Page 15 (1/2)

Chapter 15

"LA GRANDE ARMÉE, HE is calling it," Tharkay had said, lying exhausted and thin against the cushions which propped hiently and carefully dragon-back, in a ha, back fro all winter; he will march into Russia in threehard, and asked, "What is the day?"

"It is the third of May," Laurence said, quietly The abuse had not marked Tharkay excessively: fortunately they had wished to preserve the appearance of aone fro by the half-healed marks; there were burns upon his liled

"In a month," Tharkay said "He will ence"

"With near a million men?" Laurence said, low

Tharkay nodded, ons"

It was indeed aflat-out halfway around the world The largest army ever heard of, and with it Napoleon meant to crush the last embers of resistance out of Europe: first Russia, and then he would turn all his attention to the Peninsula Hao speak with General Chu at once, and with Qin Mei: we must--these events must require our immediate return to the capital Oh! We must return at once" He left unceremoniously, and Tharkay closed his eyes

Laurence sat silently with hih patchwork scenes ofmore clearly now; he remembered the faces of the officers at his court-ht across the Channel, to take the plague-iveLaurence fro quality toso under the circumstances, but have you noticed that the top of your head appears likely to come off?"

Laurence put up a hand: he had taken off his hat The scalp-wound had crusted over, and the bandages had co; he had not had an opportunity to repair theory line of dried blood around half his skull "It is only an inconvenience," he answered "Will you try and take a little wine?"

He eased Tharkay up, and gave hilass; Tharkay held it aardly between his bruised and bloody hands, drank thirstily, and sank back again

Te, with one enormous platter-like eye "I have seen to General Fela," he said, with an enor satisfaction which entleht to do it; but how is poor Tharkay?"

"Not yet expired," Tharkay said, dryly, without opening his eyes again "Though I would be glad of some rest; and that, I think, I cannot rely upon"

"No," Laurence said, quietly "We will have to leave at once; and, pray God, bring soions with us"

"Be careful, there," Iskierka called, a hiss of stea her spikes, and Temeraire craned his head over a little further, just to be sure there was not good cause for her concern The egg was supported in a nest of furs, within a well-tried net, and there were three dozen handlers directly beneath it, their fingertips lightly touching the surface, in case the net should break, but still anything lad when thetransferred at last fro, cere

He nosed at the dais again, to be sure it was just the right tele of water running through it, which the head of the Iht the heat, from a cistern below It was indeed very pleasantly ithout being excessively hot, and a gentle breeze played through the hall in which the egg now stood: the central hall of Prince Mianning’s palace, where they had firstin China; but in attendance now there were only Mianning’s trusted retainers, as well as Mei and a handful of Ions, and Temeraire’s own mother, Qian

Iskierka finished her own re-inspection of the dais, and drew her head back to snort with satisfaction "That is well enough, I suppose," she said "I hope you will make a point to those fellows, Teo badly Youme that I cannot squash this fellow, or that fellow, if anyone should hurt the egg; I will certainly come back and answer it"

Temeraire had already expressed similar sentiments to the handlers, very delicately, a few dozen tiree, of course, that on this point he could not repeat hi Li, the ; that gentle would go well

"We will send you dispatches every week," Huang Li said, "with a report upon the egg’s progress, until it is hatched"

"Oh!" Tes wonderful But do you suppose those will reach me, in Britain?"

"The E Li said, which was indeed heartening

Iskierka nodded in satisfaction when Temeraire had translated this for her "That is just as well," she said "I want to be quite sure they are taking proper care ofa sly superior look towards Mei before she pranced across the room to Granby’s side

Temeraire went to Mei to"I aether," he said, "but I aive me," he added, "for the opium; I promise ill put a stop to it somehow, even if the Governive over"

Laurence and Mianning were speaking quietly together, near the dais Laurence had been permitted to keep his sword, and a second one, a shorter blade, now sat upon his other hip; he wore a splendid set of new robes, in red satin, the gift of the Emperor himself Temeraire rested his eyes upon him in tremendous satisfaction If only he could persuade Laurence to wear them always, or at least on special occasions

