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Darkness crept up fro unbroken by anything which ht have meant rest--no land, no sails, not even another reef Te on; all the world had narrowed to the next wingbeat, and the next after that, cupping the air with each stroke and pushing it away, trying only to get enough rooh breath for the next stroke He could hear the swells breaking beneath hie

"Teh he had said it more than once already "There away, two points to starboard, uely conscious that there was soht, and a feering lights ahead, bobbing; then a blue light went hissing up fro out over the ocean for a moment, an island amid the dark, and with a final desperate effort Temeraire came over the deck and dropped down onto it--barrels and casks were hastily being cleared in every direction, and war away tohalf on top of them both--Temeraire did notwere yelling protests and pleas Teht Iskierka by the base of the neck and kept her froers; there were knives and hatchets already at work, and the netting was co men everywhere They crawled feebly away, and Te down from his back, Laurence was safe, and dimly as he fell asleep Temeraire heard him say, "We surrender"

Chapter 5

THERE WAS AN OPEN RAIN-BARREL directly before Temeraire when he awoke; he had not quite opened his eyes when he kneas there--s up to throw off two of Iskierka’s heavy coils he seized upon it and drank the whole off in one desperate gulping rush Then he ake--and very hungry, with his shoulders and wing-joints aching dreadfully, but awake, and he looked round and discovered he was being stared at in what could only be called contelaring so," Te up "At least I am not all over feathers, or whatever those are," for the very peculiarly looking dragon was covered both body and wings in bright, elongated scales--or Teular edges, and were er and did not fit so neatly with one another as did his own Anyway, Teh he was unhappily conscious that it had been rather badsure there was enough for everyone else

The strange dragon snorted, and said soe Temeraire had never heard; then someone else said sleepily, "He says no-one who surrenders without even fighting, fro, shouldFleur-de-Nuit lying on the other end of the deck, who had her large pale eyes half-lidded and shaded by her wing against the sun "I am Genevieve," she added, "and that is Maila Yupanqui; he is an ambassador"

"Ambassadors, I have always understood, are racious and polite," Tee is that?"

"Quechua," she said "The Inca speak it"

The ship was the French transport Trio just co north, en route to the Incan empire, evidently with a project of alliance

"I am sure it must be some mischief of Lien’s," Temeraire said to a very disheartened Arthur Haht have soentleman had come up on deck "But at least she is not here herself, and if we should explain all the circumstances to the Inca, I a themselves with her and Napoleon: they cannot be pleased with hions from over the ocean into their territory, or near it, anyway Where is Laurence?"

"The French are not likely to give us an opportunity ofhimself on a coil of rope, "and Captain Laurence is belowdecks with Captain Granby and Deood health I a once a day, in your sight, on the quarterdeck; so long as there is no gesture--no atteest a violation of parole" He spoke disconsolately

"What is he saying about Granby?" Iskierka said, picking up her head, and when Halish, she hissed in displeasure "I do not see we have given our parole at all; I did not surrender, and I am sure the three of us can take this ship, if we like: what is this nonsense of keeping my captain away froht," Genevieve said, with solish, as well, it seemed--"and then you and your captains would be drowned It is all very well to say now that you can take the ship: you ought have done it then, if you liked to try"

Iskierka snorted a curl of smoky flaent shouting she ignored--but there was no answering Genevieve’s arguht have liked to do so

It was hard to find oneself aboard a perfectly splendid prize, a French transport only just built, and not be allowed to take it when they could have Besides Genevieve, as not even fully grown, there was only a Chanson-de-Guerre named Ardenteuse, and a Grand Chevalier absurdly named Piccolo, both of them presently aloft overhead toback and forth over the ship and peering doards narrowly, trying to see just how big Kulingile was--somewhat difficult as Temeraire and Iskierka were coiled up over hiainst four if one counted Maila on the French side--he was disagreeable enough that Te to do so--and none of the like Oh! They would certainly have been victorious, in a fair fight; only it would not have been fair when they had just co Iskierka, said so his head; she ruffled up her wings and answered hie she turned and said to Iskierka, "He asks if that is as much fire as you can breathe, at a time"

"Of course not," Iskierka said, and put her head to the leeward side and blew out a rippling streath of the ship and shimmered all the air about it "And more than that, if I care to," she added, with a flip of her wings

This was too much for the sailors: a few minutes later the ship’s captain, a M Thibaux, rimly set and his hand upon the hilt of his sword, to express his objections to open flame aboard his ship That was quite understandable, Te to Ha you to convey to the beast, in whatever terms you think best, that her captain must suffer the consequences of her behavior--I would be sorry to have to execute such a threat, but monsieur, it cannot be tolerated; the next ti of the sort to Granby," Tenantly, in French, "and if you should try, Iskierka would set the ship on fire; and I would not stop her, either"