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Prologue

ARTHUR HAMMOND PRIDED HIMSELF on a certain degree of insensibility in the cause of duty--an indifference to physical disco of the natural repugnances, when these should interfere with the progress of a diploreater share of the graces, could afford delicacy; he acknowledged himself a blunter instrument, and if he must be so, he must be the ideal blunt instrument--must be seen to be as heedless of himself as of others, the only possible justification--to be thought of, if grudgingly, "Oh, Hah"

So he had cultivated where native tendency led, and seized without compunction or politesse whatever opportunity offered itself, with the consequence that he could while not yet thirty years of age call himself ambassador plenipotentiary to China: a post which he himself had contrived to establish

And which in turn had led him to his present miserable state, which put to bitter test his deterrimed over the surface of the woolen blankets which he had wrapped even over his head, and the hideous swoop-and-lift of the great pale blue wings as the dragon dived to eat, at intervals too far apart to grow used to and yet too near to recover fully froer warred with nausea at every moment; there was ed to wors to feed himself once a day, and half his provisions were taken off by the wind in any case He subsistedrice wine in his flask, in rationed ss, and passed frolasses were carefully tucked inside his coat--and illness

His figurative insensibility had become, by the end of three weeks, nearly a literal one: he did not notice for a long tian, and when the courier folded her wings and put her head around and said, "We have had a very pleasant flight," Hammond was unable to reether, hands shaking and clumsy

Shen Li politely did not remark on his difficulties, but bent her head to the water-hole and drank very deeply for a long stretch; then she raised her head and shook off the water fro," she observed, while Hale with the clasps, "but you see the pavilion which he has commanded to be built, there on the ed to wrest out his glasses and wipe the lenses, and peering saw the pavilion standing on a cliffside at the far end of the valley where Shen Li had landed It was an ahbor to the Parthenon in size by the columns of yellow stone which paced out its perimeter, as yet without a roof and circled round by makeshift huts

"Yes, I do; but are we not very far away?" Haed, and he gave up the atte off the harness At thedistance in bare feet, over thorns, before going aloft again

He let himself down from Shen Li’s back in the indecorously slow manner used in China only by s one hand or foot at a tiround he sank down upon a broad smooth stone near the waterside

"Perhaps I will go and hunt before we continue to the pavilion, if you would care to compose yourself a little," Shen Li said, a hint he could not e to be ashas and went aloft in a scattering of leaves and pebbles Left behind, Hained drinking: the reality should have to wait another half-an-hour, he thought, before he s to carry hiradually became aware, as the sun penetrated the intense chill which had settled into hi it was presently winter: as though he had been aloft for months instead of three weeks, or transported by soan weakly to disentangle hiently as sweat gathered and rolled down his back, until at last he gave up all dignity and put his head and ar his cocoon and dignity both, he simply crawled over the rock to the water and put his face into its cool relief

He lifted it out dripping and rolled over onto his back, gasping, for once wholly aware of his body and grateful beyond measure for warmth and sated thirst, and then a pair of clawed, scaled li out froed it out of sight: he had only a gli black eyes, and then all vanished

Has wavered and shook, and he fled in a sha away froave hith, and the hissed disappointment behind him: the mistake had been discovered But he was unequal to the task; he felt a peculiar stirring beneath his feet, and he halted: a head was peering out frory and malicious, and there was no shelter anywhere to be seen; he was alone

Evidently though it preferred to hunt fro to confront solitary prey; it crept one leg and then another out of the shrub-growth and ca, reen, with heavy sloping shoulders Haed fro open in a grueso out

His breath was loud in his ears, labored, even while terror held hi, hopelessly, and crying out, "Shen Li! Shen Li!" in hiccoughed bursts as he scraroith the sleek bodies flowing al note whicharound the creatures, behind hi caed backwoods hunter, bearded and dusty, in loose shirt and trousers and a broad-bris of Heaven, a rifle in his hand--but he was only oneover the ridge down at the both of them

The hunter did not pause; he raised the rifle and fired, but over the creatures’ heads, and then lowering the gun said, "That is enough: be off, the lot of you, or ill clear your nest out to the bare rock"

The creatures hissed, and then as quickly, they vanished: a terrible i Hammond only just sed a shriek of dis around an endless red ht to, anyway; how dare the bunyips, when they know very well I will not have the, "that is Teht," a reassurance to himself which he did not entirely believe; every nerve quivered with desire to flee

"Hammond?" the hunts the hand which had been offered hirip, and skin tanned dark beneath the shaggy yellow beard; blue eyes; and Hammond said slowly, "Captain Laurence? Is that you?"

Part I