The ride out of town was surprisingly pleasant, despite the fact that Jayne hadn’t said more than a couple of words. Although that could have been a contributing factor to the enjoyment, Mal still attempted to engage his gunhand.

“I surely like this time of year,” he said, sitting easily in the saddle, letting the horse do all the work. “The leaves turning all red and gold, the clean air ...” He breathed in deeply. “Makes a man glad to be alive.”

“Huh.”

Mal had been sure that last comment would elicit something, even if it was along the lines of ‘least someone is’. Still, it was worth one last try. “Jayne, you know there’s a new thing doing the rounds. It’s all the rage. ‘Parrently even the high ups on Osiris are getting in on the act. ‘Scalled ‘conversation’.”

“Ain’t got nothing I wanna conversate about.”

“No?” Mal spurred his horse forward so they were side by side. “How ‘bout this Mallory?”

“What about her?”

“How come you went pale when Addie back there mentioned her?”

“Did not.”

“Believe me, Jayne, I was on this side. And you did.” He squinted into the sun, gauging the time. “She someone River needs to worry about?”

“River ain’t worried. Mallory’s ... just a girl.”

“Indigo’s girl?”

“Not that I was aware of.”

“Jayne, talk to me. Else when we get back to Serenity I’ll set Frey on you.”

“Could be fun.”

“Jayne ...”

A playful wind caught up a sheaf of leaves and made them dance, twirling them along the ground in a tarantella before dropping them exhausted back to the earth, and it took that long before the big man responded.

“She was a whore. Mallory, I mean.”

Mal was surprised at the matter-of-factness in Jayne’s tone. “You mean –“

“What I said. A working girl.”

“At Addie’s?”

“Nope. Least not at first. If’n that’d be the case she wouldn’t have had the scars.”

Mal’s good humour dimmed. “She got beat up?”

“Off and on. Worked out of Vic Carroway’s place, ‘til I ... had a word.”

No matter what Jayne had been, and still was