"Didn't hardly have to convert the ship even." "Six in the corner." "Stronger locks, thicker doors, keep everybody where they're supposed to be." "Don't even need more rations." "Hey!" " Wait!" " Come on!" " You made money, huh?" " Hand over fist, my friend." "Water plants need labor, terraforming crews got a prodigious death rate." "Labor?" "You mean slaves." "Well, they wasn't volunteers, for damn sure." "That why you didn't have to lay in more rations?" " I didn't hear no complaints." " How much money?" "Lots?" "There's a chance you might want to head back to the ship." "No, I'm all right." "This is entertaining, actually." " Yeah?" "What's entertaining?" " I like watching the game." "As with other situations, the key seems to be giving Jayne a heavy stick and standing back." "Still, might have to clear out before too much longer." " Seems there's a thief about." " Thief?" "Took this right off him." "They earned that with the sweat of their slave-trading brows." " Mal." " Oh, terrible shame." "They won't discover it till they order their next round of drinks." "Good drinker, that one." "Lovely place." "I'll tell my friends." " Seem to you we clear out in a hurry?" " Seems to me, we do that a lot." "Hear tell, though, we're gonna stay a while on Persephone." " Shiny." " Yeah?" "Thought you'd get land crazy that long in port." " Probably." "But I been sane a long while now, and change is good." " Well, ain't that a joyful sight." "Gotta love a sunset." "It's starting to get familiar, like a second home." "Persephone ain't home." "Too many people we need to avoid." "Resupply, look for work, move along." " We sniff the air, we don't kiss the dirt." " Wasn't planning on the dirt kissing." "I wouldn't stand for it anyway, captain, jealous man like me." " Closing in." " Planet's coming up a mite fast." "That's just because I'm going down too quick." " Likely crash and kill us all." " Well, that happens, let me know." "Okay." "Whoa." "No, we're good." "We're good." "It's okay." "I understand your time on our planet is limited and if you've selected my proposal to hear then the honor you do me flatters my my honor, and I hope to..." " Now there's the smile made of sunlight." " Atherton." "How wonderful to see you." "Did you get my message?" "I was extra appealing." "Flattering." "I had no idea I was arriving in time for the social event of the season." "So you'll accompany me?" "I ask, heart in my throat." "There's a certain offer I'm still waiting to hear about." "Yes, I imagine there is." "I'm delighted to say I'll be there." "Now, I'm sorry, Atherton, I have to run." "No, please, I understand." "I'll see you soon." " Good afternoon, captain." " Morning." "We're downing." "In case Wash don't kill us, local time's gonna be a. m., 10 or so." "Yes, I saw that." "Making plans?" ""Atherton Wing"." "Now he's a regular, ain't he?" " I've seen him before." " I never did." "Not what I pictured." "Young." " Must be rich to afford your rates." " I suppose." " He has engaged me for several days." " Days?" " Boy must have stamina." " He does." "Well." "Fine." " Is he letting you out at all?" " We're attending a ball tomorrow night." "Do all the men there pay for their dates, or just young, rich ones with stamina?" "Most women will not be companions, if that's what you're asking." "Perhaps the other men couldn't attract one." "It sounds like the finest party I could imagine getting paid to go to." "I don't suppose you'd find it up to the standards of your outings." "More conversation and less petty theft and getting hit with pool cues." "I understand if you need to go prepare for that "it's 10 in the morning" issue." "Yeah, better go do that, because I think this is more of an evening look." "Look at the pretties!" "What am I looking at?" "The girls or the clothes?" " There's girls?" " The clothes, please." "Say, look at the fluffy one." "Too much foofaraw." "If I were gonna wear a dress I'd want something with slink." " You want a slinky dress?" "I can buy you a slinky dress." "Can I have money for a slinky dress?" " I'll chip in." " I can hurt you." "The only place I seen something so nice is some of the things Inara has." " We best be moving." "I guess she needs all that stuff." "Life she leads." "Well, sure." "Sometimes the customers buy her things." "She knows some real rich men." " These ain't feathers I'm toting here." " I like the ruffles." " Inara gets to wear whatever she wants." " What are you gonna do in that rig?" "Bounce around the engine room?" "Be like a sheep walking on its hind legs." "See you on the ship, captain." "What, she mad or something?" " Badger." " Capt. Reynolds." "Heard you was in town." "Thought we might have a bit of a sit-down." "Prefer