ÉT IS THE 14TH OF ÁPRIL 1912, A SUNNY_ÓUNDAY MORNING. ×E ARE AT THE 'ÉNTER_ÈOTEL' IN ÈAMBURG, WHERE THE MOST_IMPORTANT PORT OF THE ÇERMAN EMPIRE_LIES.________'ÎICE WEATHER! ×E ARE LUCKY WITH OUR__HOLIDAY!', ×ILHELM, THE DEVOTED__DRIVER AND COMRADE WITH THE ROUND FACE__AND THE CUNNINGLY SHINING EYES REMARKS.__'×HAT A COMFORT! ÆIRST É WILL HAVE__A BATH, AND THEN REST. ÁFTER LUNCH É__WILL VISIT AN EXHIBITION. ÉN THE__EVENING É WILL GO TO A CONCERT.'__ÔHE SHRILL RINGING OF THE TELEPHONE__WAKES ×ILHELM FROM HIS DREAMS.__'ÔHE PORTER IS ON THE LINE AND TELLS__US THAT A ÍR. ÒABENSBERG URGENTLY__WANTS TO SPEAK WITH US.'__'×ELL, IF IT DOES NOT TAKE TOO LONG HE__MAY COME UP.'__ÍOROSELY, ×ILHELM BANGS THE RECEIVER__ONTO THE CRADLE.__=Á FEW MOMENTS LATER A PORTLY MAN, WHO__LOOKS ABOUT FIFTY YEARS OLD, ENTERS THE__ROOM; OUT OF HIS BLOATED FACE TWO__STRANGELY SHINING EYES LOOK AT US WITH__CURIOSITY. ÈE SEATS HIMSELF, WAITING__FOR US, IN VAIN, TO SERVE HIM A DRINK.__ÈE SLOWLY BEGINS HIS NARRATION.___'ÇENTLEMEN, PLEASE DO NOT BE OFFENDED__BY MY DISTURBANCE BUT IT IS OF GREAT__IMPORTANCE TO ME TO SEE YOU.__ÉT ALL BEGAN ON THE 12TH OF ÊUNE 1884__WHEN WE STARTED AN EXPEDITION TO ÃA-__MEROUN TO EXPLORE THE INNER COUNTIES__OF OUR NEW COLONIES AND TO SEARCH FOR__OLD ÁFRICAN CULTURES.__'ÔHIS EXPEDITION WAS LED BY THE__WORLD-FAMOUS ÐROFESSOR ÇRAVELIUS.__ÍY FATHER WAS A SCIENTIFIC COLLABO-__RATOR ON THIS EXPEDITION. ÏN THE 17TH__OF ÁUGUST THE TWO-MASTER, 'ÐRINCE__ÁLBERT' SAILED INTO THE PORT OF ÄUALA.__=Á FEW DAYS LATER THE GROUP, CONSISTING__OF 20 ÇERMAN MEN AND 50 LOCAL BEARERS,__WERE ON THEIR WAY TO LAKE ÄIEREM, WHICH__WAS SITUATED 250 MILES TO THE WEST.__ÕNTIL THEN THE LAKE DISTRICT WAS__KNOWN BY ORAL LOCAL TALES ONLY, THUS__THE ÇERMAN ÇOVERNMENT GAVE ORDERS TO__EXPLORE AND RECORD IT CARTOGRAPHICALLY.__ÄURING THE JOURNEY ÐROFESSOR ÇRAVELIUS__DISCOVERED A CAVE GRAVE WITH A MUMMY,__WHILE HE WAS ON EXPEDITIONARY RE-__CONNAISSANCE. ÔHE PROFESSOR TOOK__THE MUMMY, INTENDING TO GIVE IT TO__THE ÉNSTITUTE OF ÅTHNOLOGY IN ÈAMBURG__FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE. ÔHE LOCAL__BEARERS DECLARED IT TO BE A MUMMY OF__THE ÂOZUMAS. ÔHEY REFUSED TO CARRY IT__BECAUSE THEY FEARED TO AROUSE THE WRATH__OF THE GODS. ÉT TOOK A LONG TIME TO__PERSUADE THEM TO CARRY THE MUMMY TO THE__PORT.