The Charlemagne Pursuit Read online

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  PART ONE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  PART TWO

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  PART THREE

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  PART FOUR

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Chapter Sixty-Eight

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Chapter Seventy

  Chapter Seventy-One

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  Chapter Seventy-Three

  PART FIVE

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  Chapter Seventy-Seven

  Chapter Seventy-Eight

  Chapter Seventy-Nine

  Chapter Eighty

  Chapter Eighty-One

  Chapter Eighty-Two

  Chapter Eighty-Three

  Chapter Eighty-Four

  Chapter Eighty-Five

  Chapter Eighty-Six

  Chapter Eighty-Seven

  Chapter Eighty-Eight

  Chapter Eighty-Nine

  Chapter Ninety

  Chapter Ninety-One

  Chapter Ninety-Two

  Chapter Ninety-Three

  Chapter Ninety-Four

  Writer’s Note

  About the Author

  Also by Steve Berry

  Copyright

  The Charlemagne Pursuit is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, Any resemblance to actual is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2008 by Steve Berry

  Endpaper map copyright © 2008 by David Lindroth

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

  BALLANTINEand colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

  Grateful acknowledgment is made to Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, for permission to reprint artArt 1 ,Art 2 ,Art 3 , andArt 4 .

  LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

  Berry, Steve.

  The Charlemagne pursuit : a novel / Steve Berry.

  p. cm.

  eISBN: 978-0-345-50963-5

  1. Malone, Cotton (Fictitious character)—Fiction. 2. Booksellers and bookselling—Fiction. 3. Antiquarian booksellers

  —Fiction. 4. Fathers—Death—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3602.E764C47 2008

  813’.6—DC22 2008028357

  www.ballantinebooks.com

  v1.0

  For Pam Ahearn and Mark Tavani,

  Dream makers

  Study the past, if you would divine the future.

  —CONFUCIUS

  The Ancient Masters were subtle, mysterious, profound, responsive. The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable.

  Because it is unfathomable, all we can do is describe their appearance. Watchful, like men crossing a winter stream.

  Alert, like men aware of danger.

  Courteous, like visiting guests. Yielding, like ice about to melt.

  Simple, like uncarved blocks of wood.

  —LAO-TZU(604BCE )

  He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.

  —PROVERBS11:29

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  With each book I’ve recognized all of the wonderful folks at Random House. I make no exception now. So to Gina Centrello, Libby McGuire, Cindy Murray, Kim Hovey, Christine Cabello, Beck Stvan, Carole Lowenstein, and

  everyone in Promotions and Sales—a heartfelt and sincere thanks. Also, a bow to Laura Jorstad, who has copyedited all of my novels. No writer could ask for a better group of professionals to work with. You’re all, without question, the best.

  A special thanks to the friendly people in Aachen, who answered my persistent questions with great patience. With long-overdue thanks, I want to mention Ron Chamblin who owns the Chamblin Bookmine in Jacksonville, Florida,

  where, for years, I’ve performed the majority of my research. It’s an amazing place. Thanks, Ron, for creating it. And a nod to our Aussie Mum, Kate Taperell, who offered her keen insight into how folks talk Down Under.

  Finally, this book is dedicated to my agent, Pam Ahearn, and my editor, Mark Tavani. In 1995 Pam signed me as a client, then endured 7 years and 85 rejections before finding us a home. What patience. Then there’s Mark. Such a chance he took on a crazy lawyer who wanted to write books.

  But we all survived.

  I owe Pam and Mark more than any one person could ever repay in a lifetime.

  Thank you.

  For everything.

  ALSO BY STEVE BERRY

  The Amber Room

  The Romanov Prophecy The Third Secret

  The Templar Legacy

  The Alexandria Link

  The Venetian Betrayal

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  STEVEBERRY is the New York Times bestselling author of The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy, and The Amber Room. His books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold in forty-three countries. A lawyer who has traveled extensively, he lives on the Georgia coast. He is currently at work on his next novel.

  www.steveberry.org

  WRITER’S NOTE

  This book was a personal journey for both Malone and myself. While he found his father, I got married. Not necessarily something new for me, but defini
tely an adventure. As far as traveling, this story led me to Germany (Aachen and Bavaria), the French Pyrénées, and Asheville, North Carolina (the Biltmore Estate). Lots of cold, snowy places.

