The last kingdom, p.30
The Last Kingdom, page 30
He stepped away from the cabinet to the writing table and lifted the heavy straight-backed chair that sat to one side. He brought it over and used it to gain height and study the carved ornamentation from above. The top was loaded with intricate filigree, crosses, and towers, along with, lo and behold, two doves. One left of center, the other to the right. Both carved of oak, perched with their long necks high and straight. Invisible, unless you stood high.
He reached over and touched them. Both rotated freely on a center axis with no resistance. Round and round, squeaking ever so slightly. He stepped off the chair and stared at the numbered drawers.
1 to 32.
And ran through the possibilities.
1. 88. 6?
18. 86?
188. 6?
None of those worked. But 18. 8. 6? That made sense. In fact, it was the only combination that did, given the double eights in the middle of the other four. He opened the drawers marked with those numbers. All three were empty. But what had he expected? Think. The seer and dove offer help from above. The same guy who made this cabinet also made the desk with the two hidden compartments at Herrenchiemsee.
He stepped back onto the oak chair and grabbed a dove with each hand. Immediately he noticed that they no longer spun freely. Both were stationary with just the tiniest of wiggle room. He twisted left and right. Nothing. Only one direction left. So he pulled them upward. They came free of the oak top, each attached to an iron bar that groaned as it became more exposed. At about six inches there was no more rod and he heard a click.
A panel in the lower left side of the cabinet opened.
The others saw it, too, and came close.
Cotton stepped down.
“I’ll be damned,” Koger said. “You found it.”
Chapter 66
STEFAN FOLLOWED HIS BROTHER AS THEY CAREFULLY MADE THEIR WAY across a graveled path that led to the Marienbrücke. Normally, on a summer’s night, people would be everywhere, the line to walk across the Queen Mary’s Bridge long, since it offered the best spot for photos of Neuschwanstein. The bridge itself dated to Ludwig’s time, named for his mother, still sporting its original railing and largely unaltered arches. But tonight no one was around, the bridge unlit, stretching unseen in the wintery darkness.
“Remember when we came with Father,” Albert said.
He did.
Albert was twenty-five, attending university. He was a boy, not even yet a teenager. Their father had brought them south to the mountains in the only journey they all three had ever taken together. It had been his first visit to Neuschwanstein, which they’d toured one evening privately, without tourists. He’d been amazed at the intricate woodworking and the array of color from the gilding and countless murals. The grotto had really intrigued him. Set near the king’s study, it was an artificial dripstone cave with wondrous colored lighting, all made of papier-mâché to resemble icicles and stalactites, even a real stream of water splashed down from the make-believe rocks. It had all seemed so unreal. So magical. Looking back, that was perhaps the first time he thought of himself as royalty.
Now he may become king.
Albert stepped from the rocky ground onto the metal span, the grates thick with fresh snow. Easy to see why visitors were not allowed this time of year. Together they walked about halfway across its thirty-five meters of length, ending about where they’d stood with their father all those years ago. Ninety meters below was the Pöllat gorge, its raging water from the mountains unfrozen and crashing down in a steady thunder. A stinging draft of icy air took his breath away and bit the skin through his woolen trousers where unprotected by his overcoat. They stood together, the two highest-ranking members of the Wittelsbach family. Its current number was somewhere around five hundred individuals. Just a small portion lived in Bavaria. Most were spread across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, even the United States. Only his family and Albert were directly supported by the main estate. The rest fended for themselves.
“Ludwig II would have the castle’s rooms lit with twelve hundred candles,” Albert said. “Then he would come right here, and stand over this chasm, gazing for hours at the fairy-tale brilliance he created.”
They stood a few moments in a strained silence.
The chill, though bitter, seemed invigorating.
“What will you do with it?” Albert asked, pointing to the illuminated castle, seemingly floating in the darkness.
“Nothing,” he said.
“I would finish it.”
He was curious. “Why? It generates millions of euros in revenue and provides the people with something to see and appreciate. Just as it is.”
“But it also represents failure. As does Herrenchiemsee. They both require completion. They scream for a period at the end of their sentences. If for nothing else, I would do it simply to validate Ludwig II’s grand dreams.”
He could appreciate that sentiment. “But it would cost hundreds of millions of euros and accomplish little.”
“Really? Think of the result.” Albert pointed at the Neuschwanstein. “That is perhaps the most famous castle in the world. Its design has been replicated and adapted countless times. When it was built all called it folly. But here it is, over a century later, still serving the nation.”
Another true statement.
“It deserves completion.”
He wondered about Albert’s laments. They were unlike him. His brother had always been pragmatic to the point of indifference, collecting his stamps and doing little to nothing of anything else. The family had never mattered to him. So he wanted to know, “Is that your illness talking?”
“No, Stefan. It is the Duke of Bavaria talking.”
He felt vibrations beneath his feet, which signaled someone else was on the bridge. He turned to see two dark forms detach themselves from the shadows and walk toward them.
Then he realized.
“You were expecting them?” he asked Albert.
“I believe you know one of them.”
