A bar, like a thousand others. Music is playing in the background, and various nefarious types are lounging at the bar or sitting at tables. The atmosphere suggested a fight may break out at any time, but this is not unusual. Our nefarious types are sitting at a table in the back, watching all the newcomers.

“I seem to do nothin’ but wait around in places like this,” Jayne grumbled.

“It was my recollection that you seemed homely in places like this.” Mal finished his beer and put the mug on the table.

“I am. It’s the waitin’ that makes me nervous. Been too many lately where nothin’s come of it.”

“Well, this is a good bet. He’s not let us down before.”

“Always a first time.”

Attempting to relieve the dampener Jayne was trying to put on things, Freya picked up the jug to refill her mug, but found it wanting. “I’ll get a refill.” She stood up and headed to the bar. She heard the conversation continue behind her, and half-smiled. Mal was in a good mood, with the first decent prospect of a job on the horizon for weeks, and he wasn’t letting Jayne get him down. She reached the bar and held out the jug. The barman took it and began to pour. The vidscreen above was showing something from the Cortex, as usual, and it caught Freya’s attention for a moment, then she looked harder. As the barman put the jug on the bar, slopping some of the contents, Freya asked, “What date is it?”

The barman looked at her, bored out of his skull. “March 30th.”

She smiled. “In which case –“

Back at the table Zoe was berating Jayne. “I don’t know about you, but I like getting paid once in a while.”

“So do I. It’s just –“

“You going through the change?” Mal asked, grinning widely.

Jayne looked shocked. “Am not!”

“Boys, boys.” Freya had got back to the table, a tray in her hands. “No fighting. Not yet.” She put the tray down in the centre of the grubby wood, and stood back. Everyone stared suspiciously at the glasses containing a brown liquid clustered together.

“And what is the o