The woolies were being made.

Jayne had gotten some extra money as he had more furs than what four woolly chaps were worth. At first he wanted to buy a fetching beaver skin cap, then he decided to pocket the money, as Mal would be on him for making sure to bargain. So, Jayne swaggered over to the tiny saloon, ordered himself a fresh cigar, and talked his way into a game of Tall Card.

He was well into the lead, with plenty of coin he had picked up on a previous winning as the waitress, a woman who never spoke a word, set his dish of duck and fried rice next to his earnings. "Thank ya darlin." Downing his shot of whiskey, he sucked on his teeth before setting his cigar in the ashtray and placing a fork to his vittles. Taking a mouthful, he chewed and gazed around the tableful of losing card sharks. There were five in all, all small fellows too. "C'mon boys." He gulped a crawful of chow down. "Can't believe I'm winnin' so gorram easily."

The eldest man, with mousy grey hair, a thick beard and a stocky build, scratched his chin. He was the town elder, which accounted for why he was so well fed, for he needed not to work. "Seems luck is on your side my friend." He puffed his pipe of sweet tobacco.

"Tain't always." Jayne grunted. "Dun got my share of hui zhe."

"And what do you do then?" Another Tall Card player quizzed.

"Usually end up smokin' some hun-dan." He announced casually.

All five men looked up from their hands with alarm.

The merc laughed wolfishly, his stature making him a beast among sheep. "Just goadin' you boys." Shoveling more food into his mouth, he gestured for another round of booze. "Welf cum om." He talked with his mouth stuffed. "Mack yur betf."

"I'm in." A younger character, who seemed frustrated, tapped his fingers impatiently. "My stuff just ain't here yet." Turning in his chair, he shouted. "WOMAN!"

"Perhaps you should retire, son." The elder announced with authority. "Don't want to loose your property to a hand of cards, again."

"No respect sir but I know when to quit." As a woman moved in, with sullen, broken eyes, he snapped his fingers as she carried a small wooden box. "Come on then! Don't dawdle!" Ripping the box from her hands he opened it and shuffled through a stack of papers. "Here." Taking an old piece of paper out, he tossed it on the pile that included money, a bottle of gin, a box of cigars, and a pistol. "I gotta cabin I built on land just outta town. Was gonna sell it to Coppice, but here it is." He tossed it down into the pile.

"Ceiling better be big 'nough." Jayne took the shot of whiskey jack from the tray in the woman's hands. "Thanks sweetness. You keep them comin' 'n I don't gotta signal, you'll git a hefty tip."

She merely left.

He made a face, for it disgruntled him that some lovely sheila wasn't at all responding to him. Especially as he was a studly giant among forest midgets 'n all.

The next man took a napkin and wrote something down. "Well, I got somethin' everyone would fancy."

They all waited for the declaration.

"A wife."

Jayne's face contorted in bewilderment. "A wife? Hell you can't bet those, ain't property."

It was everyone else's turn to look at him.

The elder replied with an honest tone. "Yes, they are."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mal slowed the mule down in front of Colter's grocery store.

He parked, and got out. A hand going into his pocket and checking the small bill fold, it felt sizable enough. Walking into the store, blue eyes wandered, yet he was very awkward. Uneasy about buying things of the baby nature. It wasn't his motif, and he strayed to the counter. Shifting his weight from one foot to the next.

Colter came in from the back, a friendly smile hiding underneath his heavy whiskers. "Well Captain Reynolds, didn't think I'd see you or any of your crew for awhile. What brings the pleasure?"

Bracing his hands on the countertop, he glanced back and forth. "Um... got uh... need some things." He muttered, rather twitchy. "Hoped you carried some baby formula, bottles and some diapers."

Colter's wife, as she was in back counting their new merchandise heard the word 'baby' and came out. "Who's had a baby?"

"Well uh." Mal gave a little smile. "Inara." Pressing his lips together he folded his arms to his chest and new he had to play the role. No doubt Kaylee had spilled their entire life to the couple. Then again, he actually didn't mind playing the role. Come to think of it he felt ready. "My..."

"That's your partner isn't it?" Colter recalled meeting Inara, and didn't remember any word of a baby on the way nor saw any indication. Though she had been wearing a loose robe, so it may have been hidden.

"Yes it is." He nodded his head.

"Well then congratulations on becoming a proud papa, Captain." Susan grinned happily. "Such a blessed event. When did the little one come?"

Mal played along "Not too long after I came home from the supply run." He could tell by the old woman's eyes she wished for all the details, like every woman in a small town did. "Little girl, Meilin Hadley, looks just like her momma." His mouth pulled into a broader smile. "Cutest lil angel if there ever was one... 'cept when she's screamin'."

The wife processed all of the information in the way a former mother would. She frowned with some concern. "Inara can't nurse?"

"Oh." He was caught off guard, Scrubbing the back of his neck he decided how to address that particular question. "Well... no... unfortunately... The doc has a better explanation, all articulate and formal. All I know is I've been sent by a gaggle of women ta fetch another bottle, some formula and some cloth diapers."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jayne tried to recall Mal warning him that the people of Tehatchepi were odd in the fashion that women were the equivalent of livestock.

He was pretty sure Mal would have noted that.

"So um.... why's you all treat your ladies ... ya know.... without the rights?" He grunted, actually feeling uncomfortable. It was strange even to him, for he was the biggest playboy there was, and would jump at any piece lovely tail that was either willing or paid. However this was low, and women not having a voice didn't sit right with even Jayne Cobb.

"Self preservation." The elder explained. "See, wasn't always this way, but during the war we had a sickness."

"Sickness?" The merc curled his lip up.

"It killed all of our wives." Another man piped. "Didn't effect us none, but all the shefolk passed on. B'came a town of men, and that ain't well when it comes ta keepin' a town alive."

"Elder Thurn came up with the idea." A young lad chipped in. "There's a tribe of pagan braves over the mountain that came here from time ta time ta trade. They have them a whole slew'a women. So's we packed up and went to their village see, rounded a group up and took 'em back." He gestured all the while, the others nodding in agreement.

"They don't know how to act, civilized." Thurn reasoned. "It is best we keep them such a way."

"Gives me a tidy business too." The man who had tossed in the napkin smiled with a wicked overtone. "I just keep on bringin' more in and sellin' them off. Now, as these ladies don't give opinions, men can have more than one. Hell I got one customer who just added a fifth ta his home."

"It is shiny." Another voiced, shuffling the placement of his hand around. "They keep the house, don't bicker nor question, just do."

"Gotta lotta doin' o'r there Mank considerin' all three'a yours are expectant." One chuckled, the other men chortling as well.

Except Jayne. He sat there, very uncomfortable. Shifting his weight, he grabbed his whiskey glass and knocked it back. Before he swallowed, he thought of getting too drunk and possibly getting accidentally hitched. Worried, Jayne spat it back into the glass. "So, what... 'bout your daughters? They's gotta have some rights. Right? I mean... they're your kids."

The elder looked around at all of the men, the voice of the town. "We don't have daughters."

"Huh?"

"It's another thing that has occurred. Since the illness swept through and we have replaced the women, all of the children our male." He divulged. "I think our new wives are spiting us, refusing to bring forth daughters." As Thurn talked, the others nodded their heads, believing every word. "But that is tolerable. If fact bearing girls would muddle our new way, and we can merely go back and continue to retrieve women for when our sons are of age."

Jayne blinked a few times. "Oh."

*** *** *** TRANSLATIONS/DEFINITIONS hui zhe: Unlucky ruts

hun-dan: Bastard ******

**As always, the writer appreciates all comments whether they be positive, negative, or suggestions.**