He waited until the forms drew close.
“Good evening,” Jason Rife said.
He did not know the other man.
“This is my associate, Terry Knight. We came to deal with what’s happening inside the castle.”
“Ming sent you?” he asked Rife, curious.
“No. He”—and Rife pointed to Albert—“sent for me.”
“I had no idea you were connected with my brother.”
“I imagine there’s a lot you have no idea about,” Rife said.
He did not appreciate the rebuke.
“It’s time you know the truth,” his brother said. “About many things.”
They all stood suspended high in the cold night air. Exposed. Vulnerable. But also surprisingly private. Had that been the idea?
“Dear brother,” Albert said, “I think we will, this night, have the deed for das letzte königreich. Once that occurs, I will give that document to Herr Rife, who will then provide it to the Chinese. In return, Berlin will grant Bavaria the opportunity to vote to be free. Which the people will overwhelmingly support. A win for us all.” Albert paused. “Then I will be king.”
He was puzzled. “That will not happen in time for you.”
“But it will, Stefan. For you see, I am not dying. In fact, I am in perfect health. I created that story, with the help of my doctor, to spur you along, for I knew your ambition could be put to good use.”
He was astonished. “You are not ill?”
Albert shook his head. “I manufactured that story so you would be sufficiently motivated. And you were. Just the thought that you might be king was enough for you to do what I could not.”
“You used me?”
Albert chuckled. “Of course I did. I had to know if Ludwig’s tomb was empty. There were stories, entries in the journal that indicated such, but I had to be sure. I also needed that book from Herrenchiemsee. So I made sure certain information came your way. Enough to spur you forward. And you did not disappoint me. You see, brother, I know you all too well.”
He felt the fool.
“Originally, I planned to carry this out much further,” Albert said. “I thought its resolution would take more time. But circumstances have accelerated. More progress has been made, in a short time, than I thought possible. That is good, and it has led us here.”
“What has happened?”
“The CIA did its job,” Rife said, “and solved the mystery.”
“I thought you were ex-CIA, now working with the Chinese.”
“I am. But you gotta admire their get-up-and-go.”
The other guy, Knight, stood silent, never moving. A bit unnerving. In fact, the whole scenario was horribly uncomfortable.
“I’m leaving,” he said.
He turned, but Knight immediately blocked his way.
“No, Stefan,” Albert said. “You are not going anywhere. It is time we come to an understanding.”
Chapter 67
LUKE AND TONI FLED THE BREEZEWAY AND HEADED BACK ONTO a crowded street that stretched past the cathedral’s rear. His eyes were once again accustomed to the gloom. The time was approaching six-thirty and Munich was alive with its nightly Christmas activities. The streets overflowed with people radiant with joy. He could hear the music and crowds from a few blocks away where the main market stretched for over a mile. He’d passed through it many times over the past week, coming and going on the prince’s business, never really taking things in. Now it offered the perfect place to disappear among the thousands who would surely be there.
“Let’s get to the market,” he said, glancing back and seeing the police emerge from the breezeway, searching ahead. One caught sight of them and pointed. “And fast.”
They shouldered through the pedestrians and turned a corner, breaking into a run down the middle of the pavement, as traffic was not allowed. The street emptied into the main thrust of revelers, all enjoying the craft stalls, food vendors, and glühwein sellers. Festive music rose above the noise. Some nearby brass horns. He looked back and saw the police were still coming and he recalled an old adage his father told him right after he obtained his driver’s license. You can’t outrun their radios, son. Not that he hadn’t tried a few times. But his father had been right. He never once escaped them.
“Any ideas?” he asked Toni as they kept moving.
“Head for the Marienplatz. It should be packed.”
They turned left and followed the flow toward the central square that extended out from the old town hall, where they’d ended up late last night, long after the people had all gone home. At this early evening hour it was a sea of activity, all of the booths open for business. A triangle of an evergreen, festooned with lights and decorations, rose thirty feet. The source of the music came from a stage near the town hall.
He stopped. “I get the feeling we’re being herded.”
“I agree. Those cops are not pursuing us like they should.”
He recalled from last night that there were a myriad of ways into and out of the plaza, side streets and alleys. Which not only offered them choices but also provided the police with just as many opportunities. Several thousand people engulfed them enjoying the lively market, but he felt extremely exposed.
“If we start to leave, they’re going to be waiting for us,” he said. “Just like they were back at the cathedral.” He told her about his suspicions. “Fenn had to know that Christophe was working with the prince. He sent us there to get arrested, or worse—which happened to Christophe.”
The guy had been a bit of an asshole, but he’d not wanted to see him dead.
“Does Fenn know about you?” she asked. “Or me?”
“Hard to say. I just met the man today. But it’s way too much of a coincidence that we were both sent with Christophe.”
“That would mean the prince and this man Fenn are working together.”
“I know. It makes no sense. But there’s no tellin’ where anyone’s allegiance lies. Until they show themselves.”
“Does that include me?”
Her windswept curly hair billowed about, her cold chin tucked into the collar of her wool coat.
