Goliath

“The world hasn’t changed.” Lilit shifted her daringly cut dress to reveal a tiny Mauser pistol gartered to her leg. “I wish you weren’t in that Air Service uniform. It’s a bit conspicuous.”

Deryn looked about. The streets were full of bustling people, steam trams, and pushcarts. She’d heard snatches of several languages as they’d walked, and had even seen a few shop signs in German.

She shrugged. “I’m an airman. This is my uniform.”

“I preferred you in Turkish clothes,” Lilit said. “Perhaps we should get off the street and into someplace dark. Fancy a moving-picture show?”

“Aye, I would,” Deryn said. She’d been curious about the whole business after Alek had become so enthralled. “Is there a cinema about?”

Lilit smiled. “In New York City? Yes, a few.”

They took the next right turn, and a block away Deryn found herself looking up at a huge sign. It was covered in small electric lights that flicked on and off in sequence, as if wee beasties were skittering across it. In the center, giant letters spelled out EMBASSY CINEMA—NEWSREELS ALL DAY.

As they approached the ticket booth, Deryn’s hands went to her pockets, but of course she hadn’t a single coin.

“Sorry, Lilit, but I’ve got no American money.”

“Well, you did risk your life fighting for the revolution,” the girl said, producing a folded bill from a hidden pocket. “I suppose the Ottoman Republic can buy you a movie ticket.”

The cinema was in most ways like an ordinary theater, with a few hundred seats spread out before a wide proscenium arch. But instead of a stage, a silvery white rectangle faced the audience. It was still late afternoon, and only a handful of people were present. As Deryn and Lilit made their way to seats near the back, the gaslights began to dim.

“Why exactly are we sneaking about?” Deryn asked once they were settled. “Are you afraid of making the Germans angry?”

“The Ottoman people have enjoyed the kaiser’s generosity for a long time. We still need his engineers to make our machines work.”

“Aye, of course.” Every bit of Istanbul that Deryn had seen was wrapped in steam pipes and other mechanical contraptions.

“The Germans are desperate for more allies.” Lilit leaned closer. “Austria-Hungary is falling to pieces. A few weeks ago they repulsed a Russian attack, but the fighting bears only scattered into the woods. And the creatures still have to eat.”

Deryn swallowed, remembering the starving bears in Siberia. In a populated countryside the beasties would be much worse. It would be like living in some horrid old fairy tale, with every forest full of monsters.

Lilit gave a shrug. “So we pretend to consider joining the Clankers. A profitable ruse, so far.”

A sudden clattering came from behind them, and Deryn glanced back. Behind the audience a large machine with a single eye was sputtering and spinning. Light erupted from it to spill across the screen.

At first it was shadowy and blurred, just as Alek had said. But in a few moments Deryn’s eyes adjusted, and a smoky auditorium appeared before her, two ghostly pale boxers in the ring cheered on by a silent crowd.

Lilit was settled back into her seat, her eyes wide and glittering. “It’s not just Austria’s weakness that has the Germans worried. They’re convinced that Goliath will work.”

“Aye. You should have seen what it did in Siberia. Not a tree left standing for miles.”

“I’ve seen it. Everyone has.” Lilit gestured at the screen. “Mr. Tesla was filming in Siberia, you know. The first of his newsreels appeared two weeks ago. We may see one today.”

“Aye, he almost crashed our ship!” Deryn cried. “Bringing aboard all his cameras and scientific equipment.”

But perhaps it made sense now. As Alek kept saying, the whole point of a weapon like Goliath was to scare everyone so much that you never had to use it.

Lilit was watching the boxing now, her shoulders twitching a bit, as if she were throwing the punches herself. But she went on talking.

“Last week the ambassador asked his German friends, ‘How can we side with you now? We don’t want Istanbul going up in a ball of flame.’ They told him not to worry. They have plans for Mr. Tesla.”

“Aye, that rocket attack.”

“That was just a warning.” Lilit swept her gaze across the audience. Two school-age girls sat a few rows away, but there was no one else within earshot. “And if Tesla doesn’t heed it, they intend to destroy Goliath once and for all. With an invasion if necessary.”

“An invasion! Right here? Won’t that drag the Americans into the war?”

“An enemy across the ocean is better than their cities being leveled.” Lilit’s voice sank to a whisper. “A Wasserwanderer is on its way. That’s all we know.”

“A water-walker?” Deryn said.

“The ambassador thinks it’s some sort of U-boat, but amphibious.”

Deryn frowned. She’d never heard the word “amphibious” applied to a machine before, but it had a certain logic. Goliath was on an island near New York City—within a short stroll of the sea, Mr. Tesla always said.

Tesla might think to guard himself against saboteurs, but an armored walker popping out of the water?

“It will attack without warning one night,” Lilit said. “Then slip away into the ocean again, leaving only wreckage and a mystery. The Americans might never realize what happened.”

“Have you warned Tesla?”

Lilit shook her head. “He’d only blab to the press about it. He can’t afford a private army, after all. And telling the Americans is pointless. They won’t send a battleship to protect one man’s property against a rumor. Especially when that man wants to wage war like some sort of demigod!”

Deryn nodded. Some of the newspapers were already questioning whether Tesla should be allowed to wield such power. After all, if Goliath worked the way he claimed, he could become ruler of the world with the flick of a switch.

“So you want us to help?”

“You’ll be helping yourself.” Lilit turned from the screen. The boxing show had sputtered to a halt, and while the projector was being reloaded, the two nearby girls began to chatter about boys. “The Leviathan is powerful enough to stop a walker, and stealthy enough to lay in wait while Tesla completes his tests. And may I remind you, Mr. Sharp, that his success is entirely in British interests.”

“Aye, true.”

“Can you deliver this message without revealing who gave it to you?”

Deryn nodded. Only the lady boffin had to know. Now that Tesla was off the ship, she would have free rein to order people about again.

“I knew I could count on you.” Lilit smiled. “You’re still in love with Alek, aren’t you?”

Deryn opened her mouth, but behind her the projector began sputtering again, filling the cinema with flickering light. She cleared her throat, her mouth too dry to speak.

“He seems to have grown up a bit,” Lilit said. “Now that he’s got a purpose in life.”

Deryn found her voice. “Aye. He’s convinced himself that he’s destined to end the war. It’s all part of a plan.”

“Ah. So he’s forgotten the most important rule of warfare.”

“Which is…”

“That nothing ever goes to plan. But he finally knows your secret, right?”

Deryn took a sharp breath. She’d forgotten how annoyingly perspicacious Lilit could be. “Aye. It’s made things a bit tricky between us.”

“It shouldn’t. Now you can tell him what you want.”

“Aye, but to do that I’d have to know what I want,” Deryn said.

Part of her wished more than anything to remain here in America with Alek, but that meant throwing away her career. She could take up the lady boffin’s offer of working for the London Zoological Society, or even stay in the Air Service, but there would always be the danger of being found out and losing everything.