Chapter Eleven
Jayne watched the crew vanish around the corner and wondered how in hell he was going to get River out of this mess alive.
River stopped her inspection of the glass wall to look at him. Jayne thought maybe she was going to comment on his protective instincts, but all she said was, "We should move on. We aren't going to be able to get through this way."
"Blasting it - " Jayne lifted his gun again.
"Won't work, Jayne," River repeated. "Like I told you before. You'll just end up accidentally blowing yourself up and winning a Darwin award."
"A what?"
"Just prove you aren't a man-ape gone wrong and follow me," River suggested, taking the lead.
"Why the hell did that gorram Libra girl point us in the wrong gorram direction?" Jayne asked angrily as they started walking down the eerily empty corridor.
"I don't think it's technically the wrong direction," River said. "Simon's programming should have made them tell the truth."
"So, you're saying there's an exit this way?" Jayne asked.
River stopped and closed her eyes a moment. Jayne didn't understand why.
"Brain is very crowded," she said as she started again.
Suddenly Jayne remembered Ariel and how River had led them out without any blueprints or weasels on the inside helping them out.
"That was a long time ago, Jayne. Could hear the Captain and saw the exit through the guards," River said. "And also, brain was a lot less crowded back then."
Jayne didn't see how that bit made a lick of sense. She'd been a hellova lot more crazy back then.
"Shut up," River muttered, moving more quickly now. Within a few seconds, she'd broken into a run. "Something's up this way!" she yelled.
Jayne ran after her. They turned left down a side corridor, right at the next one, and right after that, but soon Jayne had no idea where they'd come from, much less where they were headed. There were just too many gorram corridors. Too many gorram turns. He only hoped River had some kind of plan. They were lost, as far as Jayne was concerned. And sooner or later they would be found. And Jayne didn't think he had enough ammo to take down the Tower of Khonsu on his own.
Finally, River slid to a stop after taking a right turn. A second later, Jayne almost ran right into her.
Standing at the other end of the long hallway stood three teenaged girls. Behind them there was a door.
Well, Jayne thought, at least this corridor isn't empty.
The girls looked strange. They stood perfectly still, just watching River and Jayne, but their eyes were empty. They looked ready to pounce on them at any moment. The expressions on their faces were so tight and drawn that for a second Jayne expected to suddenly burst into flames from the intensity of it. It was like looking into the barrel of a rocket launcher. Times six.
Jayne had only seen that level of calm-damaging intensity on one other person. He counted himself incredibly lucky that that moonbrain was now on his side.
"The big one thinks more than we expected," a voice said over the intercom system.
"He likes to surprise people," River said simply, looking straight ahead. The empty eyes of the three girls focused on her.
"And you like to be surprised," the voice said.
"Who the hell are you?" Jayne asked.
"We are the Graces," the voice answered.
Then Jayne realized it wasn't one voice. There were actually multiple voices speaking in unison over the intercom. He looked from the wall speaker to the teenage girls. "Why don't you talk for your own selves?"
"We are the Graces. We speak as one. Our voices are one. Our minds are one."
"Well, that's just damned ridiculous," Jayne said.
"They're not quite right," River said slowly.
"I hadn't figured that one out yet, thanks, sweetheart," Jayne said sarcastically.
"What I mean is - "
"River Tam had Grace. We were made like her. Without her faults."
Jayne laughed. "You got her biggest fault by the shit ton," he said. "Y'all are the craziest folks I've ever met. And I've met me some crazies in my time."
The Graces looked at him. "Yes. You have," they said. "No more witches. No more secrets getting out. No more River Tams."
"What in the hell does that mean?" Jayne asked.
"I don't think they're - " River said in awe.
"We are the Graces," the voices interrupted. Apparently they didn't want Jayne to know what River thought they were.
"Yeah," Jayne muttered. "That's just gorram creepy." He glanced nervously again from the coms to the girls. "Don't suppose y'all are gonna just let us pass?"
"Where would the fun be in that?" the voices asked.
"But you can't even have any fun!" River shouted.
"Nor can we hurt. Nor can we be destroyed. We are perfection, River Tam. You could be perfect, too."
"Hold up," Jayne said, raising his hand. "There were only three graces. Sounds to me like you ain't got any opening's in your little club."
The Graces tilted their heads at him in unison.
"Yes, there's more stored in this brain than women and how to kill people," Jayne muttered. "Try not to act too surprised by it. Hurtin' my feelings."
"River Tam will be destroyed. River Tam will be remade. River Tam will become Hecate. And she will be perfect."
"Who now?" Jayne asked.
"Goddess of witchcraft," River said.
"And the dark of the moon," the voices added. "We thought you would like that, Jayne Cobb. Your River Tam will become our moonbrain."
"Over my dead body," Jayne said, raising his gun.
"We thought you would say that. Your death will help our cause immensely."
Jayne was sick of this. He started firing.
The Graces laughed eerily over the loudspeaker as they dodged his bullets. It was like they were flying out of the way, moving so fast Jayne couldn't figure out how they were doing it. He hadn't even seen River move that fast. Jayne's first gun ran out of bullets. He threw it down, took out his next one, and kept firing.
It wasn't doing any good.
