Laurence, who has been out of touch for over a year, learns more details of Napoleon's crushing victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, which he had only received scant details of during the voyage to China. The only good news to emerge from that battle is a Prussian declaration of alliance against Napoleon for what history today calls the War of the Fourth Coalition, and Laurence routes his travel through that nation. However, upon landing, Temeraire is immediately requisitioned: the Prussians were promised twenty dragons by the British Aerial Corps and have received none of them.
Laurence, who had been out of touch for a year, learned more about Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz after his journey to China. The only positive outcome was a Prussian declaration of alliance against Napoleon for the War of the Fourth Coalition. Laurence used this alliance to travel through Prussia. However, upon arrival, Temeraire was requisitioned by the Prussians who had been promised twenty dragons from the British Aerial Corps but received none.