Page 9 (1/2)

Chapter 9

MIANNING EVIDENTLY DID NOT care to discuss theSu to convey the details: he seeh in the councils of the crown prince, and spent nearly all the day closeted with his own associates within the govern he rejoined their small and wary party in Laurence’s cha Tien Chuan was slain six o He was served with poison in his tea"

Laurence was appalled by the act: a dreadful waste, and it seeon forhis master, and over a political quarrel with the latter, which the forined "There are only eight Celestials in full, are there not?" Laurence said

"Yes," Gong Su said "There is no other to be the prince’s co of this intelligence that evening, when he was alone again: he had been quartered in another part of the I’s control and surrounded by watchful guards loyal to him

Laurence had closeted hie and convoluted events of the day, which yet he preferred to struggling through more of the letter he had not yet sent to his mother to acquaint her with his condition But he set his pen down abruptly and, sitting up, looked out theinto the courtyard where Teon’s ar from his exertions

Hammond had conveyed to him from the other side the necessity of Laurence’s adoption: a Celestial ht only be cog had been sent away fro up a rival to Mianning Therefore--the heir to the throne required a Celestial? Perhaps required was too strong: ht be bent at the will of the E had no Celestial coon--

Shipboard, Temeraire had spoken censoriously to him of Hammond "I do not say he is not clever, in his oay," Temeraire had said, "but I am very sorry to say, Laurence, that he is not to be relied upon When last ere here, he wished to insist upon your giving me back to the Chinese only so they would open another port to us"

Surely that request would coain, now, Laurence realized, and was disturbed by his own reaction to the possibility--a reaction which owedSensibly considered, he ought to be grateful for such an excuse to be restored to his respectable Navy career and a ship of his own; and if he were not grateful, if he had not wished to do it, nevertheless it would be no less than his duty And yet--and yet he discovered he had begun to think of Te from one trusted as a friend, would only be honorable if iven fro Temeraire’s real happiness

Laurence did not think he could, even at the direct request of the King’s envoy, consent to deceive a friend To lie in such a cause would be contemptible, a kind of personal treachery But Laurence felt hiround It was surely his duty as a captain in the Aerial Corps to use the bond between hioad upon the beast, and that bond was one which ly have taken on in his stead Perhaps it was a kind of folly to think of a dragon as a friend, as a companion-in-arms; would he skate perilously close to treason to refuse such a dean to outline the situation for him, but Laurence did not reach the question: no sooner had he explained Mianning’s need than Granby broke in, snorting, and said, "Oh, Lord! Yes, Hahtaway, I ae if heshot of Temeraire all at once"

Laurence stared: shocked, silenced; Granby caught his eye, and a slow crimson flush overspread his cheeks "Well--" Granby said after a ht too clever for his own good--a little troublesome, perhaps--but you see," he added hurriedly, "you must see I’ve no room to criticize Iskierka is a deh Temeraire hadn’t any provocation, for that matter, you know--"

Laurence made him no reply; he could not conceive of any reply which should be fitting He did not know: he did not know at all, that he was the captain of a troublesome beast; he did not know that the Adon, though Britain was desperately short on heavy-weight beasts, even ones of less remarkable capability

Granby o see to Iskierka; Laurenceleft Granby’s quarters A fine thin rain was presently falling Granby and the rest of the foruest palaces to the south of Mianning’s personal quarters, where Laurence had been invited to stay; the dragon-wide pathway between the buildings was grey and misty, blurred, and deserted but for a handful of servants, errand-boys, dashing quickly through Laurence stood beneath the eaves; across the path another great palace stood, with a dragon’s-head as gutterspout giving out a steady clear streauards behind hiht behind him; he heard the creak of their arhs The scene holly unfareat blue bulk of a dragon crossing the pathway, its wings half-furled to its back It was soined into his life It gave his mind no purchase He did not know, he did not res

