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An elevator opened up before the two, the attendant ushering them inside Deryn waved her newspaper, and the attendant nodded, holding the door Alek and the girl were talking intently in Clanker, and hardly noticed when she stepped in beside them

As the door slid closed, Deryn opened the paper, pretending to read

"Nice weather we’re having," she said in English

Alek turned toward her, a baffled expression on his face He opened his mouth, but no sound caotten"

"God’s wounds! It is you! But what are you - "

"It’s a long story," Deryn said, glancing at the girl "And a bit secret, actually"

"Ah, of course - introductions are in order," he said, then glanced at the elevator man "Or will bequite soon"

They rode the rest of the way in silence

Alek led them to a set of double doors that opened onto a vast room, all silk and tassels, with its own balcony and a shiny brass switchboard for calling servants There was no bed in sight, just a pair of French doors half opened to reveal yet another rooirl’s eyes widen, and she felt a squick of relief Apparently this girl had never been here before either

"Almost as fancy as your castle," Deryn said

"And with rather better service There’s someone here you should , Bovril!"

"Guten tag!" came a voice from nowhere, and then a wee beastie waddled from behind the curtains It looked like a cross between a butler e eyes and tiny, clever hands

"Barking spiders," Deryn breathed She’d forgotten all about Dr Barlow’sbeastie "Is that what I think it is?"

"Mr Sharp," the beastie said sarcastically

She blinked "How in blazes does it knowquestion," Alek said "Bovril see But it also heard your voice fro"

"Youus?"

Alek nodded, and Deryn softly swore What of Volger’s threats had the bullfrog repeated?

The strange girl didn’t see of peanuts froan to eat them

Deryn remembered her conversation with Dr Barlow aboard the sultan’s airyacht The lady boffin had been quite vague about the creature’s purpose Deryn still didn’t knohat "perspicacious" meant, and there was all that business about nascent fixation, which had sounded a bit sinister, even if baby ducks did it too

She’d have to keep an eye on this beastie

"You named it Bovril?" she asked Alek

"I nalish "This silly boy kept calling it ’the creature’"

"But you’re not supposed to naet too attached, you can’t use them properly"

"Use them?" Lilit asked "What a horrid way to think of animals"

Deryn rolled her eyes Had Alek taken up with Monkey Luddites now? "Aye, lassie, and you’ve never eaten irl frowned "Well, of course I have But that seems different, somehow"

"Only because you’re used to it And why in blazes did you nairl shrugged "I thought it should have an English na I like"

"It’s Scottish, actually," Derynof names, I’ve been quite rude" Alek bowed a little "Lilit, this is Midshipman Dylan Sharp"

"Midshipman?" she asked "YouAlek a hard look "Though I wasto keep that a secret"

"Secret," Bovril repeated, thennoise

"Don’t worry," Alek said "Lilit and I have no secrets fro that wasn’t true He couldn’t have told this girl who his parents were, could he?

"But where’s Volger?" Alek asked "You must have escaped with him"

"I didn’t escape at all, you ninny I’lanced at Lilit "A secret mission I’ve no idea where his countship is"

"But the bullfrog said you were going to help Volger escape!"

Deryn raised an eyebroondering what else the bullfrog had repeated Of course, Eddie Malone hadn’t understood Volger’s threats, and neither would Alek

"Mr Sharp," the creature said again, still chuckling

She ignored it "I was planning to help hiiven a ed on their own" Deryn held up the newspaper "But I reckon they didn’t have time"

Alek took the paper from her and squinted at the captions "’The Leviathan had been granted leave to stay in the capital for four extra days, but the night before last the brave Ottoman army discovered Darwinist saboteurs in the Dardanelles All were killed or captured In his outrage at this affront, His Excellency the sultan has demanded that the airship leave the capital iht so," Deryn said "Volger was planning on escaping last night, but if the ship was sent away yesterday "

"Then he’s gone," Alek said softly

Deryn nodded, realizing that the Leviathan was gone too