  Now it’s time to separate speculation from reality.

  The super-secret NR-1 submarine (prologue) is real, as are its history and its exploits. NR-1 continues to this day, after almost forty years, to serve our nation. NR-1A is my concoction. There are precious few written accounts of NR-1, but the one I drew upon is Dark Waters, by Lee Vyborny and Don Davis, which is a rare firsthand observation of what it was like to be aboard. The court of inquiry report on the sinking of NR-1A (chapter 5) is modeled on actual

  investigative reports regarding the sinking of Thresher and Scorpion.

  The Zugspitze and Garmisch are faithfully described (chapter 1), as is the Posthotel. Holiday time in Bavaria is wonderful, and the Christmas markets detailed inchapters 13 ,33 , and37 are, without question, part of the attraction.

  Ettal Abbey (chapter 7) is accurately described, save for the rooms beneath.

  Charlemagne is, of course, pivotal to the story. His historical context, as presented, is accurate (chapter 36), as is his signature (chapter 10). He remains one of the world’s most enigmatic figures and still carries the title Father of Europe.

  The authenticity of the story of Otto III entering Charlemagne’s grave in 1000CE is a matter of debate. The tale featured inchapter 10 has been repeated many times—though, of course, the strange book Otto finds is my addition.

  There are equally strong stories that say Charlemagne was buried lying down, inside a marble sarcophagus (chapter 34).

  No one knows for sure.

  Einhard’s Life of Charlemagne continues to be regarded as one of the great works from that period. Einhard himself was a learned man, and his involvement with Charlemagne, as described, is accurate. Only their connection to the Holy Ones is my invention. Einhard’s accounts quoted inchapters 21 and22 are loosely based on portions of the Book of Enoch—an ancient, enigmatic text.

  Operations Highjump and Windmill happened as described (chapter 11). Both were extensive military operations.

  Much about them remained classified for decades and is still shrouded in mystery. Admiral Richard Byrd was co-leader of Highjump. My descriptions of the technological resources Byrd brought south with him (chapter 53) are accurate, as is the tale of his extensive exploration of the continent. His secret diary (chapter 77) is fictitious, as are his supposed findings of carved stones and ancient tomes. The German Antarctic expedition of 1938 (chapter 19) happened and is accurately detailed—including the dropping of little swastikas all over the icy surface. Only Hermann Oberhauser’s exploits are my creations.

  The strange writing and manuscript pages (chapters 12and81 ) are reproduced from the Voynich manuscript. That book rests in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University, and is generally regarded as the most mysterious writing on the planet. No one has ever been able to decipher its text. A good primer on this oddity is The Voynich Manuscript, by Gerry Kennedy and Rob Churchill. The symbol first seen inchapter 10 —a monad—came from their book, an archetypal representation originally found in a sixteenth-century treatise. The strange Oberhauser family crest (chapter 25) also is from Kennedy and Churchill’s book and is actually the Voynich family coat of arms, created by Voynich himself.

  The true explanation of the term Aryan (chapter 12) demonstrates how something so innocuous can become so lethal.

  The Ahnenerbe, of course, existed. Only in the past few years have historians begun to reveal both its pseudo-scientific chaos and its horrible atrocities (chapter 26). One of the best resources on the topic is The Master Plan, by Heather Pringle. The Ahnenerbe’s many international expeditions, detailed inchapter 31 , happened and were used extensively to fashion its scientific fiction. Hermann Oberhauser’s involvement with the organization is my invention, but his efforts and discrediting are based on the experiences of actual participants.

  The concept of a first civilization (chapter 22) is not mine. The idea has been the basis for many books, but Christopher Knight and Alan Butler’s Civilization One is excellent. All of the arguments Christl Falk and Douglas Scofield advance for the existence of this first civilization belong to Knight and Butler. Their theory is not all that farfetched, but the reaction to it is similar to how mainstream science once viewed continental drift (chapter 84). Of course, the most obvious question remains. If such a culture existed, why are there no remnants?

  But maybe there are.

