When they emerged into the college lawn, the airship was indeed looking much better. A hose was connecting the dirigible to a tanker truck. As they approached, Boris came across wiping his hands on a rag.
"She's up and running, Kate," Boris said cheerfully. "Well, running, not up yet. Are we moving on?"
"Yes, Boris," Kate said. "We're heading Valadilene."
"Miss Walker," called a voice. Col. Emeliov came hobbling across the lawn. "I have spoken with Capt. Malatesta. He is a diligent officer, even if inexperienced. His colleagues found something troubling."
"What is it, Colonel?"
"This wall they're so proud of is poorly maintained indeed. They have found several holes where that disused wing of the building meets the wall." He gestured down the canal toward the wall, where part of the university building was indeed in ruins.
"So Borodin and the Patriarch..."
"The grenzers are searching the ruins now," Emeliov said. "But we should hurry, just in case."
"Where are the other Youkols?" Kate asked, "And Igor and Malka?"
"I couldn't convince the grenzers to let them through," Emeliov admitted. "We're stretching our goodwill. But I've sent them back to Romansbourg with news for Cirkos, and he can tell the authorities about the hijacked train. If Borodin and the Patriarch try to go back, they will not find a warm welcome!"
"Right," said Kate. "Let's get underway."
Kate, the Spirit Woman, Emeliov, Boris and Youki boarded the airship. The Spirit Woman's companions gave her a bundle of supplies and then she, with evident reluctance, joined the party.
As they rose into the air, Boris said, "I'm starving. Anyone else hungry?"
"Very, Boris, I..." Kate began, and then glanced at the Spirit Woman's stern expression. "Actually, never mind." Sitting down cross-legged on the floor, she turned to the Spirit Woman. "Is there anything else I should do to prepare for this?"
"Open the windows. Let air and wind come through. Let the elements be around you."
"Are you kidding," cried Boris, "It might be springtime, but that doesn't mean it's warm! We'll freeze!"
"You'd better bundle up, you two," Kate said. She was in her fur leggings but her jacket lay to the side.
"Okay," sighed Boris. Emeliov started opening the windows. Bitterly cold air washed through the cabin. Kate shivered violently, but Youki quickly came and piled into her lap. Kate glanced at the Spirit Woman. "Is this allowed?"
"You tell Youki it isn't?"
"Good point."
"Now, Kate Walker, consider the relic you discovered. Do not speak, just think and feel."
Kate nodded. She set the doll on the metal floor and gazed at it, clinging to Youki and trying to focus on the implications of this voyage, and not her growling stomach.
Sergei Borodin staggered out of the ruined wing of the university, clinging to his rifle. The Patriarch had lost his big hat, and bending through the crumbling doorway was evidently difficult for him, but he wasn't even out of breath. His fellow monk, a twitchy sort, bustled along behind him, very much out of breath.
"The airship is taking off," Borodin hissed, pointing furiously up as the dirigible, now far too high to shoot down, even if the rifle had power enough to do it.
"They fly east by southeast!" The Patriarch cried. "We must follow!"
"How?" Borodin demanded. "We've run right into enemy arms and lost our forces and transport!"
"God will guide me," the Patriarch said loftily, and strode off through the unkempt lawn. They were well past the university building when they picked up the line of the canal. And a barge was chugging up the canal in the same direction as they were going.
"There is our road," the Patriarch cried.
Borodin blinked at the sight, but decided not to let providence float by, no matter what the canting old priest said. He ran ahead and jumped onto the boat's deck. An old man in a cap emerged from the hold and shouted, "Halt! Qui va la, signore?"
But he skidded to a halt as he saw the weapon Borodin was training on him. A woman, the bargeman's wife, presumably, looked around from the wheelhouse and froze, eyes wide. Borodin snarled, "Stop the boat!"
After the boat woman hesitated a moment, Borodin trained his rifle a little to the side and squeezed off one round. The bang made both his prisoners recoil, and one of the windows exploded in the wheelhouse. The woman screamed but she also closed the throttle.
"Come on, priest," Borodin shouted.
"Well done, soldier," said the Patriarch, who all but shoved his monk onto the boat, then snapped his fingers at him until he got up and helped the old man aboard. "We must get underway!"
"And go where," the barge woman demanded.
"We follow that," the Patriarch pointed skyward to the airship, which was not much more than a dot over the horizon.
"As far as we can before this canal parts ways with the airship's course," Borodin pointed out. "Get moving!"
The barge woman opened the throttle and the vessel began to move again.
"Where will they be going," Borodin asked nastily, "Does you god tell you so much?"
"Miss Walker is a persistent enemy," the Patriarch said coldly.
"Walker?" The bargeman blinked at the Patriarch and said, "Der dame anwalt aus Nueva York?"
"My husband says, do you mean the lady lawyer from New York?"
"The very one! Interloping hag!"
"She came on a Voralberg train," the bargewoman said. "Voralberg machines used to be made in Valadilene, in the French Alps!"
At that moment, Borodin heard something he'd never heard before: the other monk with the Patriarch actually said something. "French Alps. Blue warbler's land. Very rare."
The Patriarch demanded, "Does this Valadilene connect with this canal?"
"No, but it joins the river!"
"Very well," the Patriarch said, "We go!"
Author's Note: it's a joke in the game the way that the barge captain keeps switching languages for no reason in the Barrockstadt level in Syberia I