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"Don’t you miss me too,walked at regular intervals Mr Newkirk has proven quite unreliable"

"Sorry to hear that, ot my duties as well as his own," Deryn said, then frowned There wasn’t , now that her career was over "Have you never thought of walking Tazza yourself?"

Dr Barlow’s eyes widened a bit "What an odd suggestion"

"Mighty unsavory," her loris said

"Poor beastie" Deryn stroked the thylacine’s head "Well, send Mr Newkirk round, and I’ll tell hi," Bovril chuckled

"Such language, Mr Sharp!" Dr Barlow exclaiht?"

Deryn stared down at her leg Her uniform fit over the compress, but a lump was still visible "The cut on my arm’s fine, but Dr Busk isn’t sure about my knee"

"So he’s toldfor Tazza to return to her "If you’ve torn the liga the ratlinesbehind her eyes Not that she would be let near any ratlines, once the officers knew she was a girl But it still hurt to think that her ht, after all What if she couldn’t be an airman anymore?

"Dr Busk isn’t sure about that yet, ma’am"

"No, he is not But with misfortune may come opportunity"

"Pardon, an to inspect the cabin, sliding a white-gloved fingertip along the ork "Over these past two months you have proven yourself useful, Mr Sharp You’re quite handy in unpleasant situations, and most adept at i in your sickbed, a certain knack for diploht of serving the British E about on an airbeast tying knots?"

Deryn rolled her eyes "It’s a bitseen your talents firsthand, I cannot disagree" The lady boffin turned to Deryn and smiled "But if you accept urative ones, of course - can be even "

"Your offer, ma’a you a position, Mr Sharp One outside the confines of the Air Service Though I assure you, a certain amount of airship travel will be involved"

"A position, Mr Sharp," her loris said, and Bovrilnoise

Deryn leaned back into her pillows Quite suddenly the buzz behind her kneecap had redoubled "But what sort of position? You’re thehead keeper of the London Zoo, aren’t you?"

"Zookeeper, fah!" Dr Barlow’s beastie said

"That is my title, Mr Sharp But were you under the iical in nature?"

"Er, I suppose not, ma’am" It occurred to Deryn that she had no idea what Dr Barlow’s real position was, except that it involved ordering people about and acting superior She was the great fabricator’s granddaughter, of course, and had been able to requisition the Leviathan right in thewar

"Do you work for anyone in particular, ma’am? Like the Adical Society of London is not a govern, a scientific charity" Dr Barlow sat down again, and began to stroke Tazza’s head "But zoology is the backbone of our eh station Collectively, we are a force to be reckoned with"

"Aye, I’ve noticed that" The lady boffin had practically run the ship, until Mr Tesla had co of superweapons "But what sort of position would your Society have for me? I’m no boffin"

"Indeed not, but you seem a quick study And there are times when my scientific work takes by likes to say, quite lively" Dr Barlow smiled "At those tiht be useful"

"Oh?" Deryn narrowed her eyes "How personal an assistant, ma’am?"

"You would hardly be aze about the cabin "Though I see you are in need of one yourself">

Deryn rolled her eyes It was barking hard keeping things tidy when you weren’t allowed to stand up But this position looked like a chance to escape prison - or worse, being sent back to Glasgow and stuffed into skirts

"That sounds agreeable, ma’aivings?"

"No, ma’a you don’t know about me"

"Do tell, Mr Sharp"

"Do tell," her loris said "Mr Sharp"

Deryn closed her eyes, deciding to blazes with it all

"I’irl"

When Deryn opened her eyes, the lady boffin was staring at her with no change of expression

"Indeed," she said

Deryn’sknow?"

"I had no idea at all But I hed, staring out the"Though on this occasion it is proving rather irl, you say? And you’re quite certain?"

"Aye" Deryn shrugged "Head to toe"

"Well, I must say this is extraordinary And somewhat unexpected"