Ron Does Stuff

We’re at the penultimate episode of the show! At the end of the previous episode, Aleksandar straight up asked what new technological horror Nikola Tesla has come up with, and Tesla just responds with a smirk. Let’s see what he’s got for us!

Tesla asks Aleksandar and Deryn to go to the top of the building to talk, but Tesla does anything but talk about whatever invention it is he has made. He wants to know what it is exactly that Aleksandar meant when he asked about the new invention during the after party, and since this is the penultimate episode, Aleksandar doesn’t pussyfoot around and asks about Tunguska. Tesla stops jerking Aleksandar around as well and tells him that the Goliath will be shown tomorrow.

That demonstration will be the destruction of an uninhabited island in the Mediterranean, and Tesla intends to use the Goliath as a deterrent to war. Whoever starts a war or continues engaging in it will be targeted for destruction by the Goliath. But as demonstrated by Oppenheimer, this is not going to turn out the way you expect it too.

Deryn doesn’t think this is the way, but Tesla dismisses her, since she isn’t a royal, after all. And as so many people have wisely pointed out before, if someone is rude to the staff, they’re probably not a good person.

Aleksandar gets invited to the Goliath’s demonstration tomorrow, as well as Nora Barlow. Tesla reveals that they’ve been watching their movements since they arrived in New York, and that he also knows the Darwins have been investigating Tunguska. Aleksandar initially agrees to go to the demonstration, but Deryn reminds him that he has “something” to do the next day.

It turns out that Aleksandar doesn’t have anything planned for tomorrow. Deryn just thinks exposing his location would make Aleksandar an easier target for the Germans. It also doesn’t help that Tesla just rubs Deryn the wrong way.

But Aleksandar might not even live to see tomorrow because he gets kidnapped right from under Deryn’s nose when they try to board an elevator back to Nora Barlow. And it turns out that Deryn was right to distrust Tesla as it is his goons that abducted Aleksandar.

At the demonstration the next day, Deryn demands that Tesla reveal where Aleksandar is. He says he doesn’t know, and then we see Aleksandar wake up in a Clanker submarine. Volger enters the room and reveals that he orchestrated Aleksandar’s abduction. He thinks Aleksandar collaborating with the Darwinists is the “lowest depths” and he turned to the Germans so he could fulfill his promise to Aleksandar’s father to ensure the continuity of the Habsburg bloodline. Volger has also told the Germans everything they know so far about Tesla’s machine, and I really need to re-read the books because I don’t remember any of this!

Of course, Aleksandar doesn’t want anything to do with the Germans and attacks the German officer with him and Volger and tells Volger that he’s going to warn the Leviathan about what’s going to happen. But Volger is dead-set on aligning with the Germans and challenges Aleksandar to a duel. And while all of that is happening, Tesla is prepping the Goliath to attack the incoming German vessel. I really do not remember any of this happening in the book!