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aviators with whom he would be training, like Berkley and the other captains
of the formation, he could show that he did not hold himself above his
company. These small measures would take a great deal of time to repair his
reputation, but they were all he could do. The best he could do was resolve
upon them at once, and prepare to endure however long it would take.
Having finally drawn himself from his self-recrimination, he now took his
bearings and hurried on to the offices of the Royal Bank. His usual bankers
were Drummonds, in London, but on learning that he was to be stationed at Loch
Laggan, he had written to his prize-agent to direct the funds from the capture
of the
Amitié
here. As soon as he had given his name, he at once saw that the instructions
had been received and obeyed; for he was instantly conducted to a private
office and greeted with particular warmth.
The banker, a Mr. Donnellson, was happy to inform him, on his inquiry, that
the prize-money for the
Amitié
had included a bounty for Temeraire equal to the value that would have been
placed on an unhatched egg of the same breed. Not that a number could easily
be settled upon, as I understand it, for we have no notion of what the French
paid for it, but at length it was held equal to a Regal Copper egg
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sty's%20Dragon.html in value, and I am happy to say that your two-eighths
share of the entire prize comes to nearly fourteen thousand pounds, he
finished, and struck Laurence dumb.
Having recovered over a glass of excellent brandy, Laurence soon perceived the
self-serving efforts of
Admiral Croft behind this extraordinary assessment. But he hardly objected;
after a brief discussion which ended in his authorizing the Bank to invest
perhaps half of the money into the Funds for him, he shook Mr. Donnellson s
hand with enthusiasm and took away a handful of banknotes and gold, along with
a generously offered letter which he might show to merchants to establish his
credit. The news restored his spirits to some extent, and he soothed them
further by purchasing a great many books and examining several different
pieces of valuable jewelry, and imagining Temeraire s happiness at receiving
them both.
He settled finally upon a broad pendant of platinum almost like a breastplate,
set with sapphires around a single enormous pearl; the piece was designed to
fasten about the dragon s neck with a chain that could be extended as
Temeraire grew. The price was enough to make him swallow, but he recklessly
signed the cheque regardless, and then waited while a boy ran to certify the
amount with the Bank so he could immediately bear away the well-wrapped piece,
with some difficulty due to its weight.
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From there he went straight back to the covert, even though there was another
hour to the appointed meeting time. Levitas was lying unattended in the same
dusty landing ground, his tail curled around himself; he looked tired and
lonely. There was a small herd of sheep kept penned in the covert; Laurence
ordered one killed and brought for him, then sat with the dragon and talked to
him quietly until Rankin returned.
The flight back was a little slower than the one out, and Rankin spoke coldly
to Levitas when they landed. Past the point of caring if it seemed rude,
Laurence interrupted with praise and patted Levitas. It was little enough, and
he felt miserable to see the little dragon huddled silently in a corner of the
courtyard after Rankin had gone inside. But Aerial Command had given Levitas
to Rankin; Laurence had no authority to correct the man, who was senior to
him.
Temeraire s new harness was neatly assembled upon a couple of benches by the
side of the courtyard, the broad neck-brace marked with his name in silver
rivets. Temeraire himself was sitting outside again, looking over the quiet
lake valley that was gradually fading into shadow as the late-afternoon sun
sank in the west, his eyes thoughtful and a little sad. Laurence went to his
side at once, carrying the heavy packages.
Temeraire s joy in the pendant was so great as to rescue Laurence s mood as
well as his own. The silver metal looked dazzling against his black hide, and
once it was on he tilted the piece up with a forehand to look at the great
pearl in enormous satisfaction, his pupils widening tremendously so he could
better examine it. And I do so like pearls, Laurence, he said, nuzzling at
him gratefully. It is very beautiful;
but was it not dreadfully expensive?
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It is worth every penny to see you looking so handsome, Laurence said,
meaning that it was worth every penny to see him so happy. The prize-money
for the
Amitié
has come in, so I am well in pocket, my dear. Indeed, it is quite your due,
you know, for the better part of it comes from the bounty for our having taken
your egg from the French.
Well, that was none of my doing, although I am very glad it happened,
Temeraire said. I am sure I
could not have liked any French captain half so much as you. Oh, Laurence, I
am so very happy, and none of the others have anything nearly so nice. He
cuddled himself around Laurence with a deep sigh of satisfaction.
Laurence climbed into the crook of one foreleg and sat there petting him and
enjoying his continued quiet gloating over the pendant. Of course, if the
French ship had not been so delayed and then captured, some French aviator
would have had Temeraire by now; Laurence had previously given little thought
to what might have been. Likely the man was somewhere cursing his luck; the
French certainly would have learned that the egg had been captured by now,
even if they did not know that it had hatched an
Imperial, or that Temeraire had been successfully harnessed.
He looked up at his preening dragon and felt the rest of his sorrow and
anxiety leave him; whatever else happened, he could hardly complain of the
turn fate had served him, in comparison with that poor fellow. I have brought
you some books as well, he said. Shall I begin on Newton for you? I have
found a translation of his book on the principles of mathematics, although I
will warn you at once that I
am wholly unlikely to be able to make sense of what I read for you; I am no
great hand at mathematics beyond what my tutors got into my head for sailing.
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Please do, Temeraire said, looking away from his new treasure for a moment.
I am sure we will be able to puzzle it out together, whatever it is.
Chapter 7
L
AURENCE ROSE EARLY
the next morning and breakfasted alone, to have a little time before the
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