Chapter E. ‘With the stories’

-

*characters and their ‘verse belong Mr. Whedon and Co. Follies and mistakes all my own.”

-

-

“I need a ride to Santo,” Ledah started with. “The cash should be more than enough, we’ll stay anywhere, Danny and I. And stay out of your way. And the wine, it’s worth a 150 credits at least, each bottle. So you can sell it or enjoy it.”

“It ain’t about the money, Miss, like I was saying,” Mal explained. Though he knew exactly how hard it would be to get her off-ship, now that she was sitting at his table, with Kaylee beside her. With Book and Wash, the traitors, looking interested and sympathetic-like at the girl. And her boy. And she’d mentioned liquor and profit in front of Jayne. Who was watching the bubbles coil in helixes around the edge of the gold-tinged bottles.

“I know,” she said. “But we have to go. My husband... my husband is on Santo. Working. He was trying to send us money to join him, but it never came. I think, I think something is wrong.” Mal caught Zoe’s eye. Family squabbles were nowhere near where they wanted to be. Zoe tried first.

“Could be, Ledah, he just ain’t made money enough yet. It ain’t easy, getting a job on a lot of these worlds. And starting over takes—”

“No, it’s not that. I’ve, we’ve spoken. Several times. He swears he’s sent money. Transferred it directly to me. I’ve seen the records. I’ve checked them. He did. He sent it. But it’s not there. At least, the bank tells me it isn’t.”

“Someone taking it?” Jayne asked. “Banks ain’t like to lose nothing.”

“Might tell you otherwise, though,” Zoe said, to Jayne’s nodding agreement.

“The bank, or my father-in-law.” Ledah paused for a moment, obviously thinking, pulling words together carefully. “He’s an angry man,” she said, in a tone that suggested she was being generous. She glanced over at Daniel, who was wrapped up in examining the light on the table. “Hateful,” she continued. “And most of me. First for taking away his son, then for being the reason hi