“Alls I'm sayin' is that we'd save some coin if we go straight on to Beaumonde to pick up a job, 'stead a swingin' by Harvest just so we can pick up some mail then to have ta double back,” Jayne argued as he and Mal stacked cargo.

“Jayne,” Mal gritted with as much patience as a man had, especially when his authority was forever being questioned. “I done told ya, that we gotta drop this here cargo off in Harvest anyhows. What's the point of cartin' around illegal cargo more than we need ta, and then having pick up more on the way? We'd just raise the chances of us getting' caught.”

“Waste of fuel, is all I'm sayin',” the merc muttered.

“Aw ya're just mad cause there ain't no good whorehouses on Harvest,” Kaylee grunted as she and River hauled a box over to Jayne and Mal.

“Gwon nee tze-jee duh shr. I don't recall askin' your opinion in this here matter,” Jayne growled as he easily picked up the box they had lugged over.

“Fact is,” he gave a small grunt as he deposited the box on top of the other cargo. “Harvest ain't got no good ammo supply shops. Alls they got are for shot guns and some pistols. Don't even sell Grizwalds.”

“He lies.”

Everyone turned to look at River. She was staring intently at Jayne.

“Sha mu?” Kaylee furrowed her brow.

“Every page received is another wrinkle in his brow. He worries that it's not enough. He sends and sends but it's never enough. The next one could be the one. He doesn't want to see it, but he can't not see it. It's his duty to see to it. So he delays the inevitable, but he knows he has no choice but to receive the pages he dreads and loves to expect,” she whispered loudly.

“Right...” Mal broke the silence.

“I thought your useless brother said ya're getting better. Still sound feng le to me.” Jayne snorted. He bent over to adjust the crates to hide the fact that his face had gone pale.

“Jayne!” Kaylee scolded.

“It's fine. I'm used to him by now,” River said quite lucidly.

She turned to Mal.“We should be out of atmo in twenty minutes, Cap