John Granby

* Granby
* Iskierka

## Biography

John Granby originally came from Newcastle-upon-Tyne in northern England, where he was the third son of a coal merchant. After his mother was widowed, she could not afford to keep all of her sons at home, so Granby was given to the Aerial Corps for training at the usual age of seven. He grows up into a tall, lanky man, with dark hair and pale skin that is almost always sunburnt from spending so much time in the air. As he did not come from a Corps family, he has small chance of getting a dragon of his own, but he hopes that he will progress far enough to be able to give a son or a nephew a leg up.

### 1805

from *His Majesty's Dragon*

Granby has already served as an officer on four other dragons when he first meest William Laurence at the Loch Laggan covert, Celeritas having told Laurence that Granby will show him around the covert. Granby's most recent assignment has been aboard Laetificat, where Lt. Dayes was chief of the riflemen. Apparently out of friendship with Dayes, Granby is initially hostile to Laurence. When Laurence insists that he at least show the respect due from a lieutenant to a captain, Granby retaliates with insolently exaggerated "respectful" behaviour.

However, Granby is also obviously the best qualified of the candidates available for Temeraire's first officer. Laurence is torn, as he wants the best for Temeraire but knows that he will not be able to tolerate Granby's insolence as his first lieutenant. This conflict is resolved when, during a training exercise, Temeraire and Maximus are called on to fly to Aberdeen to assist Victoriatus, who has been wounded and needs the support of the two heavy-weights to reach Loch Laggan.

Temeraire, being a faster flyer than Maximus, reaches Victoriatus first. While he is positioning himself beneath the wounded dragon, Victoriatus unintentionally claws him, giving him some gashes but also almost severing the shoulder strap of his harness. Granby and the other officers are bandaging the gashes when Laurence notices the harness about to give and, unlocking his own carabiners, climbed out along Temeraire's shoulder to effect a temporary repair using his lookouts' personal harnesses. He had just completed this task and alerted Granby to send for Fellowes, the harness master, when Victoriatus shifts position, throwing Temeraire off balance and in particular, causing his shoulder to dip so that Laurence begins to slide off. Temeraire is faced with a choice between saving Laurence and saving Victoriatus and the other dragon's crew - which for Temeraire, is no choice at all. He would certainly have let the other dragon fall in order to save his captain.

Granby - who unlike Laurence is clipped to the main harness - is able to reach Laurence in time for the captain to lock on to Granby's harness until the midwingmen could reach them and pull them to safety.

After Temeraire and Maximus successfully bring Victoriatus back to Loch Laggan, Laurence is initially reluctant to leave his wounded dragon. Even though the gashes are shallow, it was the first time Temeraire had been physically hurt, and Laurence takes it quite hard. Granby, after delivering a preliminary report to Celeritas, collects some of the other officers, brings them out to Temeraire's clearing and quietly points out to Laurence that he is covered in dragon's blood and needs to bathe, eat something hot and sleep in a bed.

It is on the basis of this incident that Laurence sets his reservations aside and offers Granby the post of first lieutenant. Granby apologized for his past behavior, at first stiffly - as if he were trying to copy Laurence's manner of speech - and then more naturally and frankly. After this, all hostilities between the two are set aside, and a genuine loyalty and friendship arose.

### 1805 - 1806

from *Throne of Jade*

While Temeraire and Laurence are separated due to the demands of the Chinese embassy, Prince Yongxing Granby is offered the position of Excidium's first lieutenant, due to the previous first lieutenant, Lloyd getting his chance to Captain a dragon. He turns it down expecting to be able to remain with Temeraire, thought not certain.

When Lord Barham attempts to arrest Laurence at the Dover covert, Granby leads the other officers in forming a defensive line between Temeraire and Laurence on one side and Barham and his Marines on the other, an action that is tantamount to mutiny. After Yongxing demands that Laurence be sent to China if this was the only way to get Temeraire there, Admiral Admiral Lenton arranges for Temeraire's crew - including Granby - to be sent as well in order to spare them the results of their action.

Granby is seriously wounded during the Valérie Engagement, taking a musket ball in the chest. The ball cracks against a rib and then goes straight out through his back, but he loses a great deal of blood, becomes feverish and is out of commission for some time. Granby's injuries leave the less experienced Ferris in charge of the officers and leads indirectly to the incident where Blythe is flogged.

### 1806

from *Black Powder War*

Laurence proposed that *he* should lead the party to secure the three eggs. Granby insists that he would not allow Laurence to endanger himself in this way. Temeraire, at least as protective and stubborn as either Laurence or Granby, then decides that if the mission were *that* dangerous, then *none* of his crew should go, including Tharkay.

The largest of the three eggs, a Kazilik egg, proved to be only 6-8 weeks away from hatching. Temeraire and his crew are able to escape to Austria with the eggs, but they are unable to get safe passage across Prussia and instead are more or less drafted to fight with the Prussian forces against the French. Thus, they are still in Prussia when the Kazilik hatched, and Granby as first officer is given the opportunity to harness the hatchling and become her captain.

