‘I do not mean to be a martyr,’ he said, ‘but the law must be the law for everyone; and it has already bent for me a great deal, and for you; however grudgingly. Though our actions were just, I cannot easily forget that others, who had a claim on our loyalty and our service, have suffered by them, and that our enemies thereby have profited. We have left England behind safer than she was, and free, thank God. I need not reproach myself for that. But I would gladly do what honourable work I might find, in her service, to repay the debt I owe, even if I may only do it indirect.’

Temeraire would have objected strongly if anyone else had suggested that Laurence owed more than he had given; but he could not very well quarrel with Laurence himself on the subject, when he owed Laurence a debt, too. Only, he wished they were not going so very far. Already the days had begun to drag intolerably.

‘Wing, two points off the larboard stern,’ the lookout cried, and Temeraire roused hopefully. Perhaps it would be a battle; or perhaps Volly, coming to call them back to England; or Maximus and Lily, come to bear him company, so they should all go together.

‘It is Iskierka,’ he said disgruntled, when she had come close enough to see the thin cloud of steam trailing her. She was flying a little sluggishly and tired, and she thumped down upon the dragondeck in much disarray. She did not wear her full harness and none of her crew was aboard, only Granby latched on to her neck-strap.

‘What are you doing here?’ Temeraire demanded, while she thirstily drank two barrels of his water.

She settled herself more comfortably, looping her massive coils over the deck, some of them dangling over the sides. Temeraire could not help but notice that in reaching her full length she had grown longer than he was. ‘I am coming with you,’ she announced.

‘No, you are not,’ Temeraire said. ‘We are transported, you are not. You had better go back at once.’

‘Well, I cannot,’ she said. ‘I am too tired to fly back now, and by tomorrow morning it will be too far; so we may as well go on.’

‘I do not see what you want to come for, anyway,’ Temeraire said.

‘I told you that you might give me an egg, when we had won,’ Iskierka said, ‘so I have come to keep my promise.’

‘But I do not want to give you an egg, at all!’ Temeraire said. ‘I do not want you aboard the ship, either: you take up too much room, and you are damp.’

‘I do not take any more room than you; at least, not much more,’ Iskierka said, to add insult to injury, ‘and I am warmer; so you needn't quarrel.’