“You reckoned right.” But Mal remained wary.
“Go on,” the visitor urged, casting a look over his shoulder. “I ain’t got long. Someone’s bound to come by. Drink.”
Mal put his lips to the mug. The visitor tipped it and he sipped the water. It was stale, brackish, but welcome nonetheless.
A glimpse of a busted-to-hell nose confirmed the man’s identity.
“Stu?” he said.
Stuart Deakins nodded.
“Thought so. Why’re you being nice all of a sudden? Couple of hours ago, you belted me in the gut, then spat at my feet.”
“Yeah, about that… I kinda had to.”
“I figure hitting someone’s usually a matter of choice. As is spitting at them.”
“But I had to show willing,” Deakins said. “Had to show I’m part of the gang. Didn’t want anyone to think I wasn’t loyal.”
“Well, my aching belly muscles would certainly seem proof of that,” Mal said.
“And here’s a protein block.” Deakins unwrapped the foodstuff and held it up for Mal to munch on. Barbecue spare ribs flavor. Not Mal’s favorite, but still he did his best not to guzzle the whole thing in one go. He was starving hungry. When had he last eaten? He could barely recall.
Meanwhile Deakins said, “Whatever else they’re saying about you, Mal, I remember what you did for me on New Kasimir. If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be here today and still sucking air. That earns you some latitude, far as I’m concerned.”
“Enough latitude,” Mal said around a mouthful of protein block, “that you’d untie these ropes and let me go?”
“Nuh-uh.” Deakins shook his head regretfully. “Can’t do that.”
“Can’t fault a man for askin’.”
“They know I’ve come to see you. I asked for some time alone with you. They think I’m working you over. They find out I’d freed you, I’d be dead. That simple.”
“Could always stage a fight. Maybe I freed myself, overpowered you, got away under my own steam.”
“No, Mal. That ain’t how this is gonna play out. I’m showing you some compassion, but it has its limits. You’re still a traitor in these people’s eyes. In mine too, if what I’m told is true.”
“And what have you been told?” Mal said. “It’s a mystery to me, that’s for damn sure. What is this huge betrayal I’m being accused of committing? Been rackin’ my brains and can’t think of none.”
Deakins studied him skeptically. “I can’t tell if you’re being straight or scamming. You can’t surely be ignorant of your crime. I find that hard to believe.”
“Trust me, if I knew what I’m supposed to be guilty of, I’d be the first to hold my hand up and admit to it.”
“You really don’t remember? Too bad. I’m sure it’ll come back to you.”
“You ain’t even going to jog my memory a little?”
“Why? You’ll find out when the time comes to face judgment for it — and it’s coming soon. Might be best if you just acclimatize yourself to that reality.”
Mal could see he wasn’t going to get far with Deakins. The man had mercy in his soul, but a finite quantity of it. He felt he owed Mal something, even if it was just the kindness of a little food and water.
“Gotta go,” Deakins said. “I was told I could only give you a few licks. I’m gonna refrain from doin’ that, but if I stay any longer, people are bound to get suspicious.”
“One thing,” Mal said. “I’m bursting for a pee.”
“Bucket over there.”
“Sure, but my hands are tied behind my back. Kind of makes it difficult for a fella to get the old pecker out, know what I mean?”
“You want me to untie you? I ain’t falling for that. You’d cold-cock me for sure.”
“Okay, but I’m gonna piss my pants if I don’t do something about it right soon. You want that on your conscience?”
Deakins was in two minds, Mal could see.
“Man to man,” he pressed. “If the roles were reversed, I’d do the same for you. Swear.”
“Tell you what,” Deakins said. “I’ll unbutton your fly. But that’s as far as it goes. You’ll have to manage the rest by your ownsome.”
He fumbled gingerly with the front of Mal’s pants, like someone fearful of touching a live wire. Mal then shuffled over to the bucket on his knees. He managed, through some awkward maneuvering and hip-gyrating, to liberate the part of him that needed liberating. What followed was a full minute of blessed, bladder-draining relief, after which, with a bit more wriggly dancing, he was able to stow everything away again back where it belonged.
“Thanks, Stu,” he said, sincerely, as Deakins re-buttoned his fly.
“Don’t mention it. Seriously. I mean it.”
“I guess you couldn’t see your way to slipping me a knife now? A gun, even?”
“Ha ha. No chance.”
“Or you could just, you know, accidentally-on-purpose leave the door ajar.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“Stu, you do realize this is real bad company you’re keeping, don’t you? These people, these Browncoats in name only, they ain’t playing fair. They’re crazy. Toby Finn especially. I know Toby from way back when.”
“Yeah, he said as much. Said he used to run with you when he was a kid. Trusted you. Loved you like a brother. And that’s why you’ve been top of his list of turncoats for a long while. Backstabbing’s all the more painful when it comes from someone you were once close to.”
“Toby used to be a good kid. Don’t know what turned him, but it’s clear he’s picked up some harum-scarum notions since then. That face of his? That’s the face of a madman. Toby ain’t someone I’d pledge my allegiance to, is what I’m saying. Someone as fēng le as that is liable to turn on the people around him at the drop of a hat. I don’t reckon any of you’s safe while you’re around him. If he’s calling me a traitor, I imagine he could do the same to anyone. All’s it’d take is him getting some twisted fancy about you into his head, and that’s it, you’re next for the chop.”
Deakins appeared to take this on board. “So you say.”
“Think about it, at least,” Mal said. “I mean, come on, you’re so scared of these people you’d thump a defenseless man just to keep in with them? What does that say about them? Or you?”
Deakins did not reply. Instead, with a heavy tread, he left the cell, shutting and locking the door behind him.
Alone once more, Mal contemplated his situation. It looked bleak. Trying to turn Stuart Deakins against the rest of the vengeful Browncoats had been a long shot. Mal might have planted a few seeds of doubt in the man’s mind but he doubted they would germinate into anything fruitful.
His main hope, slender though it was, was the crew of Serenity. Somehow, against all the odds, they would find him. He had to believe that. The only alternative was utter despair.
He sank back onto the floor and into reverie again.
22
After a sumptuous dinner of fresh vegetables and real chicken, Book took leave of Mika Wong. He hadn’t wanted to stay for the meal. He had wanted to retrieve Elmira Atadema right away. But somehow it would have felt impolite to turn down Wong’s hospitality, the more so since Wong had placed so much trust in him. And when might he next have the chance to eat such good, wholesome food? The soul got its sustenance from the Lord, but the body needed nourishment too. Book knew from experience that even a humble bowl of soup could make all the difference to a person.
He caught a rickshaw back from the town outskirts into Eavesdown proper. As the cart jolted along the neon-splashed streets, he fetched out his comm link and called Serenity.
“Shepherd,” Wash said. “Where are you? Are you all right? Do you have Mal?”