__'ÔHE BELIEFS OF THE BEARERS SEEMED__TO COME TRUE WHEN, SOME TIME LATER,__SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE EXPEDITION FELL__ILL WITH MALARIA AND HAD TO RETURN TO__ÇERMANY. ÐROFESSOR ÇRAVELIUS ALSO FELL__ILL. ÈE HANDED OVER THE CONTROL OF__THE EXPEDITION TO MY FATHER AND IN-__STRUCTED HIM TO TAKE THE MUMMY TO__ÇERMANY.__'ÓHORTLY AFTER HIS RETURN TO ÈAMBURG__MY FATHER MET WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE__ÅGYPTIAN ÍUSEUM OF ÂERLIN, WHO WAS__PLANNING A SPECIAL EXHIBITION, 'ÁFRICAN__ÃOLONIES'. ÈE ASKED MY FATHER TO LEND__HIM THE MUMMY FOR THE DURATION OF THE__EXHIBITION. ËNOWING THAT THE EXHIBITION__WOULD LAST FOR ONLY TWO MONTHS, MY__FATHER CONSENTED TO THE WISH OF HIS__COLLEAGUE.__'ÕNFORTUNATELY THE MUMMY AND SEVERAL__OTHER EXHIBITS WERE STOLEN SHORTLY__BEFORE THE END OF THE EXHIBITION.__ÍY FATHER NEVER RECOVERED FROM THE__LOSS, ALTHOUGH THE MUMMY'S MATERIAL__WORTH WAS COMPARABLY SMALL. ÏNLY A__COLLECTOR WOULD HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN__THIS MUMMY.__'ÙESTERDAY É DISCOVERED AN ANNOUNCEMENT__FROM THE ÁMMERMANN & ÃO. AUCTION HOUSE__IN THE NEWSPAPER 'ÈAMBURG ÍORGENBOTE'.__ÁN IMPORTED ÁFRICAN MUMMY WOULD BE PUT__UP FOR AUCTION. É HAVE__COME TO BEG YOU TO FIND OUT IF IT IS__MY FATHER'S MUMMY. ÉN ADVANCE É WILL__PAY YOU THE SUM OF 100 ÒEICHSMARK.'__='ÔHERE ARE STILL SOME OPEN QUESTIONS,__ÍR. ÒABENSBERG. ×HY DID YOU CALL ON US?__×E ARE A LAWYER'S OFFICE AND NOT A__PRIVATE DETECTIVE'S.'__'É KNOW, BUT É AM OF THE OPINION THAT__THE CASE SHOULD BE IN YOUR HANDS -__É HEARD OF YOUR GREAT SUCCESS IN THE__×EISGERBER CASE.'__×ILHELM'S ANGER BEGINS TO RISE AT THE__PRESENCE OF THIS OBTRUSIVE GUEST. ÈE__STARTS THINKING OF THE COOLING WATER__IN THE BATHTUB.__'×HY DON'T YOU TAKE THE CASE INTO YOUR__OWN HANDS SINCE YOU ARE CONVINCED OF__ITS BANALITY?'__'×ELL, YOU KNOW HOW MUCH É CARE FOR THE__MUMMY, DISREGARDING ITS SMALL VALUE,__AS A KEEPSAKE FOR MY FATHER.__ÔHEREFORE É WANT YOU TO ACT AS__MY NEGOTIATOR AT THE AUCTION - YOUR__FIRST TASK WOULD BE TO FIND OUT IF THE__MUMMY IS THE ONE FOR WHICH É SEARCH.__ÐLEASE INFORM ME OF THE RESULTS OF__YOUR INVESTIGATION.'__'ÁLL RIGHT', WE ANSWER WITH RESIGNA-__TION, 'BUT WE HAVE TO GO TO ÍUNICH ON__ÔHURSDAY. ÔHE AUCTION WILL BEGIN EARL-__IER. ÓO FAR EVERYTHING IS SETTLED. ×E__WILL INFORM YOU IN TIME.'________             ÐRESS 'RETURN'__*