Le gasp! Deryn's father is named Artemis! And Volger's first name is Ernst! (Source: Westerforum 2011 Meetup #2)

DISCLAIMER: See, if I was Scott-sensei, I'd already have known that, and wouldn't be fangirling about it.

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?" Deryn yelled.

"It's Alek. Can I come in?"

"No."

"Yeah…I'm coming in anyways."

Deryn groaned and flopped onto her bed as Alek walked in. "What do you want?" she moaned.

"I need your help," Alek replied, closing the door behind him.

"Why should I help you? You betrayed me!" She stood up and jabbed her finger into his chest. "You told the captain who I am. You knew the sky is my home. You knew I love flying, the way you love this ship, the way I loved you!"

"Because it's mutual for the two of us. You said it yourself; you don't want to go back to your old life of tea parties and skirts. The captain has just informed me that when we're dropping you off in London, I'll be taken into custody. If we escape the ship together, we'll both be free."

"Oh, so because you have a problem, you're talking to me again. You barking prince, don't you realize that the world doesn't revolve around you?" She poked him again. "You won't get everything in life,your princliness. You're a bum-rag, a sexist pig, and a Dummkopf if you think you're going to get my help with this."

Alek looked slightly taken aback, but recovered. "I am," he replied shamelessly.

Deryn nodded slowly. "Alright, here's the plan…"

"…To save ourselves, we may have to let the Leviathan die."

The crewmen were shocked, and started murmuring amongst themselves.

"Barking spiders," Newkirk whispered.

"It won't come to that," Dylan whispered to Newkirk. "My mad boy's going to save us. I'm ready to go up."

"Don't you think it's a bit rude, taking off while the captain's talking?" Newkirk asked.

Dylan glanced back at the captain, and shrugged. "Quit your dawdling Mr. Newkirk."

Newkirk sighed, realizing it was useless to argue. "All right, your admiralship. Will you be wanting a message lizard?"

"Aye, I'll call one. But fetch me some semaphore flags."

Newkirk ran off to get the flags, wondering what was going on in Dylan's head. He returned as Dylan finished strapping himself in, a message lizard on his shoulder. Newkirk turned the winch and the Huxley rose higher and higher, until Newkirk could barely see Dylan's small figure beneath the ascender.

After a moment, he began to wave his flags frantically. Newkirk flashed a light in response, and a conversation began.

E-N-E-M-Y—A-P-P-R-O-A-C-H-I-N-G—D-U-E—E-A-S-T

W-H-A-T—M-A-N-N-E-R-?

W-A-L-K-E-R—T-W-O—L-E-G-S

Suddenly, the boy shouted out, "Alek, you bum-rag!"

The captain stopped his address to the crew and looked up, startled. A tiny dot started moving down the line: the message lizard on its way to the crew.

"Oi, Beastie! I think I'll light a match down here! I've gone insane and I'm keen to set myself on fire!" As he continued insulting the beast, Newkirk wondered what on earth Dylan was thinking. Had he gone completely insane?

"Boo!" he cried as he stood up in the harness. Dylan's feet slipped off, but he didn't tumble to his death; instead, he started sliding down the line. As his descent sped up, he began to yell, whether out of fear or excitement, Newkirk couldn't tell. "Out of the way, lizarrrrrrd!" he shouted, and the message lizard hopped aside.

Newkirk watched with fear and admiration. A sliding escape! As he dropped from the rope, Newkirk ran to him, hoping to talk to him. But by the time he'd reached Dylan's landing point, the boy had already disappeared into the bowels of the Leviathan.

Newkirk shook his head, capable of only one though. Wow…

Was anyone else wondering what the crew must have been thinking during that scene? And it's all while the captain is addressing the crew...talk about rude interruptions.

Answer: Well, both are annoying, but I think Rita Skeeter's worse, because she twists the truth. Eddie Malone tells the truth (albeit the ugly truth). Besides, a talking frog is awesome!

Question: Lilit or Foxface, who's more...clever? sly? indescribable?

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