Okay, this one is pure crack. Ever wonder what happened while Deryn was at the tailor shop in Istanbul? Let's read and find out….
"Aya!" The tailor drops his measuring tape and shakes his head. It's at this time Deryn figures she's been found out.
It was bound to happen soon. She just hopes she can convince the man to keep his mouth shut. He's Turkish, of course, meaning his English isn't very good; however, his German is almost perfect. Perfect enough to get her into heaps of trouble. Alek and his men are just behind the wall in the other room, waiting their turns with the tailor.
"How many years you have?" The man asks. He's a plump fellow that barely comes up to her shoulder. Meanwhile, she is standing on a stool as he measures every inch of her with his fingers and sharp eyes.
"Ummm… I'm sixteen." She fumbles. It wasn't the question she had been expecting.
He drops his hands and puts them on his hips while scowling at her.
"You lie." He says. "I ask again, how many years have you?"
"Fourteen, I'm fourteen."
The man tutters and continues his work.
"Very much too young. You should be home learning make cooking for future husband."
She doesn't like the sound of that. She's paying this man to make her a suit, not give her advice on her marital status.
"Excuse me! I'm a boy!"
He rolls his eyes. "You are girl. It is bizarre case, but not something I never see before. Actually, I know someone very much like you! I have idea!"
His expression suddenly changes to one of sheer delight.
"SASHA!" He shouts loudly into the depths of the shop. "SASHA, Come quickly! I have someone you need meet!"
There is a clacking sound of heels on wood above their heads and Deryn hears someone descending a staircase in the back. Soon, a slender girl appears and stands across from the tailor. She has long straight black hair, big black eyes and perfectly tanned skin. Deryn also notices that she is wearing a very stylish dress that falls daringly above her knee.
"What do you want?" The girl asks.
"You meet this girl! She like you."
The black haired girl frowns at Deryn and looks her up and down.
"You're a girl?"
"Aye." Deryn says with embarrassment. There's no use trying to hide it any more from these people.
"Your did an excellent job. I would never have thought you were female."
Deryn swallows. "ummm… thanks, I suppose."
"Come now!" The man pulls Deryn off of the stool by the arm and shoves her toward the other girl. "You two should go get coffee, my treat!"
Bewildered, Deryn struggles to pull away from the man but he won't let go of her until he has her standing next to the other girl.
"Father, this is ridiculous." The dark haired girl grumbles. "You can't match me up with a woman!"
The tailor shakes his head. "What am I do with you! If I can no have grandchildren, shop will be lost from family!"
The girl curses, causing her father start shouting in Turkish. This, in turn, only instigates the daughter to start shouting as well. Deryn covers her ears and watches them fight.
"What in God's name is going on in here!" Someone shouts from the door. Alek is leaning into the room with a very confused looking Bauer and Klopp behind him. The three of them are cramped into the narrow doorway like they have been watching the event for a while.
"My apologies." The tailor shakes his head and rubs his temples with his forefingers. "I try to find wife for my son, and I think I find perfect one, but he tells me again he does no like women."
"Beg your pardon?" Alek says. He looks terribly confused and Deryn can't blame him. She's a bit bewildered by the situation as well.
"My son, Sasha." The tailor gestures to the slender dark haired woman. "He makes dresses for him to wear and grows hair and puts on make up like lady."
Suddenly Deryn's stomach turns sour. Looking the girl over again she notices a few things she didn't see before. For a young girl, Sasha is very tall, even more so than Deryn. She has muscular upper arms, barely any hips, a small bust and a large Adam's apple at her throat.
"Barking spiders! You're a boy!"
Sasha sighs and shakes her head. "I prefer to be considered a girl."
At this, the tailor gives a mournful cry and looks like he's about to sob.
"You are my only son!" He shouts frantically. "Why no you find nice girl and get married like other boys your age! I even find you girl that look like boy! Is not that what you want?"
Sasha narrows her eyes. "You can't just except me for who I am! You're terrible, father, I hate you!" And with that, she turns around and stomps back up the stairs that lead to the floor above the shop.
"Aya!" The tailor groans. "God forbid you never have sons!" He then follows Sasha upstairs without another word to Deryn and the others.
"What on Earth was that all about?" Alek asks.
Deryn nearly faints with relief. Blisters that was close. If they had talked about any of it for longer, her secret would have been out in the open like a newly released wasp from a jar.
"Haven't a clue." She says to him. "But I think we better find a new tailor. He looks like he won't be coming back soon."
And they did find a new tailor, and this time Deryn made sure he didn't have any sons.