for air and clutched at his head. His eyes rolled up as he fell to his knees, fluid dripping from his ears. His back convulsed once, then he slumped sideways and lay still. A final breath escaped his bloody lips, oddly loud in the silence surrounding him.

The assembled cultists turned their attention to River. One by one, they knelt and lowered their heads before her. Mal and Zoe exchanged bewildered glances, until Mal shrugged and got to his feet. They quickly freed Kaylee from her bindings and helped her up. She faltered, and Mal scooped her up in his arms. He stepped quickly around the prostrate cultists and hurried up the steps past River. Zoe paused behind him, making sure the cult remained pacified before slipping out of the chamber. River spared one final glance at the congregation, and then she, too, was gone.

* * *

“How’re you feeling, Kaylee?” the captain asked as he maneuvered through the dingy corridor.

She mumbled something about scarcely being more terrified in her life, and then sniffled, “Don’t think my daddy’ll take too much to my new decoration, either.”

“He don’t have to hear about it, none,” Mal assured her. He looked over his shoulder to see Zoe and River keeping pace behind.

“Wash, get ready to go, we’re almost back,” Zoe was saying into the comm. She looked back at the captain. “You missed a turn, sir.”

Mal turned to his left. “Did I now?” He looked down a corridor where the sound of ceiling panels straining under some mysterious force was growing especially loud. The grating gave way, depositing Shepherd Book unceremoniously on the rust-stained deck. “Shepherd Book! How pleasant of you to join us.”

Book got to his feet quickly. “Captain, I believe Kaylee is-“ He stopped as Kaylee waved at him from Mal’s arms.

“You weren’t about to tell me she’s in some kind of terrible, horrible danger, now, were you?” Mal asked with a smirk. “Cause I think we got that handled. We’re making our way off this boat of crazies. You’re free to join us, unless you’re of a mind to stay and preach the good word here.”

“I think I’ll keep to passage aboard Serenity for now. You sinners give me enough to do as it is,” Book replied lightly. “It looks like I missed all the excitement, having got all turned around in the Amaterasu’s innards.”

“Yeah,” agreed Mal, making his way down the corridor leading to the airlock. “Where were you about that? We were all set to make another trip back to look for you, soon as we dropped Kaylee here off with the doctor.”

“Well, I’m glad to save you the trouble.” Book took a step to his right as River slipped past him to get ahead of Mal. He reached out and touched her arm lightly. “Where are you in such a hurry to get to?”

River stared back at him, looking almost stunned. “The son of Marduk is rising.”

Book stared after her for a few moments before turning to Mal. “I’m surprised you let her tag along.”

“That ain’t the half of it.” Mal trailed off as he stepped through the airlock, almost bumping into River. He began to step around her when he saw Jayne, slumped unconscious beside the airlock controls. Near the far end of the cargo bay was a small girl in a yellow dress. Her blue eyes drifted slowly to meet each of the returning crew in turn, sparking a momentary flash of recognition in Book, before returning to meet River’s steady gaze.

River took a step forward, a move eerily mirrored by Himalia. They both lowered their chins, eyes fixed on each other. Without a word, they began to circle one another, prowling the deck on the pads of their feet. When they stopped it was simultaneous and decisive, toes digging into the metal grating. Their eyes had remained locked throughout, and the gaze that passed between them seemed to intensify as they stood silently. Neither blinked as droplets of blood ran down their cheeks. The lights aboard Serenity flickered, fizzled, then went out entirely. When they came back on, both Himalia and River lay crumpled on the floor. For a moment, no one moved, but Mal was quick to take charge.

“Zoe, get her off my ship,” he ordered with a nod towards Himalia.

“Yes, sir.” After a moment of hesitation, Zoe slipped one arm behind the girl’s back and another under her knees and lifted her to her chest. She deposited her in the Amaterasu’s corridor, closing the cult ship’s space door behind her as she ran back to Serenity.

Simon looked out from the common area. “What was…River?” Running over to his sister’s body, he bent down and pressed two fingers to her neck. Temporarily satisfied, he glanced up, noticing Kaylee still in Mal’s arms and Jayne sprawled out. “What happened?”

“We’ve got three patients for you, Doctor,” Mal answered as he leaned over and gently passed Kaylee to Book. Stepping over Jayne, he fumbled with the airlock controls, annoyed but not surprised to find them inoperative. With a muffled curse, he hit the intercom. “Wash, get us gone.”

“Aren’t we still, uh, you know-“

“Yes. Close up the doors and go.” He felt something brush against his leg and looked down to see Zoe kneeling next to Jayne.

