Ron Does Stuff

The previous episode had an ominous ending — somewhere out there is a man-made device that could potentially destroy humankind. But that’s not something Aleksander and Deryn have to worry about at the moment as the Leviathan flies off to the Ottoman Empire.

Aleksander is giving Deryn a fencing lesson atop the Leviathan as they make their way to the Ottoman Empire, and it’s funny how Deryn tries to pass off being ~affected~ by Aleksander’s touch and closeness as being tickled.

It’s also during this sparring session that we find out why the Leviathan is headed to the Ottoman Empire. Britain — as colonizers are wont to do — suddenly withheld the Darwinist airship Behemoth from the Ottoman Empire after payment was made since war had broken out between the Darwinist and Clanker fores. The Leviathan is heading to the Ottoman Empire to mend the relationship between the two countries while the Ottoman Empire is still neutral.

The journey doesn’t come without speed bumps. Two German warships attack the Leviathan as it makes its way to the Ottoman Empire, While one of the warships is easily dealt with, the other one is a different matter altogether as it is armed with a Tesla coil. I mean, the characters don’t call it that — the Darwinist officer doesn’t even believe that Clankers would use something so associated with nature like lightning — but anyone my age who’s played Command and Conquer knows that’s a Tesla coil.

Props to the production because that sequence with that Tesla coil was animated so well.

We get confirmation that Tesla is indeed involved in the next scene, when Nora Barlow asks Klopp if the inventor of the lightning machine is Nikola Tesla. However, Tesla isn’t even allied with the Germans at the moment, as he’s in the United States doing research. However, any further discussion about Tesla are cut short as both Aleksander and Volger are summoned to the bridge, where they are told by the captain that England and Austria have declared war against each other and that he will have to ask for instructions of naval command with what to do with the two of them since they refuse to reveal their identities.

The Leviathan doesn’t exactly get a warm welcome once it arrives at Constantinople, as the country’s people are demanding the return of the Behemoth. Inside the Leviathan isn’t any better, since Volger wants Aleksander to think of everyone on the ship as an enemy now that England and Austria are at war. It’s not the ideal situation for Aleksander, who had been enjoying his time on the Leviathan and considers Deryn his friend. Or his domodachi, since I’m watching this dubbed in Japanese.

ALSO DID SOMEONE SAY DOMODACHI

Stream it on Spotify too!

Volger had sent Aleksander a message that they should meet up at 5 in the morning to plan their escape from the Leviathan, but Aleksander encounters a little snag since one of the eggs that Nora Barlow brought with her has hatched and now the perspicacious loris — I remember this from the book — that emerged from it has grown attached to him. Aleksander manages to quiet it down by bringing it with him, and while Volger thought it might impede their escape, it actually doesn’t. It’s the tied-up officer that they left behind that rats on them, and Volger leaves himself behind so that Aleksander and Klopp can escape.