Tongues of Serpents Page 0,119

this is a port city and a growing one, under the auspices of a nation which if it is not our enemy, is not our ally; a port here upon the very rim of the Indian Ocean must represent a very real strategic threat to the security of our shipping and to British mastery of the seas."

Temeraire privately felt that it seemed a little unreasonable for a country as small as Britain to want to rule an ocean halfway around the world, and to complain if China, which was much larger and nearer anyway, wished to only have some sea-serpents coming by, with splendid things which people wanted to buy. "I am sure they would not mind if British merchants should come also," Temeraire suggested.

"They have never objected to taking our silver before," Laurence said, "but that will only lead to the same complications as before which our government have already been protesting, and the deficit between our nations will only be increased by a greater flow of goods: they are not likely to take finished goods, or anything else which it profits Britain to trade."

"Except opium," Tharkay said, a little sardonic, "which manages its own popularity. The public inspection of the goods might offer some difficulties, but I think one must have faith in the ingenuity of man."

Laurence was silent; he did not approve of opium, although it was so very useful for managing cattle and sheep when one wished to carry them along and eat better than whatever one could hunt; Temeraire was rather sorry they had not had some of it with them upon their journey, as they might have taken along some of the cows, from their valley.

"Even that trade is not likely to be sufficient consolation in Whitehall," Laurence said finally, "for the establishment of a port which, at the discretion of the Emperor, might give safe harbor to the French to prey upon our shipping, or at his will lock out British traders and none others from the profits of the trade, whatever those may be."

Rankin was particularly insistent, but Granby and even Laurence were also firm in agreeing they must return to Sydney at once with the intelligence they had acquired; although Temeraire did point out that if as they assumed, Government would shortly learn of the port without their doing anything, the news would no longer be news by the time they had brought it. Nevertheless, it was their duty, it seemed; and so Temeraire sighed, and supervised Roland and Sipho in packing up the robes along with his other treasures. He felt wistfully how long it would be, before they might once again enjoy such hospitality, and such comfort.

Of course, he did not say so; that was he felt a very poor-spirited reason for not wishing to go, if duty were involved. Only, it was a little hard to know there would be so long a journey, through the uncomfortable desert, hungry and too-hot all the long way - and the hunger would be all the more difficult to manage this way, now that Kulingile was eating more and more - and nothing at the end to hope for but the very awkwardness which had caused them to leave in the first place.

"By now some answer must have been received from Government," Laurence said.

"But what if they have sent to put Bligh back in?" Temeraire said. "That would not suit us at all, and I am sure he would be unpleasant about it."

"If they have," Laurence said, "we must endure him early or late," which Temeraire thought an excellent argument for late.

But he consoled himself with the prospect of visitors: Shen Li might come, and Tharunka had already promised she should do so as well, one day. "And even if we don't wish to go so far very often, it is a cheering thought," she said, "that we can go visiting, if we only can manage the trouble of finding food and water. My people tell me you have been lucky, and it has been a very wet year; ordinarily it is not nearly so green, and the water-holes nearly all run dry by this time of the year."

Temeraire sighed to hear it; while he would be happy to see Shen Li, too, who could more easily make the journey, one could not look for much in the way of conversation from her.

She returned to the port one last time shortly before they were to depart, and there was something of