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“Well, after the initial skirround on the rocky shelf He fell back to await develop ene up a few birds to read their entrails Attila let his enemies stew for most of the day When the afternoon was nearly over, he attacked The battle lasted until dark and left thousands dead on the field in about equal number for both sides Attila’s horse the high ground He fell back to his fortified caot lost in the dark, separated frooths, who had lost track of their own leader, Theodoric His son Thorismund found his body the next day Attila, apparently not knowing the poor shape his enee pile of the wooden frames of his men’s saddles If he were to die, he wanted his body thrown on theoths were leaving the field They were going home so Thoris east across the Rhine”

“Perfect,” said Remi

“Perfect?” said Albrecht

“That’s where the treasure will be”

“Why do you say that?”

“Saan The treasures are always buri

ed at some bad moment—a defeat, someone’s death How did they accomplish that? If we look at the accounts of Attila’s death, there was a huge tent set up for Attila and his retainers, so big that you could ride horses in it”

“I don’t think I see where you’re going,” said Selma

“The saddle fraot burned They were a distraction, a show Inside Attila’s huge tent, where nobody could see, there wereanother crypt, a treasure cha, thetent to set the stones Attila’s trusted palace guards loaded the treasure into the cha the tent They sealed the chamber, covered it, and then struck the tent Nobody had seen any hole or any digging As they left, they probably herded their horses across the camp Nobody but a trusted fehere the treasure was or even that it existed”

“I think you’ve figured him out,” said Albrecht “From Châlons, he went to northern Italy and found new plunder on his way to invading Ro to turn south into Italy the day of the battle Rooal Everyone knows Attila’s eneet is that he fought them to a standstill too”

Sam said, “The sources say Attila delayed his attack until it was nearly night Maybe he was delaying until his chaht froht near the battlefield”

“I think you’re right,” said Albrecht “If you can ascertain where Attila’s tent was erected, you’ll find the treasure chamber under it”

Their flight from Verona reached Paris in two hours and they picked up their rental car and drove out of the traffic and congestion of the city Even with Sam’s excessive speed, the one hundred ninety kilometers on the N44 took three hours

Sane, then the road to Cuperly, and drove the five additional miles to the tiny ha farmers’ fields, various trapezoid shapes so closely interlaced that the land looked as though every inch belonged to someone and was under full cultivation

“Let’s keep searching fro or we run out of daylight,” Sam said