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    Golden Age and Other Stories

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      (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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