Helmut Werner stood in an anteroom in Wewelsburg Castle. When he had returned with the scroll to Innsbruck, Himmler had sent word to deliver it personally to Wewelsburg and after nearly two days of traveling across Germany Helmut had arrived an hour ago and been shown by an SS oberführer down a long series of dimly lit stone corridors into the nearly empty room in which he now waited. He hadn’t seen Himmler in person for several weeks and looked forward to a reunion with the man whom he saw as both idol and friend. Wewelsburg was ostensibly Himmler’s base for training SS leadership, but Himmler knew that the primary work at the castle was scientific, including research on the prehistory of the German and Aryan people that would prove the superiority of the Aryan race. Helmut held the mahogany box he had recovered from the Schneiders and the wood seemed to glow in the dim light of the sconces that framed the massive wooden door through which he had come. An equally large door opposite now eased open and Helmut stepped in.

The room was slightly brighter than the one he had just left. Only two small windows admitted light from outside and every wall was lined with bookcases that teemed with ancient-looking volumes of leather and vellum. A ladder leaned against one case—even a man as tall as Helmut Werner could not reach the upper shelves. In front of a large stone fireplace stood a massive library table, with stacks of books at one end. Behind a wide wooden desk, as solid and permanent as the Reich itself, stood Helmut’s old friend.

“Heil Hitler,” said Himmler with a slight smile.

“Heil Hitler, Herr Himmler,” said Helmut.

“It is good to see you again,” said Himmler. “And I see you have brought me a gift.”

“Herr Schneider was most happy to contribute to the good of the Reich,” said Helmut.

“I’m sure,” said Himmler, his smile now more pronounced. “Shall we have a look?” He took the box and walked over to the library table and Helmut followed. Himmler opened the box and carefully lifted out the scroll. When he had taken it from Schneider, Helmet had wondered what could be so important about an old scroll, and his curiosity only grew as Himmler unrolled it on the table. It reached from end to end, at least twelve feet. Himmler leaned over the long strip of vellum and his smile became a grin.

“Beautiful,” he said.