"I hope it will be so," Mei said, "and yes, I do believe you, Xiang, that you did not know In any case," she added, "the crown prince means to send me there, in the coin to search the ships when they cozhou, and burn the opium e find it"

Temeraire ell aware this new policy would not be received with equanimity by the British Governlance over his shoulder, he decided he did not wish to spoil the parting, and he would just forbear to mention it to anyone else, except perhaps to Laurence once they were already on their way After all, if the East India Co, themselves If there were no opiu to burn

Mei leaned out and rubbed her head against his, affectionately "And perhaps you will return and we can try again, when you have won this war of yours This egg h we must hope for the best"

Te would hatch splendidly, regardless: one needed only look at its nificently pearlescent shell and exquisitely proportional di out of the ordinary "I ag will make a most notable companion for the prince"

"Oh! Yes, of course," Mei said hastily "Only, one does not wish to see the true Celestial line disappear; another line may equal, but not surpass it"

Temeraire thawed; that he could accept "If my honor and duty permit me, I would be very happy to return," he said, with only a little loftiness

He would be, too, he thought, and sighed a little, looking around the gorgeously appointed hall, the coh rafters, as he went back to Laurence "You s very properly, here; no-one can coements"

"I do not deny it in the least,a hand upon his flank "And I will once again make you my promise we shall return, if fortune permits it; but you could not wish us to remain now, in these circumstances"

"No, certainly not," Teh, for Napoleon to be beginning another war, and only just after he stole the Incan Empress, and caused so much trouble for us in Brazil"

They had undertaken the return to Peking in a blazing rush, as swiftly as dragons could go; but even so the weeks seeers By now, they were all dreadfully aware, Napoleon ht already have crossed the Nieive battle, the fate of Europe ht already have been decided

The speed of the Jade Dragon couriers, within China, depended on their intricate syste so far as Moscoas no easy ence They could onlyLaurence had wondered hoiftly the asseht back north from the mountains, but Chu had shaken his head in so those soldiers all that way," he said "Those niru will go back to their usual stations; ill muster up fresh as we fly north You Westerners seeh ere infantry Telling ten thousand where to go is very difficult Telling three hundred is not! Now, feeding them, that is another matter"

Tharkay had not wholly recovered, but he had preferred to come with them than to remain behind for his convalescence Laurence now stopped into his bedcha over the egg They had ave out upon the courtyard, to spread a great many maps upon the floor and consult upon the quickest route towards Russia’s borders

Gong Su and General Chu had co with theon, one of the couished however by a silver headdress featuring two cabochon amethysts nearly the size of her own eyes, and as introduced to the Shen Shi

They looked over the h the open wall; withdrawing, Shen Shi had shaken her head doubtfully as though casting off water; the"I suppose we cannot rely on them to have any proper depots?" she asked Chu "We e?"

"I am sure the Tsar will be pleased to put his resources at your disposal," Haan

"Herds of cattle, I suppose," Chu said, with a snort "We cannot rely upon them"

She nodded her head "In such circuret most deeply that supply will be sorunted "How ons will this Napoleon have?"

"No more than a hundred?" Laurence said "He can scarcely ht across the Channel to England, so , at any rate" Chu said, not very enthusiastic "Well, I hope he is not as clever as all of you seeht, sir, that you thought so highly of our Western tactics," Laurence said, a little dryly, but wondering truly; he hiiven ions, so outnumbered and in hostile territory

"I a," Chu said, "e have any I am worried about time I do not like to think what it will be if we have not defeated him before the harvest season As the Emperor has commanded, however, so it must be" He heaved himself up "There is no tio until you have seen the egg safely conveyed," he added to Teo the day after that, then I will send on the word to the jalan-commanders, and ill rendezvous at Moscow"

"And I myself must leave at the earliest possible ht to have been there sixSu nodded and turning to Hammond said, "Mr Hammond, will it be convenient for you to leave at once?"