LOST CONVERSATIONS PART XIX 1. WHERE JAYNE VISITS THE SOUTHDOWN ABBEY TO TELL THE BROTHERS BOOK IS DEAD, SOMETIME AFTER “Serenity” EXT. ABBEY GATE - DAY Jayne and Mal stand outside the gate of a stone building. The gate has a bell and clapper hanging from it. They look a little nervous. MAL Sure you want to do this? JAYNE Someone’s got to. (beat) Ain’t like I never told someone someone was dead before. MAL Yeah. Did enough of that myself in the war. JAYNE Best get on with this. He reaches for the bell on the gate, rings it twice, hard. After a few seconds a BROTHER comes and opens the gate. BROTHER How can I help you, my friends? JAYNE Like to speak to the man in charge. BROTHER That would be Abbot Parsons. Please come in. Jayne starts to enter but Mal hesitates. MAL On second thought Jayne, I best be getting back to the ship. Captainy things to do. JAYNE Mal, you gonna leave me to do this all by my lonesome? MAL Just places of religion give me all kinds of conflicted feelings. BROTHER There is nothing to fear here my friends. MAL I ain’t afraid of what you all say or do, Brother. Just afraid what I’ll do. Me and religion got no quarrel, long as we stay far apart. JAYNE (grumpy) Thanks fer nothin’. MAL Take off in an hour. JAYNE I’ll be there. Jayne enters the abbey as Mal stands a second, looks at the gate, knows he should have entered, but then just walks away. INT. ROOM - DAY ABBOT PARSONS, a big man with hairstyle like Book’s, sits behind a desk in a sparse room as Jayne enters with the Brother. BROTHER Forgive me Abbot, but this man would like a word with you. ABBOT PARSONS Thank you Brother Thomas. Brother Thomas leaves. Jayne stands, feeling very awkward. ABBOT PARSONS (CONT’D) I am Abbot Parsons, the leader of this abbey. And you are? JAYNE Cobb, Jayne Cobb. ABBOT PARSONS So, my son, how can I help you? Are you thinking of taking orders? JAYNE Huh? Orders? ABBOT PARSONS Of becoming a brother, of joining us. JAYNE Hell no....ah, I mean, no sir. I just came to give you some news...About Shepherd Book. The Abbot gets a worried look on his face. ABBOT PARSONS Please sit down. Jayne sits in a chair opposite the Abbot. JAYNE Guess there ain’t no way to say this ‘cept say it...Book’s dead. The Abbot looks a little upset and then crosses himself and closes his eyes for a moment. ABBOT PARSONS Can you give me any details on his death? JAYNE He was Shepherd for the Haven mining colony. ABBOT PARSONS Yes, we received word of this several months ago. JAYNE Well, Alliance was looking for some fugitives. They thought Shepherd was hiding them. So they sent out a gunship and killed everyone at the colony. ABBOT PARSONS (aghast) My word. Everyone? JAYNE (solemn) Yes, sir. Men, women and children. (beat) But Book, he shot down that gunship ‘fore he died. Guess that wasn’t very Christian of him, but I say he did right. ABBOT PARSONS I’m sure God will not judge him too harshly. (beat) Where are his remains now? JAYNE We buried him with the others on Haven. We was in a hurry so it was hasty like. Later we set a marker for him. Had us a proper funeral and all. Well, didn’t have no preacher but proper as could be. ABBOT PARSONS Thank you for bringing this news in person. It was very kind of you. JAYNE Was in the neighborhood so... ABBOT PARSONS How did you know Shepherd Book? JAYNE We was shipmates for about eight months. ABBOT PARSONS Serenity. JAYNE (surprised) He told you? ABBOT PARSONS Yes, in a letter, soon after he left. Said he found plenty of sin on that ship and was going to stay a spell. JAYNE (uncomfortable) Yeah, guess he found sin alright. ABBOT PARSONS How did he get along with the crew? JAYNE Tell truth, he was like a...like a friend to most of us...’cept the captain at first. He ain’t got much use for religion. ABBOT PARSONS I see. (beat) And these fugitives the Alliance was looking for? Were they on Haven? JAYNE Were once. Not when they came looking. ABBOT PARSONS Mr. Cobb, you don’t have to answer but...were those fugitives on Serenity? JAYNE Abbot, I was brought up in a religious house but ain’t got much use for it now myself and I’m probably the biggest sinner ever walked through them gates, but I can’t lie to you...they were on Serenity and still are. We all feel mighty guilty for what happened to Shepherd...guess that’s why I’m here. ABBOT PARSONS Guilt is but the soul telling you that you know the right path but have strayed from it. JAYNE Take a lot of walking to get me back on that path. ABBOT PARSONS There is always hope, my son. (beat) But that’s not the only reason you came to give us this news? JAYNE No...he was my friend...closest I had to a friend in a long time...I miss him something fierce. ABBOT PARSONS He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. I would like to have