a bit of a piss off." "I'm very sorry, did I give you the impression I was asking?" "Seems to me, last time there was a chance for a palaver we were all manner of unwelcome." "This ain't bad." "There's a trick to it." "Wood alcohol." "Now we're favored guests." "Treated to the finest in beverages that make you blind." " So, what is it you need?" " Excuse me." "There's a local by the name of Warrick Harrow." "Got some property he wants to sell off-planet." "Fetch a higher price." " The local powers won't let him." " It's a conundrum." "What my man Harrow needs himself is a smuggler." "Willing to cut you in on it." "Why me?" "You have access to ships." "You could do it yourself." "He won't deal with me direct." "He's taken an irrational dislike." "What happened, he see your face?" "He's a quality gent." "Nose in the air like he never won gwa pee." "Don't find me respectable, but you, I figure, got a chance." "You backed out of a deal last time." "Left us hanging." " Hurt our feelings." " You recall why that took place?" "I had a problem with your attitude, is why." "Felt you was, what's the word?" " Pretentious?" " Exactly!" "You think you're better than other people." "Just the ones I'm better than." "I'm thinking that very quality is the one you're placing value on today." "I place value on the fact that stick up your peeku is as large as the one Harrow's got." " How would you even set up a meet?" "The man won't deal with you." "Know a place he'll be." "Safe place using some new-tech gun scans." "High-class too." "Won't let me in there." "You might slip in." "Of course, you couldn't buy an invite with a diamond the size of a testicle." "I got my hands on a couple." "Of invites." "You want this meeting or not?" "Col. Cyrus Mumsen and escort." "William and Lady Courtland." "Atherton Wing and Inara Serra." "Roberta, it's been too long." "Half the men in this room wish you were on their arm." "Only half?" "I must be losing my undefinable allure." "Oh, it's not that undefinable." "All of them wish they were in your bed." "I'm looking for the boy with the shimmer one." "Oh, she blushes." "Not many in your line of work do that." "You are a very singular woman." "And I find..." "I find I admire you more and more." "Kaylee!" "Kaylee!" "Not speaking to you, captain." "Got no need to speak." "Come on, got a job for you." "I'm trying to offer you something, you know." "A life." " If you want it." " Atherton." "You can live here on Persephone as my personal companion." "You're a generous man." " That is not a yes." " It's not a no, either." "You look gorgeous, dear." "You belong here, Inara." "Not on a flying piece of gosa." " You see that, don't you?" " Atherton, language." "What, "piece of gosa"?" "But it is a piece of gosa." "Miss Kaywinnit Lee Frye and escort." "Kaylee?" "Oh, gosa." "Does...?" "Does this seem kind of tight?" "It shows off your backside." "Did you see the chandelier?" "It's hovering." " What's the point of that, I wonder." " Oh, mangoes." "I mean, I see how they did it, I just ain't getting the why." "These girls have the most beautiful dresses." " And so do I, how about that?" " Just be careful." "We cheated Badger out of good money to buy that." "You're supposed to make me look respectable." " Yes, sir, Captain Tight Pants." " Okay." "I'm looking for our guy Harrow." "And Inara." "We should look for her, right?" "Just to say hello." "If we see her." "I think she's wearing gold." "Okay, help me find our man." "He's supposed to be older, stocky wears a red sash crossways." " Why does he do that?" "Maybe he won the Miss Persephone pageant." "Just help me." "Is that him?" "That's the buffet table." "Well, how can we be sure unless we question it?" "Fine." "Don't make yourself sick." "Ante up, gentlemen." "Dishes." "Dishes." "Could do with less of them." "Garbage." "So I'll card..." "Plum." "Plums are tall." "I'll take two." "Two." "No tall-card claim." " Speaking of garbage, I'll take three." " Three." "Dealer forced to claim the tall." "What do you suppose the captain and Kaylee are doing now?" " Septic vac." " Eating steaks off of plates made of solid money, like as anything." "I fold." "Me too." "Tall cards around my neck like a weight." "Take it, Shepherd." "That's a nice pile of things I don't have to do." "It's the ones that take you." "The ones reaching and doing it." " River." " Is she hurt?" " Better see to her." " It's okay." "It's a bad habit for a fugitive." " Calm down." " Do that in public, get herself hauled off." " Everywhere." " Sit down." " Hands go everywhere..." " She didn't harm much." " We'll have a few mystery meals." " Because sometimes..." "It's okay." "It's okay." "Shh." "And they come." "So we gonna play