LJ poured them both another large malt whisky, got up and started pacing the office, pondering in silence. A moment later, he came back to the sofa and sat down again, before saying, “Are you positive that nobody could accidentally find this place. You told me that the rocks, which covered the entrance to the tunnel, had been shifted during the storm. Is it possible that another diver could also find it, just like you did?”
“As I’ve already pointed out, nobody would ever, under normal conditions, dive in that area. It’s claimed far too many lives, LJ.”
“Yes, but my point is, old son. Would it be possible to get back down there?”
“Well I suppose so, only a hardened and experienced diver would stand the remotest chance of surviving those waters. Firstly, he or she would have to make sure that they weren’t smashed against the jagged slabs of granite that hide just beneath the surface of the water. Then there are the extreme tidal movements of course; they change in the blink of an eye. And finally, there is the swim back up the tunnel against that fresh water flow that comes from inside the cavern. I almost had to give up; it was so strong, even under the calm conditions that prevailed there this morning. I’d say, that you would have to be exceptionally lucky to make it back to where that U-boat is.”
“There’s always someone, Nat, you know that as well as I do.” LJ sat there looking up at the ceiling for a moment then said, “I would like a friend of mine to cast his eye over what we have here, would you mind?”
“No, of course I don’t mind. You know I trust your judgement, but can he be trusted, not to go straight to the press and blab?”
“I would trust him, just the same as would I trust you, Nat. With my life.”
“So what’s his name and what does he do, this other friend of yours?” Nathan asked, a little agitated by LJ’s eagerness to now involve someone from outside.
“Professor Oliver Asquith, or to give him his correct title, Lord Bartholomew, Oliver, Asquith. He’s a very eccentric British Philanthropist and one of this country’s most prominent Archaeologists in the field of Middle Eastern antiquities. Works over at the British Museum. That is, when he’s not flying around the world after the next great discovery. I’ve known him for many years. He might have some ideas.”
“Well if you think that he might be able to help?”
“Oh he’ll be able to help, of that I’m sure. This sort of thing is right up his street, old son.”
“Okay,” Nathan said. “But the exact location stays with me.”
“Look, Nat. That’s fine by me. You will of course, come along to meet him?”
“Would you mind awfully, if I said no? Only, I’ve been on the go all day, and to tell you the truth, I’m exhausted and could do with a nap. Recharge the old batteries for an hour or so.”
“I’ll get young Roberts, to take you round to the apartment. Have a bath and a sleep old son. I’ll go and see Oliver Asquith. Say, I collect you around eight-thirty, for dinner at nine at the Ritz Grill. How does that sound?”
“Sounds perfect. But I insist that dinner is on me, and that is non-negotiable.”
LJ looked up Oliver Asquith’s personal number at the British Museum, and was speaking to him at once. “Oliver, LJ here.”
“My dear chap, seems like years since we last spoke.” LJ came straight to the point. “Oliver, I have something that I think you should take a look at, tonight if possible. A rather amazing discovery has been made. Look I don’t want to talk over the phone, but it really is imperative that I see you immediately, old son.”
Asquith remained as urbane as ever. “Can you come over now? Only I’ve got a dinner engagement at ninethirty.” “This will only take up half an hour of your time, Oliver.”
“Well, I’ll be at the museum for another hour. I’ll have security show you down”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
Professor Asquith was sat at a workbench, peering through a magnifying glass at something held in pincer like clamps at the end of two long arms. At the age of sixty-one, he still had a round almost boyish looking face, with dark blue eyes and greying fair hair. After a lifetime of good living he now carried too much weight and had a physique that showed it. He’d never had to pine for the material things in life as his family had owned a couple of small banks. These had been absorbed into a bigger banking complex, and that into another, so that now his shares were worth more money than he needed for his very British eccentric lifestyle. Edward Levenson-Jones was sitting opposite the archaeologist, on the other side of the long metal table. When the door to the laboratory opened, and a graduate student came in. He assisted Asquith with the research and dating of artefacts, that were sent to the museum came in. But, on this occasion, he’d brought with him a tray containing two cups of strong black coffee. After he’d left, Asquith picked up his cup, and sipped at the hot black liquid, before continuing to read the letter from Grossadmiral Karl Donitz. Finally he put it down, and looked up over the top of his spectacles. “Intriguing, isn’t it?”
“You believe it could be true then?”
“The Spear of Destiny? Good God yes. The U-boat, well I mean you obviously don’t think that your friend
Commander Cunningham is playing some sort of elaborate hoax or simply looking to spice up his life down in Jersey?” “Absolutely not. We shared a room at University, and then worked together on many assignments while I was at MI5. He retired from the Navy with full military honours, and then went on to build a construction empire which he sold shortly after his wife died. That’s when he moved down to Jersey. Oh, and he’s a millionaire ten times over.”
“But he won’t tell you the exact location?” “Oh, I think that’s understandable, don’t you? Given the enormity of his discovery.” LJ smiled. “But have no fear, he’ll tell me soon enough. In the meantime; the question is
Professor, what should we do with it?”
“Well, the right thing to do, is to simply hand the whole thing over to MI5, or the Ministry of Defence, Edward. Although, they are likely to treat the whole thing as a hoax, and immediately file it for all eternity. Alternatively, Ferran & Cardini could simply investigate the mystery as a private matter on behalf of Nathan Cunningham.” “You’re right of course, handing it over will raise nothing more than a few eyebrows at a funding committee meeting. And, after a number of negative grunts the case we will most certainly be filed under, ‘no further action’.
Once that happens, we’ll never know why that U-boat was sent there by Himmler and Donitz; or why it was carrying a priceless religious artefact, that was so important to Adolf
Hitler. No, there’s more to this, than just the spear? What else did Hitler own and value?”
“Gold Bullion, and he had lots of it too.” “Yes, Gold Bullion,” LJ said enthusiastically, adding.
“The Nazis went to a lot of trouble to hide the sub in that cavern. But why use Jersey, and I would bet on the fact that the cavern wasn’t just created for the sole purpose of parking that submarine. What were they really up to, that’s the question?”
“Perhaps that was the reason for Himmler and
Donitz to be involved. But even so, the Spear of Destiny would certainly have warranted such secrecy because of the myth surrounding it. Did you know that Napoleon once attempted to seize the spear after the Battle of Austerlitz?