`` captain , '' hammond said at once , as they left the headquarters and began the walk back to the city 's edge , where temeraire waited to carry them up to their encampment on the hill , `` of course our engaging in a direct action on behalf of the colony is presently somewhat impractical- '' laurence exchanged a look with granby , whose face showed what he thought of this as a description of a confrontation between three dragons and near two dozen .