Chapter 3

Before they could continue the conversation, two men came inside the stable. One carried two covered trays and the other used a key to unlock a port built into the stable doors. The port was at the bottom of the door and slid open so that the trays could be placed inside the stalls for the occupants. Rather than risk Jayne trying anything the man laid the tray outside the slot and allowed Jayne to take it himself. The same was done with River since she was just as dangerous if not more so than Jayne. Once they had their trays, the slots were closed and relocked. The two men left leaving the two captives to their breakfast.

Jayne uncovered his tray and looked at the rice and dumplings that were still slightly warm. His stomach growled at him reminding him that he hadn't eaten since they left Serenity to find River.

"Jayne's stomach talks." River said. Jayne looked

over at the slightly crazy psychic pilot assassin and saw that she too had uncovered her food and was picking at it with her chopsticks while seated on the blankets.

"Yeah, Jayne's stomach is saying its hungry." Jayne answered. Now that River was awake and aware or at least as aware as she was going to get Jayne was going back to his usual gruff manner. He didn't know why when she was in danger he suddenly

got all strange, but he tried to forget about it when the danger was passed. He didn't need the complications.

"Cotton balls still there. Can't read them. Numbers unknown, variables unknown can't calculate." River said as she picked at her food.

Jayne took it to mean that she didn't know how many people were at the ranch and how many might be armed. "There was eight of em in the party including that fancified cowboy and the other reader." Jayne answered between bites of his own food. "Probably more of em though, ranch can't be run with handful. Too big a spread."

River nodded her head. "Take care of sticky cotton balls first."

"Take down the psychic first? Thinking the fancified cowboy should be first."

"Cotton