  The stories detailed by Scofield inchapter 60 about “god-like” people interacting with cultures around the world are true, as are the inexplicable artifacts found and the story of what Columbus was shown. Even more amazing are the image and inscription from Hathor Temple in Egypt (chapter 84), which clearly show something extraordinary. Sadly, though, Scofield’s observation that 90 percent of the ancient world’s knowledge will never be known is potentially true.

  Which means we may never have a definitive answer to this fascinating inquiry.

  Locating the first civilization in Antarctica (chapters 72,85 , and86 ) was my idea, as are the civilization’s knowledge and limited technology (chapters 72and81 ). I didn’t visit Antarctica (it’s definitely at the top of my Must-See list), but its beauty and danger are faithfully reported using firsthand accounts. Halvorsen Base (chapter 62) is fictitious, but the cold-weather gear Malone and company don is real (chapter 76). The politics of the Antarctic continent (chapter 76), with its various international treaties and unique cooperative rules, remains complex. The area where Malone explores (chapter 84) is indeed controlled by Norway, and some texts note that it is designated as off limits for supposed environmental reasons. The underwater sequences with Ramsey are taken from those who have dove those pristine waters. The dry valleys (chapter 84) exist, though they’re generally confined to the southern portion of the continent.

  The preserving and destructive effects of absolute cold on human bodies are accurately portrayed (chapters 90and91

  ). Ice, by Mariana Gosnell, is an excellent account of these phenomena.

  Aachen cathedral (chapters 34,36 ,38 , and42 ) is well worth a visit. The Book of Revelation played a key role in its design, and the building remains one of the last from Charlemagne’s time still standing. Of course, my interjection of the Holy Ones into its history is simply part of this story.

  The Latin inscription inside the chapel (chapter 38) is from Charlemagne’s time and is reproduced exactly. While counting every twelfth word I discovered that only three words would be revealed, the last count stopping at number eleven. Then, amazingly, the three words formed a recognizable phrase— Brightness of God.

  Charlemagne’s throne does indeed have a Nine Men’s Morris board etched into its side (chapter 38). How and why it’s there, nobody knows. The game was played in Roman and Carolingian times, and is still played today.

  The Charlemagne pursuit, with all of its various clues, including Einhard’s will, are my invention. Ossau, France (chapter 51), and the abbey (chapter 54) are concocted, but Bertrand is based on a real abbot who lived in that area.

  Fort Lee (chapter 45) is real, though the warehouse and refrigerated compartment are not. I’ve recently acquired an iPhone, so Malone had to have one, too. All of the peculiar investigations conducted by the US government during the Cold War into paranormal and extraterrestrial phenomena (chapter 26) happened. I simply added one more.

  Biltmore Estate (chapters 58,59 , and66 ) is one of my favorite places, especially at Christmastime. The inn, mansion, village, hotel, and grounds are accurately portrayed. Of course, the Ancient Mysteries Revealed Conference does not exist, but it is based on a variety of real gatherings.

  The Piri Reis map and other portolans (chapter 41) are real, and each one raises a host of perplexing questions. Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings, by Charles Hapgood, is regarded as the definitive work on this subject. The prime meridian debate happ
ened as described (chapter 41), and Greenwich was arbitrarily chosen. Using the Giza pyramid as zero longitude (chapter 71), though, does produce some fascinating connections with sacred sites around the globe. The megalithic yard (chapter 71) is another interesting concept that rationally explains similarities engineers have long noticed at ancient construction sites. But proof of its existence has not, as yet, been established.

  This story poses some interesting possibilities. Not of a mythical Atlantis with surreal engineering and fantastic technology, but instead the simple idea that we may not have been the first to achieve intellectual consciousness.

  Perhaps there were others whose existence is simply unknown, their history and fate extinguished, lost among the 90

  percent of ancient knowledge we may never recover.

  Far-fetched? Impossible?

  How many times have the so-called experts been proven wrong?

  Lao-tzu, the great Chinese philosopher who lived 2,700 years ago and is still regarded as one of humankind’s most brilliant thinkers, may have known best when he wrote:

  The Ancient Masters were subtle, mysterious, profound, responsive.

  The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable.

  Because it is unfathomable, all we can do is describe their appearance. Watchful, like men crossing a winter stream.

  Alert, like men aware of danger. Courteous, like visiting guests. Yielding, like ice about to melt. Simple, like uncarved blocks of wood.