Deryn sat in her cabin, hunched over her desk. Her charcoal scratched across the paper, trying to recreate every detail of Alek's face, a face that she saw every day, smiling and laughing, sometimes sulking, but always there and always taunting her with the fact that they could never be together. Even in the dim light of the Leviathan's glow worms anyone could see that it was a masterful work of art, probably one of the best that Deryn had ever drawn, but to Deryn there was something wrong about it, there always was, and she knew that she'd never really grasp Alek's essence in her art.

Deryn shook her head, opening the top drawer of her desk and stowing the sketch inside, along with the hundreds of other drawings that she did not approve of. She leaned back in her chair, sighing deeply.

Sometime later she heard the scuttling of tiny feet coming towards her and she opened one eye – even though she didn't quite recall closing either of them – to see a message lizard climbing down the wall and on to the desk in front of her.

"Mr. Sharp, please meet me in my quarters as soon as possible, there is something a need to discuss with you." said the beastie in Dr. Barlow's voice.

Deryn hesitated, because the beastie looked as though it had something more to say.

"Well, get to it!" snapped the lady boffin's voice again, before the beastie scampered away up the wall. "Barking boffins, always so demanding!" muttered Deryn as she pushed out her chair and headed for the part of the ship where Dr. Barlow's quarters were located.

Deryn arrived in front of Dr. Barlow's cabin and knocked lightly on the fabricated wood of the door. When no answer came she expected that it was fine to enter, so she pushed on the door and it swung in easily.

Dr. Barlow was nowhere to be seen and Deryn thought for a second that it might be best for her to leave… but the lady boffin had quite adamantly requested her presence, after all.

So, deciding that a little lost time was better than a very angry boffin, Deryn seated herself on one of the plush chairs at the center of Dr. Barlow's cabin. In front of the chair was a small, low to the ground table with a book and a pen placed on it. The book was open to a page marked with that day's date written in Dr. Barlow's scrawling hand. Deryn knew that it wasn't polite to read the journal's of others, but she just couldn't keep her eyes off the paper… one tiny peek wouldn't hurt anyone… right?

Dear diary,

Strange things have been occurring on our beloved airship, of late. We are still, of course, headed for Japan, and nothing has threatened to deter our plans, but I can't help feel that something is afoot.

Wildcount Volger has been acting exceedingly strange; very kind and gentlemanly, and most of his affections are seemingly directed towards me. Perhaps he has realized that I have taken a liking to him and he plans to use my feelings of love for him as a weapon against the Darwinists. I certainly hope not, though, for, if he wasn't such a complete and utter ninny, he is very charming.

Well, I must be off now,

Nora

Deryn gasped, Dr. Barlow in love with Volger? What a preposterous idea! And positively revolting too. But Deryn had noticed that Volger was being very chivalrous to the lady boffin, and it wasn't staged, that much she could tell, but could it truly be that he loved Dr. Barlow in return?

Suddenly, from outside of the cabin, Deryn heard the sound of the lady boffin's boots clicking against the floor and jolted back in to her seat, feeling very guilty.

"Dylan? Whatever are you doing here?" asked Dr. Barlow as she strided smoothly in to the room.

"You called for me, ma'am." replied Deryn, confused and still feeling guilty for reading probably the most revealing page in Dr. Barlow's entire diary.

"Oh, yes, sorry about that. I tried to tell the message lizard to cancel my request, but I guess he sent for you none-the-less," shrugged the lady boffin. "Well, I have no need for you now, and I must hurry, I have a special meeting to attend."

Deryn didn't like the way that Dr. Barlow said 'special', it came out much too happy, much too girly, considering Dr. Barlow usually hating all manner of meetings. Deryn knew something was up – something that might involve Volger – and she knew that she had to find out what it was, and if it would let her find out Volger deepest, darkest secret to use against him if need be, then all the better to her.

"Alright, well, I'll be on my way then." said Deryn rising from her seat.

Deryn walked out of the boffin's cabin and in to the dimly lit hallway, and headed towards Count Volger's room.