CHAPTER SUMMARY:

Following the events of Goliath, the young Deryn and Alek follow the mysterious Dr. Barlow to London, where they begin to train and live in London. The mystery of the Darwinist world begins to be tested behind closed doors as the War between the Allied and Central powers steamrolls ahead, growing more dangerous every day. But for now, all Alek and Deryn have to worry about, is finding a place to live.

CHAPTER 1

" ge' on! Hurry up! Yes - you two, hurry it along" the London Underground attendant had pointed Alek and deryn towards the tracks. Deryn was pulling Alek along as he stared, gaping at the underground train, of sorts. It was different from the trains that Alek had been accustomed to, more alive, less mechanical, and much more "under the earth" than he was used to. Supposedly they were inspired by some new concept of underground trains in New York called " subways".

" first the air, now under the earth itself, is there anywhere in London where Darwinist creations are not found?" Alek asked as he continued to gawk at the evident mole inspired fabrication.

Deryn smiled at Alek's childlike fascination with London's fabrications. He had gotten used to and even came to love the great air beasts of Great Britain, but he was still so unused to genetic fabrication in itself, and the overwhelming amount of fabrication innovation in London that had the monkey Luddites shaking in their boots. But Alek was no monkey Luddite, not like Newkirk's mum, or even count Volger, she suspected. No, Deryn knew that Alek would come to love London and its old historic buildings combined with the new creations of the boffins, just as he had come to love her.

London was a place where the past meets the present, and Deryn was excited to show Alek all of it, even if she herself had not been to London since the Leviathan stopped to pick up the lady boffin. Deryn felt a pang in her heart and a pinch and her throat as the image of the Leviathan in all its glory floated in the back of her mind. She even almost grabbed Alek's hand for comfort, but still being in her boy slops, realized how that would look.

" Deryn? Deryn" Alek was staring at her now, his hand on her shoulder. " are you alright?"

" yes, just a bit tired from the trip is all, and having to listen to Dr. Barlow's speech last night about all my new . . . responsibilities "

" it is a bit exciting though, isn't it? To finally learn exactly what does? It's always been a bit mysterious to me." Deryn laughed at the thought of what was to come and she and Alek made their way off the train station to the next stop, a bustling street, lined with shops and vendors selling pea soup, pickled whelks, fried fish, and townhouses, not far from the London Zoo.

" So where exactly is this place that Dr. Barlow is sending us? " Alek says, never taking his eyes off all the new sights of London, beasties and buildings alike.

" I reckon it's our living quarters. I'm not really sure what she has planned. But what I'm really curious about is what she expects us to do when we get there. We've got no barking money! You used the last of your gold and I'm just a lowly middy - I've got not much but-" Deryn pulls out her coin purse " - two shillings and five pence." (that would be about ?28 today) there's no way to afford rent with that little.

Alek frowns, his brows settling down into a crease. " Well, I guess there's only one way to find out what the good doctor is up to". They continue down the street, and Deryn ignores the aching in her stomach, as they passed by the carts of fresh, fried fish.

" I think this is it"

They both stop and look up at a dull, brown building, its door a light blue, and the number on the front door, hanging off, slightly loose.

"Charming, I'm sure" Alek grimaces. But Deryn could tell that even if it was kind of a slop hole, Alek was excited. This was the fresh start that he had given everything up for, and that glimmer in his eye was there, like back in Istanbul, when he had begun to believe his destiny belonged to the revolution. But now that belief was in her, that his providence, his destiny, belonged to life with her, in this place and time.

Deryn couldn't stop smiling as she walked up to the front door, knocking but not waiting for a response before entering.

" Hello? Anyone there?"

" Dery - Dylan!" Alek hisses, closing the door behind him gently, " You can't simply walk into a home completely unannounced" He was looking around for any sign of a tenant, or guard dog, maybe even some fabricated monster made to protect this home.

" don't sweat it, it's fine. This is a place where people rent out rooms, I'm sure they're used to un-announced people walking in all the time" Deyrn ignored Alek's frown and made her way further down the front entrance, finding an office at the end of the hall. There was an old man who was asleep, his feet propped up on his desk, and a cat resting on his round belly.

