 During the sea voyage, Temeraire catches a respiratory illness from Volatilus, a slow-minded though sweet-natured Greyling serving in the courier corps who visits the "Allegiance" with dispatches.By use of a posset made using an extremely smelly mushroom, the cooks of the Chinese delegation are able to restore Temeraire to health.This event, though seemingly unimportant at the moment, shapes the next two novels of the series.