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"Only if Ior not," Iskierka said, and Granby subrace; in turn at last she yielded and stretched herself upon the deck, and allowed the over the massive red-and-black coils of her body, with the chains laced atop it

Granby avoided Laurence’s eye and went to stand in the bohile the process went forward Laurence knew it ashaem to subdue Iskierka’s temper to the needs of the service, and he could not have been coile, as of a very different and ao hunting?" when Demane asked him to lie down under the tarpaulins also, and required only the assurance that he would be fed if he grew hungry to reconcile him to the experience

"It will not be at all comfortable," Temeraire said unhappily as he stretched himself out also, with ile would spend the stor to either side of Iskierka, whose inconvenient spikes made her more difficult to secure, as additional anchors for her bulk: subject as a result not only to the worse brunt of the storm but also to the perpetual emissions of steam from her body

"We had better feed the, while the chains were made fast to the deck, and ropes thrown after them for reinforcement The debate had consumed nearly all the time which rean to slap rhythainst the ship’s sides Even the hands who nor urgently over the talons and scales to draw the bonds tight: the weight of the beasts could easily overset the ship, if they were not well-secured "It can only help if they sleep away the first day or so, and therethe cattle up on deck later on"

Temeraire was determined not to be difficult; he had seen Granby’s crimson cheek, and Laurence should certainly have no such cause to blush for him, even if Temeraire disliked the chains extreht to ask so to kick up a fuss, and make difficulties for everyone and the poor sailors, ill be working all the storh he was sorry a moment later to have silenced himself a little too early: he would very h, but instead he could see a cow being hoisted out fro-tubs were out on deck, even as the first spatters of rain came down and rattled in them tinnily

"And for that matter," he added sulkily, as the ht than Granby to wear finery; after all he is a prince and a captain, both, and Granby even has less seniority So if Laurence does not choose to always be going about in his best robes," which Tee to anything so handsoht to do otherwise"

Kulingile raised his head and put in, "Demane is a prince also," which Teh he did recall Ad of the sort to some fellow fro his runners; but certainly it was not as true as for Laurence, who had been adopted with a great deal of for particularly fine"

Iskierka bristled and hissed steam from her spikes "Granby has more seniority, if one counts years as an aviator, and I am sure I cannot see any reason he should not be a prince, too, someday very soon" With this feeble rejoinder she put her head beneath her wing

The rain had begun falling in earnest, an hour later; Iskierka, sheltered fro out sularly so that the drops collected upon the tarpaulin and set it sticking clammily to Temeraire’s back The ra sat unpleasantly in his sto whether it orth sending Gerry for Gong Su, to perhaps brew hiile put his head over Iskierka’s back and whispered, "Te that the wind and rain would spoil the tea before he could enjoy it, and then he should have wasted a bowl of their small supply: it was too dear for Laurence to buy in the quantities which Teht Deile asked, with an anxious note

"Oh--" Te impulses, but justice decided hi Delad to have him back, but it would have been the ile if he intended to look after Deht expect the captain of a dragon of note to present a particularly handsome appearance, when the occasion demands," Temeraire said, therefore "I will venture to say, he would do ith a better coat, at least, and he ought to have gold bars as Laurence and Granby do; you see that no-one thinks hiet such things?" Kulingile said, and with a great rush of generosity Temeraire said, "Well, I will ask Laurence for you, as I am not quite certain; but if ere to take a prize," he could not help a wistful note in his voice, "and had shares, you would be in funds and could purchase anything you liked with theile said, interrogatively

"That," Temeraire said, "is only because she has been put in the way of them, by luck; you may be sure if ever a prize offered, I should certainly be equal to taking it, and I dare say," he added in fairness, "when you have been in a few actions, you should be sure of doing so as well; as long as you do not let yourself be shot"

"I don’t think I should care for being shot," Kulingile said, and shook his head as a wave ca over theh "I don’t care for this, either," he added

"No," Te water off his shoulders, and huddled back down as the ship went bounding into a trench, a glassy wall of ocean rising sharply ahead

The Allegiance was by noout a typhoon "A ing bow-heavy tub with more sail than sea-sense; I would as soon cut my throat as try andRiley himself say of her several years before, when the two of them had watched from the rail of the dear old Reliant as the transport attempted aardly to , at the time, they should ever be upon her in their present circumstances Laurence had then six years of seniority on the post-list,and with an influential and political fa steadily towards his adné and second lieutenant, with reason to hope for his own ship in the course of another five years with Laurence’s own influence behind hih to take the Allegiance when she had been offered him Now, of course, no more such criticism was to be heard from him or even tolerated in his presence, but it was not to be denied that her only virtue was in being ale to sink, which in the present circuauntlet thrown to the elee they looked all too determined to meet Laurence recalled with no fondness their last experience of a serious blow: three days endlessly laboring their way up the crowded swells, doubting every moment whether the ship should reach the crest in tih Riley had knocked soaol-birds, during the passage to New South Wales, there were a great nments, and Riley had not sufficient influence to preserve his best ed away by senior captains Laurence could not observe the workings of the resultant creith anything like satisfaction; and yet he could do nothing to aondeck or his cabin, containing any impulse to interfere