The Secret Crown

by Chris Kuzneski

  He glanced round the grotto, wondering what was going to happen next. All of a sudden, he heard a soft rumble coming from the walls themselves. He glanced up and spotted a large opening in the rock face above him. The outer surface of the hole was glowing red while the interior was light blue. Over the years, Payne had been involved in enough practical jokes to sense when one was being pulled on him. Luckily, he stepped aside a split-second before water came roaring out of the spout, or else he would have been drenched by Ludwig’s waterfall.

  ‘Shoot!’ she yelled from her position behind the boulder. ‘I almost got you!’

  He stuck his hand into the water, imagining how cold it would have felt on his back. ‘You’re lucky you didn’t. Otherwise, you would have gone for a little swim.’

  She laughed as she headed his way. ‘That’s not nice.’

  ‘Neither is luring someone under Niagara Falls.’

  She playfully punched his arm. ‘Oh, please! You can hear the water coming from a mile away. I didn’t think it would actually get you.’

  He stared at her. ‘But you were hoping it did.’

  She giggled softly. ‘Maybe.’

  Jones listened to their banter and rolled his eyes. He didn’t have the tolerance to listen to their flirting. ‘Sorry to bust up your honeymoon, but didn’t you say something about swans?’

  ‘Swans?’ she asked.

  ‘You know, the riddle. The reason we’re here.’

  ‘The riddle!’ she exclaimed. ‘Yes, of course, how silly of me! It’s been a while since I’ve given a tour through the grotto. I guess I got caught up in the excitement.’

  Payne reassured her with a smile. ‘Don’t worry about it.’

  Heidi took a moment to gather her thoughts, then pointed at a golden cockleshell boat that was near a colourful mural which had been painted in a large alcove at the far end of the lake. The mural depicted a scene from Richard Wagner’s opera Tannhäuser, one of Ludwig’s favourites, and looked as though it belonged in a museum, not an artificial cave. As the group walked closer to the painting, Heidi hustled over to the control panel and turned off the wave machine. Although it was an impressive special effect, it was rarely used during regular tours because the ‘fake’ waves eroded the artificial environment like ‘real’ waves on a beach. Then she turned off the waterfall, so they wouldn’t have to shout above the roaring water.

  ‘How much do you know about Lohengrin?’ she asked.

  Ulster answered for the group. ‘I know enough to fill a notebook, whereas they know the basics. I filled them in only yesterday.’

  Payne glanced at him. ‘You did? You better refresh my memory.’

  Ulster nodded. ‘Lohengrin was the son of Percival, one of the Knights of the Round Table. He was sent to rescue a maiden in a far off land. Wagner wrote an opera about him.’

  Payne had a blank look on his face. ‘Go on.’

  ‘He made the journey in a cockleshell boat pulled by a magical swan.’

  Jones laughed at the description. ‘I remember that! Ludwig used to dress up in his costume and prance around the halls of his castle.’

  Payne finally remembered. ‘The Swan Knight.’

  ‘Yes!’ Ulster exclaimed. ‘Ludwig was obsessed with him, which is why Ludwig is often called the Swan King. If you remember, Ludwig even sealed his mysterious correspondence with a black swan. Hence, the black swan letters.’

  Jones grinned. ‘Ludwig going rogue.’

  ‘Actually,’ Heidi said, ‘if you believe the rumours, that’s exactly what Ludwig did. He went rogue. Having bankrupted his personal fortune building places like this, he was forced to turn to outside sources to maintain his standard of living. The money he collected would have been the source of his mythical treasure.’

  Payne nodded. ‘Which leads us to the riddle.’

  Heidi pointed at the elaborate boat. It was elevated just above the waterline by a discreet metal stand to keep it in good shape. Painted gold and shaped like a giant cockleshell, the boat featured carved fish near its base, wooden doves attached to the back of the shell and several strings of dried flowers draped from its edges. Inside was a small padded bench and a single back pillow covered in red velvet. Two wooden oars were affixed to their stands.

  She asked, ‘What’s wrong with this boat?’

  ‘Too many things to name,’ Jones cracked.

  ‘I meant in terms of Ludwig.’

  Jones smiled. ‘In that case, not much. It fits him perfectly.’

  ‘I would agree with you, except for one tiny detail. Do you see it?’

