Goliath (49 page)

The most important departures from history in this series, of course, lie not in these details, nor even in my fantastical technologies. The greatest changes are in the course of the war itself. In the real world, with no airship
Leviathan
to visit Istanbul, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central (“Clanker”) Powers and cut off Russian food supplies. The long and bloody battle of Gallipoli failed to force The Straits, and the vigor of the Russian army was blunted. And of course there was no German attack on Shoreham, New York, so the United States remained neutral for three more years. In the meantime the war ground down into a horrific stalemate, and by its end Europe lay in ruins, setting the stage for the horrors of a second world war to follow.

At the end of
Goliath
, however, my fictional Great War would seem to be drawing to a close. The Germans have fewer allies and stronger enemies, mostly thanks to the brave officers and crew of the
Leviathan
. Europe may well emerge from this war less devastated than in our world, and therefore less vulnerable to worse tragedies
to come. It’s only too bad that Alek and Deryn have no way of seeing into our history and knowing how great a difference they made.

But then again, at the moment they have better things to do.