"Can you tell us the story now, Captain?" Robby asked, a little impatiently. "Please, sir?"
"Right," Mal said, taking a deep breath, "the ghost story. Now, this all happened a bit ago, but not so long. It started out like any normal trip fer us on Serenity. We were headed from Persephone to Boros, a trip of a couple days. We had a mess a passengers too, remember that 'Nara?"
"Quite clearly," Inara said cautiously.
"One of your passengers died?" Evangeline asked, wide eyed.
"Hold up here, the story's getting' ahead of itself a bit," Mal said. "We did have a mess a passengers. Ah, there was this married man go to visit his wife's sister on Boros, he was a real odd ball, 'meber him Inara?"
"Not so much," the companion said, feeling this lie was sounding a little too true.
"And a doctor,"
"Doctor Tambarino?" Evangeline asked.
"Naw," Mal said casually, "Didn't pick him up till later. There was some other passengers, Can't remember quite clearly. What I do remember, though, was this girl."
"How old was she?" Evangeline asked.
"Bout seventeen, I think. That right 'Nara?"
"As far as I know," Inara said.
"Paid her fare in cash, had no luggage and this haunted look about her, right? Like she thought someone was followin' her. She didn't say nothin' ta anyone, stayed locked in her room as much as could be done. Then, bout a day in ta the trip, a flag comes up over the cortex, got this girls picture on it. Says she's the daughter of some rich dandy an' that she's been kidnapped."
He paused very dramatically. The children were hanging on his every word. Perhaps, more importantly, so was Inara.
"What did you do?" Robby finally asked.
"Well, I went ta her bunk and knocked on her door real polite and asked her what the whole thing was all 'bout. I did no more'n mention the cortex and she bursts in tears. Turns out her family'd been plenty rich when she was born, but her pa was a real dunce when it came ta money and squandered the whole a the family fortune. So, pa'd practically sold her ta this man, this . . . ugly, cruel, blubberus, rich old man. Was the night before the wedding and she'd begged her parents ta call the thing off, but they had none a that. So she took all the cash she could find and ran away. She'd used up the last a her money to buy the ticket on Serenity, an' she'd have nothin' waitin' for her on Boros.
"Well, that didn't hardly seem right, so I told the girl I'd see if I could line her up some work, in a factory or maybe on a ranch. She was real grateful, poor kid just wanted a chance ta live her own life, ya know, not be under the rule a nobody."
"This doesn't sound like a ghost story," Albert interjected.
"Will ya hold up a minute," Mal asked, annoyed at the young boy. "I'm getten ta the ghosty part. We'd reached Boros, glidin' through the atmo. Now, we, that is ta say the crew of Serenity and me, believed that we were the only ones seen the alert. We were wrong. The man I mentioned before, man goin' ta see he sister-in-law. Well somehow he'd seen the notice and decided he was gonna collect himself the nice fat reward. He confronted the poor girl, told her what he knew, said he was gonna take her back ta her father. She screamed and tried ta run up an' get me, knowin' I'd protect her. But thing is, passengers ain't lowed ta wonder the ship, not without an escort, so she didn't know the catwalks y'all saw when ya walked through the cargo bay. She tried runin' up the stairs and she slipped. She screamed as she fell down them steeps, the most horrified scream I'd ever heard. That is, she screamed until her body hit the landing, where her neck snapped. She died right there, in a heartbeat, weren't nothin' no one could do. Weren't exactly murder, so 'thoritys on Boros didn't charge the gent with anythin' they just took her body an' shipped it off ta her pa. But her spirit's still here. Sometimes, usually when there's new passengers, she screams. Don' know if she's doomed ta fall down that staircase till the end at time or if she's just waitin' and 'tends ta move on. But she's sure as hell here now."
The children looked at Mal with a mixture of wonder and terror in each set of blazing blue eyes. They believed every word of his story without question and would, undoubtedly, think twice every time they went up or down a staircase on Serenity.
"Well, our ghostly lady's stopped her screechin' a good long while ago. An' it's much later than any respectable kid should be up. Of ta bed with the lot a ya, Captain's orders."
The boys grumbled a 'yes sir,' and slowly lifted themselves off the floor so they could file themselves into their rooms.
"You, little miss, I should put back 'for anyone misses ya." Mal said, picking up Evangeline and carrying her into the infirmary. "Doc'll be back soon, no doubt, and might wonder where his little patient's gone."
"Was that story really true?" the girl asked as he laid her down on the bed and pulled a blanket over her.
"As true as not," he said. "Now get some sleep. I hear tell you're sick. Don' want you gettin' any worse on account'a me."
"Yes sir," the young girl yawned.
Mal took a second to smile at her, before turning and exiting the infermary, sliding the heavy metal door shut behind him.
"That was quite a story, Captain," Inara said softly, walking up to Mal.
"Well, gotta tell 'em somethin'"
"I take it you're going to go and debrief the crew on the ship's ghost."
"Probably ought'a."
"Yes, well," Inara said very softly. "It was a very good story."
"Thanks," Mal said, just as softly.
There was a heavy pause as the two looked at each other, finally Inara turned away and started towards her room.
