Writer's Muses; 64; 1; A; Talk of the Town
River watched. She was good at watching. That's why Captain Reynolds - Mal, means bad, - let her come along. She watched and felt the bad things before they happened.
She saw the man draw his gun before he touched his holster. It was the slight twitch of his eye that gave him away. He wanted desperately to shoot Mal, not for any ideological reason, but because he thought he'd become a hero if he died trying to stop a thief. Mal and Jayne didn't notice him because they were busy sweet-talking the safe as Jayne was fond of saying. Mal was swearing at a lock that was rusted shut, and Jayne just wanted to explode the whole thing.
Simon said she was just supposed to watch. But she had to act.
She lashed out with a foot, gracefully balanced on the other, and flicked the blaster out of the man's hand before anyone realized he'd drawn it. The blaster clattered away, and she brought her combat boot down a hair's breadth from his face. The dull thud and sudden movement drew all eyes to her. Even Jayne and Mal looked around at the commotion.
River closed her eyes and envisioned the room. All eyes were on her. She could hear their thoughts, and she tried to shut them out.
"Come on, little one," said Mal, touching her shoulder as he edged her out into the bright sunlight outside the seedy cantina. "Well done."
She smiled shrewdly and winked, still feeling the peoples' thoughts dwelling on what had happened. "I think we'd better leave before we're the talk of the town."
She saw the man draw his gun before he touched his holster. It was the slight twitch of his eye that gave him away. He wanted desperately to shoot Mal, not for any ideological reason, but because he thought he'd become a hero if he died trying to stop a thief. Mal and Jayne didn't notice him because they were busy sweet-talking the safe as Jayne was fond of saying. Mal was swearing at a lock that was rusted shut, and Jayne just wanted to explode the whole thing.
Simon said she was just supposed to watch. But she had to act.
She lashed out with a foot, gracefully balanced on the other, and flicked the blaster out of the man's hand before anyone realized he'd drawn it. The blaster clattered away, and she brought her combat boot down a hair's breadth from his face. The dull thud and sudden movement drew all eyes to her. Even Jayne and Mal looked around at the commotion.
River closed her eyes and envisioned the room. All eyes were on her. She could hear their thoughts, and she tried to shut them out.
"Come on, little one," said Mal, touching her shoulder as he edged her out into the bright sunlight outside the seedy cantina. "Well done."
She smiled shrewdly and winked, still feeling the peoples' thoughts dwelling on what had happened. "I think we'd better leave before we're the talk of the town."