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Chapter Five

The worst had happened.

The thing Nathan had most feared since waking up in this fictional nightmare was now truly and unavoidably upon him, and terror yanked cold fingernails down the chalkboard of his spine. He knew instinctively that Captain Malcolm Reynolds, veteran Sergeant Malcolm Reynolds, would face this situation like a man.

“You can’t do this! Wait! Please! We can work this out, just don’t—“

The door slammed shut in his face with a very solid thunk. Lost and Jake knelt down and peered through the slot. “Nothing to work out, Mal,” Jake said. “You’re gonna be shot dead like a dog at first light and that’s all there is to it. Trial’s over, I won, judge ruled, we all cheered, that’s it. We’d do it now only we got this here celebratory feast going and dead bodies stink up the place something awful.” It was true; the party was in full swing now. Sounds of singing and heroic drinking could be heard from outside, and from the sounds and cheers Mal was being burned in effigy.

“No, I get that, that’s shiny. But don’t leave me in here with her!”

Behind him Inara looked up from where she had been arranging some of her filmy wraps on the bunk to sit on. Without them her bare arms shone golden in the candlelight. “You know, the compliments I get are one of the most satisfying things about my profession,” she said. “The devotion. The praise.”

Lost and Jake exchanged glances. “Um, Mal,” Lost said. “To be honest, we figured we wuz doin’ you a kindness, letting you have one last, you know...”

“Evening of bitter sarcasm and uncomfortable silences?”

“Oh, you two got married?”

“Some people even worship me,” Inara said to the air. “Although that can get a little embarrassing at times...”

“’Sides, we can’t let her go. Her own testimony makes her one of them there accomplices, so she gets popped right there with you,” Lost said.

“She didn’t have anything to do with it! You can’t prove she