Chapter 7

The crate finally popped open with a loud crack and few nails hit the ground with a light 'ting'. Alek dove headfirst into the contents, most of which was hay to keep whatever else was inside safe. After a moment with head buried in the box like an Ostridge with its head in the ground, the boy resurfaced with whatever it was he found in his grasp. It was a large ring of cast-iron with copper wire wrapped tightly around it in four sections. A capacitor sure enough, Alek thought. He looked back into the crate and discovered three more just like it. Odd, he thought. These contraptions look vaguely familiar.

"Where have I seen these before?" Alek asked loudly to the people behind him who were tending to the other crates.

Dr. Barlow was the first to respond with, "Those are Mr. Tesla's creations." Alek whirled around at her astonished. She simply continued observing the other crates while she spoke. "I had my associates in New York search for any parts that Mr. Bauer requested at the Goliath wreckage site," she said calmly. "They've all been altered to fit the beast of course."

Alek looked back at the iron ring in his hands. He was not sure how he felt about bringing back technology from that part of his life. It felt a bit like grave robbing. He decided to get past it and keep digging through the crate. As he pulled up a long metal rod with a ball at one end, Deryn came up behind him with Bovril on her shoulder.

"You're gonna have to impress us, your princelyness. Most people here speak German well enough, but you're the only one who speaks actual Clanker. What the devil is a Krapfen?" Deryn asked. She had a stack of instructions in her hands and was peering through them, completely lost.

"A donut," Alek pointed out. "Bauer says he spilled jelly on the side of the page. Real Clanker stuff, you wouldn't understand."

"Get stuffed you ninny." She handed the pages to Alek who eyed them curiously. These designs were well thought out and precise. The measurements of the beast's back, legs, shoulders and head were all given over a sketch of the creature. Bauer and Hoffman must have been at this for months now.

Alek hoped that they were doing alright in the U.S. and that they weren't getting in trouble with their new jobs. These machines took time to build properly. "Will it fit?" Deryn asked. Alek took the iron ring in one hand and slid it over a metal casing he picked up out of the crate next to him. The pieces joined together with a satisfying click and Alek smiled.

"I think they have out-done themselves this time," Alek said, eying the new contraption. The ring fit on top of the casing perfectly, creating a bowl-shape. He then took the rod and placed the ball-end inside the bowl contraption. "See? It's a joint. As the beast moves around, the movements of this joint power the capacitor to act as fuel for the antenna. There is also an electric furnace, incase we need to endure extreme cold."

"That is part of the plan. We are headed for the Alps, after all. But what good is a heater going to do on the back of a saddle?" Deryn asked. A giggle came from her shoulder and the Loris muttered, "contraption. Out-done themselves," before chuckling again.

"The whole saddle is sheltered under an aluminum roof. The inside is big enough for about four people, or the two of us and supplies. The casing around us will provide insulation from the cold. It's light, but strong enough to protect us from any light-arms fire. Though it'll be less than helpful against artillery." Alek gestured to another crate with a large metal plate on the inside.

"Wouldn't want to make things too barking easy now would we?" Deryn said as she rolled her eyes. Alek had to agree that being stuck in an aluminum can strapped to the back of a thundering tiger-wolf did not sound as smooth as silk, or anything close to comfortable. But she was a soldier so she would handle herself, so he would do his best as well. Alek remembered his time crossing tundra in the Stormwalker, which was certainly less than comfortable as well.

Alek fished through another crate and found a thin iron rod with a leather handle on one side. There was a completely identical one right behind it. He looked back at the designs for a moment, then back at the rod. He had guessed right. Saunters.

Well, he thought, This just became more interesting.

"Dylan, this right here is the most important part to the whole saddle," he said waving it at her.

"Why is that exactly?" She was just humoring him now, he could tell.

"This is what is going to give us control of the beast," he said back. "Look," gestured at the designs, looking at the whole saddle. "The bottom of the saddle is lined with small nodes hidden in leather. If we want the beast to go in one direction, we twist the saunters and the nodes power up on one side of the beast's hide. A series of small electric shocks act like motivators. It will want to head away from the shocks and it will turn in the opposite direction," Alek explained.

Deryn looked up a bit worried. "That sounds like constant torture for the poor animal," Deryn said loudly.

"The shocks might hurt for you and me, but this beast will barely feel it. It's either that or a whip," Alek retorted. He was suddenly feeling excited about the concept now. Before, he was worried he would just be riding the back of the beast like luggage. With these controls however, the experience would not be all that different from piloting a Stormwalker. A very furry Stormwalker. He expected that the journey would be odd for them both, but for different reasons.

Alek saw both Darwins and both Barlows making their way to the two of them. He stood up and Bovril climbed down from Deryn's shoulder onto the nearest crate. "Boffins," he stated loudly enough for them to hear. Dr. Barlow's Loris grunted back, "Research operations." Dr. Nora Barlow spoke first.

"The military intel does not give us much to operate on, sadly. We know that the crash occurred on Monday last, and that no rescue operation has been conducted as of yet. Any large scale search attempt would take longer than 24 hours, which violates the Swiss's Neutrality."

Her husband was the next to speak. "But you boys will be strictly there for scientific purposes, which is why we are not telling the Admiralty of the operation just yet. Along your way, you will report to us using the commutation array and coded messages. We will record every stage of your progress and the details of the beast's performance," he stated.

"That is where we come in handy," Richard stepped in. "Each one of us will be listening to radio communications in shifts around the clock. We need to observe every last bit about your expedition."

"Good science is good observation," Jeremy added.

"Good observation," Bovril repeated.

"It will take anywhere between a week and twelve days to get to the Alps. The saddle design, ingenious sure enough, does not allow the tigeresque to move at full speed. It will be difficult to move quickly, but you need to keep the necessary supplies to feed the beast as you go. The beast will not be able to hunt with the saddle on and removing it will spend too much time, which we are running low on even now," Dr. Nora Barlow finished. Her gaze narrowed to Alek. He knew full well that it was up to him to get the saddle working properly, or else the whole mission was for naught. "How soon will you have the saddle ready to depart?" she asked.

Alek turned and began fixing more parts together before he turned and answered,

"Yesterday."