A Different Destiny Chapter 3
"Come in, Laurence. Have a seat." Admiral Lenton sounded relaxed, but he did not look the part. Laurence took the wooden chair that the admiral indicated, adjusted his uniform jacket, and waited to see what this official summons was about.
"I have good news, and I have bad news," Lenton began, without any social niceties. "The good news is that your Mr. Hollin got to the hatching of his egg with time to spare, and he has successfully harnessed his Yellow Reaper. He has named her Betsy. An unconventional name, to be sure... but I scarcely need speak to you, of all people, about unconventional names for dragons."
"That is certainly good news, sir," Laurence nodded. He knew that most aviators still raised an eyebrow at his own dragon's name, but he no longer felt defensive about it, now that Temeraire had made a name for himself in battle. As for Hollin, he had assumed that his former ground-crew master would pair off with the newly-hatched dragon because those were the official arrangements. But his own life was testimony to the fact that dragons did not always agree with the humans' preference in riders. He had no regrets about that, personally, but his hope that Hollin would be accepted by the dragonet could be nothing but hope until he heard the news that it had come to pass. Now he had heard that news, and it was good news indeed. He waited for the other shoe to fall.
"The bad news," Lenton continued, trying to sound offhand about it, "is that your cadet, Emily Roland, has done wonders with Levitas. We had thought that the dragon would have to be sent to the breeding grounds immediately for lack of a rider. Rankin was no prude, but he sired no children, or at least none who will so acknowledge themselves, so there is no one to put forward as a possible replacement for him on Levitas' back. Usually, in such cases, the dragon will not accept a stranger as a substitute for the captain he has lost, and becomes useless to us.
"But your Emily, as I said, has done wonders. Levitas is still mopey and depressed when left to his own devices, but he visibly brightens when Emily appears. She has learned to change his bandages, and he lets her do it without argument. They spend several hours together each day, and she is encouraging him to begin working his injured muscles. I think she means for him to fly again, the doctor's gloomy predictions notwithstanding."
Laurence's brow furrowed. "But... you said this was bad news. It sounds all to the good."
Lenton leaned forward sharply. "Have you forgotten why Cadet Roland is in the Aerial Corps? Have you forgotten the reason for her very existence? She is destined to become Excidium's captain upon her mother's eventual retirement from the Corps. How can she become a Longwing's captain if she is pairing herself with that Winchester? Either she will remain with Levitas and leave Excidium without a future rider, or she will follow her destiny with Excidium and leave Levitas doubly devastated by the loss of two friends in quick succession. I am not sure the dragon would want to live after such a blow. This is a sticky wicket of the worst kind, Laurence. Cadet Roland is a member of your crew; if you can think of any way to resolve this predicament without making things worse, I should be most grateful."
"Isn't she rather young for such a position?" Laurence wondered.
"Technically, yes, but the dragons seldom stick at such details," Lenton said with a shrug. "I have known younger men than her who were chosen by a dragon. When that happens, the other captains help out until the young captain is old enough to take on the responsibility by himself. You could well find yourself in that awkward position, assisting and guiding your former runner as she learns how to occupy a place equivalent to yours."
Laurence temporised. "What does Emily think of the situation? Does she have a preference between one destiny and the other?"
"I've not asked her," the admiral replied. "I thought it inappropriate to speak to your crewmember behind your back."
"Well, I shall certainly sound her out," Laurence promised. "And I shall report to you as soon as I have acquired some facts worth reporting."
"Please do," Lenton nodded. "We must know how this will play out before we allow her to get Levitas back in the air. Once the two of them fly together, it is a near-certainty that they will want to remain together. The dragon is nowhere near fully healed or air-worthy, but time is not on our side. Please see to this matter personally, Laurence. A great deal is at stake here."
"I shall do that, sir." Laurence recognized the signs of dismissal, rose, and left the office. He had some work to do.
First, he decided to sound out Temeraire on the subject. After all, the problem certainly involved a dragon, and Temeraire might very well have something to say on the subject. The great black reptile listened attentively as Laurence described the issue to him.
"Well, I do not see much of a problem," Temeraire decided. "Levitas is not the most intelligent dragon I have ever encountered, but he is kind-hearted and deserving of some happiness, which he certainly did not find with Rankin. Should Emily choose him, what of it?"
"The problem is that Excidium is a far more valuable dragon than Levitas," Laurence tried to explain. "Should he become riderless, the effect on England would be of much greater consequence than the loss of a Winchester."
"That may well be so," Temeraire nodded. "But England is an abstraction, while Levitas is quite real, and so is Cadet Roland. England is managed by the Government, a concept I am growing to dislike, whereas Levitas is managed by a heart that beats, and bleeds, and longs for human friendship. Is it right to place his desires on a lower level, simply because he is not deemed so important by the Government?"
