- Alek and crew arrive at an isolated old castle in the Swiss Alps, which Volger tells him he and Alek's father outfitted as a hiding place in case Alek ever needed it.
- Inside they find enough supplies to last years, and Volger says they will hide out until the end of the war—which could actually take years.
- As the others unpack and set up a living space, Alek reminds Volger that he said he would reveal his big secrets once they reached Switzerland.
- Alek and Volger climb into an abandoned tower—abandoned towers are great for revealing secrets—and Volger tells him that the pope has declared Alek his father's true heir.
- Because his parents are dead, Alek is now first in line to the throne of Austria-Hungary.
- The one condition—because there's always a condition—of the pope's declaration is that Alek keep his claim a secret until the Emperor, his granduncle, dies. Which means waiting out the war in an abandoned castle in the Alps.
- This does not make Alek very happy.
- Fortunately, he hears something that distracts him: the sound of engines. And he sees a huge mass flying through the air.