carrying this cannon; it makes my shoulders ache."
"We are all hungry," Temeraire said, in a temper, "so pray stop complaining; you are very tiresome."
"I am not!" she said, "only because you do not want to fight, and would rather run away - "
"That is enough," Excidium said to her sternly, descending. "We will go back when we are ready to, and have more men and guns, and can be sure to win. That is strategy," he added, "and you are old enough to understand it."
Iskierka subsided, still muttering, as the older dragon flew on ahead.
Somewhere far behind, the remnants of the infantry and cavalry marched on, towards reinforcements and resupply at the well-defended central depot in Weedon Bec. The dragons however flew straight on through the night and the next day, putting an impractical distance between them and pursuit, and ensuring the safety of the artillery. There was not much for them to eat: the farmers hid their cattle, and they could not easily stop to hunt during the day. "The Quality must put up with having their game eaten," Jane said, and divided them up into small companies, each to make camp on an estate large enough to have a deer park.
They would be in Nottinghamshire before nightfall, and Wollaton Hall had a herd of four hundred or more. "I can send you elsewhere," Jane said, but Laurence shook his head. He little wished to be at home in the present circumstances: a condemned traitor, with the worst sort of news, bringing twenty hungry dragons to tear up the estate. But it could not be helped; worse if he took himself to some other house nearby, without paying his formal respects, and let some other group of dragons use the grounds; that would be cowardice, and shirking. If Lord Allendale chose to forbid him the house when he came, that was his father's privilege; his own duty was to endure the rebuke he had earned.
They landed at last a few hours later, the dragons setting down their burdens with deep and grateful sighs; it was no joke even for a heavy-weight to carry two sixteen-pounders, over a distance of thirty miles, and Maximus and Requiescat had been loaded down with four apiece. Temeraire sighed and stretched himself out upon the cool ground like a long black snake.
Laurence slid down from Temeraire's back, weary and sore himself with the long hours sitting dragon-back. "Will you speak to them up at the house?" Jane asked him, "or will I send Frette?"
"No; I will go," Laurence said, and touching his hat turned away.
"Pray give my best regards to your mother," Temeraire said, rousing a little, when Laurence rubbed his muzzle in farewell.
He walked slowly and with reluctance to the house, the windows mostly dark, and only a few link lights burning, near the door. There were a couple of footmen outside gripping muskets, nervously. "It is all right, Jones," Laurence said, when he came close enough to recognize their faces. "It is only me; is Lord Allendale at home?"
"Oh - yes, sir, but," Jones said, looking at him wide-eyed, and then the door opened. For a moment Laurence thought it was his father; but it was his eldest brother George, in slippers and dressing-gown over his nightshirt, and a valet getting a coat on over his shoulders.
"For Heaven's sake, Will," George said, coming down the stairs: he was Laurence's senior by six years, and nearly as much time had gone by since Laurence had last seen him; he had grown stouter, but the tone of exasperation was unchanged. "That will be all," he added abruptly to the footmen, "you may go back inside." He said nothing more, until the door had shut behind them, and then turning back to Laurence hissed, "What in God's name are you doing here? And coming to the front door - you might have a little discretion, at least. Have you - are you - hungry, do you need - "
He floundered, and Laurence flushed in sudden understanding, and bit out, "I have not fled gaol and come to the door to beg; I am paroled, to fight the invasion."
"Paroled?" George said. "Paroled, for the invasion, and here you are in the middle of Nottinghamshire! Whoever is likely to believe such a story, I ask you."
"Good God, I am not lying to you," Laurence said impatiently. "I am not going to explain this twice over; will my father see me?"
"No; I shan't so much as tell him