Disclaimer: not Scott.
Deryn resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him as he left. Still, somehow her annoyance at Alek must have shown through because as she examined the bird, Dr. Barlow asked, light as a daisy, "Something wrong, Mr. Sharp?"
What in blazes? Deryn stared, speechless at the lady-boffin.
Dr. Barlow raised an eyebrow, as if to say, you didn't think I knew? How silly of you. But to Deryn she said, "It's no matter to me, really. I had wondered though."
Blisters, did everyone on the whole barking ship know her secret?
Dr. Barlow seemed to be reading her mind. "I hardly doubt others have guessed. Nor indeed, spend that many hours pondering you. You are, after all, but one midshipman among several other officers aboard the Leviathan who outrank you."
Again, Deryn found herself tongue-tied by Dr. Barlow's ability to both put some of her fears at ease, and to simultaneously annoy her.
Finally Deryn found her voice again. "You aren't going to...?"
"My dear boy, or should I say, girl, I've no more reason to give you away now than I did when you claimed merely to be too young to be in the air service. Though I must say, I wondered. Even then. Besides, if I gave you away I'd be without my cabin boy, and that would be very inconvenient. Now please do help me to put this animal back in its cage," she finished, all business.
"If I'm not that obvious," Deryn ventured, opening the enormous birdcage for the lady-boffin, "then how-?"
"Mr. Sharp," Bovril interrupted with a giggle.
Dr. Barlow gave the loris a small, secretive smile.
"I told you to cut that out," Deryn scolded the loris.
"Deryn. Deryn Sharp," the loris announced sitting upright on its back legs, looking positively pleased with itself.
"Oi! Shut it!" Deryn cried, alarmed. All she needed now was for the stupid beastie to go jabbering that to the rest of the crew. For a moment, she considered tossing it out one of the Leviathan's windows. If Bovril said that in the wrong company she'd be done for.
"Well, it wasn't just the loris's fixation on your name. It was also the loris's fixation on you, Deryn."
"Ma'am?"
"Remember when I asked you about your friendship with our young royal friend?"
"Oh, barking spiders!" Deryn cried. "I may as well write it on my sodding forehead!" She wouldn't have to worry about going on trial for treason or getting kicked off the ship for being a girl or any of it. If one more person said they knew about her feelings she'd die of embarrassment and save everyone the trouble.
Dr. Barlow smiled again, wider this time. It was an amused smile, not unfriendly or unnerving like Volger's had been. Still, Deryn found it grated on her nerves. It was all well and good for everyone else to be grinning like a pack of ninnies, but her predicament was growing steadily more prickly.
"Do relax. It was only obvious to me because the loris is meant to bond with only the first person it sees. After that, with someone with whom their 'parent' is very close with, usually - but not always, someone with whom their parent is romantically involved."
"Blisters," Deryn swore under her breath. "I wanted to fly, not - not this!"
"Of course, I entertained the possibility that a close friendship might be enough for the loris to bond with another," Dr. Barlow went on, seemingly unfazed by Deryn's second outburst. "And I entertained the possibility of homosexual romantic involvement - don't look so surprised, it happens in other species as well. But the loris's attachment to you coupled with a certain phrase-"
"Mr. Sharp!"
"-led me to conclude..."
"Blisters," Deryn swore again, cupping her forehead in her palms.
"Indeed," Dr. Barlow replied, closing the bird's cage.
"Volger's only keeping my secret to blackmail me into helping him," Deryn blurted out.
"Yes, there is that," Dr. Barlow said, as though she'd known this for quite some time as well.
"What am I going to do?" Deryn wailed.
"There's nothing else to do I'm afraid, until the count unveils whatever unsavory plans he has for you. However, rest assured, I do hope to have an out for you, should the time come."
"An out?"
"Well, I suppose you could always tell the captain yourself, and save everyone the trouble. But I daresay that would defeat the purpose of your having lied to get into the air service in the first place."
"Yes."
"I thought so."
Deryn gulped. "So... so you mean, you'll sort of help me? You'll help me out clever the clever-boots count?"
Dr. Barlow's smile was genuine this time, and for a brief moment, she appeared matronly, mothering to Deryn. "Yes. We'll do that. For now though, I do believe you're needed topside for your duties?"
Deryn grinned. "Yes ma'am." She made her way to the door, stopping in the frame to turn around and face the lady boffin again. She clicked her heals and saluted the woman, and for the first time, Deryn felt like she heard her give an authentic laugh, a delighted chuckle.
"Best be on your way, Mr. Sharp."
"Good day ma'am," Deryn said in her best Dylan voice, and strode off. At least she felt she had someone she could trust. It was therefore, with only a slight pang, that she realized the trust she'd valued most, had been Alek's.
Not as substantial a chapter as I would prefer, but some things can't be helped in life. As always, reviews are appreciated, but not mandated. :)