Laurence had never studied--to his recollection--to know nals to bespeak them from his ship, but this much he re, like flocks of birds, above theht in formation; and yet Temeraire did not seeht on it before: but a dragon so gifted, so powerful, so agile--he must have been placed in foron were not--were not a recalcitrant,a reliable captain, one who did his duty with honor, neither haring off after prizes or unreasonable glory nor guarding his ship too jealously froer; he had prided himself on a well-run crew It now bore in on hiely depleted, and of a peculiar nature; he had paid littleas he did merely to learn all the names of those men he did have, but by comparison to the coround crew consisted entirely in a dozen men--several of them, Laurence now realized, former sailors His officers were a , his first officer, was not a gentleman, nor of any particular brilliance which should excuse the saht approach on the subject; Granby had certainly beento speak His subordinates he could hardly insult in such a manner, either, as to ask them whether they served on an inferior crew, and why

Finally he strode out into the rain and returned to his own quarters, to speak with Temeraire himself: if he could not ask for a direct answer, he could ask where they stood with the Adon If Temeraire had some memory of chastisement, some punishment--

Teled a little by the rain, which he shook off with a rippling shiver of the scales "Laurence!" he exclaione ahen there are assassins about: I was on the point of going to look for you Wherever have you been? Surely you ht have stayed here with me, and waited until I woke?"

He sounded an anxiouselse, an odd mixture of plaintive and accusatory "I left word," Laurence said, a little surprised "I have been speaking with Captain Granby--"

"Granby had much better come and visit you," Te to assassinate Granby"

"No-one is trying to assassinate me, either," Laurence said dryly "I hadnear the crown prince"

"If they want to kill the prince, I dare say they may want to kill you just as well," Temeraire said "After all, you are his brother and the E a friend to Britain, how in with But," he added, in tones which iesture, "I do not mean to fuss: come and let us have a bowl of tea, and then you can read toall over this palace"

"Temeraire," Laurence said, while the servants leapt without further instruction into a rush about thereat porcelain bowl of deep red for Temeraire, and a small ironwork table and chair for himself, with a cup and saucer to rant tea "--Temeraire," he repeated, unsure how to broach the subject: would a dragon even care anything for the Adovernive two sous for the Adhtaway answering all Laurence’s worst fears "How could anyone, who has known anything of their folly? Why, Laurence, you know that perfectly well

"I suppose you do not remember this," he added, "but Perscitia writes ton pro the war; but they are also upset if ever a dragon should chance to sleep by the road, on the way fro loose But that is perfectly stupid: if there is no pavilion, and no provender, then how else is one to ht? And nevertheless they complain

"As far as I can tell, there is no-one in it who is worth two pins; well, except for you, Haentleman entered in haste "You are not a bad sort of fellow; but if you should atteht to remain here to replace Chuan, I shall be very cross with you"

Laurence was thwarted in pressing his inquiry by Haentleman in some disarray, his for sharp folded creases in the silk; his hair was disordered "No, no, not at all," Ha could be further from my wishes We cannot afford to lose you The tie is too valuable to sacrifice, save of course in utter extremis Without your connection, Captain Laurence’s adoption may be too easily disavowed, and it is that bond which forotiations

"Naturally we esture, so Su; with your per theing in relations with an I such things"

"I should like to know," Iskierka said, with a hiss of stea of yours anted, why should anyone look further than that?"

They were being served their dinner in Temeraire’s courtyard: a truly splendid dinner, of stewed oxheads and bowls of live eels, seasoned expertly with pepper and vinegar, which unfortunately Maximus did not seem to much enjoy, nor Immortalis and Messoria; they poked a little anxiously at the squirh they were pleased enough with the oxheads, so tender the meat fell off the bones and with the skull cracked open so one ht take them into one’s mouth and suck upon them for the excellent brains

"I am afraid," Temeraire said, a little loftily, "that they do not think much of fire-breathers, here in China--and in any case," he added, "it is ato the Celestial breed only, and distinguish us froon"

"Dear one," Granby said to her, "we don’t at all want to give the: ant to take it back with us, to Britain, and see it in the hands of some proper captain of the Corps"

