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"Should we kill hiave her a curious look; clearly he hadn’t understood her Gerht you be, miss?"

Lilit’s eyes narrowed, and Alek hurriedly spoke up "I’m afraid that’s none of your business, Mr Malone We won’t be answering any of your questions"

The man held up his notebook "So I’ll have to publish my story with so many questions left unanswered? And so soon? Sayto us, Mr Malone?"

"Of course not I just don’t like loose ends"

Alek shook his head and sighed "Write what you want The Ger," Malone said, his pen scribbling on the pad "See? You’re adding background already! But what’s really interesting is young Dylan being with you The Ottomans will be surprised to hear that one of the Leviathan’s saboteurs escaped!"

From the corner of his eye, Alek saw Dylan’s fists clench

But Malone had turned his gaze on Lilit "And then there’s the ht raise a few eyebrows as well"

"My knife is ready," Lilit said softly in German "Just say the word"

"Mr Malone," Alek said, "perhaps we can convince you to delay publishing your story"

"How long do you need?" theMalone a date only revealedsomehow If the Otto with revolutionaries here in Istanbul, they ether Dr Barlow’s plan

Alek looked to Dylan for help

"Don’t you see, Mr Malone?" the boy said "If you give us all away, then the story’s over But if you just wait a wee bit, it’ll get heapshis fingers on the table "Well, I suppose you’ve got a little while I file er tern That’s four days to cross the Atlantic And because I use birds, the Germans’ can’t listen in on their fancy neireless tower"

"Four days is hardly - ," Alek began, but Dylan grabbed his arm

"Excuse me, Mr Malone," the boy said "What wireless tower are you talking about?"

"The big one they’re just finishing" Malone gave a shrug "It’s meant to be a secret, but half the Ger on it Has its oer station, they say"

Dylan’s eyes greider "Is this tower so a railroad line?"

"I’ve heard it’s somewhere on the cliffs, where the old tracks follow the water" Malone narrowed his eyes "What’s so interesting about that?"

"Barking spiders," Dylan said softly "I should have realized the first night I was here"

Alek stared at the boy, reht he’d arrived Dylan had secretly ridden a short way on the Orient-Express, which the Gerle parts out of the cityelectrikal parts

The pieces finally fell into place

"With its oer station?" Alek asked

Eddie Malone nodded, his eyes flicking between the two of the down his spine No mere wireless toould need that ht into disaster

"Can you give us a month?" he asked Malone

"A whole month?" The reporter let out a snort "My editors would haveto write about"

Dylan sat up straighter "All right, then, I’ve got a story for you And the sooner you publish it, the better That wireless tower - "

"Wait!" Alek said "I have so prince of Hohenberg? I’ll tell you about the night I left my home, how I escaped Austria and made it to the Alps Who I think killed h, Mr Malone?"

Thefuriously Dylan was staring at Alek, wide eyed

"But there’s one condition: You can’t mention either ofin the hills soed "Whatever you want, as long as I can take soraphs too"

Alek shuddered - of course Malone’s newspaper was the sort that published photographs How perfectly vulgar

But he could only nod

"Mr Malone," Dylan said, "there’s still one other thing - "

"Not tonight," Alek said "I’m afraid we’re all quite tired, Mr Malone I’m sure you understand"

"You’re not the only ones" The reporter stood up, stretching his arht Meet athered his things and left, not even offering to pay for his coffee

"This is all one "I saw hinized him on my way up"

Alek shook his head "No I was the one foolish enough to involve a reporter in my affairs"

"No matter whose fault it is," Dylan said, "we should have told hi at Lilit

She waved a hand dismissively "The Co the Gerht be Until Alek ca"

"I did?" Alek asked, then remembered his first day at the warehouse Nene hadn’t believed a word he’d saiduntil he’d mentioned the Tesla cannon Then suddenly she’d beco him with questions - what it was called, hoorked, and whether it could be used against walkers "But I thought ere talking about the Goeben Why didn’t you tell me the sultan had another Tesla cannon?"

"It hardly mattered - you said it couldn’t affect our walkers" She frowned, looking at Dylan "But it can shoot down airships, can’t it?"

The boy cleared his throat, but only shrugged