Tharkay

Character Profile

Name:	Tharkay
Date of Birth:
Service:
Rank:
Nationality:	British/Tibetan or Nepalese
Billets:

Biography

Tharkay was the son of a British gentleman, a man of property and possibly a senior officer, and a Tibetan or Nepalese woman. His father may have come from the border region of Scotland, as Tharkay showed some familiarity with an estate there for purposes of requisitioning cattle to feed the Aerial Corps' dragons during Napoleon's occupation of Britain (December 1807-March 1808).

Tharkay's father took some pains with his son's education, and Tharkay spoke English with an upperclass accent, but Tharkay was not accepted as a British gentleman by others. At some point in his life he was embroiled in a lawsuit in Scotland and became "tolerably familiar" with the Court of Session in Edinburgh, Scotland's highest civil court. He once told Temeraire, rather sardonically, that lawyers were translators one hires to "say things properly."

Tharkay's lawsuit apparently failed, and he went on to spend "the better part of his life in the wild places of the earth" as an experienced and highly competent traveller. In appearance he possessed a lean and angular face with somewhat Oriental features. His eyes were dark and slanting, but more Western in shape than Chinese, and although his skin was "much like polished teak wood" in colour, this was mainly due to sun and weather. He had something of a fondness for taming birds of prey. When Laurence first met him in the summer of 1806, he had an eagle as a companion, although she was later killed in an avalanche in the Pamirs inadvertently caused by Temeraire. Later on, during Napoleon's occupation, he acquired a kestrel.

At one point in his life Tharkay formed a romantic attachment to Sara Maden, the daughter of Istanbul banker Avraam Maden. He may have proposed marriage, as when she decided to marry another, whether by her own wishes or out of respect for her parents' wishes, he told her he would not "ask again."

Laurence first met Tharkay in Macao in the summer of 1806, when Tharkay appeared at the offices of the East India Company to deliver orders sent by Admiral Lenton from the Dover covert. The orders directed Laurence and Temeraire to proceed without delay to Istanbul, there to "receive by the Offices of Avraam Maden" three dragon eggs which the British government had purchased from Selim III. Unfortunately, the dragon transport HMS Allegiance had just been severly damaged in a fire and would require at least two months of repairs. Against the advice of Captain Riley and Staunton, Laurence, Granby and Temeraire decided to make the journey to Istanbul overland, hiring Tharkey as their guide. The latter was initially reluctant to accept the commission, saying that he "had not thought of returning to Istanbul" and had "no real business there." However, he eventually agreed.

Tharkay first appeared in China to deliver William Laurence a letter from Admiral Lenton. The task imparted in the letter, to retrieve three dragon eggs from the Ottoman Empire, was of such importance that Laurence persuaded Tharkay to be their escort, so they could take the dangerous overland route rather than the longer seagoing route.

Tharkay's constant companion was his eagle, which perched on his arm. He was noted to have several scars on his hands and arms, caused by the eagle's pecking him. However, the eagle was killed in the avalanche caused by Temeraire's first encounter with the feral dragons.

Laurence and the crew were initially distrustful of Tharkay because of Tharkay's disrespect for authority and his secretive ways. However, in Istanbul Tharkay risked his life to help the crew's mission, and he finally admitted to Laurence that his manner was intentional. Since he was of mixed heritage, no one accepted him. He told Laurence he would rather provoke freely expressed suspicion than endure slights behind his back. They parted on amicable terms when Temeraire reached Prussia (at which point the Prussians had been expecting 20 dragons from Britain and were disappointed Temeraire was alone).

At that point, he no longer appeared to have any ties holding him from leaving his old life, although he had apparently had some sort of relationship with Sara Maden (the daughter of Avraam Maden, a banker in Istanbul who had seen the money the British paid for the eggs). He had been visibly upset when her father announced she was soon to be married.

Tharkay then returned to the feral dragons and somehow persuaded many of them to accompany him to "rescue" Temeraire. He and the dragons finally caught up with Temeraire during the Siege of Danzig, where they were able to evacuate the city and foil Lung Tien Lien. Tharkay then accompanied Temeraire's crew back to Britain, with the feral dragons and Iskierka.

Laurence wished Tharkay to stay on in Britain and serve as translator for the feral dragons, now needed to patrol the coasts. But Tharkay was unhappy in Britain and Jane Roland sent him back to the Ottoman Empire to try to find more feral dragons and see if he could convince them to join the Aerial Corps as well. When he came back from the Pamirs he was temporarily commissioned as a captain in the Aerial Corps. After Napoleon's invasion has ended, he decided to sail with Laurence and Temeraire to Australia.