cards or screw around?" "I thought you wanted to spend more time off-ship this visit." "Out there, it seems like it's all fancy parties." "I like our party better." "The dress code's easier, and I know all the steps." "I'd say you do, at that." "Oh..." "Don't fall asleep now." "Sleepiness is weakness of character." "Ask anyone." "It is not." "You are acting captain." "Know what happens, you fall asleep now?" "Jayne slits my throat and takes over." " That's right." " Then we can't stop it." "Well, I wash my hands of it." "It's a hopeless case." "I'll read a nice poem at the funeral." "Something with imagery." "You could lock the door and keep the power-hungry maniac at bay." "Don't know, I'm starting to like this poetry idea now." "Here lies my beloved Zoe My autumn flower" "Somewhat less attractive now that She's all corpsified and gross" "Oh, no!" "Aren't they something?" "They're like butterflies or little pieces of wrapping paper blowing around." " Hello." " I don't..." "Have we been introduced?" "Oh, I'm Kaylee." "Banning." "And this is Dester, Cabott and Zoe." "Don't you just love this party?" "Everything's so fancy, and there's some kind of hot cheese over there." " It's not as good as last year." " Really?" "What did they have last year?" "Standards." "Who made your dress, Kaylee?" "Oh, do you like it?" "When I saw the ruffles, I just couldn't resist." "You ought to see to your girl." "Your girl, she's not very good." "She made you a dress that looks like you bought it in a store." "Oh, I didn't know..." "Why, Banning Miller, what a vision in your fine dress." "It must've take a dozen slaves a dozen days to get you into that getup." "Of course, your daddy tells me it takes a schoolboy's wink to get you out of it again." "Forgive my rudeness." "I cannot abide useless people." "Oh, no." "No." "Thank you very much." "Beg your pardon, but would you be Mr. Warrick Harrow?" " Sir Warrick Harrow." "The sash." " The sash?" " It indicates lordhood." " And it's doing a great job." "Sir, my name's Malcolm Reynolds." "I captain a ship named Serenity." "I've been led to understand you want to move some property off-world." "Some property you want to move off-world discreetly." "You're mistaken, sir." "I'm an honest man." "There's nothing dishonest about getting your goods to people what need them." " Whom do you represent?" " Represent isn't exactly the..." " Don't waste my time." " Fellow called Badger." "I know him, and I think he's a psychotic lowlife." "I think calling him that is an insult to the psychotic lowlife community." " But the deal is solid." " Sorry to interrupt." "Sir Warrick, I know you from the club, I believe." "Captain, this is Atherton Wing." "Atherton, Capt. Mal Reynolds." "Pleased to meet you." "Inara, I didn't realize you were going to this party." " It's the only party." " And I can see why." "How about that floating chandelier?" "Almost outshines our girl here." "Ath..." "Can I call you Ath?" "Inara has spoken of you to me." "She made a point of your generosity." "Given that, I'm sure you won't mind if I ask Inara the favor of a dance?" "Of course." " You're a brave man." " I know what's mine." "This dance I think I actually know." " Why are you here?" " Business, same as you." "I was talking to a contact about a job, and you came over." " You were staring at me." " I saw you, is all." "You stand out." "In this company, I believe you're the one who stands out." "Maybe I just want to see a professional at work." "Is this the hardest part, or is that later?" "You've no call to try to make me ashamed of my job." "What I do is legal." "And how's that smuggling coming?" " My work's illegal, but it's honest." " What?" "While this, the lie of it." "That man parading you around on his arm as if he actually won you." "As if he loves you." "And everyone here going along with it." "These people like me and I like them." "I like Atherton too, by the way." "Well, sure." "What's not to like?" " I'm liable to sleep with him myself." " He likes me, whether you see it or not." " Of course." " He's made me an offer." "You think he doesn't honor me, but he wants me to live here." "I'd be his personal companion." "I could belong here." "Call me pretentious, but there is some appeal in that." "You're right." "Got no call to stop you." "You've got the right to a decent life." " I see Kaylee's here." " Cried Cinderella tears." "I told her she could have that layer cake she's wearing." " I think she looks adorable." " Yeah, but I never said it." "I'm not saying the 80-04 is hard to repair it just ain't worth it." " It's a fine machine." "Just keep it tuned." " The extenders ain't braced." " I've been telling them to buy the 80-10." "Tenders snap