It was only thanks to Temeraire's speed and agility that Granby survives to have this opportunity. During the Battle of Jena-Auerstadt, Granby unclips his carabiners to attack a pair of French borders who had dropped onto Temeraire's shoulders to take Laurence prisoner and force Temeraire to surrender. The French officers throw Granby off in mid-air, Temeraire dives straight downwards and grabs Granby before corkscrewing up out of the dive at the last possible moment, his tail smashing a young oak tree to bits as he does.

#### Iskierka

The Kazilik hatchling proves a handful from the very start, when she announces her own name - Iskierka, "little spark" - instead of waiting for Granby to give her one. However, Granby's affection for her is immediate and deep. Unfortunately, the circumstances of her first few weeks are dangerous. Instead of sitting in a quiet covert, learning the Corps' signal flags and watching the older dragons, Iskierka is constantly being loaded on to Temeraire to flee yet another pursuit by French dragons. Granby spends most of his time trying to keep her quiet, fed and out of fights with much larger dragons.

### 1806 - 1807

from *Empire of Ivory*

When the party finally reaches Britain in late December 1806, they discover that the dragons of the Aerial Corps have been stricken by the Dragon Plague.  Jane Roland, who has been promoted to admiral following Observaria's death and Lenton's stroke, formally confirms Granby's promotion to captain, with Laurence pinning the captain's bars on Granby's shoulders. Admiral Roland also manages to make an impression on Iskierka, who is becoming increasingly unmanageable, by suggesting that Granby would grow tired of waiting for a dragon who could not be allowed to fight because she will not follow orders, and that Granby might like to return to Temeraire. This suggestion pleases Temeraire, who is still in something of a snit over losing his first officer to the younger dragon. Although somewhat embarrassed by Iskierka's willfulness, he is also proud of her fire-breathing abilities and deeply attached to her.

Roland's suggestion makes Iskierka temporarily more cooperative, but this doesn't last. When Temeraire and the other dragons of Lily'sformation are sent to Cape Town to find a cure for the dragon plague, Iskierka is assigned to patrol duties at a far younger age than she normally would have been. Instead of more experienced dragons whose discipline might have served as an example, she is accompanied by Arkady and his band of ferals. Having learned from Temeraire that by taking French ships as prizes she might acquire capital with which to buy jewels and have a pavilion built for herself, she conspires with the ferals to turn patrols into prize raids.

### 1807 - 1808

from *Victory of Eagles*

By the time Napoleon invades Britain in December 1807, Iskierka's total absence of discipline is beginning to become a liability. Her refusal to follow orders endangeres the other British dragons in military actions. Granby is beginning to think of himself as "a bad officer, someone who ruins his dragon... kept on because his beast won't serve otherwise." He is also beginning to drink more heavily.

Iskierka's total disregard for orders puts Granby's life in danger. When the British are forced to retreat northward, Iskierka takes Granby and a few of the ferals and fly back south towards London - which has been occupied by the French - in hope of prizes. Instead, they are attacked by the French, Iskierka is boarded and Granby taken prisoner. He and Iskierka are taken to London, to Kensington Palace. They are rescued by Laurence and Tharkay. Iskierka ias angry at the French for having hurt "her Granby", but she doesn't understand how her own disobedience had created the situation.

Still, a fire-breather is never completely useless in battle, and General Wellesley's threat to separate Granby and Iskierka scares her temporarily into a semblance of discipline. Granby and Iskierka are among the officers and dragons led by Laurence on guerrilla raids at Wellesley's orders. Such raids are completely against what is considered "honorable" warfare at the time, and Granby protested as much to Laurence, without effect, as Laurence's hands are tied.

#### Capture of French Prizes

Iskierka is determined to acquire capital with which she could buy jewels and have a pavilion built, better than Temeraire's. On being informed that she could do this by capturing ships, she presents Granby with a fishing boat from Dover Harbor. It is explained to her that the ships needed to be *French* ships.

During 1807, while Temeraire and Lily's formation are in Africa, Iskierka and Arkady's ferals became quite practiced at capturing French ships as prizes. This is possible due largely to the fact that none of the dragons involved cares anything about following orders. They think nothing of breaking off the patrols they are suppose to be conducting to go after new prizes, and Granby can't stop them.

By the time Lily's formation returned from Africa, Iskierka had had a large stone pavilion built for herself. She had also invested some of her wealth in jewels for Granby to wear, such as golden buttons on his coat, golden rings and a gilded sword with a diamond at the pommel. He is embarrassed by this and aware that he looks somewhat ridiculous, but if he refused to wear Iskierka's gifts, she sulkes and makes such a fuss that he gives in.

### 1809

from *Tongues of Serpents*

After Napoleon's forces are expelled from Britain at the Battle of Shoeburyness in March 1808, the government exiles Temeraire and Laurence to Australia. They leave London aboard the HMS Allegiance. Iskierka has announced several months earlier that she wants Temeraire to give her an egg, expecting that such an egg would produce a fire-breathing hatchling who would also possess the Divine Wind. She waits until the Allegiance is just barely within flying distance, then kidnaps Granby and flies after the ship, knowing that by the time she is recovered from the flight, they will be too far out for her to fly back.

