‘I did not,’ Tharkay said, ‘but Captain Harcourt was good enough to introduce me. I am well in pocket, at present, thanks to your admiral's generosity,’ he added, seeing that Laurence was surprised, ‘and I have never been to Terra Australis. The journey tempts me.’

Wanderlust might drive a man across the ocean or to the furthest edge of the world; it would not drive him aboard a ship with one he despised, when funds would have allowed him to choose his passage. ‘Then I am glad we shall be shipmates,’ Laurence said. It was as far as he could trust himself to go, without giving mortification to himself or any other.

Riley came aboard late, grim, and alone, with the tide already making a noise against Allegiance's sides; he did not come to greet Laurence, of course, but neither did he say a word to the two captains, nor to Tharkay, technically at least his guest. He went directly to his cabin, and came out only to weigh anchor and make sail; before sequestering himself again. Purbeck knew his work, and managed despite the very awkward crew to get them out of the harbour, with only the least direction. And then the black waters of the Channel were slipping away behind them.

Temeraire put his head over the side and studied the waves, as he said to Laurence, ‘I only wish I knew how she did it. Might I practice, to work it out?’ But Laurence with some effort dissuaded him, although Temeraire protested he would only make the waves go away from the ship. Even so, Laurence did not think Riley or the sailors would like it.

Temeraire sighed, and settled himself again. It was bad enough to be facing so long a sea-journey again, when all his friends were building pavilions, and soon to have pay, but it was worse still to be sent to such a strange and unfriendly country, which had no dragons at all. He was sure that if it were at all nice, some dragons would have gone there before; so it must be wholly dreadful, and he was particularly anxious about the eggs. Not that he would let anything happen to them, of course, but it was a heavy responsibility, and none of them his own. It did not seem very fair.

‘Will it be very long?’ he asked Laurence the next morning, already feeling discouraged by the monotony of the horizon. He was gloomily unsurprised to hear they should be sailing for seven months, or longer.

‘We must put in at Gibraltar and then at St. Helena,’ Laurence said, ‘as we cannot put in at the Cape anymore; and then likely again at New Amsterdam.’

‘And you are sure we might not just as well go to China?’ Temeraire asked. ‘We might fly there overland—’ but Laurence did not wish to do it.