Corpus Christi on Saint John’s Day,
All the world will weep.
The group pondered the quatrain for several seconds, trying to decipher its meaning. Even though Ludwig’s name wasn’t mentioned, they knew the verse could have been written about his death. Or not. That was the problem with most of Nostradamus’s prophecies; they could be interpreted in a number of different ways. Of course, that was also part of their allure.
Heidi spoke first. ‘Have those events ever occurred in the same year?’
‘It’s happened once. The year was 1886.’
She grinned. ‘The year Ludwig was murdered.’
Hauser nodded. ‘For two decades, Ludwig feared the approach of 1886 like a sailor watching an approaching storm. In his heart, he knew he wouldn’t survive that ill-fated year no matter what he did. Somehow that gave him the courage to finish his dream of creating a kingdom across the sea. Ironically, it was his pursuit of that dream that ultimately got him killed.’
Ulster frowned at the irony. ‘His cabinet found out?’
Hauser nodded again. ‘First Ludwig was arrested, then they silenced him for ever. The Bavarian government proclaimed its innocence in the whole affair, but I know the truth. Everyone who was living in Munich back then knows what happened. They murdered our king.’
Jones did the maths in his head. ‘Wait. You’re not that old … are you?’
The old man laughed. ‘Sometimes I feel like I am, but all of this occurred three decades before I was born. It was my grandfather, not me, who lived during Ludwig’s reign. When I was a young man, he told me about Ludwig’s life, and death, so I could pass the story on to future generations. It had a great impact coming from my grandfather, since he actually knew the king.’
Heidi stared in amazement. She was talking to someone who had second-hand knowledge about Ludwig. ‘Your grandfather knew him?’
Hauser nodded. ‘They worked together. Over a period of six months, they met more than a dozen times to discuss the item’s design. I’m sure you have heard rumours about Ludwig’s controlling manner. According to my grandfather, the rumours were quite accurate. Everything had to be perfect. Then again, for something this important, I can understand why.’
Payne didn’t want to be rude, but his curiosity was starting to get the best of him. The crate was sitting on the floor, a mere five feet away, yet he didn’t know what was inside. ‘Sir, you keep mentioning the item and talking about its importance, but none of us know what it is. If it’s okay with you, we’d love to know what’s inside the crate. It might help us understand.’
The old man smiled sheepishly. The item had been in his family for so long, he was having trouble letting go. Still, he knew it had to be done. Tears filled his eyes as he thought about the three men - his father, his grandfather and Conrad Ulster - who had protected the item before him. Selfishly, he wanted his son to be a part of the process, even if his duty was symbolic in nature. ‘Friedrich, it is time. Please remove the item and hand it to Petr. After all these years, that only seems fitting. The item is being passed from our family to yours.’
His son picked up the crate and placed it on a counter behind him. The lid had been nailed shut, so it would take a moment to pry it off. While he worked, his father filled the silence.
‘If you look past his quirks and all the rumours, Ludwig was nothing more than an idealist. It was the main reason he tried to leave Bavaria. He wanted the opportunity to create a perfect kingdom, one that he would be proud of. Some rulers would have started with a code of laws or a new system of government, but Ludwig was bored by bureaucracy. Instead, he focused his attention on the arts, for that was the one thing he was passionate about.’
The crate creaked behind him as his son worked on the lid.
‘Ludwig started with the basics, several years before his death. First, he designed his country’s flag, which featured an image he had drawn himself: an elaborate black swan. Then he contacted Richard Wagner, his favourite composer, and asked him to create a national anthem. Before long, Ludwig had hired Christian Jank and Eduard Riedel, the men responsible for Neuschwanstein, to design the most spectacular castle the world had ever seen. If that wasn’t difficult enough, they were asked to design