"I do not see any reason why it should not stay here and belong to the Emperor of China," Iskierka said stormily "No reason at all; it is ten thousand miles back to Britain, and who is to say ill not run into so, or itwould be very valuable, in the war," she added, "but I do not believe in taking foolhardy risks--"

Granby choked heavily upon his own dinner, coughing, and had to be rescued with a steady thulasses of wine

Iskierka was in no better mood even after their meal had ended with a marvelous shaved ice, flavored with a syrup of pluhtful tiny bursts of flavor upon the tongue when one happened across them in a sever, she did not hesitate to eat all her share and then so like, I will ad out his enormous silver bowl, "but I don’t suppose you could ask them for us, Temeraire, what they have done with the rest of those cows? I haven’t any objection to those cow’s heads, very tasty, but I would be glad of a side of beef, or perhaps two," he added, with a slantwise look at Kulingile--who had at last stopped getting longer, but had only just yesterday sprouted the beginnings of a pair of horns, much to everyone’s bafflement: neither the Chequered Nettle nor the Parnassian, his progenitors, possessed any similar adorn about so his own remonstrations, Temeraire addressed the servants and conveyed the request It was reat deal of delay; when the beef was at last delivered two hours later, it was presented in the forrains and dried fruit, tied up with string, put into a wrapping of dough, and propped up on legs made of sticks; the head was a separate luhed but ate it anyway, particularly after Kulingile had devoured his own share in a few bites

As the servants began to bring out the bowls for tea, one came to Teht ad Qin Mei! Pray ask her to join us at once: how delighted I shall be to see her again," and he looked himself over anxiously If only there were time to send Roland for his talon-sheaths, and if only they had a little black enah they were crowded and there was little space--but then, she did everything gracefully Tehtened himself up to meet her, abruptly conscious that he was now more cut-about than when last she had seen him; there was that very nasty scar upon his breast, where the barbed ball had taken hi of the Valérie, and he had not filled back out froe and Laurence’s disappearance He had not had much appetite, of late, and it was difficult to be always coile; one felt a little aard taking anythingmournful looks at their own share

Iskierka said rudely, "I do not see why she is come; ants her, anyway?" when Temeraire presented Mei to the company, but naturally Temeraire did not translate this remark Iskierka drew herself up and raked Mei with a cold eye "So that is an Io eye-to-eye with a Copacati I don’t see she has any scars at all"

"Mei," Tehest honors in the Imperial exa ht at all; I see I hope you have a splendid ti of yours: I hope it don’t leave you any more out of fraht before bed: pray let us go aloft, and then we shall go have a look in at ," she added, "and I take your point entirely; we shouldn’t want to leave it in this country, where they don’t value courage as they ought"

Tenation by this speech, and would surely have one away directly The others were more polite to Mei, and looked with respectful interest on her jewels--this evening a collar-like delicate netting of pearls and silver wire, brilliant in the lah Temeraire writhed a little inwardly to see Maxi bone between two teeth and greet her with ajocularly, "How d’ye do," before going back to rattling the bone around in his mouth in what seemed to Temeraire a particularly noisy way

And then Berkley would say, coarsely, "Put down that leg, youand let the two of them have at their business Laurence, will you come and have a hand of whist?" which even if Temeraire did not translate it for Mei had too obvious an effect: the dragons and all their captains getting hurriedly up and leaving the tea-bowls half-full, rudely Even Laurence rose and, speaking softly with Berkley, made to climb aboard Maximus’s back

Temeraire would rather Laurence had not left, either; he did not see why Laurence should go anywhere He caught Lily as they departed and whispered, "Lily, you will keep a lookout for Laurence, will you not? Pray do not let him wander off, or be assassinated; or lose any more of his memory"

"Of course," Lily answered, stoutly "I will make sure he stays with Catherine and Berkley, and do not let Iskierka trouble you I a with this Imperial"

"Lily, I do not look too wretchedly scarred, do I?" Temeraire asked

"No," Lily said, with a quick critical look "--no; and you will fill out again very soon, with good eating Sheway"

