by Naomi Novik
(artbyMaartaLaiho)
LAURENCEHADALWAYSresolutelyrefusedtoexpressapreferenceforanyparticularfamiliar;when other mages of the Corps had spoken aloud of their hopes for great cats or gyrfalcons, he had kept his peace, and when pressed had only said he should be content with any beast that chose him. He did not intend to be discontented, or ever make his companion feel the lesser, if only the far more usual rat or crowmadeitsappearanceafterthesummoningritual.
However,hefeltnowjustifiedina little dismay.Wherewashetokeepafullygrowndragon?
(artbyMariaNagy)
(AnexcerptfromaletterwrittenbyMatteoRicci,February1583)
THEYPOSSESSANextraordinarynumberofdragons,whoarehousedatnightwithintheveryprecincts ofeverytownandcity,inlargetempleswhichareturnedtothebusinessofthestateduringtheday,and wherehigh-rankingofficialsreceivepetitionsandgivejudgementswhilethebeastsareout.Afeweither fromageorill-healthremainsleepinginthecorners,butnopersonshowsanyfearorconcernabouttheir presence, and so well-trained and docile are these creatures that they never offer harm to any person.
Indeedsomedragonsareveneratedalmostashighlyastheirrulers…
(artbyMichelleBrenner)
BENJAMINFRANKLIN'SFAMOUScartoonwaspublishedin1754ontheeveoftheoutbreakofthe
SevenYears’WarinNorthAmericatourgecloserbondsamongtheBritishcolonies,representedbythe dividedsegmentsofthebody,andtheirclosestIndianallies,representedbythetwosectionsmarkedwith wings and draconic head, indicating the Iroquois connected to New York, and the Wampanoag and Narragansett and other Algonquian-speaking tribes to New England. It and Franklin’s accompanying editorialwereamongtheearliestargumentsfortheforgingofaunifiedidentityamongcoloniesandtribes formerlydisposedtoconsiderthemselvesrivals…
(artbyNickolMartin)
KULINGILE PRIVATELY COULD not understand what so distressed Maximus, and some of the other heavy-weights,abouthim.Herememberedhimselfassmallandungainlyandsuretodie;thatwaswhat everyonehadsaid.“Theywillnotbeunkindtoyou,”Demanesaidfiercely,whenKulingileventuredto saysomething,aftertheyhadbeenincampinPortugalaweek.“Iftheyare,youwilltellme,andwewill soonsetthemstraight.”
“Nooneis unkind,” Kulingile said, warmed through again. He did not care if anyone did not like him.Noonehadbefore,either:exceptDemane.
(artbySamPipes)
TEMERAIREWASAgoodoldegg,Maximusthoughtaffectionately,ashepaddedbacktohiscovertwith hisbellyfull,earsprickedandcarefulasheputdowneachfoot.Therewerenosqueaksofdismayfrom underfoot:he did like getting up and having his breakfast before the crowds were awake and scurrying about.Berkleywasstillsnoringloudlyinhiscottage,apleasantcomfortablenoise,andtheground-crew hadnotbegunstirring.Maximusyawnedhimselfandlaydowninthelargered-paintedcirclewherethe crewknewnottogo,sohewouldnotsquashthembyaccident.
(artbySarahArcand)
THEJUBILEEPROCESSIONwoundawayfromthecathedralandthroughthestreetsbacktowardsthe
palace: the marching troops, the great open carriage in front drawn by eight horses, and behind it the queen’sdragonGlorianawithherheadcranedproudlyuponherneck,leadingfivedragonstrailingaway insizebehindher.Temerairecouldnothelpbutbepleasedwiththesplendiddisplay:ariotofcolorand glory; and better still, the road they followed was wide enough for dragons. But the ceremony over, he tookwingtobealone,andthinkofwhatLaurencewouldhavesaid.
(artbySlate)
THENOISEWASapeculiarone,andLaurencedidnotknowwhattomakeofit;hehadneverheard
Temerairemakeitbefore—asortofhummingresonance,accompaniedwitharegularstampingthatmade theearthshiver.“Temeraire?”hecalled,doubtfully,andpushedasidetheunderbrushandcameintothe clearing.
“Well?Whyisittakingsolong?”Iskierkawassaying,impatiently,ashepartedthetallgrass.One appalled glance was enough to make Laurence aware he had grossly intruded; he let the tall blades mercifullycoverthesceneandturnedandfledhastilybackintothetrees.
(artbyTabithaEmde)
EOONOILON SANG DEEP and resonant, his voice rumbling through the water, and Ilia sang back, swimmingroundhisheadinspirals,catchingthecurrentsthathisgreatbodymade,coldandrefreshing.
Tomorrowthemigrationwouldbegin,andtherewouldnotbetimeforplay:theyhadalongjourneytothe winter waters ahead, with Eoo leading the pack. He knew the way. Ilia’s mother often said she might sleepthewholefourweeksandnonetheworse.Butitwouldstillbedangerousandlong,andthisyear Iliawasaguard.Shewouldplaywhileshecould.
(artbyTanyaThienpothong)
“WHAT?WHYNOT?"Demanesaidindignantly,pullinghisheadback.Whynot,asthougheverything wereeasy,andtheyneitherofthemhadtobethinkingofanythingbutthemselves.
“And what do you suppose we are to do when Mother retires?” Emily said. “Don’t be stupid. It doesn’tmeanwecan’t—”
Buthewasalreadygettingup,hisbackgonestiff.“Iamnotgoingto dishonoryou!”heannounced, and Emily pulled her knees up and rested her forehead against them. It was not that she didn’t like the captain,buthehad muchtoanswerfor.
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VollyGetsACowCopyright©2017byCaryShien
PlantingSeasonCopyright©2017byHughEbdy
DawnofBattleCopyright©2017byNickMiles
GoldenAgeCopyright©2017bySandaraTang
SuccessionCopyright©2017byStephanieMendoza
DragonsandDecorumCopyright©2017byLaurieDammeGonneville
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Document Outline
Title Page
Copyright
Volly’s Cow
Planting Season
Dawn of Battle
Golden Age
Succession
Dragons and Decorum
Drabbles
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