`` yes , sir ; i believe captain riley of the allegiance sent in his report , last year , '' laurence said uneasily ; that report had rather understated the incident , and while he was proud of temeraire 's ability , it was not the sort of thing he thought civilian guests would find reassuring ; still less so should any of them learn that the french , too , now had their own celestial , and that the same dreadful power might be turned against their own shipping .