INT. SERENITY – CARGO HOLD – CONTINUOUS

Haymer addresses the other bidders while Mal rushes down the stairs, followed by Inara and Wash.

MAL: You're welcome to bid, same as anyone else.

HAYMER Why should I bid on something that was stolen from me?

BELOV Stolen property, this is? You did not say that, Inara.

Mal and Haymer now stand face-to-face, and it seems fairly likely that no good will come of it. Inara tries to intervene.

INARA: Mr. Haymer, I'm sure we can sort this out—

Incoherent conversation erupts as everyone begins speaking at once, mostly yelling. Jayne and Zoe inch closer to the captain.

BELOV Perhaps we could see the artifact, now.

LECOINTE (sarcastic) Yes, let us see the Lassiter. Perhaps it has Mister Haymer's name on it, no?

EXT. SERENITY – SAME TIME

Kaylee and her father are now working on the port ENGINE POD. As Simon approaches with a tray of sandwiches, they seem to hit a snag.

MISTER FRYE: Gorram— (noticing Simon) Doc, would you mind runnin’ to my workshop? This coupler done snapped!

He holds the COUPLER up, so Simon should have no problem finding an item that looks the same.

MONTAGE OF QUICK INTERCUT SCENES

—Inara in her shuttle, opens the safe. Inside is the Lassiter box.

—Simon rushes across the field toward the house and the workshed behind it.

—Inara returns to the crowd in the cargo hold carrying the Lassiter box.

—Simon approaches the workshed.

—Inara places the box on one of the tables. The bidders gather close.

—Simon reaches the open door of the workshed.

—Inara opens the box…

INT. MISTER FRYE’S WORKSHOP – SAME TIME

Simon spots River, beaten and unconscious, balled up in the fetal position.

INT. SERENITY – CARGO HOLD – SAME TIME

The box is empty. Everyone peers at it.

MAL: Huh.

A beat, then a flurry of activity as Haymer’s bodyguards draw their weapons and point them at Mal and the crew. Zoe and Jayne draw their own in response, while Wash puts his hands up.

With all the other weapons out, the remaining bodyguards draw their own weapons, distracting some of Haymer’s bodyguards from the crew.

In the middle of this, Mal, Inara, Haymer, Belov and Lecointe continue as if guns haven’t been drawn.

MAL (cont’d): (to Haymer) How did you—

LECOINTE You are mocking us.

BELOV (to Inara) This is not amusing. I postponed my daughter's wedding for this. HAYMER I've had enough of this.

Although Haymer doesn’t have a gun, two of his men have weapons trained on Mal. They, in turn, are the targets of Jayne and Zoe.

Mal looks at Inara for some sort of answer. INARA: Mal, I don’t know! It’s been in my safe since you brought it back.

LECOINTE (to Inara) I am disappointed. I can’t believe I’ve come all this way for such as farce. (to Mal) You are incompetent, sir.

HAYMER (to Mal) If I didn't know better, I'd think he was telling the truth. Where are you hiding my gun?

BELOV I had expected better from a Companion. Come.

He motions to his bodyguards and the three of them head toward the ramp.

INARA Wait!

She goes to speak to Belov while Mal continues to face off against Haymer. MAL: I ain’t hiding the gun. Who do you think I am, Saffron? (beat, as Haymer stares uncomprehending) …Yolanda.

HAYMER (calm) Do you want to provoke me into a murderous rage, Mr. Reynolds?

In the background, Belov shakes his head angrily at Inara and stalks out.

LECOINTE (furious, to Mal) This is my cue to bow out as well. It is clear that you have deceived us, Mister Reynolds.

INARA: Jean, wait!

Lecointe brushes Inara off as he and his men leave the ship.

MAL: That what this is about, Haymer? Runnin’ off the competition to put an end to my auction?

HAYMER This auction is indeed over. Now show me where you've hidden my gun. (beat) I'm not playing, Mister Reynolds. I will tear this ship into ten thousand pieces if that will restore me my property.