  Payne, Jones, and Ulster stared at the antique boat, trying to figure out what she was alluding to. At first glance, the boat seemed to fit Ludwig’s lifestyle. It was ornate, whimsical and somehow innocent – like something out of a child’s dream. Even the carved figurehead, a naked cupid shooting his bow, seemed appropriate for a man of his ilk.

  Sensing their confusion, Heidi gave them a hint to speed up their search. ‘Think about the boat in terms of the riddle. Where would a swan go on his journey home?’

  A few seconds later, Payne figured it out.

  56

  Payne grinned with pride when he solved the riddle. ‘That’s really clever.’

  ‘What’s really clever?’ Jones asked.

  ‘The riddle. We were thinking about it all wrong.’

  ‘Wait! You figured it out?’

  Payne nodded. ‘Yep, I figured it out.’

  Jones turned towards him. ‘Well?’

  ‘Well, what? Figure it out for yourself.’

  Jones shook his head. ‘You’re so full of shit! You don’t know the answer.’

  Payne raised his right hand. ‘I swear to Ludwig, I figured it out. Like I said, we were thinking about it all wrong.’

  ‘In what sense?’ Ulster asked.

  ‘The swan isn’t the one going home. So stop thinking about nests and lakes. Think about it from a different perspective.’

  Heidi nodded her approval. Until that moment, she wasn’t sure if Payne had actually worked it out. ‘Jon’s right. The “his” in the riddle does not refer to the swan. Someone else is making the journey. Focus on the words. Where would a swan go on his journey home?’

  Jones was getting more and more confused by their clues. ‘Wait! What are you talking about? Who’s making the damn journey?’

  Ulster broke into a wide grin. Thanks to Heidi’s hint, he had solved the riddle. ‘Lohengrin! Lohengrin is making the journey!’

  Jones grimaced at the clue. ‘You mean the Swan Knight? How in the hell am I supposed to know where he’s going? I’m not a travel agent!’

  Payne laughed at Jones’s frustration since he was always bragging about how much smarter he was than Payne. ‘You don’t have to know where the knight is going. That doesn’t matter. The question is, where would the swan go on the knight’s journey?’

  ‘Don’t ask me. I’d never take a bird on a fucking trip.’

  Payne and Ulster laughed so loudly tears formed in their eyes.

  Meanwhile, Heidi managed to bite her tongue and stifle her laughter. Feeling bad for Jones, she put her hands on his shoulders and gently turned him towards the boat. While standing next to him, she simplified the riddle so he could solve it. ‘Lohengrin used to travel in a cockleshell boat pulled by a swan. In that scenario, where would the swan go?’

  Jones shrugged. ‘In the front?’

  ‘Exactly! The swan would go in the front, or else it couldn’t pull the boat.’

  Jones, who was doing his best to ignore Payne and Ulster, pointed at the boat. ‘But I don’t see a swan. I see a fat-ass cupid.’

  She nodded. ‘Which is the problem I mentioned earlier. Why would Ludwig build an exact replica of the Swan Knight’s boat in his private grotto but omit the most important part? He wouldn’t – unless the added feature was more important than a swan.’

  Suddenly excited, Jones turned towards Payne and smacked him in the back of the head. ‘Are you listening
to this?’

  Payne’s laughter stopped immediately. ‘Listening to what?’

  ‘I figured the riddle out yesterday, and you guys made fun of me.’

  Payne stared at him. ‘What are you talking about?’

  Jones refreshed their memories. ‘Petr said Ludwig had hidden the secret document in his gartenhaus, and I said I had done the same thing while crossing the Afghan border. Remember?’

  Payne nodded. ‘What’s your point?’

  Always the showman, Jones used his hands to explain the process. ‘According to Heidi, Ludwig took his secret document and stuffed it right up cupid’s gartenhaus. Probably did it in the dark while listening to opera.’

  She blushed at his description. ‘I never said that.’

  ‘That’s because you’re a lady. But that’s what you meant, right?’

  ‘Not at all! I simply think the document is inside the cherub.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Jones said, still pleading his case, ‘which is what I said yesterday. The secret document is inside the cupid’s – wink, wink – cherub.’