“He’ll be okay, sir,” she said. The ship lunched beneath them as Serenity tore herself away from the Amaterasu. With a final shudder they were free. Grabbing him under the armpits, Zoe and Mal began the long process of dragging Jayne’s limp body across the cargo hold to the infirmary.

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again,” Mal grunted, digging his heels into the deck. “He’s heavier than he looks.”

* * *

Serenity broke orbit from Ananke a day later, making its way back towards Persephone for a rendezvous with Inara. After Wash made sure they were locked properly on course, he sat back and produced a battered text from beneath his seat and opened it. He cleared his throat, looked at the dinosaurs assembled, sitting in rapt attention on the console, then began reading, “Suhgurim, creator of the gods, his fathers, who roots out the enemies, destroys their progeny, who frustrates their doings, leaving nothing of them. May his name be evoked and spoken in the land!” He lowered the text. “So what do you guys think? Are you ready for the visions part?”

He got to his feet and headed down to the mess, where the fruit Ammon had brought aboard was under the careful scrutiny of River. He came to a stop at the opposite end of the table as River cocked her head and grabbed at the fruit, consuming it with a voracious passion in seconds. She looked up at Wash with fruit stains around her mouth and smiled mischievously.

Wash leaned against the back of a chair. “Any visions yet?”

* * *

In the common area outside the infirmary, Kaylee stared at the bandages covering her belly. “It’s still there,” she said to Simon as he sat down beside her. “And it’s starting to itch a little.”

“Well, given the proper equipment, once it’s healed, we could have the scar removed. Wouldn’t leave a trace to speak of.”

Kaylee wiggled her toes. “Where’d we get the proper equipment?”

Simon blanched. “Uhm, well, an Alliance hospital would, would probably have what we need.”

“Oh.” Kaylee’s face fell.

“But you know,” Simon spoke up quickly. “I think, I, uh, I kinda like it.”

“Really?” Kaylee’s toes started wiggling again.

“Uhm, yeah. It has a, I mean, it’s very… unique!”

Kaylee beamed. “Ain’t that something!” She half-turned and gave Simon a quick peck on the cheek.

* * *

Mal picked up his horseshoes and crossed over to the post at the other end of the cargo bay. He waited for Jayne to catch up with him before tossing. “Well, your aim hasn’t improved any for you being taken out by a creepy little cult girl.”

“I’m telling you, Mal, she must’ve had help. One of those big, burly types,” Jayne insisted as he took his turn.

Leaning against a stack of crates, Zoe teased, “She couldn’t have been more than six or seven years old, Jayne.”

“Not exactly burly, either,” Book added.

“Maybe came up to your kneecaps,” agreed Mal.

Zoe got up to embrace Wash as he came down the steps into the hold. “Hey, you’ll never guess who’s having fiery visions up in the mess.”

“Are we on course to meet up with the Ambassador?” Mal asked.

“We are on our merry, fiery way,” Wash answered. The pilot made a face. “I really wish we’d gotten a hold of that firewater Ammon promised us. I could go for eleven visions right about now.”

“Speaking of firewater,” Mal said. “It was a shame we unloaded all of Neveu’s rum on Ananke.”

“Rum?” Jayne repeated. “Why didn’t anyone tell me we were carrying rum?”

“Why do you think, Jayne?” Zoe asked ironically.

“If it meant a choice between seeing you passed out from rum or passed out because you got beat up by a little girl, I know what I’d pick,” Wash offered.

Jayne made a face at Wash while Mal took his turn. “What happened with all them cultists anyway? You just left ‘em kneeling? How do we know they won’t come after us?”

“Well, we broke their airlock pretty good,” Zoe said. “Although I shut the spacedoor before getting off, so they should have plenty of atmo. Don’t think Kaylee actually fixed their engine, but if it was one of them sabotaged it in the first place, they can probably fix it.”

“Or good old Merodach’ll send some other blessing their way,” Mal said as his horseshoe hit the pole with a clang.

“His ways are mysterious,” Wash reminded him. He responded to the quizzical expression on Zoe’s face by raising his eyebrows in imitation. “What?”

“So, tell me, Shepherd,” Mal began. “You spent quite a bit of time over there, are you ready to convert yet?”

“Oh, it’ll take quite a bit more than wolf in sheep’s clothing to catch me off-guard,” Book replied.

Mal put his horseshoes away and turned back to face Book. He suppressed a laugh as he spotted River, dried fruit juice still ringing her mouth, stepping into the cargo bay.

“Sheep without a shepherd, have to find their own way.”

“Well that sure cleared up a whole lot,” Jayne grumbled.

Mal nodded sagely and looked up towards the scaffolding where he’d caught a flash of yellow out of the corner of his eye. But when he looked, there was no one there. Just a trick of the light.

* * *

Fin