dear, it’s far too early to tell. But if he did, wouldn’t that be exciting?’
Payne cleared his throat. The sound was so loud it echoed in the room. ‘Pardon me for interrupting, but what in the hell are you talking about?’
Jones nodded in agreement. ‘I heard Heimlich manoeuvre and Camelot. Everything in between was gibberish.’
Ulster laughed. ‘Actually, I said Geheimes Hausarchiv, not Heimlich manoeuvre, but I get your point. You’d like me to explain.’
Jones sighed. ‘That would be nice.’
Ulster gathered his thoughts. ‘During the past few days, you’ve undoubtedly heard enough stories about Ludwig to grasp the basic philosophy of his life. Whether it was the costumes he wore, the castles he built or the fantasies he created, he did whatever he could to escape reality. As early as 1868 - a mere four years into his reign - Ludwig started searching for a way out. At first, he masked his sorrows with music and architecture. He worked on preliminary designs for Neuschwanstein and added the opulent Winter Garden on the roof of the Residenz Palace. In addition, he became a major patron of the arts, sponsoring composer Richard Wagner and building elaborate theatres. Through it all, he remained unhappy because he was unable to break away from the one thing he despised the most.’
‘What was that?’ Payne asked.
‘Bavaria.’
Heidi clarified Ulster’s statement. ‘More accurately, Ludwig hated the politics of Bavaria and the pressure of being its king, not the country itself. According to his journals, he loved the woods and the mountains of his homeland but was never fully able to enjoy them because someone was always looking over his shoulder - whether that was his advisors, his cabinet or his rivals. During his early twenties, he had to deal with the Seven Weeks’ War between Austria and Prussia, the war with France in 1870 and the foundation of the German Empire, which took away Bavaria’s status as an independent kingdom. That would be a lot for anyone to handle.’
Ulster nodded. ‘That last event in particular had a profound effect on Ludwig’s psyche. The kings he admired the most, both historical and mythological, were sovereign rulers who answered to no one. They had the autonomous authority to build their kingdoms as they saw fit, which was a power Ludwig never enjoyed. He always had to answer to someone.’
Payne shone his flashlight on the rear wall and stared at the letters addressed to Loher. They had been mailed from all over the world. ‘Where do those fit in?’
Ulster explained. ‘Remember that crazy story I told you about Ludwig’s staff? How he sent his butler and cooks to rob a bank in Frankfurt when he was turned down for a loan?’
Payne laughed. ‘How could I possibly forget?’
‘Well, robbing a bank is nothing compared to his task for Franz von Loher, who was the director of the state archives in Munich.’
‘What did Ludwig ask him to do? Forge some paperwork?’
Ulster shook his head. ‘Ludwig asked him to start a new country.’
64
Payne stared at Ulster in the semi-darkness of the room, trying to decide if he was serious. Based on their years of friendship, he knew Ulster didn’t joke about historical data. Yet there was something so ludicrous about Ulster’s statement Payne found himself doubting what he had heard. ‘Loher was supposed to start a new country?’
Ulster grinned. ‘I thought that would get your attention.’
Jones chirped in. ‘How does someone do that? Because I would love to start one. It would be like the Playboy Mansion, but with even less clothes.’
Payne ignored the joke and focused on Ulster. ‘Back in Ludwig’s day, was something like that possible? Or was this just another pipe dream?’
Ulster shrugged. ‘Historians have been debating that for years. Obviously, it would have been preposterous for a normal citizen to plant a flag in the ground and start a new country because no one would have recognized his autonomy, but someone with Ludwig’s clout might have made it work. After all, he was beloved in Europe and known round the globe. That gave him a reasonable chance to pull it off.’
Payne pointed at the letters on the wall. ‘And Loher was his ambassador?’
Ulster nodded. ‘Ludwig had always been enamoured of the concept of building the perfect kingdom on the perfect tract of land. He thought if he couldn’t make Bavaria live up to his high ideals, then he would start again somewhere new. It would give him the chance to rule a country as he saw fit - even if there