atlantis.found-第58部分

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　　　　　〃They　certainly　have　a　fetish　for　neatness。〃
　　　　　〃It　carries　down　from　their　German　ancestry。〃
　　　　　Swiftly；　they　removed　their　dive　equipment　and　dry　suits。　The　orange　uniforms　were　pulled　from　their　chest　packs　and　slipped　on　over　their　insulated　underwear。　Next；　they　removed　their　boots　and　replaced　them　with　sneakers。
　　　　　〃I　just　had　a　thought；〃　said　Giordino　apprehensively。
　　　　　〃Yes？〃
　　　　　〃What　if　the　Wolf　personnel　have　names　or　some　kind　of　advertising　on　their　overalls　the　satellite　photos　didn't　pick　up？〃
　　　　　〃That's　not　half　our　problem。〃
　　　　　〃What　can　be　worse？〃
　　　　　〃We're　in　South　America；〃　said　Pitt　mildly。　〃Neither　of　us　can　speak　enough　Spanish　to　ask　directions　to　a　toilet。〃
　　　　　〃I　may　not　be　fluent；　but　I　know　enough　to　fake　it。〃
　　　　　〃Good。　You　do　the　talking；　and　I'll　act　as　though　I　have　a　hearing　disability。〃
　　　　　While　Giordino　studied　the　photo　map　of　the　shipyard；　figuring　the　shortest　path　to　the　Wolf　corporate　offices；　Pitt　dialed　his　Globalstar　phone。
　
　
　　　　　THE　atmosphere　inside　Sandecker's　condominium　at　the　Watergate　was　heavy　with　foreboding。　A　fire　shimmered　in　the　fireplace；　a　warm；　restful　kind　of　fire　that　looked　forting　though　it　didn't　throw　off　a　wave　of　heat。　Three　men　were　seated　on　opposite　sofas　across　a　low　glass　table　holding　a　tray　of　coffee　cups　and　a　half…emptied　pot。　Admiral　Sandecker　and　Ron　Little　sat　and　stared　spellbound　at　an　elderly　man　in　his　middle　eighties　with　snow…white　hair；　who　related　a　story　never　told　before。
　　　　　Admiral　Christian　Hozafel　was　a　former　highly　decorated　officer　in　the　German　Kriegsmarine　during　World　War　II。　He'd　served　as　captain　aboard　U…boats　from　June　1942　until　July　1945；　when　he'd　formally　surrendered　his　boat　in　Veracruz；　Mexico。　After　the　war；　Hozafel　had　bought　a　Liberty　ship　from　the　US。　government　under　the　Marshall　Plan　and　had　parlayed　it　over　the　next　forty　years　into　an　extremely　successful　mercial　shipping　venture；　eventually　selling　his　interest　and　retiring　when　the　Hozafel　Marine　fleet　numbered　thirty…seven　ships。　He'd　bee　a　U。S。　citizen　and　now　lived　in　Seattle；　Washington；　on　a　large　estate　on　Whidbey　Island；　where　he　kept　a　two…hundred…foot　brigantine　that　he　and　his　wife　sailed　throughout　the　world。
　　　　　〃What　you're　saying；〃　said　Little；　〃is　that　the　Russians　did　not　find　the　scorched　remains　of　Hitler's　body　outside　his　bunker　in　Berlin。〃
　　　　　〃No；〃　Hozafel　answered　firmly。　〃There　were　no　scorched　remains。　Adolf　Hitler's　and　Eva　Braun's　bodies　were　burned　over　a　period　of　five　hours。　Gallons　of　gasoline　siphoned　from　wrecked　vehicles　around　the　Reich　Chancellery　were　used　to　douse　the　bodies；　which　were　lying　in　a　crater　that　had　been　blown　in　the　ground　outside　the　bunker　by　a　Soviet　shell。　The　fire　had　been　kept　blazing　until　there　were　only　ashes　and　a　few　tiny　bits　of　bones。　Loyal　SS　officers　had　then　placed　the　ashes　and　bones　in　a　bronze　box。　Nothing　was　left。　Every　bit　of　ash　and　every　scrap　of　bone　was　carefully　swept　up　and　deposited　in　the　box。　Then　the　SS　officers　had　placed　the　badly　charred　and　unrecognizable　bodies　of　a　man　and　woman　who　had　been　killed　during　an　air　raid　in　the　crater；　where　they　were　buried　along　with　Hitler's　dog　Blondi；　who　had　been　forced　to　test　the　cyanide　capsules　later　used　by　Hitler　and　Eva　Braun。〃