"Dodge this!" River yelled, pulling out her laser pistol. The blast hit one of the Graces in the shoulder. River continued to fire, but that first shot was the only one that hit home.
"What in the hell?" Jayne yelled angrily, reloading again. "Stay still so I can shoot you!"
"Jayne! Wait!" River yelled suddenly.
"Why?" Jayne asked, but he kept firing, until River forced his arm down.
"Because you are going to need those last two bullets, Jayne Cobb," the voices said.
Jayne looked at River. She was staring at the pistol in her hand. "Needs charged."
"We're out of ammo," Jayne realized aloud.
The Graces smiled. It was kind of a dead smile, in Jayne's opinion. Unsettling.
"You will help us destroy River Tam now, Jayne Cobb. This has been very fun. If you were going to live through the day, we would say better luck next time."
Jayne threw down his gun and pulled out his knife. "Well, come on, then! Why don't you just attack us and get this over with?"
"We don't think you want the death we would hand you," the Graces said.
A buzzing began over the com system. It made Jayne's ears feel funny.
"No! Stop!" River screamed, throwing her hands over her ears.
"No?" the Graces asked. The buzzing stopped. "We told you so. Now, then, River. The Alliance orders you to kill Jayne Cobb."
"What?" Jayne asked.
River's body went rigid. She stood up straight and looked at Jayne. He knew that look. That was the berserk look.
"You'll be wanting to pick up your gun now, Jayne. We hope we can call you Jayne."
"Piss off," Jayne muttered.
"As you wish," the Graces said. Then the girls took off through the door.
River was still staring at him. Jayne didn't move. He considered going for his gun.
No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than he found himself flying through the air and slamming into the wall.
"Gorramit, girl!" he screamed. He dropped the knife and charged at River. She flipped herself over him and sent him slamming into the opposite wall. Jayne was dizzy for a few moments, and he was pretty sure he'd be feeling that the next day. If he made it to the next day, that is. River kicked him. He grabbed her leg and flung her backwards. She tumbled over with grace then swung her leg out, tripping him. He rolled away before she could kick him again and threw himself up from the floor. He barely blocked her next punch. But he did block it.
That struck Jayne as a good thing. Maybe River was holding back.
A punch landed right in his jaw.
Okay, maybe River was trying to hold back. Maybe she was fighting this. Jayne shoved her away. Maybe he could help her.
"River!" he yelled, grabbing her arm.
She kicked him in the head. He didn't know how she'd managed that one.
"Gorramit, River! It's me!"
Her knee made contact with his gut. He picked her up and rammed into the wall, holding her hands above her head.
"I thought we were past all this," he growled.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and began to squeeze.
"Hey! Let go!" Jayne yelled. He spun around, trying to throw her off of him. He made the mistake of loosening his grip on her wrists.
River got her hands free and started beating at him.
"River! I love you, but if you don't gorram stop this I'm gonna have to kick your ass!"
River loosened her grip for just a moment. It was enough for Jayne to get her off of him. She rolled across the floor, picking up something shiny as she did. Jayne's own gorram knife.
Jayne looked around for something to defend himself with, then lunged for his gun. He landed hard on the ground and turned, quickly pointing his weapon. River was already standing above him, holding his knife, looking ready to gut him.
Only it wasn't River. It was the weapon. And there was only one way to stop it. He almost convinced himself of that. River wasn't in. He'd have to try back later.
"Shoot her, Jayne. Didn't you say once that someone would have to put a bullet to her? Now you get to prove yourself right." The voices were back over the coms, but the Graces themselves were nowhere to be seen.
What the hell was River waiting for? Jayne didn't get it.
"Kill or be killed, Jayne. You understand that concept, we trust."
"I understand a hell of a lot more than that, you gorram voiceless freaks," Jayne screamed. He looked River in the eye. "River," he said slowly. "Eta kuram na smekh."
River collapsed to the floor.
Jayne rose slowly, put his knife and gun away, and gathered River in his arms. Then he ran for it, flying through the door and up the stairs, and crashing onto the roof, where a firefight had started between Serenity's crew and Smith's Browncoats who had apparently fixed whatever Kaylee had done to their ship.
Mal and Zoe were holding them off. Jayne ran River into the hold and nearly threw her into Simon's arms.
"Took you long enough, Jayne!" Mal yelled.
"Is she all right?" Simon asked, taking River.
"Just sleeping, Doc," Jayne said. Simon gave him a confused look, but Jayne didn't have time to explain.
Mal yelled for Inara to take off. He and Zoe backed into the hold as Jayne fired his last two shots at the Browncoats.
"Cobb! Take the shot! Kill him!" Smith yelled into his radio.
Jayne saw Jordan, sniper rifle in hand, atop a nearby building. Jayne had no way of knowing who Jordan had in his sights.
"Kill him!" Smith yelled again. A second later, he was on the ground, a big gaping hole where his knee should have been. Jayne saw Jordan give him a little wave before the door started to close.
"What just happened?" Mal asked when they finally went airborne.
"Damned if I know, Mal," Jayne said, turning back to River. "She is going to be okay, right?" he asked. Simon looked her over again before nodding. Jayne heard Mal say something about their passengers being safe and snug in the common room, but Jayne couldn't have cared less. He took River in his arms again and carried her to his bunk.