Flies East AU? *pricks up ears* Anything that involves Biggles, EvS perhaps in one of his disguises, horses and deserts sounds like a truly excellent idea.

Biggles's horse objects to being treated like an airplane! EvS manages not to fall off laughing, just about.

Given Prussian duelling culture pre-WW1, the odds are the EvS knows exactly how to fight with a sword.