Our dear Father, who art throughout the heavens, praise and glory be to thy name. Your graciousness overwhelms me, your mercy gives me life, your joy gives me strength. May your name be praised on every earth, may every star hear your children call 'Glory to God in the Highest.' And Lord, I ask specially, that your name be praised and your work be done on my ship, on Serenity.
* * *
Harpper's Point spun through space elegantly. Sitting on a giant asteroid Harpper, the domed city never saw the same stars two nights in a row. With a circumference of nearly 100 kilometers, there was room enough for sixty ships to dock at a time. Though it claimed to be a simple fueling station when the Alliance asked, the place was known to Captains and cutthroats around the known planets to be a den of debauchery as well as a place of business. Serenity, she was going there to get some fuel. Inara and Kaylee, with River in their wake, were going there to play dress up. Zoe and Wash were going there to relax. Jayne was going there for a good time. But the Captain, he was going there to get them a job, and good Doctor Tam had already found one.
* * *
Kaylee's hands flew to her neck. "Really, he said that?"
"Yes," Inara said with a coy smile. "It shows good breeding. You should have heard what Wash said."
"Well, what makes a neck pretty?" the young engineer said, feeling her throat trying to figure out exactly what in it could be admirable.
"The curve," Inara said helpfully, "the length. If you think about it, properly accentuated, the neck really can be alluring."
"Accentuated how?" Kaylee asked. "With necklaces?"
"And a dress cut properly," Inara said. "Don't worry, we'll be sure to find something that makes your neck look elegant."
Kaylee laughed and looked away, "I feel so silly . . ."
"No," Inara insisted. "Don't. There's nothing wrong in wanting men, or a man in particular, to notice you."
"I know," Kaylee said, her cheeks were bright red, "I just . . ." Her attention was suddenly pulled away as River's nervous face peeped around the corner of the dressing room. "Hey, sweetie," Kaylee said kindly, "Let's see how ya look."
Very timidly, River stepped out of the dressing room and stood in front of Kaylee and Inara, who had been relaxing and talking in overstuffed arm chairs for nearly twenty minuets while the girl gathered the nerve to model her new outfit.
"Aw, River, that looks great!" Kaylee said excitedly. "Inara, Don'that look great?"
"It seems to give her life," Inara observed. "Yellow is definitely your color, sweetheart."
River didn't say anything, she just blushed and nervously garbbed at the edges of the short black ruffled skirt.
"You won't be to cold, will you River?" Inara said, pushing herself out of the deep chair with some effort. "We could get a shirt to go under this."
River shook her head, "I like it," she said so softly that Kaylee, who was struggling to get out of her chair, didn't hear her.
"Maybe a shawl, then," Inara said, examining River and wondering what Simon would think. The ruffled black cotton skirt cut off about an inch or so from the girls knee. Above the skirt was a yellow corset made primarily out of velvet and accented with black lace. It was not anything Inara would have ever worn herself, but she had a feeling that the protective doctor would take one look at the outfit and decide the Companion was a bad influence on his sweet innocent sister.
"Tha's just so bright," Kaylee said. Finally free from the chair she wondered around the girl to get the full affect of the outfit. "I mean, I know it's silly 'cause it's mostly black, but River, you look cheery. It's nice. You look nice."
River blushed and started chewing on her lower lip, "Thank you," she muttered softly.
"Well, I
think we've found River's dress," Inara said, placing her hand on the girl's
head and running it down the long brown hair as she tuned to the engineer with
an expectant smile. "Now it's Kaylee's turn.
I don't suppose, River, that you know what kind of dresses Simon likes?"
River looked at Inara like she
was crazy, "Simon doesn't wear dresses."
Inara opened her mouth to clarify but she didn't get the chance. Kaylee burst into laughter.
"Kaylee," Inara said, "Are you all right?"
"Fine," Kaylee gasped, "Just, she said that an' I got this picture in my head a Simon in a pretty calico skirt an' . . ." she was lost in her laughter.
"Simon doesn't have a calico skirt," River said, a little more insistently. "He doesn't wear dresses."
Inara drew her hand to her mouth and tried to hold back her own stream of giggles.
* * *
Kurt and his two companions, Vio (who said very little) and Izard (who had the money), escorted Simon through Old Cash's ship, the Betty-Lou. It was easily ten times the size of Serenity, and much cleaner. Simon was sure that, somewhere, there were dark oily corners and metal catwalks with sharp edges. But everything on the Betty-Lou looked clean and neat, like the world Simon was used to. This place was not a place of surprises, death didn't lurk in the shadows and insanity didn't roam these halls. The ship seemed full of people, men and women in bright blue jumpsuits, all going about their business, ignoring the doctor. The place felt crowded, busy. In short it was everything Serenity was not. And when they reached their destination, the Captain's quarters, Simon realized why. Old Cash was everything that Malcolm Reynolds was not.
"Di'ja er bai wu's bring the meg gu sai fu?" An strong voice folded in the darkness of the plush room said.
"Yes sir, Li'll Cash" Izard said promptly. "This here doctor was trained in Capitol City. Real good find."
"City doctor?" Li'll Cash snorted. As Simon's eyes adjusted to the darkness he realized that there was a bed with a large fat man on it, presumably Old Cash. Next to the bed a younger fat man, presumably Li'll Cash, was sitting with a large riffle on his knee. "Let's see him, Vio, let's have some light."
Vio didn't answer but soon the room was flooded with bright light, Simon had to blink a few times before he could see properly. The two Cash's were defiantly related, probably father and son. The older Fat man was jaundice, drenched in sweat and unconscious. Simon broke away from his guard and speed to the large man. The first thing the doctor noticed was a large, blood soaked bandage on the right side of the man's lower abdomen. Simon carefully started removing the bandages to look at the wound and assess the damage. "How long ago did this happen?"
The Doctor's question was ignored. Instead Li'll Cash stood and leveled his rifle at Simon's head. "You're gonna make my father better," the younger man said gruffly.
Simon glanced up from his very urgent, very delicate work. "I'm going to try."
"That wasn't a request," the man said, cocking the gun. "That was an order."
To Be Continued . . .
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