Krämer gave the money another hungry look, then slid a canvas duffel bag from beneath the bed. He withdrew a tightly bound bundle of clothes, which he started to unwrap. ‘I suppose you want to know where it came from.’

‘It’d help, yeah.’

‘I was crew on a cargo ship going from New Zealand to South Africa. We answered a distress call and found a man on an ice floe. He was carrying this.’

‘You stole it?’ said Nina, appalled. ‘You rescued this guy, then robbed him?’

‘The man is insane! He had no use for it. He was screaming about demons.’

‘You said is insane,’ Eddie noted. ‘Present tense.’

‘He’s still alive?’ Nina asked.

Krämer nodded. ‘He is in a mental hospital in Holland. Still crazy.’

‘What, you checked up on him to make sure he won’t tell anyone about what you stole?’

The German ignored her, peeling away the last of the clothing. ‘Here it is. The key.’

He held it up. The artefact was bigger than Nina had thought, about nine inches across. Even in the low light, she instantly knew from the metal’s reddish gleam that it was the gold alloy the Atlanteans called orichalcum. ‘The key to what?’

‘He did not say.’

‘What did he say?’

‘Not much. As I told you, he is insane. He said a demon frozen in the ice woke up and killed his shipmates. His ship must have sunk, because we did not see it.’

Nina frowned. ‘A demon?’

‘That is what he said. So he must be crazy, ja? There is no such thing.’ Krämer lowered the key. ‘Now, it is time to talk business. You still want to buy it?’

‘Yes,’ said Cheng.

‘Then you will surely be willing to pay a little extra money.’

Eddie rolled his eyes. ‘Oh, here we go.’

The colour drained from Cheng’s face. ‘But . . . we had a deal.’

‘There are others interested. But you were the first, so I will be fair and give you the chance to buy it now.’

Nina regarded him coldly. ‘How much do you want?’

‘One hundred thousand euros.’

Cheng blinked; Nina blanched; Eddie laughed. ‘You’re taking the piss!’ exclaimed the Yorkshireman. ‘That’s twice what you were asking!’

‘If the famous Nina Wilde is willing to come to Germany to see it, it must be more valuable than I thought. If you want it, you will pay what I ask.’

‘I . . . I can get the money,’ said Cheng, flustered. ‘But I don’t know how long it will take. I have to call China, talk to my – my family.’

Nina found herself saying words that surprised even her. ‘I can pay the rest.’

‘You what?’ Eddie erupted.

‘We can afford it. And this artefact looks genuine – which means it’s worth every penny.’

Krämer looked at the key. ‘Then perhaps I should ask for even more.’