"Good night, Captain," she said, sounding very official.
"Night Ambassador," Mal replayed with a sigh.
* * *
"'Bout time you showed," Jayne spat at Simon as the Doctor rushed towards Inara's shuttle. "I thought yer sister was supposed ta be smart. Don't she know 'nuff ta keep quiet when she's hiddin' out?"
Simon ignored him and appealed to Wash, who looked more tired than anything else. "What's going on?"
"Zo and Kaylee're in there," Wash said with a long yawn. The sound of a dull thud, like something heavy hitting Inara's carpeted floor, could clearly be heard over the screaming. Simon winced at the sound, the pilot was too sleepy to waste energy with reacting. "Don't sound like their doin' much good, though."
"So she's not hurt?" Simon asked, not really relived by this information.
"She's well enough ta throw cups an' plates at us when we tried ta get in there an' keep her quiet," Jayne said.
"Yeah," Wash said, the memory of the flying dinner ware rousing him a bit. "Be careful, she's got this thing where men can't go in."
"Men can't . . ."
"Screeched somethin' about no man seein' the bloody bed," Jayne said, shaking her head. "Yer sister's totally whacked."
Simon didn't have an answer or a defense. "Well, thanks," he said, taking a deep breath and stepping forward into the shuttle.
As he entered he could hear Wash calling, "Tell Zoë I'm goin' back ta bed!"
The shuttle looked more or less like it usually did, with the exception of the tin cups and plates that were scattered around the door, flung by River to keep the men from seeing the Companion's bed. Zoë was standing at the foot of the bed, her hand's over her ears to block out River's unbearable screech. Kaylee, much braver, was kneeling on the bed, trying to talk to River, who was curled up in a ball, blankets kicked aside and tangled around her, screaming wildly.
It took Simon a heartbeat to suss up the situation. In the next heartbeat he ran over to the bed, crawled over it, and wrapped his arms around River before she could offer much resistance. "River, River!" He had to yell into her ear, to be heard over her wail. "It's ok, it's all ok. You're safe. Calm down. River!"
The sound of his voice seemed to work wonders. She stopped screaming and started gasping for breath and trembling.
Simon turned to Kaylee. "Get me a blanket," he said. "One I can wrap
around her."
The
girl nodded and rolled off the bed, looking for something more practical than
silk sheets. Zoë, having removed her
hands from her ears, walked carefully around the bed, watching how the doctor
handled his sister.
"River, why were you screaming," Simon asked softly, holding his sister close, petting her hair, trying to keep her from trembling too violently.
"Ajax," River said. It sounded like she was about to cry. "He took me and he had me and no one could help me. I prayed and she didn't care, she didn't hear. It burned, everything burned, but they didn't listen to me," she was working her way into hysterics again.
"Shhhhh, shhhh," Simon soothed. "That's just a story," he said. "That book, it's just filled with stories. It's not real, it didn't happen."
"Agamemnon is going to die," she muttered. "Klytemnestra will kill him and kill me. Why didn't Athena let me die in Troy?" She broke down into tears. The baffled doctor could do nothing but hold her and whisper soothing words into her ears. She didn't seem to hear them.
"Here," Kaylee finally said, handing Simon a thick velvety blanket. "Sorry took so long, guess Nara don't often get cold."
"Thanks," the doctor said, taking the blanket and wrapping it around his sobbing, trembling sister.
"What was she talkin' about?" Zoë asked, once the situation seemed to have calmed and River appeared to have been subdued. "An' why wouldn't she let a Wash or Jayne in the room?"
"I, ah, I'm not sure," Simon said uncertainly. "That book she's been reading is a collection of the Ancient Greek Writings, epic pomes and plays. The names she's been saying, Ajax, Agamemnon, Klytemnestra, they're all characters in the story of the Trojan War. I think she had a nightmare about it."
"So that book is giving her bad dreams," Zoë said, looking over to the large volume which was lying on the floor, open, binding up. "Maybe she shouldn't be reading it."
"I'd hate too . . ." Simon started.
River, in a very clear and coherent voice captured everyone's attention, "The book is wrong, or we're wrong. Phryxis is in Penelopy's bed. Atalanta stands without Hippomenes. An Eriny is beautiful. But Klytemnestra kills Agamemnon, Klytemnestra kills Agamemnon, that's true, that's true, that happens. Then she kills me. I'm next . . ."
"River," Simon said. "They're stories, they're not real."
"How can you say that?" She asked, truly baffled. "You have the golden fleece."
"You know there's no such thing as . . ."
"You touch people with your fleece and they get better," River said, smiling as if Simon were the one who couldn't tell reality from fantasy. "But not me. Apollo cursed me. The Gods you can't . . . you can't refuse the Gods. You try and you seal your own fate," her voice had the notes of hysterics in it. "But the Gods, they don't let that happen. Fate is fate it doesn't change. The Gods have spoken, the lot is cast. We walk through the book and the words are printed and we think we're writing them but their solid, they can't be changed . . ."
Simon pulled his sister a little closer to him. "Shhhhh," he whispered. "Shhhh, it's all right."
