Chapter 9:
"Proof"

July 29, 1915
London Zoological Society

Eliot Vost did not introduce himself. The moment he stepped into Dr. Barlow's office, he simply offered a nod and placed an envelope on the table wordlessly.

Alek immediately noted differences in the man's demeanor. His posture was poor, his suit wrinkled, his long fair hair uncombed. His unshaven face was vacant, devoid of all emotion. Instantly Alek wondered why he had the urge to study Vost so intently- was it out of genuine concern, or was he searching for weaknesses to exploit? Alek was troubled when he realized that he was unable to honestly discern the answer.

"Do sit down, sir," Dr. Barlow suggested cordially. Vost complied at once, taking the seat next to Alek. He was utterly unfazed by Bovril, who perched precariously on the desk's' edge and gazed at him with bulbous eyes.

"Might I ask why you've decided to call upon us this evening?" Dr. Barlow asked politely, although there was iron in her voice.

"I am not a fool, Dr. Nora Barlow. I came to the Society for several reasons, the first of which is obvious. Former prince of Austria, Aleksander Hohenberg, publicly announced his alliance with the Society some time ago and has been working closely with them since he renounced his throne. I came to speak with him. The less obvious reason is this: while I know little about the Society's true purpose, I am quite positive that it has more to do with political espionage than it does with zoos."

Dr. Barlow coughed. "I trust this is a tidbit of information that you are not inclined to share with the rest of Europe?"

Vost sighed with some agitation. "I already told you that I wasn't a fool. Have no fear, doctor, although Sullivan and I have known about the Society's facade for several months, we are the only ones within Red Star Chemicals that have even the slightest notion of the truth. I would stand to gain nothing by revealing your secrets."

The doctor straightened her bowler hat atop her head. "Excellent. Then I shall assume you are here to inquire about your partner's whereabouts?"

Eliot nodded. "I have little faith that you will be motivated to offer any sort of assistance, but I came nonetheless."

"Believe it or not, the Society's interests seem to coincide with your own." Count Volger interjected swiftly.

"Indeed," Dr. Barlow affirmed. "We believe that both Dr. Chester Sullivan and Princess Mary of Wales have been taken hostage by the very same organization that terrorized the gala hosted by Red Star Chemicals."

"The Animal Liberation Brigade." Alek clarified bitterly.

Eliot's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "They went so far as to abduct a princess? What madmen they must be!" He frowned, as if contemplating something. "But how do you know that they've captured her as well? I received this last night. It was unmarked, with no postage stamp." He gestured to the envelope on the table before them.

"We are in connection with the royal family." Dr. Barlow nodded. "They informed me they received similar correspondence this morning, in an identical manner, informing them of the princess's capture."

"It contains no demands, no location, no information that could be useful. All it says is that my partner is the hostage of the Brigade, and I should expect further contact later." Vost faltered. "For all I know, he's long dead."

"We should form an alliance." Alek offered, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "We both have much to gain from cooperation. We are in the exact same position. The Society has confidential information about the Brigade and its leader, and Red Star Chemicals has the resources necessary to apprehend the criminals if it should come to that." Alek locked his eyes on Vost's. "We have everything we need to ensure their safety if we ally."

Without a second's hesitation, Eliot nodded. "I have no objections. I'm willing to do anything it takes to retrieve Sullivan. Without him, our company has no value."

"I suppose we have an agreement," said Dr. Barlow.

"I suppose we do." Eliot Vost agreed.

"Then it's high time we proceed with some sort of plan," Aleksander began. "The first thing we need to know is if Sullivan and D-I mean, Sullivan and the princess, are alive."

"Asking for proof of life is a risk." Count Volger warned gravely.

"What do you mean?" Asked Alek.

The Count narrowed his eyes. "The man leading this Brigade is very clearly willing to go to extremes. That much was made clear at the gala. He is also impulsive and quick to anger, according to the other information we have about him. Any man who disregards orders from his superiors like he did must be. Demanding proof of life, or even asking for it, may enrage him. He likely believes that he is the only one in a position to give orders."

"Why does it matter if he is quick to anger? What could he possibly do? It's not as if he can kill his hostages. They're far too valuable. They're his only leverage." Eliot pointed out.

"That is true," the Count agreed, "but we have no guarantees that he will leave them unharmed. We have no means of contacting the Brigade yet, either. We cannot ask for proof of life if we do not know how to make contact."

Alek's throat tightened. If the man he'd seen in that photograph had been ruthless enough to murder infant fabrications simply for the effect, he would have no qualms about inflicting pain upon a girl.

Deryn is running out of time. Alek realized with horror. How long would she be able to keep up her act as a princess? How long would it be before she said something out of character? Before her temper gave her away? Before she slipped and her Scottish accent revealed her upbringing? Alek imagined her calling her captor "a barking bum-rag without a squick of sense in his head." Alek knew Deryn. She was clever and strong, but she also could lack self-control. It would be impossible for anyone to impersonate somebody else forever. For Deryn, though, it would only be a matter of time before she revealed herself.

And then what? Without the princess' identity, Deryn was worthless to the Brigade- and even worse, she was a liar. That was an instant death sentence.

