Consider the proprieties covered. Not mine, blah, blah, blah.

****

Mal walked back to Serenity thinking hard. Well, that had been an interesting evening, all around. He supposed he’d been guilty of what he’d told Gowan to avoid: making assumptions about what other people might and might not know. But, still, who would have thought Isabel Warrick was capable of shooting two men? It was too bad they had had to be shot, but as she said, now they needn’t concern themselves with them any further.

Zoe let him in.

“You were a while, sir.”

“Isabel was busy shootin’ Bothney and Gerard. Then we had a drink,” Mal answered.

“Isabel? Do you mean Miss Warrick shot those hundans, sir?”

“She did. It was a handy little maneuver, too.” Mal was not going to describe how Isabel Warrick had enticed that pair up close enough to shoot them. He wasn’t sure, himself, what he thought of that business of her leaning her thigh against him – except it had certainly answered the purpose. He shook his head bemusedly.

“I suppose it was better for her to shoot them than you,” observed Zoe. “If we ever want to come back here.”

“Funny, that’s what she said, too.”

“So I suppose she’s not as foolish as she looks, sir.”

“I would say not foolish at all, not foolish a damntall.” Mal said. “Lock it up tight, this day’s over for me.”

“Mal, it’s dawn.”

“So it is, Zoe, so it is.” Mal disappeared in the direction of his bunk, leaving Zoe standing with a distinctly puzzled expression.

***

The crew spent the day waiting for it to be time to leave. Jayne went out for several hours on an errand no one cared to inquire about; although he did come back more or less sober. Mal gave Kaylee part of the platinum from Bothney and Gerard and told her to get Serenity whatever she needed. Zoe was still not herself and spent the day resting, Wash resting with her. Book went out to the local Shepherd chapel and came back with a crate of oranges. Inara spent the day on the Cortex.

About mid-afternoon Isabel Warrick walked u