INT. THE GURICK – TORTURE ROOM – DAY

CLOSE-UP of Niska’s smiling face.

NISKA: Ah, Captain Reynolds. So good to see you are up and about. This is a very exciting day, yes?

INT. THE GURICK – ANTECHAMBER – SAME TIME

The antechamber is a small room with a single door. Mal is in the center of the room, strapped into a painful-looking metal CONTRAPTION. He’s standing, his arms spread, practically crucified.

The wall he faces is dominated by a WINDOW that looks into the torture room. Our angle is such that we can see Niska through the mirror, but cannot see anything else in the torture room.

MAL: What’s gonna be exciting is when I get outta this thing and stop that voicebox of yours from squawking… permanently.

When Niska speaks, his voice is tinny, coming through a speaker into Mal’s room.

NISKA: This is not what will happen, Captain Reynolds. Perhaps you do not understand that your crew is under my power. Your entire crew.

Mal glares.

INT. THE GURICK – TORTURE ROOM/ANTECHAMBER – SAME TIME

NISKA: You are a simple man, Captain. You live in a world of gray, but you see things in black and white. So, perhaps, you will not understand what this is about. You are thinking this is vengeance, yes?

Mal strains against the straps.

MAL: Gonna be when I’m loose.

NISKA: Because of you, I am no longer respected. No longer feared. My reputation, yes, is dust. Because of you, my business no longer is good. But today is not about you. Not about vengeance.

Niska pauses, as if to make sure that Mal is listening.

NISKA (cont’d): Vengeance will not bring my business back, or return by beloved Veronica to me. If I break you, however… If I destroy the good hero Captain Malcolm Reynolds, whose crew so valiantly stood up to the terrible Niska…

Niska takes out a small cloth and cleans his glasses, as if Mal is beneath his notice.

NISKA (cont’d): Then… Then, my reputation is solid again. Then, Adelai Niska is to be feared, yes? (beat) But we have a dilemma, do we n