The Allegiance is due to stop at Gibraltar, and Laurence suggests that Granby and Iskierka can go ashore there, but Granby had no hope of being able to persuade her to do so and takes refuge in a bottle of rum.

### 1807 - 1808

from *Victory of Eagles*

When Laurence met Granby again in December 1807 - after Jane Roland sends Tharkay to get him out of prison in Dover and bring him to the British headquarters - Granby is wearing his fourth-best coat because the first three that Iskierka have bought him are so heavily encrusted with jewels and embroidery as to be completely useless for any sort of practical wear.

When Iskierka disobeys orders and goes after more prizes after the French occupation of England, they are captured and Granby taken away to be held prisoner against Iskierka's good behavior.

### 1809

from *Tongues of Serpents*

Laurence and Temeraire travel to Australia, to serve their sentence. Iskierka, who wishes to have an egg of Temeraire, kidnaps Granby and follows flies to the ship, making sure to reach it a point when she would not be able to fly back and it would be too inconvenient to change course. In Australia, granby becomes the defacto aviator leader, since Laurence has been expelled from the Corps and the only other captain, Rankin, is currently dragon-less and has lost years of seniority.

Granby wasn't present when the deformed Kulingile was hatched, so he couln't mediate in the discussion between Laurence -who wanted to show mercy to the dragonet- and Rankin -who wanted to kill him quickly-. To Laurence's shock, Granby also thought that deformed dragonets should be put down, but by then Kulingile had been harnessed by Demane. Granby and Iskierka joined the search party for the stolen egg a bit later, but they saw it to the end, on the other side of the continent.

### 1810

from *Crucible of Gold*

As Temeraire and Laurence are ready to leave Australia, Iskierka along with Grandby, decides to go with them so she can continue to pursue Temeraire to give her an egg. Granby's left arm is injured (possibly dislocated) during a storm, when Laurence saves Granby from falling overboard. Granby barely receives medical attention, since soon after the storm passed the *Allegiance* sunk.

The survivors, composed by aviators and sailors, were rescued by a French ship and later marooned in an island on the Pacific. There, Granby as well as Laurence and Demane were attacked by the sailors in order to take control of the dragons. The attack was unsuccessful, although Granby's arm injury may have been aggravated during the fight.

From the islands, the dragons were able to fly to the continent and the Incan empire. Travelling North, Iskierka took an interest to the gold and wealth exhibited, deciding she should like some. At the Ican's court, Iskierka negotiated a deal: she would breed with an Incan dragon, thus entering her fire-breathing abilities into their species, and Granby would marry the Incan empress. Granby was not consulted on this and was less than enthused by the prospect. Pressured both by Iskierka and Hammond, Granby confided in Laurence that beyond the coldness of a political marriage the main obstacle was his homosexuality. Iskierka intimates that he and Captain Augustine Little are in a sexual relationship.

In any case, the marriage negotiations fell though once another suitor entered the contest: Napoleon himself.

Through several unfortunate accidents while escaping the Incans, Granby injured one of his arms repeatedly and was not near any doctors that could fix it right away, resulting in it needing to be amputated. Iskierka decides that he needs a jewel encrusted gold hoot to replace his arm so she makes arrangements to gather the money she needs to have one made. When presented to Granby, he finally puts his foot down about her excess.

### 1811

from *Blood of Tyrants*

Granby offers what little comfort he can to Temeraire when Laurence is lost to the sea. Later, when Laurence is found although with most of his memories missing, he shocks Laurence with his informal attitude. He travels with him to Pekin and later to Xian where they are to put out a supposed revolt.

One the British had assured once more China's friendship, Granby leaves with Harcourt's formation to the war in Spain.

### 1812 - 1813

from *League of Dragons*

Granby fights in the Spanish war, earning some commendations from Wellington because of her good behaviour. However, this only last until Iskierka hears that her egg has been stolen. Then, she takes Granby and flies to France, meeting with Laurence and Tharkay.

Soon after, humans and dragons are captured by the French army. They are eventually moved to Paris, where Granby meets again with his bride-to-be, the Ican empress now married to Napoleon. Granby does not look forward to any more meetings, but he is luckily saved from dining with the Empress when Iskierka and Temeraire execute a break-away in which part of the royal palace is burned. Granby, together with Laurence and Tharkay, helped bring Napoleon's infant son to safety before they escaped.

Having gone to Britain, they are next sent to the Prussian front. There, Granby is eventually promoted to Acting Admiral when Laurence (then current Aerial Admiral) is given (to his shock) the command of all allied forces before the last battle.

## References

1. ↑ Novik, Naomi. Throne of Jade: A Novel of Temeraire (pp. 33-34). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
2. ↑  Novik, Naomi. Crucible of Gold: A Novel of Temeraire (pp. 281-282). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.