After supper Harriet traced her errant paramour to the cargo bay, where he was crouched above the crates of cargo, gently re-stowing each snow globe in its bed of soft wadding with a tenderness that belied his rough exterior. She leant against the stair rail and folded her arms, speaking to his back.

“So let me see if I’ve understood you and your downright cunning plan, possibly to get us all killed, correctly. You’re suggesting that, of our own volition, we go seek out the treacherous little snake who often times has, as I recall, tried to kill us and incidentally, whatever her devious little brain comes up with, she’s got the drop on us every time,” as she spoke Mal, sighing heavily, stood up, dusting off his trousers and turned to face her, looking implacable, “anyhow, be that as it may, we’re gonna actively go lookin’ for her and then we’re, stop me if I’ve misunderstood, gonna demand a divorce with menaces?”

Mal nodded, “that’s about the size of it.”

“And you think, in yer somewhat addle-minded brain pan that this is gonna work?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Malcolm Reynolds, has the idea of impending fatherhood driven you entirely round the galaxy? You’ve gone *fong luh*, ain’t no more to be said.” Mal just smiled annoyingly and swung past her to head up the stairs, ruffling her hair as he did so.

“Look Hat, yer need to calm down, can’t be good for the critter, you gettin’ all worked up!” Hat visibly ground her teeth – frothing at the mouth was clearly about to commence, “we just gotta come up with a natty little plan, is all. This time she ain’t gonna pull the wool over our eyes. If we’re sufficiently prepared and we all work together we can swindle her. And won’t that be all kinds a fun?”

“Oh ho! *Nah may gwon-shee*!” said Hat wryly, “that’s all we have to do, is it?” She followed him up the stairs, “and just what is this incredibly clever plan you’ve been harbourin’?”

“Dunno, I ain’t thought of it yet and I ain’t gonna if you don’t stop with the jabberin’ and let me think.”

“Oh great! Don’t