off, don't matter how the engine's cycling." " I wonder if I could request the honor..." " Wait a minute, let her talk." "By the way, the 80-10's the same machine." "They just changed the plating, hoped no one noticed." "It's possible you're right, this ain't my kind of party." "Whoa, now." "Watch yourself." "No need for hands on." "Excuse me, she's not here with you, captain." "She's mine." "Yours?" "She don't belong to nobody." "Money changed hands, which makes her mine tonight." "No matter how you dress her up, she's still..." " So this is my kind of party." " Oh, Mal." "What?" "The man was out of line." " I accept." " That's great." "What?" " There has been a challenge." " I hope you're prepared, captain." "You all talking about a fight?" "Fine." "Let's get out of here." " It's not a fistfight, Mal." " The duel will be tomorrow morning at Kaytree Pond." " Why wait?" "Where's that guard?" " He collected a whole mess of pistols." " Lf you require it any gentleman here can give you use of a sword." "Use of a what?" " What's going on?" " I'm not rightly sure." "What's going on?" "Well, first, you'll be put up in lodgings for the night so you don't disappear." "I wouldn't blame you, incidentally." "Wing may be a spoiled dandy, but he's an expert swordsman." "He's killed a dozen men." "You're the only one gave him a reason." " Oh, this is a joke." "He'll need a second." " What's that?" " I'll take on the job." "He fights if you refuse." "Inara, come with me, please." "Now, you taking on this job being my second, does this mean we're in business?" "It means you're in mortal danger." "But you mussed up Atherton's face and that has endeared you to me somewhat." "You might even give him a fight before he guts you." "Inara!" "Up until the punching, it was a real nice party." "The captain's gone and got himself in trouble." " A duel?" " With swords?" "The captain's a good fighter." "He must know how to handle a sword." "I think he knows which end to hold." "So we just need to figure out how to get him out of there." "We have until the morning, correct?" "Do you know what lodging he's in?" "Oh." "This is embarrassing." "Some of you seem to be misapprehending my purpose in being here." "You're here to make sure that we don't do what these men are keen on doing." "Penny for the smart lady." "Persephone's my home." "I got to do business with the people here." "I don't want it known I brought someone in, caused this kind of ruckus." "We'll just settle in till this blows over, one way or the other." " Jayne, I wouldn't." " Why not?" "Hi." " Mal." " Whoa!" "What are you doing here?" "Atherton's a heavy sleeper night before a big day." "Killing you in the morning, then a haircut later." "Such a comfort, having friends visit at a time like this." "I knew the accommodations would be nice." "Atherton doesn't skimp." "I don't suppose I like being kept by him as much as others do." " How come you're still attached to him?" " Because it's my decision, not yours." "Thought he made it pretty clear he's got no regard for you." "You did manage to push him into saying something." "It made a nice justification for the punch." "He insulted you, I hit him." "Seemed like the thing to do." " Why'd this get so complicated?" " Well, it's about to get simpler." "There's a back door." "The desk clerk is on alert." " He'll let us out." " I'm not running off." "I didn't do this to prove some kind of point to you." "I thought I was defending your honor, and I never back down from a fight." " Yes, you do." "You do all the time." " Well, yeah." "But I'm not backing down from this one." "He's an expert swordsman, Mal." "You had trouble with the pillar." " How will your death help my honor?" " Well, I plan on having it be his death." "That's why I need lessons." "I figure you know how, being such an educated woman and all." "He said not to do anything." " He'll join us after he wins the duel." " Yeah, what if he don't win?" "It doesn't hurt to have a contingency plan, Kaylee." "I'm thinking, since we're unarmed, we should take them by surprise." " All at once." " Not necessarily." "We can lure one or two of them away." "Say, infirmary?" "Take them out, be on Badger before he knows what happens." "Yeah, only if his attention is elsewhere." "What we need is a diversion." " I say Zoe gets naked." " Nope." " I could get naked." " No!" "River, you can't be here." "No, come on." " River!" "River, please." "Who's that there?" "Yeah, look at me." "What's your story, love?" "She's just a passenger." "Yeah?" "Why ain't she talking?" "She got a secret?" " No, I..." " Sure." "I got a secret." "More than one." "Don't seem likely I'd tell them to you, now, do it?" "Anyone off Dayton Colony knows better