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"It’s fro up the scroll case

It took Dylan a moment, but then he said, "You es the terto you - I’m not just a prince"

"Then you’rean archduke?"

"I’ary and Boheranduncle dies, it may be that I can stop this war"

Dylan’s eyes sloidened "Because you’ll be the barking ee chair with tasseled arms that had been his favorite He fell into it, suddenly exhausted

He’d rather missed this hotel roo here he’d feltin command for the first time in his life, with no tutors or mentors to appease But now he’d joined a coue over every detail

"It’s complicated Franz Joseph has named another successor, but he chose my father first" Alek looked at the crossed keys on the leather case, a sign of papal authority that no faithful Austrian could ignore "This docuoing badly and the people want change My father used to say, ’A country with two kings will always falter’"

"Aye," Dylan said, co closer "And if there’s been a revolution here, then Germany will be completely alone!"

Alek smiled "Not such a Dummkopf after all, are you?"

Dylan perched on one ar dizzy and astonished

"Pardon me, your princeliness, but this is all a bit much First you tell me about her " The boy waved in the direction of Lilit’s room "And now this!"

"I’m sorry I never wanted to lie to you, Dylan But I learned about this letter the sae for e foracross the roo ith a bit of paper, even if it is a fancy scroll Who would believe it’s real??"

Alek nodded He’d felt the saer had shown hie so un to understand what the scroll really ht to that mountaintop, and then here It was up to hi, to end the war that his parents’ death had started

"Volger says the pope hi as I keep this letter secret until hty-four last week He could die any day"

"Blisters No wonder the Gerh It has erous" Alek looked at the scroll case "But that’s e had to co to trade old to make the Coe everything"

Dylan stopped pacing in thewith so me, Alek" The boy looked at the floor "I haven’t always trusted you Not with everything"

Alek pulled hi his hands on the boy’s shoulders "You know you can, Dylan"

"Aye, I suppose And there’s so I should tell you But you have to swear not to tell anyone else - not Lilit, not the Committee No one"

"I’ll always keep your secrets, Dylan"

The boy nodded slowly "This one’s a bit trickier thanout

"It’s about your h, a sound of relief and exhaustion "Aye, I suppose it is We were an advance party, sent to sabotage the kraken nets in the strait It was all part of Dr Barlow’s plan fro"

"But your men were captured"

Dylan shook his head "My ht now those nets are being eaten away by wee beasties And it’s happening so slowly that the Ottomans won’t realize until it’s too late"

"So you British aren’t waiting for the sultan to join the war You’ll strike the first blow"

"Aye, in three weeks Dr Barlow says the nets will be in tatters by then On the night of the next new uide a new beastie down the strait It’s the companion creature for the Osman, the ship that Lord Churchill stole from the Ottoe, like the world has never seen before! Those German ironclads’ days are nuhter The weakest link in the Committee’s plans had always been the German ironclads But with soed considerably

"But this is exactly e need, Dylan We have to tell the Committee!"

"We can’t," the boy said "I trust Zaven and his family, but there are hundreds of others involved What if one of them is a Clanker spy? If the Ger, the Goeben could surprise it anywhere along the ith her Tesla cannon charged!"

"Of course" Alek shuddered a bit, reh his body "But what about Zaven’s plan? He’s leading walkers with spice boainst the ironclads Klopp says it’s insane"

"Aye, completely daft," Dylan said "But don’t tell Zaven that! If they strike on the night of the new et there!"

Alek nodded slowly, thinking it through In an all-out battle for the city, the sultan would send his walkers into the streets, relying on the German warships to protect the palace But if they lay at the bottoht Thousands of lives ht be spared

Of course, an attack in utter darkness wouldthe Coht He’d already explained the principles to Lilit, and she’d picked theive the revolutionaries yet another advantage

"I’ll order Klopp to say he’s changed histhe Goeben ork He ruet the Coht?"

"Have Klopp say that it’s best to attack the ironclads in darkness" Dylan shrugged "Then we’ll point out that September 19 is a new moon, and let them decide on their own"