Bell, Book and Candle.

disclaimer - none of the characters here are mine and the whole shebang is owed to Joss and co...

This story is set just prior to Those Left Behind.

part one: bodies at rest and in motion.

It was the sort of scene that needed music, demanded music and hell, perhaps there was music but it just couldn't be heard. Either way, the tiny figure of the old man stepped forward and flipped upside down, the kilt around the scrawny legs dropped in ungracious fashion, covering the wrinkled face completely. It was perhaps fortunate for all that what the kilt left exposed was nothing more or less than a brand new head; tussled, youthful and impossible - but a head nonetheless, grinning wildly and moving from side to side. The thin legs slowly easing from their straight up position to fall to the sides of the body - to become arms finally.

In a wicker chair, the wizened form of an old woman clapped at the trick with jerky halting hands and, at the last, the dog by the hearth let out a yap and circus-style somersaulted on the spot.

There were witnesses to these improbable actions - and their reaction was mixed.

"Au - to - ma - ta."

Scowling fiercely, Jayne Cobb leant his bullhead close to the smeared and greasy glass of the window, reading the fancy sign writing with difficulty. Jossiah Bell's Emporium of fine handmade implements, diversions and automata.

"Auto-mata," he repeated. "Hell is that?"

"Clockwork," the man beside him explained. "It's really quite ingenious."

"Clockwork?"

"Machines."

"I know what CLOCKWORK means, gorram it - I aint slow. Why they always gotta use some fancy name? Don't look much like the kind of robots we could use,” he added thoughtfully.

"These aren't robots, Jayne - just toys."

"These creepyfying things are toys? What kinda place is this? What kinda young gets raised with - what kinda place..." he repeated mournfully.

"Kinda place we're meant to be working Jayne - as I recall." A third voice. Cobb turned from the wi