Chapter Three: The Dinner Inquisition

Soundtrack suggestions: "Grapefruit Diet" – Weird Al, "Where Are We Runnin'?" – Lenny Kravitz

They met in the mess hall for dinner at what passed for dinner time; it was Simon's night to cook. He had made scrambled protein with reconstituted vegetables and a side of bread, lightly toasted with some sort of thinly sliced cheese melted on top. Kate had produced a sack of freshly-picked apples from one of her crates and they made a lovely addition to the meal.

"You've never been to Snozlund, Captain Reynolds?" Kate inquired politely.

Mal, a forkful of scrambled goodness halfway to his mouth, paused. "No, can't rightly say that I have. Always seemed too cold t' me."

"It's really quite lovely," Kate said. "We were there… how long ago was it, Mother Mary? At least seven years."

Mother Mary nodded solemnly, her mouth full; she was a woman of religion and moral and knew better than to talk with her mouth full. Once she had swallowed, she said, "It's quite lovely if ya go at th' right time."

"We'll be gettin' there right at Christmas!" Kaylee exclaimed. "Bet it's all done up with sparkly lights 'n all."

"Christmas is a heathen's holiday," Mother Mary said primly.

"Then we're all heathens," Kaylee replied, just as primly. "We love Christmas."

"Santa brings presents," River agreed. "Santa will bring bird girl presents, right?"

"Everybody gets presents at Christmas, mei-mei," Simon told her from where he was scrambling some more protein for Jayne. Satisfied, River went back to feeding Nona.

"Well, there's usually a very large Christmas ball on Snozlund," Kate said. "It's a great deal of fun."

"Ooh, a ball!" Kaylee said excitedly. "Can we go, Cap'n?"

"Seems t' me y' need to be invited t' a ball," Jayne mumbled around a mouthful of cheesy bread. "Least a' ways, that's how it was last time."

"Oh, this one's just for everybody who happens to be in Snozlund at the time," Kate said. "Everybody can come."

"Everybody?" Inara asked, a little in shock. "Even people without escorts?"

"Even people without escorts. And children like Nonny. And old folks like Mother Mary."

"I'm just as old as th' good Lord made me, you little heathen," Mother Mary informed Kate tartly.

"I didn't mean to imply you were old, Mother Mary…"

"Well now, o' course ya did." Mother Mary tucked a slice of apple into her mouth and snapped her massive teeth around it as though that closed the conversation.

"A ball sounds like right good fun, Cap'n!" Kaylee said, her eyes bright.

"Seems a foolish waste o' time t' me," Jayne muttered. "No use gettin' gussied up 'n standin' 'round drinkin' fancy drinks."

"They usually have hot cheese," Kaylee told him.

"Hot cheese?" Jayne looked excited.

"I think it'd be a wonderful experience," Inara said, looking forcefully at Mal. "Give us a chance to socialize a bit."

Mal threw up his hands, scattering a bit of scrambled protein to the floor. "Fine, fine, go t' a ball! See if I care!"

"Cap'n, may I have some money fer a slinky dress?" Wash asked.

"You'll need to be warm at this ball," Kate told him. "It's held in one of the ice palaces on Snozlund, which are heated, but still a bit chilly. Heavier clothes are more usually the garb of choice."

"Cap'n, may I have some money fer warm but slinky clothes?"

"We've got cold weather gear a' plenty in the hold," Mal snapped at him. "Don't know if it'll sit well at a fancy ball, but it'll keep ya warm enough."

"Nobody really dresses up," Kate hurried to assure Wash. "Well, most people do, but people will know you're from out of town…"

"Honey, I believe I can be presentable at the winter ball," Zoë informed him. "I have some things in my wardrobe you have yet to see."

"Those prospects excite me," Wash said. Zoë cuffed him affectionately on the head, and he ducked, pleased, and scooped some more scrambled protein into his mouth.

"What made you decide to settle in Snozlund?" Inara asked Kate.

"Settle in Snozlund?" Kate replied, confused.

"Yes, it's not a typical settling place for…" Inara hunted for an adjective to properly describe Kate, Nona, and Mother Mary. "… for young people."

Kate appeared perplexed. "There are lots of young people in Snozlund."

"Well, yes, of course, but I'm sure none of them chose to settle there, what with it being cold and all."

"Seven Skyes was just… a little too close to home for us," Kate said with some difficulty.

"Yer not… runnin', are ya?" Mal asked quickly.

"Not in the typical sense, I suppose," Kate replied, which did nothing to allay his fears.

"There ain't… government folk comin' fer ya?" Mal clarified.

"Not that I know of," Kate answered. "We just..." She paused and looked around the table; eager faces were waiting for her answer. Mother Mary clucked her tongue and slipped another apple slice past her massive teeth. "We lost our parents, Nona and I did, not very long ago, not more than six months ago."

"How awful!" Kaylee exclaimed, dropping her fork. "That must have been terrible."

"Yes, it was a dreadful time."

"They died screaming. Fire everywhere. Blinded."

"River," Simon began, but Kate cut him off. "No. She's right. My parents… our parents died in a chemical explosion at the Green Lotus Plant on Ariel. We moved to Seven Skyes to stay with Mother Mary's family until things were settled with the estate, and then decided to move out to Snozlund. A fresh start, as it was. At least, that's what we're hoping for."

"Silly, if you ask me," Mother Mary said, even though no one had. "They would have been perfectly safe in Seven Skyes."

"Safe? Were you not safe on Ariel?" Inara asked.

"Is anyone safe on Ariel?" Jayne muttered.

"We were perfectly safe," Kate answered, a smile frozen on her face. "It just… we needed a new start."

"'Nara," Mal murmured. The Companion looked at him. He shook his head in the negative. She pursed her lips, but let the subject drop.

"The bird and I are going to play dress-up," River announced, pushing back her chair from the table. Before she could leave, Kate put a hand on the younger girl's arm, grasping it tightly in her slim fingers. "Your name is River, right?"

"Just a spider. Inconsequential in the grand scheme of things." River tried to twist her arm from Kate's grasp.

"I want you to be very careful with Nona. She's one of the few things I have left in the world that mean anything to me." River didn't say anything. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

River tilted her head. Simon was holding his breath, praying she wouldn't say something completely inappropriate or whack Kate on the head with her plate. Fortunately, she did neither. She grinned suddenly and unexpectedly. "I heard a bird so sing, whose music, to my thinking, pleased the king."

Kate, stunned, said nothing. Simon said helpfully, "Henry IV. Shakespeare."

River smiled at him, as though in gratitude, and pulled Nona's chair away from the table.