a service in his memory, perhaps tomorrow. Could you ask the crew of Serenity to join us? JAYNE Was planning to leave today, but I’ll ask. Can’t promise they’ll come. ABBOT PARSONS Thank you. A long pause. JAYNE Abbot, me and the crew, we was wondering, if you can tell us anything about the Shepherd. He was closed mouth about his past. Wonder if you know anything. ABBOT PARSONS He came here shortly after the war ended. He was very angry and bitter. He spent a long time in solitary prayer, refusing to interact with anyone except to take his meals and do his chores. After a year he came to me, ready to confess. Jayne waits in anticipation but the Abbot doesn’t continue. ABBOT PARSONS (CONT’D) Of course, confession is highly confidential. JAYNE Yeah. I knew that. Just...we thought he might have been an Alliance policeman or military. Knew an awful lot about that world for a Shepherd. ABBOT PARSONS All I can tell you is that all his good deeds in the years after the war came from a sense of guilt more than anything else. That he had done wrong and needed to make amends. JAYNE That’s what I figured. ABBOT PARSONS He did a a lot of walking, but he came back to the right path at the end. Jayne stands. The Abbot shakes his hand. ABBOT PARSONS (CONT’D) Again, I and my order thank you for conveying this terrible news. JAYNE Least he is in a better place. ABBOT PARSONS Perhaps he has found peace at last. 2. WHERE SIMON AND RIVER RETURN TO SERENITY AFTER BEING RESCUED IN “Safe” EXT. STREET - NIGHT Simon and River move toward a parked shuttle as Mal and Zoe cover them. The townspeople move in a pack following them. Serenity flies overhead, Jayne still hanging out the bomb bay. Mal FIRES a shot in the air, pumps the shotgun. The townspeople freeze. MAL (to townspeople, shouting) You all stay back or next one will riddle some holes in places you don’t want holes. PATRON You best kill that girl. She’s a witch and no good will come of her. ZOE You’ll be the first to die! She FIRES into the ground in front of his feet and then Jayne OPENS FIRE from above, sending many shots into the ground between his crewmates and the townsfolk. They recoil and back away. Simon and River reach the shuttle and jump aboard, followed by Zoe. Mal shouts at the townspeople. MAL You all have a nice day...night...whatever. He leaps aboard the shuttle and it takes off. INT. SERENITY, SHUTTLE TWO ENTRANCE Kaylee and Jayne are waiting, Kaylee all nerves. JAYNE Don’t worry, your prissy boyfriend looked fine. Kaylee is embarrassed. KAYLEE He ain’t my.... The shuttle door opens and Mal and Zoe exit, followed by Simon holding an arm around River. MAL Zoe, tell Wash to get us into orbit, out of here, anywhere. ZOE Aye, sir. She heads up the stairs. MAL (to Jayne) Good shooting. JAYNE Jus’ wish I coulda aimed at them. Simon smiles as he sees Kaylee and she has a big grin. KAYLEE No one hurt? SIMON Not physically. Kaylee is confused. RIVER We ate hodge berries. Saw a post. KAYLEE Oh, that’s...nice. MAL Doc, got a patient for you. SIMON (concerned) Who’s hurt? MAL Book. INT. SERENITY, INFIRMARY Simon examines Book’s wound as Mal and Kaylee stand by. Book is still unconscious. SIMON Good job, fine stitching. Who’s work? MAL Alliance doctor. Simon is surprised. SIMON Sorry. Alliance? KAYLEE That’s why we left. To get help. SIMON Oh. (beat) I thought... MAL Thought we were leaving you behind. SIMON Ah, yes. KAYLEE We’d never do that. (beat, to Mal) Would we? MAL Book was dieing. SIMON (incredulous) And the Alliance took care of him and let you go? MAL Mystery to us, too. Book had an ID card on him. Alliance seems to know him. More than one question I got for him when he wakes. SIMON Sorry for the trouble we caused. KAYLEE Weren’t no trouble. We come back soon as Book was fine. Right, Capt’n? MAL Yeah. (beat) Let’s let the Shepherd have some rest. INT. PASSENGER LOUNGE Simon and Wash leave one of the passenger rooms and come into the lounge. SIMON Thanks for helping move him. WASH Heavy fellow. SIMON Wash, I want to ask you something and you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but, whose idea was it to come back for us? WASH Well, you know it wasn’t Jayne’s. SIMON Already figured that much. Was it the captain’s? WASH Yes...and no. He saw the logic of having a doctor on board but still took some convincing. Mostly from Kaylee. SIMON Kaylee? WASH Uh-uh. Should’ve seen the look on her face when we left to find help. Thought she was gonna cry. SIMON Because of me...I mean River and me? WASH She, well, she thinks a lot of you...two. SIMON But she thinks a lot of everyone...I bet she’d even ask him to go back for Jayne. Right? WASH (smiling) Maybe. (beat) Got a ship to fly. See ya. He turns and starts to leave. SIMON Yeah. Thanks.(beat) Kaylee?

