Chapter 4
The doctors were already busy by the time they arrived. "Bugger!" Deryn swore and rushed off to the stable, laying the newspapers down on the table. They weren't late, but Alek guessed she didn't want to seem lazy in front of these particular men. Alek could hear someone say "Sorry lad, we couldn't wait so we got started," followed by, "Come help me with this elephantine dear boy." Alek elected to stay and find Dr. Barlow before coming to help. He was better with people than with the beasts anyway. Oddly enough, Dr. Barlow was exactly the person he ran into.
"Hello sir, good morning," Alek said politely.
"Ah Aleksander of Hohenberg, good to see you." The man stood just under two meters, towering over Alek who still wasn't as tall as Deryn. "I see Dylan has begun tending to the Darwin brothers. Have you been introduced?"
"No sir. I was told she had family over for a visit." Alek felt awkward under Dr. Barlow's shadow.
"They're here on strict professional business, or so they claim. The taller one is Jeremy and the other is Richard. Both of them are brothers of Nora and classmates of mine from back in our earliest scientific schooling."
"I see, and who is the man speaking with Mrs. Barlow now?" Alek pointed toward the far side of the yard where the lady was speaking with another man in a bowler hat who was slightly older than the others.
"Ah, that is Dr. Hammond. Spent most of his days in the Galopagos after Charles Senior died. He was young at the time but at one point he was taught by Charles himself. Now he continues his professor's research in the most remote location in the world where fabrication is outlawed. For all his cunning he seems to lack ambition." Dr. Barlow was slightly spiteful with his last comment.
"Dearest!" Alek heard the lady call over from the stable, beckoning her husband to come. He stepped outside and Alek soon followed. "I was just discussing hybrid parakeets and ospreys with Dr. Hammond when I remembered that avian varieties are your specialty. Could you demonstrate your birds with him please, I must attend to my brothers," Dr. Nora Barlow said to her husband.
"Of course Dr. Hammond. Right this way." The man simply nodded and followed. The two Darwanists walked off towards the stable, leaving Alek and the lady.
"Good morning Aleksander, I trust that your venture across England was un-eventful" Dr. Barlow said while walking in with him.
"I'm glad that was your intention. It was frighteningly repetitive with each person I met. We spoke less of the Zoological Society and more of me," Alek said, shaking his head.
"That was indeed my hope. I wanted to see if the world is over your heroics yet. It seems that even four months after leaving the Leviathan, you are still a subject of vast fascination."
"I was hoping to discuss something more pressing instead, like the war," Alek said walking in the stable hall. The war was drawing closer and closer to an imminent Clanker defeat over the past few months since the American's joined in. But much of France lay in ruins and the fighting bears of Russia were struggling to regain what ground they had lost thus far. This was not the swift end to the bloody war he was hoping for. Any chance to give more advantage to the Darwinists is a chance Alek could have to hasten Germany's defeat. Yet the most people seemed to care about was how daring his adventures in Istanbul and New York were.
"Well, you handled it perfectly, and I wanted to make sure your diplomatic skills were still at their prime." They caught up with Dr. Hammond and Dr. Barlow's husband, who were coming out of the birdcage. The lady was about to say something but was cut off by two loud bowler hats.
"James!" they expressed in unison and began fighting over a hug from the doctor.
"Oh co-" was all the man could say before they attacked him with hugs and shoves. God above, they were like children. Three of the most important biological scientists in the world and they behaved like rowdy school-boys.
"Let off you blithering idiots!" said Dr. Barlow tiding himself up again. They began relentlessly teasing and laughing again, as if provoked.
Deryn caught up at this point and explained the mess to Alek. "Apparently these three were inseparable back in the day."
"I might have guessed," he answered with a nod. "But why are they calling him James? I thought his name was Sir Alan Barlow?"
"It is," She answered, observing the continuing ruckus. "His full name is James Alan Barlow, but he goes by his middle name. Apparantly the Darwin brothers have been calling him James since school just to poke fun at him."
Nora Barlow seemed to have enough of the madness and bellowed, "Jeremy! Richard! Alan! Do behave yourselves please! Goodness, it's not any wonder why we don't have children. Now if you will be so kind, Dr. Hammond would like a word with Prince Aleksander about this beast and I'd like us all to partake." Alek turned to the older man who was chuckling in a low tone at the three parading scientists.
"Alek Von Hohenberg, at your service," Alek said to the older one smartly. "Which one did you have in mind?" Alek asked calmly. The man simply walked without a word and Alek slowly followed. He wore an unwavering smile as he walked, as if the occasion was genuinely anticipated. They walked until they reached the Lupine-Tigeresque's cage. It was still mauling away at its breakfast and didn't seem to notice the men watching.
"Tell me, Master Aleksander, what do people say about the Leviathan these days?" Dr. Hammond asked him. His voice was powerful and low. It rang through Aleks ears as he processed the question.
"Most have been discussing its most recent activities, like the attack in Istanbul, the crash in the Alps, or the suggested bombings in America. Why do you ask sir?" Deep down, Alek feared that this would be another discussion all about him and the Leviathan now.
"People tell me it is the most powerful airship in the service." Oh heavens here it comes. "Do you agree?"
"Well, I would hardly count myself an expert on airships, but when I was on board it seemed like we were only ever successful."
"Yet it is one of the oldest airships in the fleet with the least amount of marginal firepower." Dr. Hammond was not wondering this. He seemed very sure about where to take this conversation. Alek was lost still.
"May I ask what you mean?" Alek asked.