" Should we wake him?" Alek asked, now behind her.

" well I reckon we'll have to" Deryn gently knocked on the open door, but the man and cat continued to slumber peacefully. She knocked a little harder but it only seemed to make the cats ears twitch. With a deep sigh and grimace, she pounded on the door, sending both the sleeping man and cat flying off the chair.

" Blimey!" the man said as he got up off the floor. He stared at Alek and Deryn for a minute, then straightened his vest and pushed back his sloppy hair.

" And who in the bloody hell might you be? Waking a man up from a nap is bad luck you know?"

Deryn handed the man a small envelope that Doctor Barlow had given her before sending her and Alek off. " from a Doctor Nora Barlow, sir," she said, using her boy voice, which she had not practiced much since leaving the great airship. Spending all her time with people who knew all her secrets made her bloody lazy with all her boy habits!

The man read the letter inside thoughtfully, glancing up at Alek and Deryn once in a while, laughing at some things, sighing at others, finally, he put the letter away in his pocket and stuck out his hand to Deryn.

" Well, then, Mr. Sharp, it seems you and your friend here are to be my new tenants. Congratulations, it's a real dump" Deryn frowned and shook his hand but couldn't manage to get words out in the midst of her confusion.

She turned to Alek, who looked equally confused, then followed the man as he made his way behind the front desk.

" I'm sorry, are you acquainted with Dr. Barlow?" Deryn asked, the first of many questions.

" acquainted?!" The tenant laughed and shook his head, petting his cat as it jumped on the front desk. " Nora's my cousin. Bet she didn't tell you that - always been a rotten, secretive girl that one, but I'm quite fond of her all the same. Only reason I'm agreeing to take you in at all. Plus, she promised me a fine advance for taking you in such short notice" he said slyly. And Deryn and Alek continued to stare at this man who in no way resembled the smart, sneaky booted, and very prim and proper boffin.

" Alright then, let me show you to your rooms" The tenant clapped his hands and made his way past Alek and Deryn, and up the stairs. Alek shrugged at Deryn and went after the man, Deryn following suite.

" The name Gibbins if you were wondering, the blokes down at the pub call me Rancher, but that's a story for another time," Gibbins said, laughing to himself. Alek stared back at Deryn with a quizzical eyebrow. She was sure they were thinking the same thing: if he was Doctor Barlow's cousin, did he know about the society? About Deryn? Did the contents of that letter reveal anything about her?

" Well, my name is Alek… Hohenberg, yes, Hohenberg" Alek said, still getting used to the last name he would be using from now on in the society. " what did the doctor, or Nora, address in this letter exactly?"

" oh, not too much, other than that you two were under her care, that she was paying for your living accommodation here, and that I shouldn't be surprised if you two got in late, or disappeared once in a while - what with the society business and all" he continued as they stopped in front of a door labeled 2B. Alek and Deryn stared at each other wide-eyed.

" So you know about the . . . society?" Deryn asked slowly, as not to reveal her girl accent. It seemed he wasn't informed about that.

" Of course I know, our grandfather was a Darwin, after all, most Darwin's find themselves in the company of powerful people at one time or another. Or they themselves become powerful people." Gibbons was smirking when he said this, as though he knew something darker about the society then he let known.

Deryn was about to comment that he himself did not seem like a very powerful person but thought it rude. Who knew what this man really was. He was part of the Darwin family after all, and he knew about the society. This whole poor sloppy tenant look could be an act for all her and Alek knew.

" Here's your room Mr. Sharp" he handed her a set of keys labeled 2B, turning to Alek next. " and yours, Mr. Hohenberg, handing Alek engraved with the number and letter, 2A.

" they're, right… across from each other?" Alek said looking at Deryn, then down at his shoes, his cheeks going a mad red color. This made deryn smirk. Oh, how she loved providence!

" shouldn't be a problem right?" Gibbins looked between the two of them, and Deryn shook her head, her smile growing.

" not at all sir".