than to talk to strangers." "You're talking loud enough for the both of us, though, ain't you?" "I've known a dozen like you." "Skipped off home early." "Minor graft jobs here and there." "Spent some time in the lock-down, but less than you claim." "Now you're what?" "Petty thief with delusions of standing?" "Sad little king of a sad little hill." "Nice to see someone from the old homestead." "Not really." "Call me if anyone interesting shows up." "I like her." "That there, exactly the kind of diversion we could've used." "Attack." "How did I avoid that?" " By being fast like a freak." " No." "Because you always attack the same way." "Swinging from the shoulder like you're chopping wood." "Thrust with the point sometimes or swing from the elbow." " From the shoulder feels stronger." " It's also slower, Mal." "You don't need strength as much as speed." "We're fragile creatures." "It takes less than a pound of pressure to cut skin." "You know that?" "They teach you that in whore academy?" "You have a strange sense of nobility, captain." "Lay a man out for implying I'm a whore, but you keep calling me one to my face." "I might not respect your job, but he didn't respect you." "That's the difference." "Inara, he doesn't even see you." "Well, I guess death will solve the issue to everyone's satisfaction." "This duel is the result of the rules of your society, not mine." "You are always breaking the rules, no matter what society you're in." "You don't get along with criminals either, so you constantly get in trouble." "You think following rules will buy you a nice life, even if they make you a slave." "Don't take his offer." " What?" " Don't do it." "In case it happens, it means he's the fellow who killed me and I don't like fellows who kill me, not in general." "I said before that I didn't have call to stop you, and that's true." "Anyways, don't." "I need to get back." "He'll be up early." "Right." "He's got that big day." "Best be careful, Ath." "I hear these things are sharp." " He thinks he's doing well, doesn't he?" " He's being toyed with." " What's he doing?" " Don't fall for that!" "Well, this isn't going to take long, is it?" "We're coming up on the end, miss." "You might not want to watch." "Atherton!" "Wait." "I'll stay here, exclusive to you." "Just let him live." "He's down." "You have to finish it, lad." "You have to finish it." "For a man to lay beaten and yet breathing it makes him a coward!" " It's humiliation." "Sure." "It would be humiliating." "Having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood." "Mercy is the mark of a great man." "Guess I'm just a good man." "Well, I'm all right." "Inara." "Inara!" "You've lost her, lad." "Be gracious." "You set this up, whore." "After I bought and paid for you." "I should've uglied you up so no one else would want you." "See how I'm not punching him?" "I think I've grown." "Well, get ready to starve." "I'll see to it you never work again." "Actually, that's not how it works." "You've earned yourself a black mark in the client registry." "No companion is going to contract with you ever again." "You'll have to rely on your winning personality to get women." "God help you." " You didn't have to wound that man." " Yeah, I know." "It was just funny." "You willing to fight that hard to protect my property I'll have it in your hold before midnight." "Mighty fine shindig." "Doc's filling the Shepherd in on the plan." "We're ready to move on your signal." "Doc is the diversion." "Did you ever see such a lazy crew?" " Captain!" " You're hurt." " You get us a deal?" " I got a deal." " Now get off my ship." " Ta very much for a lovely night, then." " Ow." " Are you badly hurt?" "We was just about to spring into action, captain." " Complicated escape and rescue op." " I was gonna watch." "It was very exciting." "Thank you for the wine." "It's very fresh." "To Kaylee and her inter-engine fermentation system." " Are you in pain?" " Absolutely." " I got stabbed, you know, right here." " I saw." "I don't care much for fancy parties." "Too rough." " It wasn't entirely a disaster." " I got stabbed right here." "You also lined up exciting new crime." "It's good to have cargo." "Makes us a target for every other scavenger out there, of course but sometimes, that's fun too." "I am grateful, you know, for the ill-conceived and highhanded attempt to defend my honor, although I didn't want you to." "Gracious as that is, as I look back I should've stayed out of your world." "My world?" "If it is that." "I wasn't gonna stay, you know." "Yeah?" "Why is that?" "Someone needs to keep Kaylee out of trouble." "And all my things are here." "Besides, why would I want to leave Serenity?" "Can't think of a reason."