Serenity: Deception

Chapter Three: Part 1

"Y'all part of a fishin' crew?" an old fisherman asked approaching the table and looking at them with his one good eye; the other eye was glass just like the fish's.

"No, sir," Mal said. "Just here on some business."

"You a fishin' man?" Jayne asked, tipping a drink down his throat, on his way to complete inebriation.

"That I am," The old man said. "Name's Santiago, one o' the best."

"Yeah, yeah, done some fishin' with men of your sort, all claimin' they're the best," Jayne replied.

"I am. Let me tell you," The old man, Santiago took a chair from a nearby table and sat down. "It was the worst run of bad luck I ever had, for eighty-four days I caught not a fish. Most o' these men catch sturgeon by the net-full. I tossed my line out and could not hook one. So on that eighty-fifth day, I packed light provisions and headed far out on the sea in my wee skiff. It was then I seen it, the biggest fish I or any man here's ever seen. This great beast, the great marlin took hold my bait and we fought for two whole days and two whole nights."

"C'mon old man, you don't expect me to sit here and believe that fairy tale? Out there, just an old man and the sea?" Jayne asked.

"It's true, ya lug," Santiago said. "Third day came and the mighty fish swam circles 'round my skiff, till I managed to pull it up onto the back of my skiff. Settin' my sights on the port, I headed on back home, followed by sharks. Those bastards ate up most of that great marlin by the time I go home. Muscles achin' and burns from my line on my hands and arms, I set off for my home and slept. Woke up to the other fishermen singin' praise, for I got an eighteen-foot marlin. Biggest fish any o' y'all ever see."

"Now I don't believe a word of that tale. But I'll give you this, you tell it well," Jayne said. "I used to fish. Man by the name of Orion, an ugly sod, used to fish off his boat in his full-blown birthday suit. Gave me my first rod he did. Weren't too good. I've handled some stiff rods in my day but his had to be the stiffest."

They all laughed, including River who giggled until Jayne turned his stare onto her. She looked down at her drink and sucked on the straw.

"Fishin' poles. I'm talkin' fishin' poles here. Got a filthy mind don't you?" Jayne snarled at River.

"Well 'bout time we head back to the ship," Mal said, standing up. "Got a big day startin' at dawn and it seems as though our man ain't gonna show," he turned to Santiago and nodded his way. "Have a pleasant night. Wishin' you all the best with your work."

"Thank ya," Santiago said to Mal. "Wishin' you the best with those stiff rods boy," Santiago told Jayne.

"Why I-," Jayne began before River's laughter interrupted him.

"Let's go," Mal said.

They walked out of The Cove bar one-by-one, Jayne staggering slightly. The port was filled with bright lights that illuminated the docks and the securely tied ships. The ships' lights, just before the horizon, on the sea at night were like stars rocking to the current's rhythmic, calming tune of waves crashing the beach and the percussion of boats clanging against the dock.

"Captain Reynolds," a voice called out.

Mal turned to see a man come from the dark side of the bar. He stood in the half-light, his face obscured by a horizontal shadow. He stood in the damp dirt outside the bar, his boots slowly sinking deeper into the soft ground. The man stood with rigid posture that reminded River of Simon. The shadow crossed his pale face as he stepped forward. Mal's hand instinctually fell to his pistol.