The Prophecy

27

Throughout history, many people have exploited the work of Nostradamus for personal gain. Perhaps the most notorious was Joseph Goebbels, the Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. He was one of Adolf Hitler’s closest associates and a master of psychological warfare. One of his most effective tools during World War Two was the use of black propaganda — fake documents that were designed to destroy the morale of the enemy.

Because of Nostradamus’s popularity in Europe, Goebbels hired Karl Ernst Krafft, a prominent Swiss astrologer and an enthusiastic Nazi supporter, to interpret Nostradamus’s prophecies in such a way as to cast a positive light on the Third Reich. Their goal was to create the illusion that Nostradamus had predicted a German victory, which would make their opponents believe they were fighting an unwinnable war. Goebbels published the Nazi prophecies in leaflets, and then air-dropped the leaflets over France in advance of the German army. Many French soldiers and civilians became so demoralized they willingly surrendered to the invading troops.

As soon as the British learned of the Nazi tactics, they quickly produced their own set of fifty false Nostradamus prophecies, which foretold Allied victories. These verses were printed and dispersed throughout Nazi occupied territories in an attempt to counteract Goebbels’s efforts.

Not to be outdone, the American government commissioned Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios to produce a series of short films to be shown before movies. The anti-propaganda films — which had titles like Nostradamus Says So, More About Nostradamus, and Further Prophecies of Nostradamus — were narrated by acclaimed screenwriter Carey Wilson and included prophecies that could be connected to World War Two. Some of the quatrains were presented in their original state, others were edited for effect, making it seem as though Nostradamus had predicted an Allied victory. The films were so successful that More About Nostradamus was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Short Subject category in 1941.

A few years later, Nostradamus IV was released in the United States. The short film began with the headline ‘Mussolini Kicked Out’, and it stressed that this prediction by Nostradamus had already been presented earlier in the series. The film then examined the prophecies that supposedly foresaw the rise and fall of Hitler. To emphasize the important part (i.e. the eventual death of Hitler), the movie poster featured a Hitler lookalike getting his throat cut from behind.

Needless to say, the poster and the film were very popular in America.

Back when François Dubois was still trying to come to grips with his visions of the future, he asked his mother why she viewed his dreams as a gift. Her explanation was a simple one. She said, ‘Knowing the future is a tool you can use to conquer your environment. The more you know, the better off you’ll be — especially if you possess information that no one else has.’

From that moment on, he became fixated with the concept.

As a teenager, whenever he was interested in a girl, he would study her for weeks in advance, long before he even talked to her. Later, when he planned his first heist, he bribed city officials for blueprints, paid security guards for patrol routes, and conducted surveillance on his own friends to make sure that none of them had been compromised. Eventually, when he set up his first arms deal, he had gathered enough blackmail material on the other party involved — including a series of compromising photos — to guarantee a smooth transaction.

The more he knew, the better off he would be.

That was one of the reasons he had established a network of spies in universities round the globe. Dubois realized how much information was available on college campuses, particularly schools with strict academic standards like Oxford, Princeton, and Yale. Places where the best and the brightest graduated. He also knew how broke some graduate students were and how desperate they were for money.

For a man like Dubois, it was a match made in heaven.

Over the years, he had learned about corporate mergers long before they were announced, which allowed him to invest wisely and make millions. He had been warned of impending military actions, allowing him to protect his assets in several foreign countries. And he had compiled dirty laundry on enough politicians and royal families to ensure political favours whenever he needed them. However, of all the tips he had ever received, the one that had excited him the most had come less than a week ago.

Martin Müller was a doctoral student in finance at the Faculté des Hautes Études Commerciales. Often referred to as HEC Lausanne, it was the highly respected business school at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Having attended the university as an undergraduate and a graduate student, Müller had developed personal relationships with most of the faculty and was often asked to help exchange students get to know the campus. A few months earlier, a student from France had told him about François Dubois and the type of information he was looking for. Müller had laughed it off, thinking he wasn’t the type of person who consorted with criminals, but he wrote down Dubois’s hotline number, just in case.

On the night of 9 December, Müller was glad that he had.

One of Dubois’s associates answered the phone, but as soon as Müller explained why he was calling, he was immediately patched through to Dubois.

‘I understand you have some information for me,’ Dubois said in English.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘And it has to do with Nostradamus?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Well, what is it?’

Müller paused, nervous. ‘Sir, I have to admit I’ve never done this before. Shouldn’t we talk about money first?’

Normally, Dubois wouldn’t have the patience to explain his setup, but due to the urgency of the subject matter and the fact that Müller had been screened in advance, the last thing he wanted to do was spook the caller. ‘Before we can settle on a price, I need to know what type of information you possess. Therefore, I need you to provide the basics. Afterward, if I feel it is worthy of my attention, my associate will make financial arrangements.’

‘Okay. That sounds fair.’

‘Now please, if you don’t mind, tell me what you’ve learned.’

‘Earlier tonight, I was studying on campus, and I overheard two of my professors talking about an ancient document they were hoping to sell. I don’t know the specifics, but I know it’s really old and it’s connected to Nostradamus.’

‘Connected in what way?’

Müller shrugged. ‘I’m afraid I don’t know. I couldn’t hear everything.’

‘But you’re certain they mentioned Nostradamus?’

‘I’m positive. As soon as I heard the name, I immediately thought of you.’

Dubois wasn’t the least bit surprised. His contacts made sure everyone knew he was a collector who was willing to pay top dollar for documents pertaining to Nostradamus.

‘Do you know the names of these professors?’ Müller nodded. ‘Yes, sir.’

‘What about their phone numbers?’

‘Yes, sir. And their addresses, too.’

Dubois smiled. It was information he would gladly pay for.