"Ya know," Kaylee ventured. "Maybe I should make some tea or somethin'. Think that'd calm her down?"
"I don't know if giving her hot water would be a good idea right now," he managed to throw her a soft smile, "But I'd appreciate some."
"You two got her under control?" Zoë asked, yawing.
"I think so," Simon said, distancing himself from River a little.
The girl was muttering to herself reciting myth after myth where mere mortals tried to cheat fate only to have prophecies twisted and their lives ruined by their own efforts. "Oedipus, Oedipus committed patricide without knowing it. Fate made it so he had to, he didn't have a choice. He was cursed and he didn't have a choice, there is no choice . . ."
"Shiny," Zoë sighed. "I'm goin' back to bed. Don't forget ta clear out before too much longer. Don't want the gan bu Kubats ta know 'bout her, 'bout this."
"Dang dang," Simon said, stroking his sister's hair.
"Hippomenes is waiting for you," River called, clearly talking to Zoë. "He always will. It's his fate."
Zoë glanced at Simon, inquisitively.
"Don't worry," he sighed. "It's a good thing. I'll explain later."
Zoë nodded and walked out leaving Serenity's three youngest residents alone in the plush room.
"Here," Kaylee said after a moment, handing Simon a cup of steaming tea.
"Thank you."
"You want some River?"
"Phryxis don't!" girl screeched, reaching out and trying to spill her brother's tea before he could drink it. Simon, bewildered, instinctively leaned back, letting some of the scolding liquid slosh onto his hands before Kaylee was able to reach over and take the cup away from him, out of River's grasping reach.
"River," Simon said, shaking his slightly burnt hand, an almost scolding tone in his voice. "What do you think . . ."
"Don't you recognize her?" River whispered to her brother, staring at Kaylee with a fearful expression.
"River, it's Kaylee," Simon said, glancing apologetically at the mechanic. "You know Kaylee."
River nodded, "Furiae an Eriny."
Simon looked at his sister, absolutely horrified.
"It's a disguise," River continued with an accusatory tone. "Pretty face, pretty hair, but I see, I have the book, I know the stories."
"What she call me?" Kaylee asked, trying not to be hurt. She had no idea why what River said was an insult, but both the Tams seemed to feel that it was a pretty bad one.
"It's not . . ." Simon started explaining awkwardly to Kaylee, before River interrupted him.
"Daughter
of darkness," River offered helpfully. "Attendant of Hadies. You hunt and you pursue.
No mercy, no rest. A cruel heart
finds joy in pain."
"River that's enough,"
Simon said forcefully.
"Maybe I should go," Kaylee said, pushing her hair behind her ears as her eyes scanned the floor.
"Kaylee . . ." Simon started, before turning to his sister. "River apologize."
"She follows fugitives, gives them no peace," River said arguing her case. "She fills Phryxis' mind, gives him pedestrian dreams."
"What?" Kaylee asked, glancing up at Simon.
The young doctor glanced back at the mechanic and tried to say something. He couldn't find any words.
"It's true," River said very matter-of-factly. "He wants peace but he can't have it. You tempt him and torture and . . ."
"River stop," Simon said sharply.
"I read the book," River said softly, more to herself than Simon. "You won't believe me, but I know it's true."
"Simon?" Kaylee insisted. "What'd she call me? An' what she mean 'pedestrian dreams'?"
"Kaylee, I'm," he struggled. Kaylee starred at him, her expression somewhat hard and expectant. "I'm sorry, but this probably isn't the best time."
The mechanic nodded, a scowl twisting the corners of the mouth and the eyes that were so often smiling. "Sure," she clipped. "I guess I'll see ya tamarra." She lifted herself off of the bed with grace, and turned around slowly, all physical signs pointed to her being totally composed. But every step she took further away from the brother and sister, every step she took where Simon didn't call her back, she felt more and more tears of hurt and furry well up behind her eyes. By the time she reached the catwalk she was taking heaving breaths and tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Simon watched her go, his mouth open, his mind searching for some thing to say that would make the girl feel better. He had absolutely nothing, which made him feel twice as guilty about what River had said then he'd felt before.
"River," he said softly, his eyes still on the door, "Why did you . . ."
"She's evil," River said with a quiet conviction.
"She's not," Simon snapped, turning his attention to his sister. The girl winced at his small flash of anger, Simon suddenly felt overcome with guilt. "I'm sorry," he said, reaching out and putting his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off.
The doctor closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and continued with a gentler tone of voice. "We both know that Kaylee is not evil," Simon said reasonably.
He sister glanced away and shrugged noncommittally.
"Why are you saying those things? Why did you call her a Fury?"
The girl muttered something incomprehensible.
"River?"
She turned to look at him. There were tears in her eyes, "You look at her you feel happy," River said, her voice was hard and defensive. "You look at me you feel sad."
There was a horrible pause.
"River that's not true," Simon finally said, reaching out for her.
She scooted out of his reach. "It is."
"River, I love you."
"That doesn't change anything," the younger girl asserted.
"I don't know what to do," Simon confessed.
"It doesn't matter," River replied. "Fate has spoken. You don't have a choice."
To Be Continued . . .