　　　　　Sandecker's　eyes　were　fixed　on　Hozafel's　face。　〃These　were　the　bodies　found　by　the　Russians；〃　Sandecker　said。
　　　　　The　old　former　U…boat　mander　nodded。　〃They　later　claimed　that　dental　records　firmly　established　the　identities　of　Hitler　and　Braun；　but　they　knew　better。　For　fifty　years；　the　Russians　carried　out　the　hoax；　while　Stalin　and　other　high　Soviet　officials　thought　Hitler　had　escaped　to　either　Spain　or　Argentina。〃
　　　　　〃What　became　of　the　ashes？〃　asked　Little。
　　　　　〃A　light　airplane　landed　near　the　bunker　amid　the　flames　and　bursting　Soviet　shell　fire　as　Russian　armies　closed　in　on　the　core　of　the　city。　The　minute　the　pilot　had　swung　his　aircraft　around　for　a　fast　takeoff；　SS　officers　rushed　forward　and　placed　the　bronze　box　in　the　cargo　partment。　Without　a　word　of　conversation；　the　pilot　gunned　the　engine　and　the　plane　raced　down　the　runway；　quickly　vanishing　in　the　pall　of　smoke　rising　above　the　city。　The　pilot　refueled　in　Denmark　and　flew　across　the　North　Sea　to　Bergen；　Norway。　There　he　landed　and　turned　over　the　bronze　box　to　Captain　Edmund　Mauer；　who　in　turn　had　the　box　carried　aboard　the　U…621。　Numerous　other　crates　and　boxes　containing　precious　relics　of　the　Nazi　party；　including　the　Holy　Lance　and　the　sacred　Blood　Flag　and　other　prized　art　treasures　of　the　Third　Reich；　were　loaded　aboard　another　submarine；　the　U…2015；　under　the　mand　of　mander　Rudolph　Harger。〃
　　　　　〃This　was　all　part　of　the　plan　conceived　by　Martin　Bormann　and　given　the　code　name　of　New　Destiny；〃　said　Sandecker。
　　　　　Hozafel　looked　at　the　admiral　respectfully。　〃You　are　very　well　informed；　sir。〃
　　　　　〃The　Holy　Lance　and　the　Blood　Flag；〃　Sandecker　pressed　on。　〃They　were　included　in　the　cargo　of　the　U…2015？〃
　　　　　〃Are　you　familiar　with　the　Lance？〃　Hozafel　inquired。
　　　　　〃I　studied　and　wrote　of　the　Lance　as　a　class　project　at　Annapolis；〃　replied　Sandecker。　〃Legends　handed　down　from　the　Bible　claim　that　a　metalsmith　by　the　name　of　Tubal　Cain；　a　direct　descendent　of　Cain；　the　son　of　Adam；　forged　the　Lance　from　the　iron　found　in　a　meteorite　that　was　sent　by　God。　This　was　sometime　before　3000　B。C。　The　sacred　lance　was　passed　down　from　Tubal　Cain　to　Saul；　then　to　David　and　Solomon　and　other　kings　of　Judea。　Eventually；　it　came　into　the　hands　of　the　Roman　conqueror　Julius　Caesar；　who　carried　it　in　battle　against　his　enemies。　Before　he　was　assassinated；　he　gave　it　to　a　centurion　who　had　saved　his　life　during　the　war　with　the　Gauls。　The　son　of　the　centurion　passed　it　on　to　his　son；　who　gave　it　to　his　son；　who　also　served　in　the　Roman　legions　as　a　centurion。　It　was　he　who　stood　on　the　hill　and　watched　as　Christ　was　crucified。　The　law　of　the　land　required　that　all　crucified　criminals　be　declared　dead　before　the　sun　fell　so　they　would　not　defile　the　ing　Sabbath。　The　thieves　on　the　crosses　beside　Jesus　had　their　legs　broken　to　speed　up　their　demise。　But　when　it　was　Jesus'　turn；　they　found　that　he　was　already　dead。　The　centurion；　for　reasons　he　took　to　the　grave；　pierced　Jesus'　side　with　his　lance；　causing　an　inexplicable　stream　of　blood　and　water。　As　the　holy　blood　spewed　forth；　the　stained　lance　instantly　became　the　most　sacred　relic　in　Christendom；　next　to　the　True　Cross　and　the　Holy　Grail。
　　　　　〃The　Holy　Lance；　as　it　became　known；　came　down　to　King　Charlemagne　and　was　inherited　by　each　of　the　following　Holy　Roman　emperors　over　the　next　thousand　years；　before　ending　up　in　the　hands　of　the　Hapsburg　emperors　and　being　placed　on　display　in　the　royal　palace　in　Vienna。〃
