Period of Adjustment

Chapter One

Jayne entered the galley with food on his mind. He stopped short, though, at the sight of River sitting at the table, absorbed in a book. She wasn’t tearing out the pages. She wasn’t “editing” the volume with tiny, crab-like scribbles which covered every blank space. She simply sat, reading. Occasionally she turned a page.

“I’m not going to levitate, if that’s what you’re watching for,” she said without looking up.

Jayne started. “I was just figurin’ what to eat, is all.”

“Usually you ingest it first and name it afterwards,” she said, still looking at the page.

“Real funny.” Truth told, being insulted made him feel a little more familiar with the situation. Ever since that sorry chain of events they all called Miranda, the whole ship had been set on its head. Nothing felt right. Jayne sighed, shook it off as usual, and turned his attention to the pantry.

“I can still kill you with my brain,” said River. Jayne looked at her; she was smiling into her book. The light dawned.

“I knew you couldn’t do that!” he said. “That’s just more crazy talk, aint it?”

Now River looked up. “I am not crazy, Jayne. That word was always insufficient. And anyway stop saying it. It’s insulting.”

“Like callin’ me a rootin’ pig?”

River paused. “Point taken. Now let me read. I take the helm in half an hour.”

Now that was part of the newness that Jayne wasn’t sure he liked, River being in charge of flying the whole ship. Sure, she was supposed to be okay now. But still. This was the girl who’d hardly said one gorram word Jayne could understand in the whole time he knew her. And this same shaky-mouthed child had leveled an entire bar in less than five minutes. So now she was flying their home around, which, incidentally, was the only thing between them all and a little thing called the Black?

He wasn’t thinking he’d like to let his guard down just yet.

River sighed and closed the book. “Can’t concentrate now,” she said.

“Well, sorry I’m sure. Last time you had a book in your hands, you threw it