The law came by a bit after that to ask about all the shooting. They checked the dead ones, looked a the live ones, asked a few questions, and then went away. It sounded like the dead folks were members of a troublesome crowd of folks that the local constable were silently thanking us for getting rid of them. I usually try to work with the law, as it surely does smooth the road for me. It was sorta interestin’ that they didn’t show up until well after the shooting, but that gang doubtless had more firepower then the law.
All the bodies, alive and dead, were hauled off shortly after, then the four of us plus Kaylee went into town. There was a local junkyard that Kaylee wanted to poke around in, something I reckon she does every planetfall. Jayne wanted to go find him a woman, while Zoe and Mal was going to see about some cargo that a local bigwig wanted them to haul. Me, I just wanted to get out, breathe fresh air, and stretch my legs a mite. First place I stopped was the local post office. Even though I’m retired, I still like to keep up with all the wanteds. The price has gone up on the Tams, I see. I stashed that in my memory and wandered out to see the town.
There were three bars in town. One was damned noisy and one seemed to attract better dressed folks, so I naturally gravitated towards the middle one. Damned near every place has a decent kind of beer, so I ordered a pitcher and selected a quiet table where I could watch the other customers and sip my beer. A pretty miss came by after a bit and asked if I’d like something to eat, so I ordered a good steak. It even tasted like honest beef. I finished my meal, leaned back in my chair, and quietly finished my beer.
I ambled out of the bar after a while, stretched, and then headed back towards the ship. When I got there Kaylee was sitting, cross-legged, right by the open cargo hold. She had some gadget in her lap and was operating on it with a screwdriver. She looked up and gave me a sunny smile, then went back to fiddlin’ with the gadget. I chuckled at that, found myself a good spot to sit on the other side of the cargo door, and sunned myself for a while. I’m a-getting to the age where I like to soak up the sun some, just warming my bones.