“How about present company excepted.”
She smiled. “I’ll take that.”
Luke scanned the crowd, hard to see much beyond the press of bodies. So he stepped over to another concrete planter and hopped up, gaining three feet in height. Which helped. In the bright lights that illuminated the square he caught sight of uniformed officers entering the plaza on the far side and fanning out. He already knew there were police behind them.
He hopped down. “We’ve got lots of company coming this way.”
“Then let’s enlist the crowd.”
He caught the twinkle in her eye and agreed.
Why not?
* * *
STEFAN WAS TRAPPED, HIS MIND IN TURMOIL, HIS THOUGHTS uncharacteristically paralyzed with apprehension. But there was nothing he could do other than play this out and show no weakness. So he turned back from Knight, who still blocked his way to leave.
“You have always been impetuous,” Albert said. “Lots of hotheadedness, temper, and tantrums. Brooding and hatching one impractical scheme after another. There is simply nothing new, nothing unexpected, nothing to discover about you. But I am curious, what made you think you could ever be king?”
“You did.”
“Ja, I did. But before I revealed myself. What were you thinking?”
He stiffened his spine and stood tall. “I thought I was the only Wittelsbach with a backbone. You cared only for your stamps and your next meal. I wanted more for Bavaria.”
“No, Stefan. You wanted more for you.”
“I don’t make any secret of the fact that I would like to be king. Who wouldn’t? Other than you.”
“But I do want it. Very much, in fact. Which is why I have worked so hard to spur you along. Do you really think you would be a good king?”
“Of course. Better than you.”
“That’s where you are wrong. Being a king takes more than the desire to be one. It takes competence. Intelligence. And, above all, patience. This country will face enormous challenges once it votes to be free. The economy will be challenged. People will expect a high level of services. We will have to take our place among the world’s nations. I have thought about those challenges for a long time. Have you, Stefan? Have you given a single thought to anything, other than your coronation?”
He resented the condescending remarks. “Go to hell, Albert.” He faced Rife. “What was all that talk about at the embassy? All the plans. What you wanted me to do. More for show?”
“Not exactly. At that moment we needed you to keep moving forward as a necessary distraction. But my old pals at the CIA have worked fast. They are inside that castle, right now, solving the puzzle.”
“They have the deed?”
“Maybe,” Albert said. “But, at a minimum, they will point the way. Now it is time.”
“For what?” he asked.
“For you to cease all your efforts. For me to take charge. I promised Father on his deathbed that I would succeed, where all others failed, and bring Bavaria back to the family. I have been patiently waiting and waiting for the world to change.”
A curious statement.
“That deed Ludwig II managed to obtain, one that granted him ownership of the obscure Hawaiian Islands, was meaningless in 1881. Those islands lay thousands of kilometers away in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, only important to the United States and Great Britain. Bavaria and Germany were more concerned with European domination, and tried twice to conquer the entire continent. But they failed, and the deed was nearly forgotten.”
“Not by our family,” Stefan declared.
“True. Our great-grandfather Ludwig III seemed quite interested in it. But our grandfather and father always thought it was an interest coupled only with a desire to preserve our legacy past the ruins of the First World War. He wanted the family to survive. He wanted our memory to be preserved. Revolution had taken over. People wanted to erase the past. So he secluded away the remains of Ludwig II, and his brother, Otto, along with much of our family’s heritage. What that may include is hard to say. Father always thought the deed was there, waiting for us. Officially, we say that most everything the Wittelsbachs had disappeared when the kingdom fell in 1918. Stolen or plundered. But that is a lie. Much was deliberately hidden away.”
“By who?”
“The Guglmänner accomplished the task.”
That shocked him. “They were involved?”
“They have always been loyal to Bavaria and to us so, yes, they were definitely involved. They carried out Ludwig III’s express wishes, and in the chaos of the Great War and Revolution that followed, it was easy for them to accomplish the job. But the secret of where died with the precious few who knew the location. That happens when secrets are actually respected. Through the decades only bits and pieces of where to look survived. We knew some. The black hoods knew some. Others knew some. But no one knew it all, so no one could seriously search.”
“Until the Nazis,” he said.
“Quite correct. They tried but, along with everything else they attempted, failed. The Americans tried for a time too. But they also failed. Much of that is thanks to our grandfather, who would not allow the secret to be discovered. Eventually, Hawaii became the fiftieth state of America, and nobody gave that deed a thought until I learned something quite by accident.”
Stefan knew. “Rare earths?”
“That’s right,” Albert said. “The Chinese want control of those nodules lying off the coast of Hawaii. And they’re willing to seriously bargain to get them. They were our leverage with the Germans. But Herr Rife, here, offered me a quicker, faster way to results. The Chinese prefer to deal with him. So we are adjusting matters.”
“The Chinese set me up?”
“No, Stefan. Your arrogance and pride set you up. We all simply took advantage of those. Thankfully, the Germans need the Chinese and we need the Germans. In the end, the Bavarian people will decide if they want their country and king back. But I am certain they do.”