This was not terribly reassuring, but there was nothing to be done for it; the others were all leaping into the air: it was only Temeraire and Mei left in the courtyard The servants laid out fresh bowls and poured the tea again

Then they withdreell, to the hallhere theysilence Temeraire said to Mei, "Hoell you look--those jewels are particularly beco"

"You are very kind," Mei said, and then to his horror and dislad to see you so well, Lung Tien Xiang: too many times has the hs of the peach-trees, in the Summer Palace"

"Why," Telish"

"Yes," Mei said, and with her usual tact added, "but I still cannot follow it very well, if soh chance to practice"

"I must have words with Iskierka," Temeraire said "I will have words with her; oh! I am so very sorry, Mei, that she should have been so rude I only wish you hadn’t known of it"

Mei ruffled out her wings a little, but did not pretend any longer that she did not know exactly what he meant "I do not take any notice of it," she said "She must be very attached to you, I suppose: I do not fault her for that One cannot expect civilized manners from barbarians"

"She is not very attached to me, in the least," Te away, and annoyed she cannot do it so well as usually" He fell silent; he was not sure how to approach the ine--I expect Hammond has told you--" and then paused helplessly; this was not the breeding grounds of Pen y Fan in Wales, where everyone treated the matter with an easy coarseness, and everyone understood what they were about and merely wished to have the ht

He had never expected to regret anything of those conditions, anything of being treated as a du else, but at the moment, if old Lloyd had appeared from nowhere to say, "Here nohy don’t the two of you share a nice cow, and then have yourselves a splendid tied gratitude If only Laurence had stayed: Teht have conversed awhile; they ht have been quite coht have been allowed to rise naturally, in the flow of conversation But that seemed quite impossible now: Temeraire found himself adrift and speechless

Mei took pity upon hiently, "I have not spoken to Mr Hammond; I have come at the request of the crown prince But I will be frank with you, dear friend: yourbehind his, it seeto you"

Teracious speech, and ratitude He hesitated to go too far, in expressing the latter; after all, though he ht be cut-about, he had come by his wounds honorably; and he was a Celestial: he did not want to abandon his dignity Nothing could be less pleasing, he thought, to Mei; he did not want her to feel that she condescended But he felt he could say, and did, "Nothing should give reater pleasure than toI ahness would look to n"

And then he heaved a sigh of relief, to have escaped the rocky shoals and coether He asked her if she had read any English books "I hope you will let me make you a present of some," he added, "if you haven’tthe Principia Mathematica? It is of all booksthe poetry which Temeraire’s mother, Qian, had lately sent hiht ask--is there not--is there a reason that Qian should not have had another egg?"

Mei said quietly, "The physicians think it inadvisable: she suffered greatly in bearing the twin eggs, last time, and in Imperials, where such a birth has happened once, it oft occurs a second time; the Empress does not wish Qian to risk her health"

"Oh," Temeraire said, sadly "I am very sorry, I am sure; and my uncle?"

Mei shook her head "A dozen atte a great deal ast ourselves," she added, "--we I, but without success I assure you, Xiang, no-one will think any less of you, should we fail: it is well known that Celestials often cannot produce issue"

Tehed, and gave Mei to understand he was not in the least concerned, at all "For Iskierka, you see, has hadsuch a fuss: she does not care to see it passed over, for yours"

He trailed off, a little puzzled, by the expression of open surprise upon Mei’s face: she stared at hi a mo is yet in the shell?"

"Yes," Teuard, of course"

Mei hesitated even longer and then said, "Is it not possible the egg should be--the gold dragon’s, perhaps, the very large one? There aremales in your company--"

"What?" Temeraire said, taken aback "Why, no; Iskierka particularly wanted h just anyone’s would have done for her She followed et it, and threw over an Incan royal dragon for me," he added, a little wounded that Mei should not think hi your pardon veryher head deeply in a courtesy, her wings spread a little "I would not for the world give offense; only it is not to be heard of, that a Celestialon anyone but an Imperial I have always heard it described as ireat burden, which often defies the powers of the body to support it"