vessel anywhere in the archives. It did not exist, at least on paper."
"So you looked for it?"
Steiner sighed and glanced sideways down at the table for a split second, then returned his gaze to his guest. "I spent quite a bit of time searching for anything that had to do with the U-1500 , years even. There was not a trace of it. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that the ship did not exist. If it did, the Nazis covered their tracks well. Obviously, they would not have gone to such trouble for something unimportant."
Sean thought about the passage for a minute and reexamined some of the sentences.
"It says that he took the bell's location to his grave." Sean peered up from the notebook. "I don't suppose your father let you know where that might be." Sean was hesitant to bring it up, but he had to know.
The host shook his head. "Sadly, no. Father believed that the world was not ready for that technology, and that if someone were to find the bell, its power could do immense damage. He died knowing where it was sent, but telling no one. If that submarine made it across the Atlantic Ocean, whoever was aboard it kept quiet, and the secret remains after all these years."
Another dead end, it seemed. "I don't suppose you know where Shpurning lived?"
"No. I wish I did. Though I don't know if that information would be helpful. The colonel may not have made the voyage. I searched for a few years, trying to find the name of the U-boat captain, but could discover nothing. The records on Shpurning are thin at best."
Sean took the conversation in a different direction. "I don't mean to be rude, and if I am overstepping my bounds, I apologize."
This made Steiner laugh. "Americans. So apologetic for everything. Go on, ask your question."
Sean blushed a little but went ahead. "Your father. Is the cemetery where he's buried close to here?"
Steiner didn't seem to be irritated by the query, but his face did change somewhat, to a more puzzled expression. "Yes, of course. Why do you ask?"
"It's just that..." Sean struggled to find a polite way to say it. "I'd like to take a look at his grave if that's okay with you. I won't disturb it or anything. I'm just curious to see if there's anything worth noting."
"I see. You think father may have left a clue at his burial site." Steiner leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head as he contemplated the notion. "Herr Wyatt, I have been to my father's grave hundreds of times since he died. I can tell you that I have never noticed anything peculiar, or anything that would make me think he left a clue to the whereabouts of the bell."
That tidbit was discouraging, but Sean wouldn't be brushed aside that easily. "Even so, if you don't mind, I would like to take a look for myself. I just want to make sure I leave no stone unturned. After all, a woman's life depends upon it."
Steiner contemplated the request for another twenty seconds. He shrugged as he spoke. "It's a public cemetery, Herr Wyatt. Anyone can go have a look."
"Will you take me there? I know you probably just opened the office, but it would be most helpful." Sean's eyes begged. He could probably find the cemetery with a set of simple directions, but then he would have to scour the graveyard in search of the one monument he needed.
Steiner laughed. "You can see we aren't very busy. We only get a few people in here every week. Ever since the mine closed and some of the other factories went out of business, there hasn't been much work in this village, unless you plan on working at one of the nearby farms." He stood up and removed a jacket from the back of the chair he'd been sitting in. "The cemetery isn't far from here. I can take a few minutes to show you."
Sean followed his host back out onto the sidewalk. The older man locked the door and dropped the keys into his pocket then started down the walkway. When they reached an intersection at the next block, the two crossed the street and continued in the same
"So you looked for it?"
Steiner sighed and glanced sideways down at the table for a split second, then returned his gaze to his guest. "I spent quite a bit of time searching for anything that had to do with the U-1500 , years even. There was not a trace of it. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that the ship did not exist. If it did, the Nazis covered their tracks well. Obviously, they would not have gone to such trouble for something unimportant."
Sean thought about the passage for a minute and reexamined some of the sentences.
"It says that he took the bell's location to his grave." Sean peered up from the notebook. "I don't suppose your father let you know where that might be." Sean was hesitant to bring it up, but he had to know.
The host shook his head. "Sadly, no. Father believed that the world was not ready for that technology, and that if someone were to find the bell, its power could do immense damage. He died knowing where it was sent, but telling no one. If that submarine made it across the Atlantic Ocean, whoever was aboard it kept quiet, and the secret remains after all these years."
Another dead end, it seemed. "I don't suppose you know where Shpurning lived?"
"No. I wish I did. Though I don't know if that information would be helpful. The colonel may not have made the voyage. I searched for a few years, trying to find the name of the U-boat captain, but could discover nothing. The records on Shpurning are thin at best."
Sean took the conversation in a different direction. "I don't mean to be rude, and if I am overstepping my bounds, I apologize."
This made Steiner laugh. "Americans. So apologetic for everything. Go on, ask your question."
Sean blushed a little but went ahead. "Your father. Is the cemetery where he's buried close to here?"
Steiner didn't seem to be irritated by the query, but his face did change somewhat, to a more puzzled expression. "Yes, of course. Why do you ask?"
"It's just that..." Sean struggled to find a polite way to say it. "I'd like to take a look at his grave if that's okay with you. I won't disturb it or anything. I'm just curious to see if there's anything worth noting."
"I see. You think father may have left a clue at his burial site." Steiner leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head as he contemplated the notion. "Herr Wyatt, I have been to my father's grave hundreds of times since he died. I can tell you that I have never noticed anything peculiar, or anything that would make me think he left a clue to the whereabouts of the bell."
That tidbit was discouraging, but Sean wouldn't be brushed aside that easily. "Even so, if you don't mind, I would like to take a look for myself. I just want to make sure I leave no stone unturned. After all, a woman's life depends upon it."
Steiner contemplated the request for another twenty seconds. He shrugged as he spoke. "It's a public cemetery, Herr Wyatt. Anyone can go have a look."
"Will you take me there? I know you probably just opened the office, but it would be most helpful." Sean's eyes begged. He could probably find the cemetery with a set of simple directions, but then he would have to scour the graveyard in search of the one monument he needed.
Steiner laughed. "You can see we aren't very busy. We only get a few people in here every week. Ever since the mine closed and some of the other factories went out of business, there hasn't been much work in this village, unless you plan on working at one of the nearby farms." He stood up and removed a jacket from the back of the chair he'd been sitting in. "The cemetery isn't far from here. I can take a few minutes to show you."
Sean followed his host back out onto the sidewalk. The older man locked the door and dropped the keys into his pocket then started down the walkway. When they reached an intersection at the next block, the two crossed the street and continued in the same
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