Continuing his progress around the room, Mal spotted a man moving through the crowd. He looked fairly ordinary, so it wasn't his appearance that caught Mal's eye. It was the very fancy-looking coat he was wearing.

If the circumstances would have been different, Mal would have approached him about possible work. Experience had taught him that men who dressed like that usually had some need for clandestine operations, whether they were willing to admit to it or not.

But of course, Mal was in no position to accept transport jobs, so he went up to the man with no other intention but to talk and see what he was like. "You lookin' for someone?"