007 | video

[dracobin]

I appear to have--damaged my harness, and also a dear possession of mine, while I was in the bottle.

[His ruff droops guiltily. Is that a note of embarrassment in his voice? Of course it is. He is nothing if not transparent.]

If there is anyone here with a talent for leatherworking, or perhaps metalworking, I should be very glad to hear it.

[private to anyone who encountered his mirrorverse self in Kithika]

I--I must beg your pardon, if I said anything to you that was very rude, or stupid, or both; you may rest assured I am in my right mind again, and the incident is unlikely to repeat itself, and I should like it very much if you forgot everything I--that is to say he--told you, and pay it no mind at all, because it is not true.

[Beat.]

And I should think it obvious that goes doubly for you, M. Pontmercy.

Comments

[dracobin]

Oh, the Royal Aerial Corps, that is what they call us: dragons, and our captains and crews, who protect Britain together.

[problematical]

[ Captains and crews is remarkably familiar and thus welcome for River. ]

And take jobs?

[dracobin]

Why, no, not at present. [By his tone alone, he ventures to suggest this is a grave injustice indeed.] We are subject to the Admiralty, you see, and in the middle of a war, besides; we are not permitted to accept jobs independently, though I confess it is an idea which has occurred to me, on more than one occasion.

[A pause.] Although, it is not as if I care very much what the Admiralty thinks, these days: they are going to send Sauvignon back to the French, when they know perfectly well she is ill. Of course it has not happened yet, but Iskierka tells me it will: she comes from the future, you see.