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drawing close, and Laurence limped over to Temeraire's side; he was conscious suddenly of a sharp, unanticipated regret.

"I do not know that dragon," Temeraire said to Laurence, looking across the water at the other transport; there was a large beast sprawled sullenly upon their dragondeck, a stripey brown-and-green, with red streaks on his wings and neck rather like paint: Laurence had never seen the breed before.

"He is an Indian breed, from one of those tribes in Canada," Sutton said, when Laurence pointed out the strange dragon. "I think Dakota, if I am pronouncing the name correctly; I understand he and his rider - they do not use crews over there, you know, only one man to a dragon, no matter the size - were captured raiding a settlement on the frontier. It is a great coup: a vastly different breed, and I understand they are very fierce fighters. They meant to use him at the breeding grounds in Halifax, but I believe it was agreed that once Praecursoris was sent to them, they should send that fellow here in exchange; and a proper bloody-minded creature he looks."

"It seems hard to send him so very far from home, and to stay," Temeraire said, rather low, looking at the other dragon. "He does not look at all happy."

"He would only be sitting in the breeding grounds at Halifax instead of here, and that does not make much difference," Messoria said, stretching her wings out for the convenience of her harness-crewmen, who were climbing over her to get her rigged out. "They are all much alike, and not very interesting, except for the breeding part," she added, with somewhat alarming frankness; she was a much older dragon than Temeraire, being over thirty years of age.

"That does not sound very interesting, either," Temeraire said, and glumly laid himself back down. "Do you suppose they will put me in a breeding ground in China?"

"I am sure not," Laurence said; privately, he was quite determined he would not leave Temeraire to any such fate, no matter what the Emperor of China or anyone else had to say about it. "They would hardly be making such a fuss, if that were all they wanted."

Messoria snorted indulgently. "You may not think it so terrible, anyway, after you have tried it."

"Stop corrupting the morals of the young." Captain Sutton slapped her side good-humoredly, and gave the harness a final reassuring tug. "There, I think we are ready. Good-bye a second time, Laurence," he said, as they clasped hands. "I expect you have had enough excitement to stand you for the whole voyage; may the rest be less eventful."

The three smaller dragons leapt one after another off the deck, Nitidus scarcely even making the Allegiance dip in the water, and flew over to the William of Orange; then Maximus and Lily came back in turns to be rigged-out themselves, and for Berkley and Harcourt to make Laurence their farewells. At last the whole formation was transferred to the other transport, leaving Temeraire alone on the Allegiance once more.

Riley gave the order to make sail directly; the wind coming from east-southeast and not over-strong, even the studdingsails were set, a fine and blooming display of white. William of Orange fired a gun to leeward as they passed, answered in a moment by Riley's order, and a cheer came to them across the water as the two transports drew finally away from one another, slow and majestic.

Maximus and Lily had gone aloft for a frolic, with the energy of young dragons lately fed; they could be seen for a long while chasing one another through the clouds above the ship, and Temeraire kept his gaze on them until distance reduced them to the size of birds. He sighed a little then, and drew his head back down, curling in upon himself. "It will be a long time before we see them again, I suppose," he said.

Laurence put his hand on the sleek neck, silently. This parting felt somehow more final: no great bustle and noise, no sense of new adventure unfolding, only the crew going about their work still subdued, with nothing to be seen but the long blue miles of empty ocean, an uncertain road to a more uncertain destination. "The time will pass more quickly than you expect," he said. "Come, let us have the book again."

Chapter 6

II

Chapter 6

THE WEATHER HELD clear for the first brief stage of their journey, with that peculiar winter cleanliness: the water very dark,