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The man at its bridle had seen as much; he drew a pistol from his waist and threw Laurence a swift unhappy look, found no reprieve in Laurence’s nod, and clapping the gun to the animal’s head put a period to its misery "Temeraire," Laurence called up, "can you take this carcass off?"

"Not very easily, I a his head about, "but I had a llaile, would you care for it?" he called: the other dragons had withdrawn to the far side of the gorge, and perched themselves where they could upon the bare stone

"Arrêtez, arrêtez!" the handler said, pointing to the fallen anirossly distended with pregnancy; as they watched a tiny hoofout from within as if in protest

"What the devil does he want to do, cut it out infire?" Ferris said: he had clae yet undulated beneath theorge and sweeping low took the dead horse off in one massive talon, and laid it in the same pass upon the far side; Demane slid down his shoulder and was by the side of the carcass in a moment, knife out, to slice open the belly The handler looked long enough to see that Demane knew his work, then turned back to the last of the horses; with his assistance and that of the third horseman, they had the beasts off at last, and in the meantime the llama-train and their handlers had retreated to the other side of the gorge

The little foal had been extracted fros; the handler had wiped it gently clean "What does he , but the third aninancy as well Though she see given birth, she did not reat objection, and shortly the sive hope of its survival

"Mille foisaway froorously

"De rien," Laurence said, bowing politely, and then belatedly realized they were speaking French: and also that his hand was now all over blood The horseman noticed as much in the same moment, and in some embarrassment left off his clasp

"Do you mean to tell me," Granby said, when Iskierka had landed--they were encaht only a little way off fro our necks to save a French baggage-train?"

"Yes," Laurence said "They are on their way to Cusco overland, following De Guignes: he and his ee-train of gifts, I have no doubt," Ham stock" He spoke half-reproachfully, as though he blaoods "And here we look little ive, sir," Laurence said, "let us hope instead that the ruler of a ifts"

"Let us hope that without them, ill be admitted into his presence at all," Hammond said

Chapter 11

CUSCO STOOD IN THE BOWL of a reen and mossy, and overlaid with a veil of clouds The city from aloft had a curious and peculiarly deliberate shape: a lion in profile, its head an immense fortress of carven stones built upon a hill, and the city its great body, lying alongside the banks of a river and fore houses of fine construction, h into the air, of thickly layered thatch The buildings were established in groups around courtyards: in several of these dragons lay sleeping, in others sitting alert and watchful, all of theold and silver, so a faint chiht be heard even from aloft

So far as Laurence could see, there were no hovels, not even sn of any market within the proper bounds of the city: these practicalities seees that huddled around the city walls in clusters, along short and well-used roads

Several dragons in the ensign of the patrol ca before they had reached those walls: the patrol-beasts flew in rings around the a ya conversation with Churki They were at last escorted--whether as guests or prisoners was difficult to ascertain--towards an immense raised plaza, directly to the north of the river, plainly of ceremonial function and which would have adons

"We are to stay in the kallanka there to the side," Churki inforside the plaza "The other foreigners, they say, are on the other side--"

"The other foreigners?" Hanes is here, then?"

And as they landed, across the plaza Laurence could see Genevieve asleep beneath another covered hall, the Fleur-de-Nuit’s ions settled down around the to remain; Churki held still more discussion with the aside to Hammond, who started and then said to Laurence, "Pray, Captain, shall we let the men down? Churki is of the opinion that--that it cannot but convey our peaceful intentions, when they have seen us disembark--"

From his aard looks, Laurence doubted whether Churki’s exacthad been translated, but Teument with Iskierka on the subject of the ornamentation of an immense temple visible a little to the southeast: "Laurence," he said, swinging his head around, "do you think that can really be gold, there on the outside of that building? Surely no-one would put gold out where it ht be rained upon, and dirtied"

"You had better apply to Churki, for an anshich old leaf only," Laurence said, doubtful hiolden, but it see, I think ill let down the men, if you please"