3. WHERE BADGER AND DOBSON PLAN TO SET UP MAL SOMETIME BEFORE “THOSE LEFT BEHIND” INT. BADGER’S LAIR - DAY Badger and Dobson sit having a drink of something, Badger’s hench men in the background. BADGER Now the pleasantries are taken care of, what’s it gonna be this time? More women for Whitefall? Few more guns? More spaceship parts? DOBSON Malcolm Reynolds. BADGER Sorry, he ain’t exactly part of my inventory. DOBSON I want you to find him and send him to me. You’ll be well taken care of. BADGER What’s fellow like you got to do with Malcolm Reynolds? Dobson points to his mechanical eye. DOBSON He gave me this. I’d like to add the same plus a few more to ugly up his pretty face. BADGER Revenge is it? Well, me and my lads want no part of this. Reynolds got a rep around these parts. Took on a fancy dandy in a sword duel and won. Has business contacts in Persephone society. Got under the skin of Niska, was captured, tortured, and survived! His whole gorramn crew assaulted Niska’s Skyplex and the old bastard barely escaped with his skin. No sir, Reynolds ain’t a man to trifle with. No pay is worth trouble he’ll cause if you miss and he finds out I set him up. DOBSON What if I tell you a secret only the Alliance knows? A secret about the Battle of Sturges. Badger leans back, takes a drink, thinks a bit. BADGER It’s the gold, ain’t it? Not exactly a secret. DOBSON Yes, a rumor that a ship lost during the Battle of Sturges held Alliance gold certificates worth millions has circulated for years. Except no one knows which ship. There’s dozens of derelicts up there, millions of pieces of space junk floating around that can take out your engine or sensors, send you to burn up in the atmo of Sturges. Not worth the risk unless you know which ship. BADGER You know which ship. DOBSON I know which ship. Badger thinks long and hard. BADGER If you know which ship why don’t you take it yourself. DOBSON It’s Reynolds I want. He trusts you, so I’ve heard. BADGER We’ve done business. Can’t say as he trusts me. DOBSON But he’ll believe you, believe the money is there, will go there and I can ambush him and his crew. BADGER Reynolds ain’t no fool, he’ll suspect something, me giving him a job like this so easily. DOBSON If he’s desperate he’ll do it. If he’s broke. BADGER Maybe. And how do I know that you know what ship the loot is on? DOBSON I used to be an Alliance lawman. Guns start to come up. BADGER Easy lads. Old Dobson here don’t look like he’s a member of the great Alliance anymore. What happened? No pension for one-eyed coppers? DOBSON Let’s just say that there is no love between the Alliance and myself. BADGER I’ll kill you myself if there’s no money on that derelict. DOBSON It’s there. Saw the shipping manifest myself during the war. Was the payroll for the armies fighting on the outer rim. Can you make sure Reynolds is there too? BADGER Give me bit of time. Just sent him on a job so if he pulls it off he’ll be flush for a while. DOBSON Maybe you can arraign for him to not pull off the job. BADGER Maybe. DOBSON Do we have a deal? BADGER Maybe I should send some of my boys to help with the ambush and secure my cargo. DOBSON I will personally deliver your cargo. BADGER Need to talk to my lads first. Dobson rises. DOBSON Three days. You know how to reach me. He turns and exits. HENCHMAN Don’t like it. We can’t trust him. BADGER No, we can’t. But should we pass up this opportunity to make millions? HENCHMAN Reynolds ain’t no fool. BADGER And neither are we. Mr. Dobson will make a nice down payment first. HENCHMAN What about the job Reynolds is doing now? BADGER I think we might have to have someone get there before he does. I know just who to call.