Before Mal can respond, Kaylee rushes in.

KAYLEE Captain—!

She takes in the scene and cuts herself off. Mal gives her a “Go on” look.

KAYLEE (cont’d): River’s hurt, Captain. Says it was Barrett—

MAL: Barrett, that {leprous panda-kisser}! Jonah okay?

KAYLEE Still with Book. But, Cap’n, River says she had the Lassiter, and they took—

Haymer looks around, clearly amazed by the lot of them.

HAYMER {Buddha protect me from liars and fools}, this story doesn’t even make sense, Captain!

Mal ignores him and goes to Kaylee. He motions for Zoe and Jayne to follow as well.

HAYMER (cont’d): Captain! Where do you think you’re going? I want my gun back.

MAL: (walking out) So do I.

INT. FRYE HOUSE – LIVING ROOM – DAY

River is lying on the couch, but otherwise, it’s standing room only, with an odd sense of crowded community. Mal and Simon stand over River, Book a half-step away with a protective hand on Jonah’s shoulder.

Haymer’s inside with four of his bodyguards, and Inara is at his side, hand on his arm, whispering to him, calming him. Zoe has her eye on the bodyguards.

The Fryes and Kaylee look on with concern from the edge of the room, while Jayne, Wash, and the remaining bodyguards are on the porch looking in through the windows.

MAL Your sister okay?

SIMON Does she look okay to you, captain?

MAL: (sighs) How’d she end up with the gun?

SIMON: Captain, I don’t know—

MAL “Captain, I don’t know.” That’s a yarn I’m tired of hearin’ from you. Best you learn a new one to spin!

RIVER Was fixing it. Make the broken little swan fly straight. MAL: (finding a target for his frustrations) FIX IT?!? (exasperated) It's an antique. You don't fix antiques! It ruins them!

River lays back in the couch, pondering that.

JAYNE (OS): Mal…

Jayne’s holding the door open for Randy Durham.

RANDY Captain Reynolds…

HAYMER Oh, and now what local actor is this in our ludicrous play?

Mal goes to Randy by the door. Haymer also follows.

RANDY Barrett asked me to deliver a message.

MAL He did now, did he?

RANDY: He wants to offer a deal— MAL: Only deal he’ll get from me’s six feet o' dirt!

RANDY: Says he’ll trade the gun for the property. (looks down) Says he’ll throw the boy’s grandmother into the bargain. Doesn’t want any Luhans, um, sullying, I think was the word, he used, his lands.

MAL: (to HAYMER) See? I ain't got it.

HAYMER Barring the possibility that this is simply another trick of yours, why should I not then deal with this Barrett?

Mal ignores him, looks back at Randy to see if there’s more. Randy looks uncomfortable, glances at Jonah across the room.

RANDY (cont’d): (quietly) His boys tell me he’s even having Jack Luhan’s body dug up on account o’ he ain’t a Barrett and shouldn’t be in the family plot.

JAYNE (spits) That ain’t right.

HAYMER Very well, Captain. I will prolong this farce one step further.

RANDY: Is there anything I can do?

Mal nods.

EXT. LUHAN FARM – WOODS – NIGHT

Zoe stalks through the woods, followed by Jayne, who stumbles over a root but rights himself quietly. We see that they are near the Luhan house, on the opposite side of the road.

Zoe halts, raising a hand for Jayne to stop.

EXT. LUHAN FARMHOUSE – PORCH – NIGHT

Barrett, Samuels, and two of the other BOYS sit on the porch, peering into the night. To their left is the road, then the ranch lands, ahead and to their right the garden and then woods. Mal emerges from the woods straight ahead.

BARRETT Here he comes.

SAMUELS Think he’ll deal?

BARRETT: Course not.

They ready their weapons.

Mal, alone, approaches to within yelling distance, holding his hands up.

