[Temeraire, for his part, is feeling less intimidated and more annoyed by the moment; the cows are getting further and further away, and he is not getting any less hungry, and bovine rights are rights he has never seriously considered. Nor, for that matter, does he particularly want to.]

Then how do you propose we test whether or not they are talking cows? I for one do not intend to sit around waiting for them to say anything at all.