"There is more to it than that, my friend," Laurence said. "There are also Excidium's desires to consider."
Temeraire snorted out the side of his mouth, which ruffled his tendrils. That was not a gesture that dragons used; he must have learned it from one of his human acquaintances. "Excidium barely knows whether Cadet Roland exists. He knows that his own rider has taken steps to keep him content after her own demise or retirement, but he has no relationship at all with the daughter of Captain Roland. That captain is still young and in good health, as I am sure you are aware," and Temeraire paused and gave Laurence an intent glance that made Laurence blush. How much does he know about me and Jane? he wondered. The Celestial went on, "Barring a calamity, there is no need to consider Excidium's future rider today, whereas Levitas' need for a human friend is immediate. The correct choice seems quite clear to me."
"You speak from the heart, my friend, and you do so quite well," Laurence replied. "But there is also the question of duty. The very reason Emily Roland exists is to become Excidium's captain someday. That is her role and her destiny, and she has never challenged it before. My fear is that she is making an emotional decision without considering all the implications of her choice. That would scarely come as a surprise; one so young is given to emotional decisions and has difficulty considering distant implications. Our role is to guide her into what is best."
"Indeed," Temeraire nodded. "But best for who?"
Laurence sighed. "Temeraire, you have an absolute gift for asking difficult questions! Were you not needed in battle, I think you might become a philosopher, and in such a role, you might well challenge the best that England has to offer. As for me, I am no philosopher. I am but a military man, whom luck has favored with the friendship of the most amazing dragon in all the world, and it is my lot in life to sort out these difficult questions in terms of duty and responsibility. Can you see that, when viewed solely through that lens, Emily's duty is clear?"
"How do you perceive Levitas' duty?" the dragon asked pointedly.
"Well, I... I do not know," he admitted. "An English dragon's duty is to fly and fight for England, I suppose."
"And if that is his duty," Temeraire pressed him, "then how can he fulfill it without a human captain?"
"If the only possible human captain is in contention between two dragons, then the more valuable dragon should win her services, and the other... oh, bother! Temeraire, it would be so easy to see these things in simple terms. Must you muddy the waters so?"
"You say I muddy the waters, but I only wish to make them more clear," the dragon said. He sounded hurt. Laurence rushed to hug the huge muzzle.
"Oh, my friend, I am sorry; I have accused you falsely. If the waters of this issue are muddy, it is none of your doing. I had hoped to find a simple solution to the problem, but you have helped me to see that there is no such solution. I suppose I ought to speak to Emily herself before I rush to judgment."
"That sounds wise," Temeraire rumbled softly.
Finding Emily Roland was not difficult. Levitas had claimed a corner of the main courtyard as his own. The sun shone there for much of the day, and the warmth was pleasing to his injured skin. The other dragons, even the much bigger ones who would normally take the best napping places as a matter of course, gave him way. When he was fully healed, he would probably have to give up his space to a larger dragon, but for now, they acknowledged his need to recover from his wounds. He spent his days and his nights there, and Emily spent much of her time there with him. Laurence found them there now.
She was explaining to Levitas why she would soon try to learn Latin, and seeking his opinion on the subject. He looked confused. "I don't understand why, friend Emily. We all speak English, and we all understand each other. Why will you learn to speak a language that most of us don't know?"
"Most of the officers understand Latin," she replied. "Someday I'm going to be an officer, so I think I ought to do what officers do. I think Temeraire has learned the basics of it, too."
"Temeraire is so big, and so very smart," Levitas said with a touch of sadness. "I could never be like him. If you learn this other language, I won't be able to talk to you anymore."
"No, silly!" Emily chuckled. "I'll still speak English, same as always. I'll just speak some Latin, too."
"Oh," said Levitas, clearly relieved.
Laurence hated to interrupt this peaceful scene, but duty called. "Good morning," he began. Girl and dragon looked up, startled.
"Good morning, sir," she began. "Do you need me for something?"
"No, but I must speak to you for a few minutes about something important. Privately," he added.
"Okay." She gave Levitas' head an affectionate stroke. "I'll be back in a while."
"When you return, will you tell me the story of the princess and the pea again?" he asked hopefully. "I like that one."
"All right, if that's what you want." She turned and nodded to Laurence; they walked some distance away.
"The princess and the pea?" he asked, amused.
"When I'm with him, I have to do most of the talking or it gets too quiet," she explained. "I tried telling him about famous battles, but he isn't so interested in those. He says he can't see them in his head, so they confuse him. So I tried little kids' fairy tales, and he really likes those. I could tell him the same story five times a day, and he'd like it every time. I can only remember a few of them, and I try not to repeat them too much, just so I don't get sick of 'em."
