"Higgins, Jack - Sheba" - читать интересную книгу автора (Higgins Jack)

'My God,' Canaris said and returned to his desk. 'Now it's the Bible.' He took a cigarette from a silver box. 'I always understood that except for the biblical reference there has never been actual proof that she existed.'

'Oh, she did exist, I can assure you,' Ritter said. 'There was a cult of the Arabian goddess, Asthar, their equivalent of Venus. In legend, the Queen of Sheba was high priestess of that cult and built a temple out there in the Empty Quarter.'

'In legend,' Canaris said.

'Muller has found what he thinks could be the ruins of it, Herr Admiral. Naturally he kept his discovery quiet. Such an event would rival the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Archaeologists would descend from all over the world. As I said, he returned to Berlin for funding, but made a full description of his find in his report to Abwehr.'

Canaris frowned. 'But where is this leading?'

'This place is unknown, Herr Admiral, hidden out there in the desert. Used for supplies, an aircraft, it could provide a base for a strike against the Canal.'

Canaris got up and went to the map. He examined it and turned. 'A thousand miles at least from that area to the Suez Canal.'

'More like twelve hundred, Herr Admiral, but I'm sure I could find a way.'

Canaris smiled. 'You usually can, Hans. All right, bring Muller to see me.'

'When, Herr Admiral?'

'Why now, of course, tonight. I intend to sleep in the office anyway.'

He returned to his papers and Ritter went out.

Professor Otto Muller was a small, balding man with a wizened face tanned to the shade of old leather by constant exposure to the desert sun. When Ritter ushered him into the office to meet Canaris, Muller smiled nervously, exposing gold-capped teeth.

Canaris said, 'That will do, Hans.' Ritter went out and Canaris lit a cigarette. 'So, Professor, a remarkable find. Tell me about it.'

Muller stood there like a nervous schoolboy. 'I was lucky, Herr Admiral. I've been working in the Shabwa area for some time and one night an old Bedouin staggered into my camp dying of thirst and fever. I nursed him back to life.'

'I see.'

'They're a strange people. Can't bear to be in debt so he repaid me by telling me where Sheba's temple was.'

'Payment indeed. Tell me about it.'

'I first saw it as an outcrop of reddish stone, out there in the vastness of the Empty Quarter. The Herr Admiral must understand that there are sand dunes out there that are hundreds of feet high.'

'Remarkable.'

'As I got closer we entered a gorge. I had two Bedouin with me as guards. We had journeyed by camel. There was a flat plain, very hard-baked, then a gorge, a broad avenue of pillars.'

'And the temple? Tell me about that.'

Which Muller did, talking for a good half-hour while Canaris listened intently. Finally the Admiral nodded. 'Fascinating. Captain Ritter tells me you made an excellent report to Abwehr.'

'I hope I know my duty, Herr Admiral, I'm a party member.'

'Indeed,' Canaris observed drily. 'Then you will no doubt be pleased to return to this place with suitable funding and do what you are told to do. This is a project the Fiihrer himself is interested in.'