MAL: Now, as you can see, I come to trade—

BARRETT: Got a better idea. (quietly, so only his men can hear) Now.

A SNIPER in a tree behind Mal fires on Mal, who dives for the cover of a LOW WALL as bullets fly by him. Barrett and his boys take cover on the porch and fire as well, trying to catch him in a crossfire.

EXT. LUHAN FARM – WOODS – SAME TIME

Zoe and Jayne hear the GUNFIRE and scan the trees, looking for the apparent sniper.

JAYNE: Gorrammit, where is he?

Zoe points.

EXT. LUHAN FARMHOUSE – SAME TIME

Mal fires back at the porch, inching up to get a better angle at the porch, and is nearly killed by the sniper. He looks in the direction of the woods

MAL: (muttering) Any time would be good…

Then, the CRACK of a rifle.

EXT. LUHAN FARM – WOODS – SAME TIME

Jayne lowers his rifle as the sniper crashes down.

EXT. LUHAN FARMHOUSE – NIGHT

Zoe and Jayne have joined Mal. Things aren't much better—the gunfight's still a draw, both sides firing from cover. Then the gunfire from the porch slackens.

EXT. LUHAN FARM – ROAD – SAME TIME

Coming out of the darkness are Wash and Mister Frye, as well as Haymer and three of his bodyguards, all armed.

And behind them, Randy leads a CROWD of more than two dozen locals, including boys and old men. They look a bit nervous and are armed with a variety of weapons, from fowling rifles to pistols, torches to pitchforks, but there are enough of them to be a threat.

EXT. LUHAN FARM – PORCH – SAME TIME

Barrett’s boys are starting to get a little edgy, and stop firing, unsure of whether to try and gun down the townsfolk.

SAMUELS Steady, fellas.

BARRETT Stand true, boys, this don’t change nothin’.

The men look at each other. They’re not so sure.

EXT. LUHAN FARM – SAME TIME

Mal gets up and approaches to within thirty feet of the porch, as the posse spreads out behind him, surrounding the front of the house.

All told, Barrett has as little more than a dozen BOYS. Some of Barrett’s boys open windows and point rifles out, while others join him on the porch, including Peete, who pushes Grandma Luhan, a rifle to her back. Barrett stands partially behind her, using her as a human shield.

Jayne scowls at that.

Mal and Barrett eyeball each other as their groups adjust, aiming, pointing weapons, and posturing.

MAL: I want what’s mine.

BARRETT So do I.

Behind Mal, the posse is getting fidgety. Could be they don’t particularly like seeing Grandma Luhan threatened.

MAL You walk away now, Barrett, maybe we’ll let you go in peace.

BARRETT: Brave talk, for a man shot a innocent woman dead just yesterday. Plannin’ to send her some company?

Mal keeps his fury in check. Barely.

MAL: Was an accident, plain and true. (beat. Mal looks down) Wish to God it hadn’t happened.

Beat. Complete silence. Then rumbles from the posse.

RANDY: He ain't the one tryin’ to steal someone’s home!

JAYNE Or threatenin’ no poor ol’ lady! POSSE MEMBER And he ain't tore up our crops, neither!

POSSE MEMBER 2 Or extorted nothing!

Things are turning against Barrett. He can sense that some of his boys are starting to lose their nerve. He stands casually, as if nothing is going wrong.

BARRETT: Well, I don't mean to stay out here all night. Got some fixin’ to do to my house. So why don’t you all get a move on!

He makes a shooing motion with his hand.

BARRETT (cont’d): Go on back to your homes, ‘fore someone gets hurt!

RANDY: No, Barrett. You'll answer for what you done!

BARRETT: Here's the only answer you'll get!

Barrett reaches inside his coat and pulls out a WEAPON.

Barrett points it at Randy and FIRES.

Randy falls back dead, flesh charring, shirt afire. It’s no bullet that killed him.

Haymer’s eyes go wide as he recognizes THE LASSITER.