CHAPTER 12

The crew lingered anxiously outside the Infirmary as Simon and Zoë tended to Wash. Simon discovered that he could use Wei’s black cylinder to repair most of the bone damage, and having done that, was starting to cast Wash’s feet. Book prayed silently and Jayne paced nervously, unwilling to sit still. The mission had only been a partial success—Inara’s absence was palpable. As soon as the engines were running steady, Kaylee bolted from the engine room to watch and wait with the others. Having set a course that was firmly away from the core, Mal hoped he wasn’t heading away from Inara as well.

“You’re a strategist,” Mal said to Alegra. “What ideas do you have?”

Alegra’s crossed her arms tightly as if she were squirreling her innards. With a heavy sigh, she said, “Leave Inara for dead, run to the rim, and spend the rest of your life avoiding Jantis.”

“No!” Kaylee cried.

“Second half is okay. Not so keen on the first point,” Mal said.

Alegra thought again. “Find someone else with a grudge on Jantis who may be tracking his whereabouts.”

“No time for that.”

“Caddock!” Jayne interrupted. His feet stopped suddenly as if they couldn’t run at the same time as his mouth. “Surely Caddock’s figured Jantis is the one that black marked him.”

“Don’t mean he’s found him,” Mal countered.

“If Jantis black marked him, they’ve had direct dealings,” Jayne pointed out. “Caddock would at least give us a solid start.”

Mal rubbed his eyes, wearied by the prospect. Finally he turned to Kaylee. “Any chance he’s still on Three Hills?”

“Damage I did to his ship, it’d take a team of folks a month to fix it. Far as I know, since I left he don’t even have one mechanic.”

“Jantis will be watching the ports for you,” Alegra warned. “Three Hills doesn’t allow landing out of port.”

“Easter Island,” Book volunteered, standing to join the discussion. They all looked at him, waiting for an explanation. “It’s an abandoned Alliance base on Three Hills. We can land there easily enough and shouldn’t be bothered.”

“K