But the lake was frozen solid, so for the moment he had to be content with rolling in the thick snow on one of the neighbouring hills until he was wet and cold all over. The encampment had been going up all day as they delivered men by air. By now the officers were coming up the hill in clusters to eat in the citadel, leaving their horses stabled away at the foot. Loch Laggan had an ample herd, and having eaten, the unharnessed dragons began to negotiate the complex aerial manoeuvres to settle in their respective landing-places on the hill, courtyard, or further out in the clearings.

‘Do you suppose,’ Temeraire said to Laurence, as he set himself gladly onto the baking-hot stones, ‘do you suppose that Celeritas will have forgiven me, for lying?’ He raised his head over the squirming mass of dragons, mostly middleweights trying to fit themselves around him, Requiescat, Ballista, and Armatius, who had smugly claimed a place, with the other heavyweights thanks to Gentius drowsing upon his back. The lightweights and couriers were perched on the walls and battlements, waiting for the middleweights to give up before they began their own squabble over who would have a place.

Majestatis had ignored the struggle, and taken a place on the other side of the courtyard wall, to the south. Temeraire could hear Perscitia arguing with him indignantly. ‘You ought to go take a place in the courtyard,’ she said.

‘I am very comfortable here,’ Majestatis returned placidly.

‘You would be more comfortable in the courtyard,’ Perscitia said, ‘and you can have a place there if you only push a little. You do not need this one.’

‘But I like this one, and I did not have to push to have it,’ he said. ‘The ground is warm.’

She gave a sulky hiss. ‘I dare say you do not even know why.’

‘The hot water for the baths runs under this part of the hillside, too,’ Majestatis said.

There was a brief silence. ‘Yes,’ Perscitia said, ‘it must, because this is the lower side of the slope, and it must drain away somewhere, but how did you know that?’

‘There is steam coming out of that crack in the ground there.’

‘Oh,’ she muttered.

‘I am going to sleep now,’ Majestatis informed her. ‘I don't mind if you want to share.’

‘I do not want to share,’ Perscitia said, but a low deep rumbling breath was the only reply, and after another fit of grumbling she reconciled herself. Both of their snores were audible before the rest of the quarrelling had resolved itself into a settled order for the courtyard.