Temple

'By dumping one hundred billion U.S. dollars on world financial markets at the bargain price of one cent apiece.'

'What?' Renee said.

'The American economy is in a most precarious situation, the most precarious situation it has found itself in in fifty years. Accumulated foreign debt stands at approximately eight-hundred and thirty billion dollars, gross badget deficits occur annually. But what the United States depends on through all of this is a robust currency with which it will repay its debts in the future.

'But if the value of that currency were to fall dramatical!y, say, to levels one-quarter of its current strength, then the United States would be unable to repay those debts

'It would be bankrupt, its dollar worthless. What I intend to do with my hundred billion dollars is cripple the American economy.'

Ehrhardt's eyes gleamed as he raved 'Since the Second World War this world has been an American world—has been force-fed American culture, made to endure American trade dominance and the ruthless policy of economic slavery conducted and condoned by the American government.

I have determined that the dumping of One hundred billion U.S. dollars on world markets would be enough to cripple the American dollar beyond recoverable limits. American Corporations will be worth nothing. The American people Will not have the purchasing power to buy anything, because their currency will not be worth the paper it's written on. The United States will become the worlds beggar and the world will start anew. That is What i am doing, Fraulein Becker. I am buying myself a new world.'

Race couldn't believe what he was hearing.

'You can't possibly be serious—' he said.

'No?' Ehrhardt said. 'Look at George Soros. in 1997 the Prime Minister of Malaysia publicly blamed Soros fot causing the Asian economic crisis by dumping vast sums of Asian currencies. And this was one man—-one man—and he didn't even have a tenth of the wealth that I am willing to utilise. But then, of course, i am going after a much bigger fish'

'What if they won't give you the money?' Renee said;

'They will. Because I am the only man on earth who possesses an operational Supernova.'

'But what if they don't?'

'Then I will detonate the device,' Ehthardt said simply.

The Nazi general turned in his seat and peered out through the forward windshield of the chopper. Race and Renee followed his gaze.

A truly spectacular sight met them.

They saw the Amazon rainforest stretching away to the horizon, a vast blanket of limitless unending green.

In the near distance, however, there Was a break in the blanket of green—an enormous brown cone-shaped crater buried in the earth.

It was situated right on the river, and it was fabulously massive—at least half mile in diameter. Long truck-trails wound their way down to the bottom of the gigantic earthen crater, Huge floodlight stood on its rim illuminating it like a football stadium in the deem early evening light.

In the centre of the crater, suspended high above it by a web of tightly-stretched cables, was a hanging white shaped cabin—a console booth of some sort—possessed of wide oblong windows on all four of its side.

The only route of access to the control booth was via long drooping suspension bridges that spanned th from opposite ends—from the north and the South; each bridge was at least four hundred yards long and constructed of thick steel cables;

It was the goldmine;

The Madre de Dios goldmine;

The Bell Jet Ranger helicopter landed on a pontoon- mounted helipad that floated on the river's surface not far from the edge of the massive open-cut mine.

The mine itself lay directly to the south of the Alto Pufus River, and it was connected to it by a collection of decrepit old buildings—three hulking warehouse-like structures that were dreadfully worn with age.

The largest of the three buildings jutted out owe the river, resting on stiits A series of wide gate-style doors lined its length, enabling boats and seaplanes to be stored inside it. In years gone by, Race guessed this must have been -where the mg company's boats and planes had come to be loaded up with gold

Today, however, it performed a different task.

It allowed the Nazis to hide their armada of boats; helicopters and seaplanes from the prying eyes of America's spy satellites.

No sooner had the chopper landed on the floating helipad than the pilot hit a switch;

Immediately, the rusty garage door to the helicopters left opened and the square pontoon on which the Chopper sat began to be pulled across the water toward it by some underwater cable mechanism.

Race looked up as the Chopper was pulled slowly inside the big Warehouse.

A second later the sky above him abruptly disappeared, replaced by the interior of the warehouses roof—a complex latticework of rusting steel and dark wooden beams.

Race stared at the warehouse all around him.