"Alek? What is it?" Dr. Barlow asked with concern. "You look troubled."

"I was just thinking," Alek lied. "About how we could contact the Brigade."

"It's impossible," Vost said sourly. "We have no idea where they are!"

"That's true," said Alek slowly, "but perhaps we don't need to know that."

Dr. Barlow looked at him inquisitively. "I'm not entirely sure what you mean."

Alek sighed. "I suppose I'm going to have to rely upon an old...acquaintance. Dr. Barlow, could you by any chance get me the contact information of a Mr. Edward Malone?"

...

August 3, 1915
Unknown Location

It had been seven days since their capture. They were fed moldy bread and lumpy gruel once a day, were escorted blindfolded by two guards to a revolting lavatory once in the morning and once in the evening, and had not once been given the opportunity to bathe. This did not particularly bother Deryn, who had spent plenty of time on an airship eating stale biscuits, using lavatories that smelled repugnant enough to make crewmen lose consciousness, surrounded by unwashed men. She expected Dr. Sullivan to be less than pleased with such treatment, but was surprised by his positive (or perhaps insane) attitude.

The brilliant doctor still seemed to believe that he was on vacationing in some sunny part of Spain. Despite the injuries he'd received on behalf of the man they were only allowed to refer to as 'sir,' his disposition was irritatingly sunny. He'd made a habit of asking Edward to 'hurry up with the tea' or 'fetch some light refreshments' every time the traitorous louse entered the room. Strangely enough, the bum-rag seemed to have taken pity on the doctor after his beating, and simply ignored his requests.

Deryn wished that Edward would do the same to her, but no matter how furiously she glared at him when he entered the room, he'd simply grin and try and carry on a conversation. The boy was pure dead persistent- she'd refused to answer a single one of his questions, looked anywhere in the room but at him, and even spat on his shoes, and still he treated her like they were old friends.

Deryn knew that befriending one of her captors would make it far simpler to escape this rathole, but it was almost painful to bring herself to pretend as if she could tolerate Edward. Funny, it was easy for her to pretend to be a boy, and it wasn't terrible to pretend to be a princess, but somehow the hardest thing of all was to pretend that someone else didn't utterly disgust her.

Don't be daft, she'd finally had to tell herself. Edward was more than just one of her captors. He was also her best chance of escaping this place with her life. And Deryn was not one to let opportunities pass her by.

So, one morning, while Sullivan sat contentedly in a corner humming a lullaby to himself and drawing imaginary shapes on the floor, Deryn gave in.

"Why do you call yourself the Animal Liberation Brigade?" She asked Edward when he entered with their disappointing breakfasts.

Her question must have surprised him, because he nearly dropped the wooden bowls of gruel he was carrying. After meeting her eyes and realizing that she wasn't glaring at him with tremendous rage as usual, Edward recovered and set the bowls down on the floor- one in front of the humming doctor, and the other in front of Deryn.

"Because that is what we do. We liberate animals from the treachery and torture of Darwinist science." He answered with pride.

"Is that so? But I thought kidnapping innocent people was your specialty." Deryn replied, trying her best to keep the bitterness out of her voice. Edward simply smiled at her words.

"Innocent? Mary- may I call you Mary? I think I'll call you Mary. As I was saying, Mary, you are not innocent. You openly promote Darwinist sciences to the citizens of England. You promote archaic, barbaric methods. Darwinism requires sacrifices. Natural animals, creatures that occur in nature, are sacrificed for their 'life strands' so that their genetics can be manipulated by scientists. They are forced to give up their lives of freedom. Though they are truly innocent, they are sentenced to live out their lives in laboratories, being put through tests by Darwinists who care more about the madness they call 'science' than the lives of the animals they destroy." Edward's steely expression hardened. "Those animals are put through hell, all in the name of science."

Deryn felt her temper rising. "That doesn't justify murdering a human! I remember that night at the gala. A man died that night. He lost his life just for saying something he believed in!"

"So what you're saying, Mary, is that it was wrong to kill a living thing?" Edward asked pointedly.

"Yes! Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying!" Deryn agreed.

"You say that, and yet you know exactly what fate awaits fabrications who have been bred to serve crown and country. You may live a sheltered life, Mary, but surely you know that there are creatures created by scientists whose only purpose is to die for the betterment of humans. They are created only to be killed, disposed of like their lives are worth nothing!"

Images flashed through Deryn's mind, clear as day. She saw flechette bats being horrendously torn apart by Clanker aircraft, wounded strafing hawks and message lizards falling miles to their deaths. A bleeding hydrogen sniffer lying motionless on the flank of the Leviathan, whimpering softly. A Huxley that was gruesomely burned to death, attacked by a Tesla Cannon. Edward is right, she realized, feeling ill. These creatures were expendable. They were bred to fight for humans, and died in the place of humans.

"I…" Deryn began, but she could not think of a single word to defend herself. She could not erase the haunting images that kept flashing through her mind. Bloody, defenseless beasties, all dead, all for her sake. For the sake of the Leviathan's crew.

