In which Deryn and Alek find their love for each other and Newkirk finds his love in a bottle.
Alek brought it up a few days into the summer, "we should go on a vacation, maybe get back together with some of the old crew, I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to send a few letters around and arrange some train tickets"
Deryn heartily agreed, after all, what could go wrong?
ithout warning, a loud bang erupted somewhere in the coach, piercing through the noise of the usually busy dining car behind them.
“Down!” Deryn yelled out of instinct as she threw herself to the floor of their cabin, dragging Alek along with her. The
Aleksandar Hohenburg was sick.
It was the second week of December 1914, still early in the month, and he and ex-Midshipman Dylan Sharp had left the Leviathan behind to join the London Zoological Society.
Some days it seemed like they had just stepped off the ship, the aftermath of all that happened in New York seeming fresh. But on other days, it seemed like years since their adventures on the Leviathan.
Alek knew his ex-soldier best friend itched to get back into adventures, and back into the air. He could tell they missed the Leviathan terribly.
Alek also hoped to get over this monster cold before the holidays; Christmas was coming up,
Saturday, December 12th, 1914, Aleksandar Hohenburg sat resting on the couch by the fireplace in his living room, enjoying the heat of the fire while sorting through some papers from Dr. Barlow.
Bovril was nestled on a pillow close to the fire, fast asleep, its tiny loris nose making a whistling snore.
Alek had his boots off and old Hapsburg guard coat hung by the door, his waistcoat unbuttoned and loose on his frame, sleeves rolled up.
Running a hand through his brown hair, he wondered when he last had a haircut.
Evidently, he needed another.
He was glad to be back in good health after the past week’s fiasco- stuck in bed with the