Sure fine he was coming to a similar conclusion but with fewer flowery words.

Laurence gives a very slight nod.

"...that's very decent of you, thanks. But it leaves the question of what I should be working on. For example, even if I finagle the teleport spell that leaves the question of where to teleport to."

"How long do you expect it might take to do this, ah, finagling? I ask only because our present situation must have some time limit as well, and though it might affect our other efforts--" he looks at Laurence for confirmation of this. (Laurence nods.) "Frankly, if it is much longer than our rations would allow, then the question may be moot."

"Days maybe. Not weeks."

!!

Hammond's eyebrows shoot up. "Well! That would certainly change our course of action. In that case I might ask you to consider our case seriously-- Napoleon's determination to spread the French empire over the world is surely--"

"And even if you have no desire to see us forward our case with the Inca, at the very least most of us could be gotten to safety," Laurence says firmly.

"As if we'd want to let the witch do her workings on us," says a nearby sailor in a low voice.

"If you would rather die here you are certainly welcome to, Mr. Harvey," he snaps.

"No one is going to die. Even if only some of us go, the rest could have more rations," points out Temeraire, very reasonably, he thinks.

"And this is great news, for I am sure I can convince you that Napoleon must be stopped," he says earnestly to May. "He is a tyrant, and will stop at nothing to expand his empire; in Britain we have a system of government that allows no one man to run unchecked with power and greed as he has, and one day-- oh, but you might already know. In your time are there more countries with a Parliament?"

"Canada's got a parliament, for one. Uh, history is not my best class and furthermore I don’t know what else might be different besides dragons, so I certainly don't mean to suggest that I know better than you do about who-all has an empire and is doing imperialism with, but... aren't you British?"

"Y... es?..."

Hammond looks around nervously. "Oh look! Iskierka is back!"

She lands. "Why is it so cold here?" she complains.

"Because it’ll make humans require less water and be comfier."

"Hmph." She lets off her passengers and retreats down the beach.

"We found--"

"She is not mad after all! She used her magic to make it cool here! And she says she can teleport us if only she has days to study! Only she may not like to help us, instead of Napoleon," he finishes in only a slightly grumbly tone.

Laurence nods along with this, then says to May, "It is true that our country has done its share of conquering and pillage. There is less, and I have hopes that there will be less still, after our contact with the Tswana empire, which is in part what brings us to South America. --The largest difference between our empire and Napoleon's, as I see it, is that ours may respond to the will of the people, and thus has some hope of improvement, unlike one wholly subservient to the whims of a despot."

"Who has the franchise, in this Britain?"

"Only humans," Temeraire says gloomily. "It is most unfair, but I am sure their Lordships will change their mind eventually, even if it takes my friend Perscitia going and lying down in front of them every day until they do."

"Nor do all humans," Laurence says, a tad reluctantly.

"Well, going and lying down in front of people might work eventually, sure. I assume it's only men? Is there a property requirement or do I have the wrong century on that one? Do the subjects in the colonies vote?"

He glances a little helplessly at Hammond. "Property is required, yes ... and women do not usually own property in their own name."

"Colonials do not, as a rule," says Hammond. Laurence knows this, he was there when the Australians broke off. "But the American and Australian colonies are out of our hands now, as are those in Canada."