"I didn't mean to make you cry!' Edward suddenly apologized, and Deryn realized that her cheeks were wet. She rubbed her eyes vigorously. "I suppose I was a bit harsh. Are you all right?"

Deryn momentarily forgot that she was a princess. "Aye, I'm fine. Just a squick tired, I suppose."

"What did you just say?" Edward inquired curiously. "I've never heard you speak like that before!"

Deryn immediately felt her pulse quicken. "Oh dear, I suppose it just slipped out… I used to have a Scottish nanny, you see, and she used the strangest little phrases all the time. I was so little and I was with her so often that sometimes I find myself using them when I get upset."

"How strange!" Edward exclaimed. "I bet she had a marvelous collection of curses. Remember any of those?"

"Alas," said Deryn in her most regal tone, "it would be unladylike for me to say."

They were interrupted by the familiar sound of the metal door squealing in protest as it was forced open. Edward immediately jumped back and faced the door, putting a few meters of space between himself and Deryn.

The door opened so forcefully that it slammed against the wall and produced a CLANG so ear-splitting Deryn flinched.

When 'sir' stepped into the room, he was smiling. But it was quite clear to Deryn that something was not right. Each step he took was deliberate, slow, and calculated. His breathing was eerily level, and when he spoke, his voice was soft. He held a folded up newspaper so tightly that his knuckled were white.

Deryn's eyes were locked on him, but Sullivan remained in the corner, staring off into the distance as if the man wasn't there at all. Good, she thought. At least the dumkopf isn't asking for tea.

"I was enjoying a lovely morning. The birds were chirping, the sky was bright blue, not one cloud in sight, the paperboys were shouting out the headlines on every street corner. So, I thought why not? You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that the both of you SINNERS were the front page headline!"

He threw the newspaper at Deryn's face. It smacked her jaw and landed face-up on the ground before her.

"Well? READ IT!" He ordered. Deryn obediently looked down at the front page article.

A Royal Abduction

Yet another shocking tragedy struck the war ravaged Great Britain last week when the Royal Family was informed that Her Royal Highness Princess Mary of Wales had been taken hostage by The Animal Liberation Brigade, a mysterious anti-Darwinist terrorist organization. The abduction likely occurred during a gala that took place on the evening of July 26 in the residence of Dr. Charles Sullivan, one of the founding partners of the weapon manufacturing company Red Star Chemicals. The gala had been organized to showcase the company's latest invention: Black Star, a weaponized chemical gas. One of Sullivan's closest colleagues, Eliot Vost, also received correspondence from the Animal Liberation Brigade stating that Sullivan had been taken captive.

This appalling news has stunned and greatly distressed the people of Great Britain, many of whom look to the princess as a symbol of peace during this tremulous international conflict. Mary, the third child and only daughter of King George V, has visited many hospitals and welfare organizations in the hopes of comforting injured British servicemen and their families.

Little is known about the enigmatic Brigade, but according to guests of the gala from which the two victims were abducted, the organization stated that they were a branch of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or RSPCA. When questioned about this statement, The Society disclosed only that the Animal Liberation Brigade was once a part of the RSPCA, but had been officially dissolved several years ago. However, they declined to reveal the reason for the Brigade's dissolution or comment any further upon the recent actions of the Brigade.

Guests also reported that the Brigade was opposed to Red Star Chemicals and their work, especially Black Star. An unidentified spokesperson from the Brigade made several religious accusations against Darwinist practices during a disturbing speech, in which he announced that fabrications were "abominations" and "monstrosities."

The well-being of the Princess and Dr. Sullivan is currently unclear. It is for this reason that the Royal Family and Red Star Chemicals contacted this reporter, in the hopes that this article may reach the Animal Liberation Brigade. Their message to the Brigade is as follows:

"We respectfully request that the Brigade provide proof that both Princess Mary and Dr. Chester Sullivan are alive and unharmed. After it is confirmed that the hostages are safe, we are willing to negotiate and comply to the demands of the Animal Liberation Brigade."

Until further information about the whereabouts and health of the two captives is uncovered, England remains stricken with grief and uncertainty.

Eddie Malone
New York World
August 2, 1915

Deryn instantly knew that this had been Alek's idea. Eddie owed him a favor after they'd saved his life, after all. And she was sure the American reporter would've been delighted to get such an exclusive story.

Sir stared down at Deryn, waiting for her to finish reading the article. The moment she looked up, she wished she hadn't. His smile was wider, showing all his teeth, and there was pure menace in his voice.

"They want proof. Proof! As if they are the ones with hostages, as if they are the ones with leverage! The fools! If they want proof, I suppose I shall just have to give it to them!"

He withdrew a hunting knife from inside his coat and approached Deryn, the shimmering blade pointed right at her. "What do you think, princess?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "Do you think your little finger would do as proof? What about your ear, or your nose?"

He pressed the flat of the blade against Deryn's lips. "What about your pretty red lips? You won't be doing much kissing after that, will you, little harlot?" His gaze flickered upwards to her eyes. "Or perhaps I'll take one of those." He held the knifepoint a centimeter away from her eye. "I think that would be proof enough."