The Knight´s Legacy

Salzkammergut- Austria

Salzkammergut is a region in central Austria, formed by lakes, forests and the Totes Gebirge or dead mountains. Töplitz, a remote Lake between cliffs and reachable only by a narrow road between pine forests is located in that area. During World War II the Nazis used the Lake as a testing ground to experience torpedoes and other aquatic weapons with mixed results. Towards the end of the war, rumors ran in certain circles of intelligence according to which SS officers had been seen sinking many allegedly sealed chests to the water, with contents unknown for the most part. Numerous versions associated to the treasury fortunes in gold, precious stones and other jewelry, partly stolen from Jews killed in concentration camps, works of art stolen in the countries occupied by the Germans, including Russia, collections of rare stamps, documents compromising for Allied commercial and industrial companies that have collaborated with the Nazis, other documents that would prove the involvement of certain sectors of Rome, in particular ecclesiastical, in the escape of Nazis in South America towards the end of the war, and in last but not least dollars, pounds sterling and other banknotes. The cold water of the lake would have worked to keep the chests in good condition, and their remote location would have helped to maintain discretion about the fact.

Numerous expeditions financed by magazines news, groups of divers, the Jewish Nazi hunter Simón Wiesenthal and profit-hungry adventurers sought for decades the treasure in the mentioned lake until the Austrian Government prohibited these activities and apparently conducted their own search. In total some 30 chests with documentation would have been recovered, as well as millions of and fake pounds sterling printed by Hitler's Government, in order to let them fall into England from the Luftwaffe planes and create chaos in the financial markets of the allied countries. However, the bulk of the treasure has never been recovered, and the prevailing hypothesis in the mentioned circles is that the chests sunk in the Töplitz was an emergency solution of the Nazis before the advance of the allies, including the Russians, with the project to have the treasure removed by SS officers after the war and relocate it  in  another safer location.

“Do you then think that the treasure actually exists and can be related with my grandfather´s activities in Antarctica? “asked Matías.

“On the one hand the article Knudsen tried to give you  goes along those lines, and on the other, it is the only thing that I can think of to explain that after all this time this organization maintains a strict surveillance on all those who participated in the expeditions and their descendants. There must be assets that keep their value after fifty or sixty years. Particularly sensitive must be information about relationships between the Nazis and private companies that surely must exist today day, free from all suspicion. I'm thinking about possible Nazi capital holdings in these companies, and their commercial activities during the war, providing Hitler items prohibited by the Allied blockade.”

“ And what is this organization; perhaps the famous ODESSA?” Asked Debbie.

“I do not think so.” Chiche replied. “ What was disclosed to the public under the name of ODESSA was rather a structure designed to move and protect Nazi fugitives and reintegrating them into civil society after the war. These instead are after an economic objective.”

“ And what do we do with this information?” Wondered Matías. “We have really no tracks to follow. I think that Juan  Knopf doesn't know much more than what he already told me and Knudsen is dead. We do not know where my grandfather´s notepads are. And even if we had them, what would do with them? With whom can we talk? All this is far beyond us.”

“Indeed.”Granted Chiche. “ We have come to a dead end. You have to wait for new developments and meanwhile, not get exposed, disappear from this people radar. Anyway, we must have no illusions: with all they have at stake, they will never forget!”

Days later, on a Saturday morning Debbie was completing her move to Matías house. The chaos was widespread.

“You have ten times more things than those that I had in my entire life.

Debbie was going to reply when a cell phone rang.

“It is your phone, Matías, I know its sound.

“ But where the hell is it ?” Finally the appliance appeared under a mixed pile of books and clothing.

“Matías, speaks José Llanquinao.”

Matías was a little startled. José was not a telephone calls addict nor had a phone near his home.

“What is the matter José?”

“Don't worry, your parents are OK. Another son of Pedro Martiniuk and Sayen has now appeared. He is then  your mother's brother. This man, your uncle, was born and lives in Chile. He sent a note with some Chilean Mapuche fellows. He is coming to Esquel next week. He talks about your grandfather ´s legacy.”

“... so when we thought that we had exhausted the tracks an unsuspected  uncle comes from nowhere.” Matías was explaining to Chiche, while Debbie nodded.

“Debbie, you've noticed that you have competition.”Said Chiche with apparent candor. The girl put herself on guard waiting for her uncle´s foreseeable dirty joke. Chiche  continued. “Whatever her name is the Goddess of Adventure is committed to going to bed with your boyfriend and will not release him.”

“The first meeting will be in Esquel.”Continued Matías. “… at my parents house, so the siblings meet for the first time in their lives. Then we will travel with the Chilean, i.e. my uncle, to Trevelin to discuss with José Llanquinao. Since we already know that there are many dangers involved we have decided to leave my parents out of all this.”

“ Well thought.” Answered Chiche. “ Let me reiterate the importance of leaving no traces that can relate them to this track. If necessary use fake names, do not use credit cards or any other traceable means. Your future personal integrity and peace of mind can be at stake.”

Matías and Debbie nodded although they were still not entirely sensitized on the need to maximize the precautions. In fact in their inner selves they still considered the episode in Rio as an isolated fact.