The next few days had been hectic. Volger had been looking for an excuse to send Alek to Central America quietly. He didn't want the Austro-Hungarians to find out and start a revolution, after all. It was only a few days after Volger and Alek's discussion that a letter with suspiciously good timing arrived.
Volger took it to Alek's room and knocked softly.
"Come in," Alek said.
The Count opened his door and found Alek sitting on his bed with Bovril, the creature in his lap, looking at the locket that had once belonged to Alek's father. Inside was a photograph of his mother, beautiful and young. Sitting on the bed the way he was, Alek resembled his mother more than usual. Soft and pensive he looked, just like she had been.
"Your Highness," Volger said. "I believe a way for you to go Central America has presented itself. "
Alek jumped up, accidentally sending Bovril to the floor. He had been letting the perspicacious loris babble to him about the past few days, hoping its perspicaciousness would help him figure things out. The creature let out a dramatic, exaggerated scream, which he may have found amusing if he wasn't in such a rush.
"Yes? How?"
"The United Darwinist Society of Russia and Mexico have sent you an invitation to come visit their facilities," Volger read. "I believe they are currently looking for more sponsors, but they're located in Tikal."
Alek froze. The United Darwinist Society of Russia and Mexico? This couldn't be where Deryn was; he thought they referred to themselves as Dextera Domini, after all. He explained this to the Count.
Volger looked thoughtful. "That is a rather uncommon name. Sure to scare off the dignities. Your Highness, with a name meaning 'the Right Hand of God', I wouldn't use it in front of anyone but members. Perhaps they refer to themselves as the United Darwinist Society of Russia and Mexico to appeal to the other countries. It is a much more peaceful name, after all."
This made sense. It was a strange name, and was sure to scare off dignitaries from sponsoring them. So perhaps they did use a different name in all their public relations.
Volger continued reading aloud, "The airship, called the Gondolin, leaves from Sicily in three days. It takes you over America and to Guatemala, where it stops for two days before flying to Africa-"
Alek interrupted, "Africa?" Jaspert hadn't mentioned that.
Volger nodded. "Apparently they have been working in Tikal, but their base of operations is in the Belgian Congo."
Alek was surprised. Belgian Congo was a dark place, with its thick rain forests and bloody civil wars. The Congo River flowed through it, deep and full of dangerous creatures. Alek had heard rumors that the local boffins used it as a dumping ground for their failed fabrications.
"Anyways, you will leave for Caltanissetta tomorrow, to the estate of a man named Aurelio. He owns the Gondolin and must be funding this trip. That is, if you still wish to go, Your Highness."
Alek thought for a moment, but he didn't even think of changing his mind. "Yes, I'll be there."
"Good," said the Count. "Aleksandar, seeing as the current state your empire, I think it would be wise if I stayed here."
Alek wasn't expecting that. It seemed like everywhere he went for more than a few days, the Count would go, too. But still, it would be a good idea to have him stay behind and handle the state affairs; if ever there was a man Alek trusted his entire kingdom to, it was Volger.
"Yes, Count, that would be helpful. Thank you," he said slowly.
Volger nodded. "Take Bauer and Klopp with you, and Hoffman and I may be able to join you and Deryn in the second half in Africa. We will try, but I can't promise anything."
And Deryn?
Alek agreed. "Yes, I'd like them to join me if they could."
"Good. Then I shall tell them to get packing, and I suggest you do the same," he replied and left the room.
"Volger," called Alek. "How are you so sure she's there?" he asked with a touch of anxiety in his voice.
"Your Highness, you may want to take another look at the letter," and with that, he was off.
Alek raised an eyebrow and lifted the letter the Count had left on his nightstand. Bovril climbed up his arm and perched on his shoulder. Alek examined the letter front and back, but found nothing unusual. He flipped it over and read it twice through, and still nothing. Then he flipped it over to the back, and saw something at the bottom etched into the paper, as if someone had pressed hard on the pencil while writing and then erased it. He took the paper to his desk and set it down. This was a trick Deryn had showed him that she had used whenever she needed to write to Jaspert something that would reveal her gender from the Leviathan. He took a pencil and held it at an angle, gently rubbing it over the etched marks. Words appeared there. He couldn't make it out at first, but as he continued rubbing it with the pencil, he saw: Tagann tú mé. What did that mean? It looked familiar, but Alek couldn't quite place it. Bovril, reading over his shoulder, pronounced it in a way that sounded correct, but it still didn't ring any bells. What did the Count mean?
Still sleepy, Alek went back to his bed to lie down. Bovril kept repeating the phrase, sounding Scottish when it did so. Almost like.. Deryn? She had taught him quite a bit of Gaelic years ago, which Alek picked up well, but with no one to speak it to, he had forgotten much of it. He closed his eyes and tried to remember. Méwas obviously me; he knew that much. He couldn't sleep, not with Bovril pacing on his stomach, repeating the phrase over and over.
"Come find me," the creature said in a very distinct and familiar Scottish voice.
Alek's eyes shot open. That was it. Deryn Sharp was definitely in Tikal, and she needed Alek to find her.