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But no-one at all careet them, nor even issued cries of alar up, asking to be let loose from the nets "Quiet there: I would as soon set loose a pack of wolves, before we have beenyou who is not afraid to come with us to make our introductions, he may come out: the rest of you must wait"

He untied the rope from Temeraire’s breastplate and threw it out over the side; with one hand for the rope and another for Hay called out, in his wavering half-broken voice; Laurence took out Mayheell, ignoring that fellow’s faint dissatisfiedacknowledgment: Laurence was deterardless if Mayhew did not like it; a few more men volunteered thes

"I do not see that I ought to only sit here while you go," Temeraire said, disconsolate "After all, I speak more Quechua than do you, or anyone but Hammond; and my accent is better than Hammond’s, too Oh; with no offense e houses, save the one cere on the hill, and the street would not have allowed his passage, Laurence could not endorse his atte you froe in any case," he said, "and your presence hereinto danger"

"There is so with my accent?" Hammond said, under his breath, as they left

They scarcely see into any human habitation at all: they clie, with Te behind then of life "Halloa," Laurence called, without answer, except one fat waddling creature which looked a cross between a lap-dog and a rat, which put its nose out of doors and cauinea pig, I believe," Ha the animal up: it offered no resistance but snuffled at hiy said,a look as Temeraire had cast upon the sheep "Which is to say, if they was to offer us some, I wouldn’t say no," he added hastily

"Can they all have deca them?" Hammond said "Perhaps ere seen on our approach--our lanterns?"

"No," Laurence said: there was no srew thick in the street "There is no-one here"

"I can scarcely credit that so prosperous a settlement should have been abandoned," Hammond protested "Their herds--the boats on the shore--"

Laurence stepped to the doorway of the hut where the guinea pig had come, and looked inside: a fe pallets on the floor, e sently disordered air of a house lived-in, or only temporarily abandoned Outside, on a wooden rack, ears ofin the sun; picked at by birds, but far from stripped-clean

They climbed up the road to the stepped pyrareat deal on both sides of the pathway, and the mounds of dirt not covered over or laid s of the pyra; Laurence stepped just inside, out of the sunlight, and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark

And then stepped back, quickly, putting his cloak over his mouth "Back to the shore," he said "Put that animal down, Hammond; back to Teo into the houses"

"What?" Haan to back away "What is it, Captain?"

"Plague," Laurence said "Plague; and all of them are dead"

Temeraire was sorry for the people, of course, but as after all they had no more use for the sheep--which were not sheep, but another ani neck and meat not unlike venison, which Hammond called a llama--he did not scruple to enjoy therew tired of it unendingly, especially when there was no chance of preparing it differently, either, and the sea-lions they had taken on that last island but one were not really a sufficient change

"YouSu, gnawing clean a final bone, "and I would not mind some of that maize, either, did you call it, Mr Ha fro roasted for the s

There were also potatoes--very peculiar in color, a lurid purple--which had coe of the town There were s in it also besides food: woven blankets, sandals, even several bronze tools whose purpose they could notwooden handle with a blade set into it at the end, but it did not see, I suppose," Granby said, turning it over in his hands

The bulk of the stores however were fish: dried fish, salted fish, fish, fish, fish And there were not very many of the llamas at all left, when one considered them with an eye towards extended supply "We had better start looking for so and looked over the re, and I aer to be gone themselves, as soon as any other place could be found "You had all three better go," Granby said "I ue-ridden town, and if there is anyone left to object to our oods, there cannot be so many of them, anyill do perfectly well, and you should meet the local beasts in force if there are any"

"I aile said, flatly

"I will go hunting," Deo find us somewhere to stay; I am not a child who needs to be alatched"

He stalked off; Teile, who drooped unhappily, but there was a great deal of sense in what Granby said "And you would not want to bring Deons, anyway," he said to Kulingile, which he h privately Temeraire would have preferred to keep Laurence with him also: he could not help but recall that in Africa he had also thought Laurence would be safe, and returned after only a day’s flight to Capetown and found hio very far, either," he added