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"You have yourself expressed confusion as to the otiations," Laurence said to hion as ambassador, when they will not any man, the mystery is explained: you must not disavow Te relations with them ourselves"

"Yes--yes, of course," Ha, and at last conveyed the sa his best to extract from Laurence a commitment to make Temeraire say only what Hammond first approved

"You know my own sentiments on this matter," Laurence said, while Hammond spoke to Hualpa, "and I am sorry--very sorry indeed--to learn that slavery is practiced here; but in justice to Hae in their society, if we begin with antagonism; and indeed we are in poor circumstances to do so when our own nation can be reproached with its own share of barbarisard"

"Well, of course I will be polite," Temeraire answered him, "but I must say it is rather o about keeping slaves, and chaining the them away from their families It seems to me that it is only a compliment to them that I believed they were not slavers, either, and not an insult--"

"Not an insult!" another voice said, behind them, when Temeraire had turned to mention this to Hualpa; Teon had coer than Palta had been, and in pluh I had treated hion called Cuarla, having bobbed his head to Governor Hualpa, proceeded to identify himself as Taruca’s injured owner "And it is not to be borne," he added, "that this burned dragon should be allowed to take him away: I am sure he would chain him up"

"I would not chain anyone!" Temeraire said, "and I did not take hi aboutfroroeary of the conversation, which she could not understand, and wandered off across the floor to go stare upon the panels Several of the sailors were creeping along on her flanks and trying to use her to hide their attempts to break off so and chivvy several of the that is not the truth," Temeraire said, "so you on is here to complain of you and make trouble for all of us because you did"

Iskierka looked Cuarla up and down and snorted comprehensively "That little creature may complain of me all day if he likes; what does he mean to do about it?"

"Good God," Hammond said "Temeraire, do not--"

"Of course I will not translate that," Temeraire said, with a flip of his ruff; he was not stupid, although he had to admit that Iskierka’s remark, however unkind, was rather to the point The snort, however, did not require any translation: even without an intelligible word said to him, Cuarla puffed all his scales out so as to make himself nearly twice his size--which still left him somewhat less than a quarter of Iskierka’s

"I will not have it," he said furiously, "I will not! I deize; and give ht not have so lared at Iskierka with slitted fury

Tearded him in some perplexity: surely he could not be a sensible creature "He wants to fight you," Temeraire said, to Iskierka’s demands for more translation "No, I am not on he ht at you, even if you do not know his language"

"Perhaps," Haht reconsider--Captain Laurence, it seeon seems very attached, and not at all likely to haveher head around, outraged "I a to lose to him"

"It can scarcely forward our cause for you to maim or perhaps even kill a native beast, after you have already begun by stealing one of his--" Haroped around for a hich should sound nicer than slave, Teh," Laurence said, finally, while Granby spoke urgently to Iskierka, who huffed a little steam but subsided "Teentle over Taruca at present, as he does not wish it, but there can be no question of a battle: the governor at least, I hope, will not iine that Cuarla has any chance of success, nor promote such an unequal contest"

But when Teold ringing like bells "Of course Cuarla is not going to fight her in his person," he said "What use would laws be, if that were the only recourse? Wewithout any civilization at all No: if you refuse to return the man, and oing to give him any of our crew, only because we made a mistake; that is just nonsense," Temeraire put in; he did not feel any need to discuss that with Ha

"--then she ht the representative of the state," Hualpa said, "and not on she has injured"

"Oh," Temeraire said

"I aht anyone he likes; and it will serve the at any time to enter herself into a contest of violence was undisputed; but Laurence was no happier than Haed in such an enterprise: aside from all the risks of failure, the risks of success were nearly as great, in its likelihood of provoking resent recruited Te you to take no offense; but if Iskierka is to hazard her life for your freedom, I will know, first, that there is no better alternative than this challenge"

When Temeraire had explained, Taruca said, "What better alternative can there be? It is not Cuarla’s fault, poor creature; he did not takeman to my last ayllu for me: I had no kin there, either, and the boy wished towomen, so I said I would coht to a battle"

"Temeraire, you are certain he says he went to Cuarla by choice?" Laurence said, baffled "Is it not his contention he was seized illegally?"

"I was, but that wasno contradiction between his right to liberty and Cuarla’s right to satisfaction, and puzzled that Laurence should even ask "And you are not ofto deht for you"