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"Yes, a different uncle," Alek said "I’er brother He lasted only three years in Mexico, I’m afraid Then they shot hirave," Hearst said, blowing on the tip of his cigar "Toss so"

"Ah, yes, perhaps" Alek tried not to show his astonish

"The eer said "It was a le so between Alek and Count Volger "Make sure to get some shots of His Majesty on Mexican soil"

"I shall indeed, sir," said Mr Francis, who had been introduced to Alek as the head of Hearst’s newsreel co lady reporter and a few ca to New York on the Leviathan

"We shall cooperate in any way possible," Captain Hobbes said, saluting Mr Francis with his glass

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"Well, enough of politics," Mr Hearst said "It’s ti’s entertainment!"

At this command the waiters swooped in and plucked the last dishes from the table The electrikal flames in the chandeliers flickered out, and the tapestry on the wall behind Alek slid away, revealing an expanse of silvery white fabric

"What’s going on?" Alek whispered to Mr Francis

"We’re about to see Mr Hearst’s latest obsession Possibly one of the bestpictures ever made"

"Well, it will certainly be the best I’ve ever seen," Alekhis chair to face the screen His father had forbidden all such entertainments in their home, and public theaters had of course been out of the question Alek had to admit he was curious to see what all the fuss was about

Two men in white coats wheeled ait at the screen It looked rather like the -picture cale eye in front As it whirred to life, a flickering bea the screen with dark squiggles Then words materialized

The Perils of Pauline, said the shuddering white letters, which lingered long enough that a child of five could have read theotype of Hearst-Pathe pictures followed, the projector carving its shape into the cigar s through fog

The actors appeared at last, hopping about nize that the actress sitting beside Dr Barloas Pauline herself In person she’d been quite pretty, but the glihoul, her large eyes bruised with dark es reminded Alek of the shadow-puppet shows that he and Deryn had seen in Istanbul But those crisp black shadows had been elegant and graceful, their outlines sharp This rays and uncertain boundaries, too ht shoas intriguing the perspicacious lorises, though Bovril ake and watching, and the eyes of Dr Barlow’s beast glowed, unblinking in the darkness

On-screen the characters kissed, played tennis in absurd striped jackets, and waved their hands at one another The scenes were punctuated by words explaining the story, which was also so of a mess - blackmail, fatal diseases, and deceitful servants All quite dreadful, but so heiress ould inherit a fortune once she married, but anted to see the world and have adventures before settling down

She was a bit like Deryn, resourceful and fearless, though thanks to her wealth she didn’t have to pretend to be a boy By odd coincidence her first adventure was an ascent in a hydrogen balloon, and events unfolded just as Deryn had described her first day in the Air Service - a young woman set adrift all alone, with only her wits, some rope, and a few sacks of ballast to save herself

"DINNER WITH PAULINE"

Without a hint of panic, Pauline threw the balloon’s anchor over the side and set to cli Deryn in her place Suddenly the jittering ies of a good book The balloon sailed past a steep cliff, and the heroine leapt onto the rocky slant and began to scra fro

Then suddenly thewhite, the fil like windup toys set loose The electrikal chandeliers sparked back to life overhead

Alek turned to Mr Hearst "But surely that isn’t the end! What happens next?"

"That’s e call a ’cliff-hanger,’ for obvious reasons" Hearst laughed "We leave Pauline in big trouble at the end of every installment - tied to some train tracks, say, or in a runaalker Makes the audience come back for !"

"Cliff-hanger," Bovril said with a chortle

"Most ingenious," Alek said, though in fact it see an audience wait for a conclusion that would never come

"One of my better ideas!" Hearst said "A whole neay to tell stories!"

"Only as old as The Thousand and One Nights," Volger muttered

Alek s picture had possessed a ht Or perhaps it was only his- since he’d cracked his head, the boundaries between reality and fancy had been uncertain

"Bet you two can’t wait till you see yourselves up on the screen!" Hearst said, reaching out to take Alek and Mr Tesla by their shoulders