Golden Age and Other Stories

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Golden Age and Other Stories Page 14

by Novik, Naomi


  (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.

  ArtistCopyrightInformation

  VollyGetsACowCopyright©2017byCaryShien

  PlantingSeasonCopyright©2017byHughEbdy

  DawnofBattleCopyright©2017byNickMiles

  GoldenAgeCopyright©2017bySandaraTang

  SuccessionCopyright©2017byStephanieMendoza

  DragonsandDecorumCopyright©2017byLaurieDammeGonneville

  Drabbles:

  Page127,Copyright©2017byAgnesHartman

  Page129,Copyright©2017byAlLukehart

  Page131,Copyright©2017byAmandaSharpe

  Page133,Copyright©2017byAmyThompson

  Page135,Copyright©2017byAngelaHsieh

  Page137,Copyright©2017byCaitlinJohnson

  Page139,Copyright©2017byEricaLange

  Page141,Copyright©2017byErikaB.Xochimitl

  Page143,Copyright©2017byJasonLauborough

  Page145,Copyright©2017byJenniferRahier

  Page147,Copyright©2017byJohnO’BrienSchroeder

  Page149,Copyright©2017byKarenaKliefoth

  Page151,Copyright©2017byKatieGaubatz

  Page153,Copyright©2017byKellyNugent

  Page155,Copyright©2017byKelseyZilowar

  Page157,Copyright©2017byKyleBice

  Page159,Copyright©2017byKyleBroad

  Page161,Copyright©2017byMaartaLaiho

  Page163,Copyright©2017byMariaNagy

  Page165,Copyright©2017byMichelleBrenner

  Page167,Copyright©2017byNickolMartin

  Page169,Copyright©2017bySamPipes

  Page171,Copyright©2017bySarahArcand

  Page173,Copyright©2017bySlate

  Page175,Copyright©2017byTabithaEmde

  Page177,Copyright©2017byTanyaThienpothong

  Document Outline

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Volly’s Cow

  Planting Season

  Dawn of Battle

  Golden Age

  Succession

  Dragons and Decorum

  Drabbles

  Copyright Information

 
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