The aviators' harnesses normally worn by his human passengers were currently in use, but there were plenty of loops and buckles on Temeraire's harness to provide sufficient handholds. Temeraire, for his part, focused on making a controlled descent, keeping his wings spread wide as he slowly deflated his internal air-sacs.

They moved in a careful half-circle away from the barrier, dropping quickly but steadily. The breezes around the palace were strange--a side effect of the barrier being in the way, perhaps?--and Temeraire found himself having to compensate for their erratic patterns more than once. Still, descending was easier than ascending, and he landed in short order.

"Well," he said, once he had got his breath back, "at least we know the barrier's perimeter for certain."