"Hmh," he laughed and turned to face Alek. "The Leviathan managed to somehow outlast two German zeppelins above the waters of Japan under strict rations whilst carrying a crew normally too large for the ship to even consider holding. It then proceeded to cross the Pacific Ocean against some of the worst storms ever weathered by airships. It also set the time record for doing so without even trying." The doctor paused and looked back at the feasting tiger. "I believe that the Leviathan is indeed the most powerful airship in the service, but not because of Dr. Barlow's designs, but rather because of your improvements."
Alek began to form an explanation about how most of that was nearly the death of him and the entire crew each time, but stopped himself to let the doctor continue.
"The airbeast was only a political tool before it crashed. You gave it new life with your powerful Clanker engines. After that, with the speed of a Clanker zeppelin and the flexibility of Darwinism, it became a new breed of creation."
"You're suggesting that the combination of both Darwinist and Clanker tech made the Leviathan stronger?" Alek proposed.
"Stronger in more ways than one. I think that the possibilities of what we could achieve by working together are limitless," he stated. Coming from any other voice that would have sounded clichéd, but Alek took him seriously. "Observe this tigeresque here. You've been working with it for some time now. Can you tell me any differences you observe from the other species here?"
Alek thought a moment. "Well, it does seem to have taken a liking to Dylan."
At this, Nora Barlow stepped in. "This particular beast has got similar brain chemistry to your Loris," she said . "It has the ability to recognize friend from foe. Not simply on an appearance level, but through cognitive threat-assessment. It can perceive the hostility of one person similarly to how human beings do. As a side effect, it develops attachment easily."
Alek turned to Dr. Barlow. "Do you suggest that we give it Clanker qualities as well?"
"I'm not suggesting it, I am already pursuing it," she answered with a sly smile.
"How?" he asked curiously.
"I've asked your old storm-walker crew to help me. They've been commissioned to create a saddle for the beast. This saddle is fastened onto its front and rear legs. As the tigeresque bounds forward, the movements of the harnesses power a capacitor that fuels the instruments in the saddle." Dr. Barlow pointed along the beast's side as she spoke.
"Instruments?" Deryn asked.
"Mounting a communication antenna could give the riders of this beast the power to relay instant information all the way back to the homeland from the far reaches of the continent," she responded.
"And don't forget the optional Tesla charge" Jeremy threw in.
"The what?!" Alek asked.
"Yes well, Master Klopp suggested that in case of emergency, all power stored in the capacitor cell could be released at once in all directions, acting as a electric pulse weapon."
"Wouldn't that hurt the poor beastie?" Deryn asked from behind.
"Not as long as the beast remains grounded and the harness is mounted properly. It is shock-proof Clanker technology developed with this animal in mind," Dr. James Barlow added. The concept seemed both ridiculous, and ingenious at the same time. This tiger could already outrun a storm walker, but giving it a tesla-weapon made it a different kind of useful. The former prince shuddered at the thought of the late madman, who nearly burned the Leviathan and everyone onboard alive.
"So you've planned this whole device with Hoffman and Bauer back in the U.S.?" Deryn asked.
"They sent us parts and designs that show us how to construct it and everything." Richard was acting all proud now.
Dr. Hammond turned back to Alek. "The point, Prince Aleksander, is that the weaknesses of both aspects of the design are ameliorated by the fusion of technology. Do you understand?" Dr. Hammond asked.
"I think I do. But how exactly do you expect the nations to respond to this?" Alek wondered if this was even politically possible with a war still going on.
"Who knows? My guess is that people will only begin to accept it once it has proven to work," Dr. Hammond suggested. The Tigeresque noticed them now and examined the strangers carefully. It began eyeing the bowler hats and moustaches closely. It did not seem threatened but was rather curious. Its eyes opened a bit wider and made its way to Alek who was standing at the center of the cage door. It looked at him closely and nudged its nose in-between the bars of the cage as far as it could, offering him a low chuff. It usually acts like this around Deryn, Alek thought. Why would the beast take a liking to him? Then Alek remembered that he probably smelled like Deryn from sleeping last night. The thought was threatening to make him blush so he turned to the others.
"Why don't we head back inside for some lunch? The Lorises are probably inside chatting up a storm." He suggested.
"Excellent idea. Dylan, please go into the kitchen and take the tea off the stove. Have you gotten the papers as well?" Dr. Barlow asked.
"Yes ma'am," Deryn said as she took off towards the house. Alek followed the rest of them as they walked back. His mind was still reeling a bit. To think that this man actually appreciated Clanker technology. The Leviathan was truly the first of its kind. The airship was a combination of hundreds of species, Deryn told him. Each one held a specific purpose and canceled out the weaknesses of the others. Yet here was one of the forefathers of Darwinism claiming that Clanker technology was the solution to all of its problems. Alek paused once he reached the door to the house. Perhaps he really was turning into a Darwinist.
Alek walked through the back door and stopped. Something was wrong. The newspapers were splayed all over the floor and the front door was wide open. A cool breeze wafted through the door and Alek could hear the tea-kettle wailing in the kitchen. Most importantly, Deryn was nowhere to be found. Alek looked around frantically for a moment. He was about to call out when heard a crinkle of pages underneath his foot. He looked down at the newspaper. The front page was staring at him with dark menacing letters. The headline read,
MINOTAUR SHOT DOWN OVER AUSTRIA
Alek held his breath for a moment and looked out the front door.
"Deryn!" he called out, and ran after her.
A/N: I am well aware that Dr. Barlow and her Husband would have had a daughter at this point. Since they are involved diplomatically in this series, it seemed more reasonable that they would have waited until after the war to have children. Nora Barlow only had one brother in reality, but I felt compelled to give her two to really embellish the characters' attributes. Hope you are enjoying so far. Review and let me know if there are any things I need to fix.