　　　　　〃You　must　also　know　the　fable　behind　the　lance's　power；〃　said　Hozafel；　〃the　fable　that　drove　Hitler　to　possess　it。〃
　　　　　〃　‘Whosoever　possesses　this　Holy　Lance；　and　understands　the　powers　it　serves；　holds　in　his　hand　the　destiny　of　the　world　for　good　and　evil；'　〃　quoted　Sandecker。　〃That's　why　Hitler　stole　the　lance　from　Austria　and　held　it　until　his　dying　day。　He　imagined　that　it　would　give　him　mastery　of　the　world。　If　Hitler　had　never　heard　of　the　lance；　it　would　be　interesting　to　speculate　if　he　might　not　have　sought　the　path　of　power　toward　world　domination。　His　final　request　was　that　it　be　hidden　from　his　enemies。〃
　　　　　〃You　mentioned　a　Blood　Flag；〃　said　Little。　〃I'm　not　familiar　with　that　relic；　either。〃
　　　　　〃In　1923；〃　Hozafel　clarified；　〃Hitler　attempted　a　coup　against　the　existing　German　government　in　Munich。　It　was　a　disaster。　The　army　fired　into　the　crowd　and　several　people　were　killed。　Hitler　escaped　but　was　later　tried　and　sentenced　to　jail；　where　he　spent　nine　months　writing　Mein　Kampf。　The　coup　forever　became　known　as　the　Munich　Putsch。　One　of　the　early　swastika　Nazi　flags　was　carried　by　one　of　the　wouldbe　revolutionaries；　who　was　shot　and　was　splattered　with　his　blood。　Naturally；　it　became　the　bloodstained　symbol　of　a　Nazi　martyr。　This　Blood　Flag　was　then　used　in　ceremonies　to　consecrate　future　Nazi　flags　at　party　rallies　by　holding　it　against　them　as　a　blessing。〃
　　　　　〃And　so　the　Nazi　treasures　were　smuggled　out　of　Germany；　never　to　be　seen　again；〃　said　Little　meditatively。　〃According　to　old　CIA　archive　records；　no　trace　of　the　lance　and　other　Nazi　hoards；　including　stolen　art　treasures　and　the　loot　from　banks　and　national　treasuries；　was　ever　discovered。〃
　　　　　〃Your　submarine；〃　Sandecker　said　evenly；　〃was　the　U…699。〃
　　　　　〃Yes；　I　was　her　captain；〃　Hozafel　admitted。　〃Shortly　after　a　number　of　influential　Nazi　military　officers；　high　party　officials；　and　Hitler's　ashes　were　safely　loaded　on　board；　I　sailed　from　Bergen　in　the　wake　of　the　U…2015。　Until　now；　the　disappearance　of　Hitler　has　been　a　mystery。　I　am　telling　you　the　story　only　at　the　urging　of　Mr。　Little；　and　because　of　the　possibility；　as　I　understand　it；　that　the　world　will　be　in　upheaval　after　a　ing　et　strike。　If　true；　this　makes　my　sworn　silence　irrelevant。〃
　　　　　〃We're　not　ready　to　cry　doom　yet；〃　said　Sandecker。　〃What　we　want　to　know　is　if　the　Wolf　family　is　truly　spending　untold　sums　of　money　building　huge　arks　in　a　fanatical　belief　that　a　cataclysm　will　destroy　the　Earth　and　every　living　creature　on　it　or　if　they　have　some　other　motive。〃
　　　　　〃An　interesting　family；　the　Wolfs；〃　Hozafel　said　pensively。　〃Colonel　Urich　Wolf　was　one　of　the　most　trusted　men　on　Hitler's　staff。　He　saw　that　Hitler's　irrational　orders　and　simplest　wishes　were　carried　out。　The　colonel　was　also　the　leader　of　a　group　of　devoted　Nazis　who　formed　an　elite　group　of　SS　officers　dedicated　to　defending　the　faith。　They　called　themselves　the　Guardians。　Most　of　them　died　fighting　in　the　final　days　of　the　war　all；　that　is；　except　Colonel　Wolf　and　three　others。　He　and　his　entire　family　a　wife；　four　sons　and　three　daughters；　two　brothers；　and　three　sisters　and　their　families　sailed　aboard　the　U2015。　I　was　told　by　an　old　naval　rade　who's　still　living　that　Wolf　was　the　last　of　the　few　Guardians　and　created　some　kind　of　contemporary　order　called　the　New　Destiny。〃
　　　　　〃It's　true。　They　operate　as　a　giant　conglomerate　known　as　Destiny　Enterprises；〃