  Payne rolled his eyes at Jones’s antics. His friend would do just about anything to avoid being wrong. ‘As far as I’m concerned, I don’t care who solved the riddle. The only thing that matters is what happens next. How do we retrieve the document?’

  Ulster made a suggestion. ‘Why don’t we pull the boat over and examine it from shore?’

  Heidi shook her head. ‘We can’t. It’s on a metal stand to keep it from rotting.’

  Ulster squatted and stared at the lake. For the first time, he realized the boat was being held just above the surface of the water. ‘Now I feel foolish. I didn’t even notice the stand.’

  ‘No one does,’ she admitted.

  Payne studied the lake. ‘How deep is the water out there?’

  ‘Thigh-high at most. Back in Ludwig’s day, he used to invite opera singers to perform on this side of the grotto. Once they arrived, he made them sing while standing in the water.’

  ‘Why is that?’ Ulster wondered.

  She pointed to the alcove at the far end of the lake. It depicted a scene from one of Wagner’s operas. ‘He used the mural as their backdrop. It helped set the mood for their performance.’

  Ulster chuckled. ‘He really was an interesting chap.’

  ‘Wasn’t he? I’ve been a fan of his for a very long time.’

  Payne cleared his throat to get their attention. ‘As far as I’m concerned, we have two viable options. If you want, I can hop in the lake, rip cupid off the boat, and bring it to shore …’

  She shuddered at the thought. ‘Or?’

  ‘Or you can wade over there and examine it yourself.’

  She shook her head. ‘I vote for option three.’

  ‘Which is?’

  She poked him in the chest. ‘You get in the water, and I climb on your shoulders. Then you walk me over there like a tamed hippopotamus.’

  Jones laughed. ‘I vote for that one.’

  Ulster nodded. ‘Me, too. It’s the chivalrous thing to do.’

  ‘Screw chivalry. I want to see Jon treated like a hippo,’ Jones cracked.

  Payne shrugged. He was more than willing to take one for the team. Before climbing into the lake, he took off his shoes and emptied his pockets. He set everything on the path near a fake stalagmite, then stepped over the safety rail where Heidi was waiting for him.

  ‘How do you want to do this?’ he asked.

  ‘You step in, then I’ll climb on,’ she replied.

  Unsure of the water’s depth, Payne sat on the stone ledge that surrounded the lake and slowly submerged his feet. The water was cold, but bearable. The underwater lights and the reflection of the colourful mural on the rippling surface prevented him from seeing the bottom, but he sensed it wasn’t very deep. Five seconds later, he was sure of it. Hopping in with both feet, the water stopped just above his knees. ‘Now it’s your turn. Climb aboard.’

  ‘Are you sure? The water’s less than three feet deep. I can walk in that.’

  He pointed at the boat. ‘Even if you do, you’re still going to need a lift to examine cupid. The front of the boat is taller than I am.’

  Jones glanced at his watch. ‘Come on, guys. We’re pressed for time.’

  She nodded and climbed onto his shoulders. ‘Don’t let me fall.’

  Payne wrapped his hands around her calves. ‘Don’t worry, I got ya.’

  The boat was sitting ten feet away from the shore, a distance he could cover in a few long strides. On his third step, Payne felt the pinch of an electrical cable under his foot. He was startled by its presence. Until that moment, he hadn’t even considered the possibility of electrocution. Now he couldn’t get it out of his mind. The thought of being fried in an artificial lake wasn’t a pleasant one. For an ex-soldier like Payne, it would be an embarrassing way to go.

  ‘A little further,’ she said as she reached for the statue. ‘Okay, stop!’

  Although she had worked at Linderhof for two years, this was the first time she had ever examined the wooden statue from close range. Approximately two feet in height, the cupid sat perched on the front lip of the boat. His right knee was bent up and his left leg was positioned down, as if he was struggling to balance himself on the choppy lake. He grasped a bow with his left hand and an arrow with his right. His head was tilted slightly in an effort to aim. On his back, he had a pair of wings and a full quiver of arrows. The craftsmanship was truly remarkable.

  ‘What should I do?’ she whispered.

  Payne tried to look up at the statue. When he did, the back of his head dug into her stomach. It felt soft and firm at the exact same time. ‘Sorry, I can’t see anything from down here. How is the statue attached?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Is it nailed in place, or is it screwed on? Maybe you can unscrew it like a hood ornament.’

