Chapter Six
A/N : Hello. Thanks to Jiblitmuffin and Johnsoneer for reviewing! Johnsoneer, I appreciate the advice. : ) This is my very first story ever. So I really do not mind being critiqued. It's starting out pretty slow, but I have a lot planned for later on. It WILL get more exciting. Also, as I'm sure you know, Leviathan is the property of Scott Westerfeld.
Alek never thought he'd be glad to see a reporter. Indeed, every encounter he'd had with a particular newspaperman had ended in near disaster. Not to name any names, of course. If only the press would just leave him alone.
But that, he knew, was certainly not a possibility.
Alek had finally managed to escape from the grasp of the insufferable Eddie Malone, when Miss Rogers had decided that he was the most fascinating story that she had ever chanced upon.
Now it seemed that wherever he went, the nosy American followed. It was driving him mad.
Somehow, it reminded him of playing chess against his father: no matter where he moved, his piece was sure to be captured.
At least, he supposed, Adele Rogers wasn't prying into Deryn's life. It would be rather difficult to explain if the woman happened across anything a bit unusual. Not that there was much to find out about Dylan Sharp.
As Alek stood with Miss Rogers in front of the cage encompassing the hare, Deryn and the lady boffin appeared, their hurried steps loud on the frozen ground.
"Dr. Barlow and Mr. Sharp! How nice to see you again," Adele said, smiling as she peered over Alek's shoulder. "I don't believe I've seen you since that New Year's Eve party."
Deryn skidded to a halt in front of them, her eyes wide in surprise. "Barking spiders!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Indeed. I should like to know myself," the boffin said upon reaching them. The tone in her voice was as icy as the winter air. Considering how late it was though, she sounded hardly annoyed at all.
The reporter's smile faded. "If you must know, I just saved Mr. Hohenberg's life! Some boffin decided to lock him inside with that rabbit." She gestured toward the cage.
Deryn and Dr. Barlow looked at Alek.
"Is this true?" the boffin asked.
Alek nodded.
"But who in blazes would do such a thing?" Deryn exclaimed. "Did you recognize him?"
Alek shook his head. "No. I'd never seen him before. I think he must have been only pretending to be a boffin. At least, one that worked here."
Dr. Barlow turned away from them, studying the hare in the cage. It was sitting on the ground, unmoving, its eyes as black as ink. The boffin's loris watched it curiously, its fur ruffling in the breeze.
At last she spoke, her voice sounding weary. "Why don't we all go back to my office? It is quite late, and I'm sure everyone is tired."
Then she looked at Adele Rogers. "Everyone except you, I'm afraid. Only employees are allowed in the zoo after closing. If you'll please follow me, the exit is this way."
She gestured back toward the way they'd come. The path was lit by few lampposts, and shadows cast by various nocturnal animals wavered in the faint light. Though he'd never admit it to Deryn, Alek thought it was a bit eerie here after dark.
The reporter protested. "But what about my story? I can't possibly leave now! I haven't written down all the details!"
Alek could tell the boffin was becoming annoyed. Her lips were pressed tightly together, and her eyes had an angry gleam. A gleam that almost hardly anyone could stand up to. Hopefully, Miss Rogers wouldn't push her too far. Alek had experienced Dr. Barlow's wrath before, and did not care particularly to see it again.
The boffin glared at her. "I'm afraid you must, Miss Rogers. I am required to follow zoo regulations, after all."
The reporter tapped her pen against her notebook, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"It would be rather unfortunate if I should have to print this little incident, wouldn't it? I may not have every detail, but I certainly have enough to put the London Zoological Society in a bit of a jam."
She glanced down at her notebook. "How does this sound? 'Former Austrian Prince, Aleksandar of Hohenberg, Narrowly Escapes Death.' Due to the incompetence on the part of the London Zoological Society, Mr. Hohenberg was nearly killed by a rabbit Tuesday evening."
She looked up from the page, an unpleasant smile on her lips. "Of course, the article will be quite a bit longer than that, but having one of the zoo's employees- and such a famous one, too- almost killed might prove a bit embarrassing."
Alek glanced at Deryn. Her jaw and fists were clenched tightly, as though ready for a fight, and he realized his own were, too.
How dare this woman threaten them?