"It's true that the Winchesters, like the Greylings, are not the cleverest of the dragons," Laurence nodded. Inwardly, he realized how incredibly fortunate he'd been. To be chosen as a dragon's captain hadn't been part of his grand plan for life, but at least he'd been chosen by an intelligent one, with whom he could converse as an equal. If he'd harnessed a dragon of limited intellect like a Winchester, he quite likely would have gone mad.
"About that Winchester, though," he went on. "It appears that the two of you are growing quite close."
"He needs a friend," she said simply.
"Quite so. Have you considered the implications of becoming Levitas' friend?"
Emily's brow furrowed. "I don't take your meaning, sir."
"Levitas was lonely, even while his captain was alive. Now he is desolate. He is desperate for any kind of companionship, and, as I explained a few days ago, an injured dragon needs a human to keep him from trying to rush the healing process. What you are doing with Levitas is important, and you are doing a good job of it. The problem is that he is growing attached to you."
"Why is that a problem, sir?"
"I remind you that your destiny is to become Excidium's captain someday."
"Well, why would that be... uhh... sir, are you saying that Levitas might want me to be his new captain?"
"Yes, Roland, that is exactly what I am saying."
"But I thought dragons wouldn't take a new rider unless the new one was related to the old one."
Laurence nodded. "That is how it usually works, or so I am told. But every dragon makes up his own mind in matters like these. Levitas likes you, and your kindness is having a disproportionate impact on him because his former captain neglected him so badly. You are well on the way to winning him over. Captain Chenery is of the opinion that, if you are not Levitas' new captain before a month has passed, the only reason would be because you have not asked him for the privilege. He will not ask you; he is naturally too shy. So the decision will lie with you."
She thought for a moment. "So if I have to ride Excidium, then I can't stay a special friend to Levitas, right?"
"Precisely. You must choose between them, young Emily, and you must do so before Levitas begins to think of you as more than just a friend."
She thought some more. "If I leave him, he'll be even sadder than he was before."
"That is true," Laurence nodded.
"But if I stay with him, then someday, Excidium will be just as sad some day," she continued. "He's the reason Mother bore me and brought me into the Corps, so he sort of has first claim on me, even though he doesn't know me very well."
"This is also true," he nodded again.
"So I'm stuck in the middle, between two dragons," she concluded. "One of them needs me now, and the other one will need me later, and there's only one of me to go around."
"I see that you understand the problem now, Emily. I will not lie and tell you that a solution will be easy. If I were in your shoes, I cannot guess what my own answer would be. I know only that you must make up your mind between the two."
"Sir, isn't there anyone else who wants to be Levitas' friend? If I have to leave him, then I don't want him to be all by himself."
Laurence shook his head grimly. "If Levitas was a healthy dragon, then I could name twenty young men who would willingly fight duels with each other, even though dueling is not allowed in the Corps, for the privilege of harnessing him. But to befriend an injured dragon who will probably never fly again? No one would willingly take on such a task with no hope of reward. The Admiral will not order anyone to harness him; such a decision would end that young man's career. Mr. Hollin might have undertaken to be Levitas' friend when he could spare a few moments from his ground-crew duties, but Hollin has his own dragon now. For Levitas, I fear it is to be you or no one."
"But it will be the same for Excidium – me or no one!" she burst out. "What am I supposed to do? There's only one of me!"
Laurence had no answer. Then she had another thought. "Will Excidium get mad at me when he finds I'm taking care of Levitas? Or will he get mad at Levitas?"
"I doubt that either case will occur," Laurence said, glad to finally know at least one answer. "Your mother is Excidium's captain. He knows that you are destined for him someday, but he does not have any kind of special relationship with you, or at least not yet. He would not get jealous over you the way Temeraire got jealous over me."
"That's good news, I guess," she said with a shrug, "but it doesn't solve my problem."
"Speaking of your mother, she is a clever woman. What does she think of this dilemma of yours?"
"I haven't talked to her about it. I didn't even think about it until now. I don't think she's going to be happy when she hears about it. She's put a lot of work into making me her replacement someday." For half a moment, Emily Roland actually looked nervous. "Could you... could you talk to her about it first? So she isn't surprised when I come to her?"
Laurence could not believe his ears. "Are you asking me to be a go-between, between you and your own mother?"
"Please?" she almost begged him. "Sir?"
"What do you want me to tell her, Emily? You aren't even close to making a decision."
"Just tell her about the problem, I guess. And tell her I haven't decided yet! I know she had me so I could take her place someday, and if you can fix it so she isn't mad because I'm thinking about doing something else, that would be good."
This sounds hideously awkward, he thought to himself. Out loud, he said, "Very well. I will try. I can promise you nothing, though."
"I haven't promised anybody anything yet, either," she answered cheekily. "In a way, that's the problem, ain't it?"