  She leaned in for a closer look. ‘I’m pretty sure it’s glued. I think I see adhesive.’

  ‘Knock on it. Does it sound solid?’

  Afraid to damage it, she put her ear against it and tapped on it softly. To her, it sounded like a wooden cookie jar. ‘It’s hollow!’

  Payne squeezed her calves in celebration. ‘Great! Now we’re getting somewhere.’

  ‘Now what?’ she demanded.

  Jones called out from shore. ‘Look for a lever or a button.’

  She glanced back at him, confused. ‘What?’

  ‘The boulder outside was held in place by a hidden latch. Maybe cupid has one, too.’

  She smiled. ‘Good idea. Ludwig loved his secrets.’

  The most obvious option was cupid’s arrow since it was aimed directly at her face. She grabbed it and tried to wiggle it, but the arrow held firm. Next she tried to twist his bow. Then she tried his arms and legs. All of them were secure. To examine the back of the statue, she asked Payne if he could move around to the far side of the boat. A few steps later, she was inspecting cupid’s quiver, which was full of arrows. She went through them, one at a time, checking to see if they moved in any way. Unfortunately, they were firmly attached.

  ‘Now what?’ she whispered to Payne. ‘There’s nothing left to do.’

  He tried to look up but couldn’t. ‘Tap on it again. Are you sure it’s hollow?’

  She knocked on it again. She could hear an echo inside. ‘I’m positive.’

  ‘Well,’ he said, ‘I hate to say it, but maybe this statue is like a piggy bank. You have to crack it open to get at the savings.’

  She shook her head. ‘I can’t! I simply can’t! If I’m wrong about this and there’s nothing inside, I’ll never forgive myself. This boat is beloved by Germany. I can’t destroy it.’

  ‘Do you want me to?’ he asked.

  ‘No!’ she exclaimed. ‘I don’t want anyone to destroy it. Come on, guys! We must be missing something. Ludwig was a builder, not a destroyer. We’re not supposed to break this! There has to be another option.’

  The next minut
e was filled with silence. During that time, each of them glanced round the grotto, wondering if they were looking in the right place for Ludwig’s secret document. For all they knew, the swan riddle could have been pointing somewhere else. Perhaps the lake near Neuschwanstein where Ludwig had fed the swans as a child, or the lake where he had been murdered. None of them had even considered that as a possibility. Maybe the treasure was hidden near Lake Starnberg, and Ludwig had been killed while trying to protect it.

  Then again, there was another possibility that none of them were willing to accept. Maybe, just maybe, the treasure was like so many of the things in Ludwig’s life.

  Maybe it was just a fantasy.

  57

  Yesterday’s meeting in Hamburg had clinched a seven-figure deal that Mueller had been working on for weeks, yet he didn’t feel like celebrating when he got back to Berlin. No gourmet meals. No bottles of champagne. No whores or models. And all because of the news from Garmisch-Partenkirchen. That was the effect Kaiser had on his psyche. How could Mueller celebrate when his main rival was doing business in his backyard?

  Short-tempered from lack of sleep, Mueller walked down the marble staircase of his palatial estate and found his assistant waiting near the kitchen. Mueller, who was dressed in silk pyjamas and a designer bathrobe, glared at him, letting the piss-ant know he shouldn’t say a fucking word until he’d had his morning coffee. Mueller poured himself a mug, then took a seat in his breakfast nook. The view through his bulletproofed windows did not brighten his mood. If anything, it made his mood worse since the outside sky was grey.

  Stifling a yawn, Mueller took a sip of coffee. It was black, bitter, and steaming hot – just how he liked it. Maybe the day wouldn’t be a total disaster after all.

  ‘Come here,’ he growled.

  His assistant approached the table with caution. He knew how volatile his boss could be and didn’t want to provoke him. So he stood there, quietly, waiting for further instructions.

  Mueller pointed to the chair across from him. ‘Sit.’

  He did what he was told, while remaining silent.

  ‘Now speak.’

  He opened a folder and glanced at his notes inside. ‘Here’s the latest from Garmisch. Krueger’s body showed up early this morning in the Partnach River. It was discovered in the gorge, not far from one of his associates. Their bodies got hung up on some rocks and were discovered by the police.’