Chapter Forty-Two: Flying Around

Howard, now inhabiting a dragon body, spends the morning with Bridget exploring dragon society on Jabberwocky. They witness a conflict between Alexander sympathizers and locals, learn about an expanding military threat named Alexander who is conquering territory and burning floaters, and investigate one of the floaters by examining its tendrils.

Howard wakes intertwined with Bridget in their pod and they begin their day by consuming tuev, an alcoholic beverage that dragons metabolize safely for energy. They venture down to a kiosk for breakfast and observe a violent confrontation at ground level where Alexander sympathizers attempting to recruit support are physically thrown overboard by hostile locals. Howard learns from a female dragon that Alexander's movement is expanding militarily and drawing closer, with rumors of burned floaters and mass casualties among those trying to escape. Bridget explains that Alexander is simply a power-hungry individual motivated by control itself, comparing him to historical dictators. She notes the ecological significance of floater destruction, as they have low reproduction rates and are essential to dragon settlements. When Howard suggests using a buster weapon against Alexander, Bridget dismisses the idea as ineffective—eliminating him would only replace him with a successor, and eliminating his army would be morally unacceptable. They then take flight and circle a floater, with Bridget investigating its tendrils by climbing down and examining them. She discovers something noteworthy but withholds details, planning to analyze it further.