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Müller waved his hand “The vagaries of war”

“Just out of curiosity,” Sam said, “can you tell us about yourto accomplish?”

Müller frowned, thinking After a few moments he said, “I suppose it doesn’t really matter nowIt was an absurd task, really, concocted by the Führer himself Manfred was supposed to sail up Chesapeake Bay and attack the navy base at Norfolk At the same time, I was to attack the ammunition depot in Charleston, but Ilsa had a problem with her screw, so ere delayed Before we could repair it, ere recalled to Breen and all that”

“You’d stopped at Ru? What kind?”

“Bigger batteries to increase the boats’ ranges Another idiotic plan Both Manfred and I knew the missions were suicide”

“Then why did you volunteer?”

Müller shrugged “Duty Indiscretion of youth Neither of us were fond of Hitler or the Party, but it was still our country We wanted to do e could”

“We were hoping you ht tell us more about the bottles,” Remi said “Where they came from”

“Why?”

“We’re collectors As it turns out, they were very old and very rare”

Müller chuckled “I never knew Well, I uessed they were iave them to me before we shipped out from Bremerhaven He told me he found them here, actually—he was in the army and was part of the occupation force”

“Where exactly did he find them?”

“Let me think” Müller scratched his head “My memory isn’t quite what it used to be It was a castleno, not a castle A fort” He sighed in frustration, then his eyes lit up “It was one of the islands in the bayDo you remember that book by Dumas—The Count of Monte Cristo?”

Both Sam and Remi had read it In an instant they knehat Müller was talking about “Île d’If?”

“Yes! That’s it He found them in the Château d’If”