Oberstleutnant Reishach grasped the significance faster, but couldn't understand how or why his adjutant was now the suspected criminal instead of one of his uncle's monks. His joy at recovering the heirloom was only tempered by his confusion at where and how it had been found, and what this all meant.

Abbot Napp was shaking his head at both the revelations and the way his people had chosen to bring them about. Only Monsignor Schrattenbach appeared unsurprised and it was he who eventually got everyone's attention and requested that they all return to the library and sort the whole thing out. Which, eventually, is what they did.

This time he took the central seat, and when everyone else was in place asked, "Brother Gregory, would you kindly explain what this all means?

After assuring himself that he had their undivided attention, Brother Gregory took out some notes, looked at them briefly as if to collect his thoughts, and told them his hypothesis. "Hauptmann Steefel comes from a middle class, but poor family. Equipping himself for a life as a staff officer in the Imperial army had used up all the family's remaining store of money, and all Steefel's savings. I am told that this is a serious problem in the army today, and that in 1860, when permission was given for officers in the junior ranks to leave the army, they did so in large numbers, about 800 I believe, and it has become difficult to find their replacements."

Oberstleutnant Reishach was about to try and defend the honor of his chosen profession, but even if he had been given a chance to speak, he would have had a hard time defending the policies of the Imperial army of that time. Morale was not high, aristocrats no longer considered a military career for their sons, and disaffection was so high that all kinds of reading matter was suspect and all non-German literature was banned from officer messes.

"The Steefel family was, however, prepared to make the sacrifice for their eldest son and went into debt to support him, even with the extra expenses of preparing for this war. What they did not expect was that their second son would be conscripted. That was too much.

"When Hauptmann Steefel saw the Abstimmungreservelists he got the shock of his life. There, under the names beginning with the letter 'S' was the name of Eric Steefel, his brother. If something wasn't done, not only would the Steefel family be ruined financially, but there was a definite chance that they could loose both their sons in a war with Prussia. It was too much."

Sitting in a corner, guarded by two Korporales, Steefel was hunched over, his whole face was in shadow and his body was shaking.

"Unfortunately," Mendel continued, "the most obvious remedy was unavailable to them. Many German families buy their sons an exemption from army service, and pay for someone else to take their place. Had they the money, the Steefel family could do the same - but where was this money to come from? They had spent all they had on their eldest son, and nothing was left for Eric.

"That was when Hauptmann Steefel had his good idea. If he chose his time wisely he could either destroy his brother's name on the conscription list, get the money to buy his exemption, or both. Best of all, he could escape any kind of danger or any chance of being found out, by blaming the whole affair on the local Hussites, who were conveniently making trouble at the moment."

"But Brother Gregory," Abbot Napp could not help interrupting, "I can see why he might want to temporarily keep his brother out of the army by destroying part of the conscription lists, although that would not work for ever, but why break the beaker - or not break the beaker as it has turned out." The Abbot was not the only one present who did not understand that point.

"There is where Hauptmann Steefel was particularly clever," Mendel said. "The Krautstrunk Beaker was very old and very valuable. If he stole it, and sold it, there would be more than enough money to buy his brother out of the army. But there was great danger in stealing his superior officer's heirloom.

"Any ordinary theft would lead at once to an investigation. The police are very efficient here in Brno," and here he bowed slightly in the direction of Darmstaedter, whose stony face did not change, "and Steefel would not have been able to sell the Beaker without being discovered and arrested. No, ordinary theft was out of the question. He needed some way of disguising the act as something else.

"Then, in a glass shop in Vienna, he got his answer; a fake Krautstrunk beaker. A modern fake, but one which could possibly deceive the owner of the real beaker if it was close enough. So he bought it and was probably planning on making the substitution sometime during his stay here in Brno.

"But then he got an even better idea. It was always possible that Herr Reishach, or another member of his family, would spot the substitution, in which case the theft would be discovered. But what if the beaker was thought to be broken! He could steal the real beaker, replace it with the fake beaker, and then arrange for the fake to be broken under circumstances where no blame could attach itself to him.

"Now, everyone would think that the beaker was lost for ever, and no one would think of looking for the real one when he sold it. The plan was perfect, but how could he arrange to break the beaker without being there? That problem did not seem to have a solution, until the Czech nationalists started their campaign of disruption and sabotage.

"He waited until there was a sunny day when it had been arranged for almost everyone to be out at the army camp watching the demonstration of tactics. Before he left the monastery he went into the Oberstleutnant's room and tore off the part of the list with his brother's name on it. He then crumpled up a few more pages and set the lens of the reading glass in such a way that when the afternoon sun finally shone in the window it would set alight to the papers and make people think that the saboteur had just been there.

"Before he left the room he smashed the fake beaker in the hearth of the fire place, stole the real beaker, which he hid in his room, and left to establish his alibi. His plan was perfect. Yesterday he had intended to go into Brno, sell the beaker, and use the money to buy his bother out of army service. Unfortunately an innocent monk would be found guilty of his crime, but he was only a Czech and therefore of no importance to a good German."

Several people in the room objected to this last statement, and Klacel thumped on the table in agreement, but the Vicar General soon re-established order and asked Brother Gregory a question. "You tell an interesting story, but how do you know this, and can you prove any of it?"

Before he could reply, the Abbot spoke. "The fact that the original Krautstrunk Beaker was found in Steefel's possession might be considered evidence enough," he said dryly. "With your permission, I suggest that the work of this tribunal is over. We seem to have uncovered the truth of the matter, strange as that truth seems to be. It appears to be an internal matter for the army. All the principals are army personnel, and I think they are the best people to deal with the consequences." He nodded to his nephew. "I consider this matter closed. Gentlemen, there are refreshments in the refectory, if any of you wish to join me."