Sorry that took so long! Life got busy all of a sudden. But at least there's another chapter now. Once again, the back-and-forth with Deryn and Alek has been breached to give another double-Deryn-feature (ok, ok, it sounds stupid, I get it already!). Once again, that's because Alek doesn't really have anything to do, though as you'll see, he makes a much-needed appearance later on. He tells his story in the next chapter. Anyways, Deryn's awesomer.

Deryn stood alone on the Spine, scanning for any sign of the spy. She was totally still except for the wind tousling her hair. At first glance, there didn't seem to be anyone there, but she would have to explore further before she could be sure Mr. Hall wasn't skulking about. It was a large place, and there was a chance he was hiding out of sight, clinging to the ratlines on the ship's sides. Deryn had donned her harness of the way up so that she would be able to look there too.

She began moving forwards when the hatch behind her opened. She spun, ready to attack, and almost kicked Newkirk in the face. He flinched, his eyes squeezing shut involuntarily, and ducked back. After a few seconds, when he realized he wasn't about to be attacked, he peeked up at her and glared dolefully. "I'd rather you didn't make a habit of attacking your fellow midshipman, Mr. Sharp."

Deryn reddened a little and offered him a hand. "And I'd rather you didn't pop up behind me like a sneaky-boots when a spy is loose!"

Newkirk took her hand and used it to pull himself to his feet. His eyes searched their surroundings for a moment, a clear blue sky accompanied by a breeze, before returning to her. He sighed and let himself smile a little. "Fine. I'll give you that. Speaking of the spy, I'm here to help you. Dr. Barlow went to alert Captain Hobbes and told me to come help you and Alek. Where has he run off to, anyway?" A shadow of suspicion crossed his face.

"We were stopped," Deryn explained quickly. "Mr. Bennett passed us and decided he would force Alek back to his room like some prisoner!"

"It sort of makes sense," Newkirk responded thoughtfully. "After all, he's a Clanker too. How do you know they aren't conspiring? Maybe this is for the better. Look on the bright side, right?"

Deryn responded coldly, "Is there anything he can do that will make any of you trust him? It's obvious he's on our side! He's saved the entire barking Leviathan and everyone on it! I think that's proof enough!"

"People can be persuaded," Newkirk retorted angrily, upset at the outburst. "Maybe he was on our side then, because he wanted to get his bum off that glacier, now Britain and Austria-Hungary are at war, and the tides have changed. Look, Dylan, I know you two are close, but can you really trust him so easily? I wouldn't, if I were you."

"You don't know him," Deryn spat. She turned and stalked away from Newkirk. She didn't need that ninny's help; she would search for Mr. Hall on her own. In fact, his help was probably the last thing she could have wanted right now. How could he be so... assuming? As if the fact that Alek was a Clanker meant he couldn't be human.

She had gone maybe ten steps when she heard a startled cry behind her. She span, ready to help, but she was too late; she could only stare in horror as Mr. Hall, who seemed to have come out of the hatch behind Newkirk, now pushed him towards the side, and towards a fall that would inevitably be deadly. Unlike Deryn, Newkirk wasn't wearing a harness.

"Newkirk, look out!" she cried, struggling to get between her friend and the spy. Upon closer inspection, she could see the missing loris under the man's arm. Its eyes were almost comically wide, and it was ominously silent, as if it knew the severity of its situation.

Newkirk stumbled and fell, his hands groping for the ratlines as he began to slip towards the side of the spine. He was in no danger of falling, not yet, but a gentle slope had begun, and if Mr. Hall pushed him any farther, Deryn doubted it would take long.

"Leave him alone!" she hissed, getting between the two and balling her fists angrily.

Mr. Hall's mouth twisted into a cruel grin. "Well, if it isn't the little girlie!" Deryn paled a little. He took advantage of her momentary shock to force her backwards as well. She tripped over Newkirk and they landed together in a heap. With an agonizing slowness, she could feel herself slipping downward. She clipped her harness to a length of rope nearby, preparing for the inevitable. Then she grabbed Newkirk in a death grip, holding him as tightly as she could. His life depended on it. He was deathly pale as he stared up at her. "We're going to die... we're going to die!" he rasped hoarsely.

Deryn shook her head and held him more firmly. Even if he hadn't heard the spy reveal her secret, they were pressed so closely together now that it would be impossible for him not to notice. But it was no matter. His life was more important. "Even if we do, we'll go down fighting," she replied bravely. "Promise me you'll hold on as tightly as you can." Otherwise, the jerk when they met the end of the rope would yank him right out of her arms.

He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his head in her shoulder. "I promise." Then they rolled off the spine, and they were met by open air. There was a brief second of free-falling, and a thousand situations ran through Deryn's head. What if the rope snapped? What if she lost Newkirk? A vivid image passed through her head, a memory of the day her Da died. Was she going to end up like him? At least she'd die doing what she loved: flying.

Then there was a sharp tug, and Deryn felt the breath knocked out of her. She gasped, but no air would come, and alarms began to sound in her head. Her grip on Newkirk loosened. He had almost been knocked loose by the fall, and if she didn't keep holding on, he'd fall to his death for sure. "Hold on!" she wheezed, clutching Newkirk's hand in desperation. It was cold and clammy, and his fingers kept slipping through hers. For one terrible second, she was sure she would lose him, but he adjusted his grip, pulling himself up and grabbing her sleeve then wrapping his arms around her shoulders, the way they'd been before the fall. She knew what was coming. Sure enough, a moment later, he tensed, pulled his head back, and stared at her in shock.

"It doesn't matter!" she snapped. "I'm saving your life, and if you ever tell a soul, I'll take it away!" But his eyes had changed focus. He wasn't even looking at her anymore; instead he looked past her. Deryn twisted her neck, but she couldn't see what he did. "What is it?" she demanded.

"He's—he's cutting the—no, wait, I think he's distracted—I can't see anymore!"

"He cut the rope? How much?" she asked urgently. They were passing over a large lake, and she didn't fancy hitting it from this height.

"It's hard to see," Newkirk responded vaguely. "I don't think he cut much. But if he comes back, we're done for. And barking spiders, Dylan, you're a girl?"

Deryn punched him gently in the gut and he winced. "Aye, and without me, you'd still be dead a few times over, I might add!"

"I know, I know!" Newkirk squeaked, grimacing from the impact. "I don't care about that! My mum's a feminist so I know all about it! It was just unexpected!" Deryn was somewhat pacified by this. She tried again to turn her head and see what was going on, but it was impossible.

"What do you see?" she asked again.

Newkirk squinted, then cried out. "It's Alek! He has a sabre, and he's keeping the spy from the rope! He has the loris, and—duck!" There wasn't even time for a question to form on Deryn's lips. Newkirk pushed them both to the side with his body weight just as a human form hurtled past them. She recognized the spy, and knew immediately that that was the end of it all. She and Newkirk remained close together, both shaken, both breathing heavily. There was a cranking sound far above them, and they found themselves slowly being pulled upward. "Don't tell anyone," Deryn whispered.

"I won't," Newkirk promised. It wasn't long before they were back on the spine. By then, half the Leviathan's crew had joined Alek, and nobody made a move to stop him. This time, it seemed, they were all willing to believe he was a hero. Newkirk, who was still a deathly shade of white, promptly fainted, and Deryn almost wished she could have done the same, but she had a hundred questions, and she wouldn't rest until they were answered.

Post-chapter note: I don't believe Newkirk's mother was ever referred to as a feminist. I spun that one all by myself, because it made my life easier. xD