Table Of ContentTHE
LUaa I{EBURG
VARIATION
A NOVEL
PAOLO MAURENSIG
Tn,o.t{sr,q.rBo BY JoN Rorsscsrro
AN OWL BOOK
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY
NEW YORK
Henry Holt and Company
Publisherc since /866
I l5 West l8th Street
New York, New iork l00t I TI
Henry Holt@ is a registered trademark
of Henry Holt and Company, Inc. LUNE
Copyright @ I 993 by Adelphi edizioni s.p.a. Milan
Translation copyright @ 1997 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc. VARI/
All rights resewed.
Published in Canada by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd.,
195 Allstate Parkway, Markham, Ontario L3R 4T8.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Maurensig, Paolo.
[Variaote di Liineburg. English]
The Liineburg variation / Paolo Maurensig;
trmslated by Jon Rothschild.
P. cm.
rsBN 0-8050-6028-6
I. Rothschild, Jon.
PQ4873.A8947Y3h1 tgsg 98-34459
853'.914---dc21 CIP
Henry Holt books are available for special promotions and
premiums. For details contact; Director, Special Markets.
First published in 1993 by Adelphi edizioni s.p.a. Milan as
La teiante di Lilneburg
First published in the United States in 1997
by Farrar, Straus and Girou
First Owl Bools Edition 1998
Printed in the United States of America
All first editions are printed on acid-free paper.-
2468t097531
THE
TUNEBURG
VARIATION
TO*
say that chess was born in bloodshed.
kgend has it that when the game was first presentcd to rhe
court, the sultan decided to reward the obscure inventor by
granting any wish he might have . The recompense requested
seemed modest: the quantity of wheat that would result from
putting a single grain on the first of the board's sixty-four
squares, two grains on the second, four on the third, and so that countenancef Onh- I
do the features stored &
on.
At first the sultan gladly agreed, but when he realized that transparency suPenmPG(
all the granaries of his kingdom, and perhaps of all the world, somehow still stubbornh-
could not supply such an amount, he found it advisable to ex- The headlines make m
tricate himself from his predicament by having the poor in- personality," but sav noth
ventor's head cut off. Under pressure from fic
The legend doesn't mention that the sovereign later paid an pothesib of suicide. ncarl
dentr" "mishap," or dc
even higher price, becoming so enthralled by the new game
that he lost his mind. The mythical inventor's greed, it turned Whatever the evidence sr:
out, was equaled only by that of the game itself. sence of a plausible mci
prepared to swear that bc
Today's papers report the death of a man in a village not far own life. He had ner-er I
from Vienna. Yesterday Sunday morning, one Dieter Frisch checkup, a recent one, g,
succumbed to a gunshot wound. The medical examiner's re- was in enviable shape : at r
port sets the time of death at 4 a.m., the result of a pistol shot favorite sports) tennis an
fued at very close range, the bullet piercing the palate and ex- Iimp ever since an opcre
iting through thE occipital lobe. from a horse. Nor s-as d
st
The newspaper accounts are accompanied by a recent photo fact, a few days ago hc
of the deceased, shown relaxing in the grounds of his villa like contract from the Bund.:
a country squire just back from his daily walk. Dressed in Frisch was one of tho
light-colored linen, lounging in a wicker chair, he seems to be smile in every domain. H
extending a hand to pet one of the two dogs huddled at his sons, all ofwhom nos'ho
feet. I look at that picture and find it hard to recognize the a well-ordered, quiet lift
face, shadowed as it is by the brim of what looks like a light- nich managing his onn I
weight Panama hat. Is a man's physiognomy no more than an Vienna, to be drir-en to t
assemblage of mass and weight, the contours of a muscular his free time : a rilla ringr
structuref Or is there something more enduring, lying un- by a l25-acre game PnEr
changed beneath the relendess layerings of timef Can it be eighteenth centun, has k
that the person I knew lurks hidden beneath that name and the public in summer- \
4
e fir4 and so that countenancef Only after a few moments' concentration
do the features stored deep in my memory reemerge, like a
h rcalized that transparency superimposed over that face eroded by age yet
dall dre world, somehow still stubbornly youthful.
it edvisable to ex- The headlines make much of the passing of this "eminent
Lrsing the poor in- personality," but say nothing about how it actually happened.
Under pressure from the family, staunchly opposed to the hy-
later paid an pothesis of suicide, nearly all the papers speak of an "acci-
rlcd b1, the new game dent," "mishapr" or death in "mysterious circumstances."
Entor's greed, it turned Whatever the evidence may be, it becomes worthless in the ab-
pc itself. sence of a plausible motive . Everyone who knew him seems
prepared to swear that he had absolutely no reason to take his
man in a village not far own life. He had never been depressed or lisdess. His latest
fug, one Dieter Frisch checkup, a recent one, gave him a clean bill of health, and he
I mcdical examiner's re- was in enviable shape : at the age of sixty-eight still active in his
lc result of a pistol shot favorite sports, tennis and horseback riding, despite a slight
ring the palate and ex- limp ever since an operation after an injury caused by a fall
from a horse? Nor was t}tere any hint of financial trouble. In
licd bv a recent photo fact, a few days ago he won a multimillion-dollar construction
6umds ofhis villa like contract from the Bundesbank.
ffir- s'alk. Dressed in Frisch was one of those people upon whom fate seems to
Echair, he seems to be smile in every domain. He married a rich heiress and had four
F dogs huddled at his sons, all ofwhom now hold prominent social positions. He led
lH to recognize the a well-ordered, quiet life, spending four days a week in Mu-
bh looks like a light- nich managing his own business and returning on Friday to
lrr--r no more than an Vienna, to be driven to the place where he liked to spend all
lt*.s of a muscular his free time: a villa ringed by a vast park in turn surrounded
Ib cnduring, lying un- by a 125-acre game preserve. The properry built late in the
b "f time? Can it be eighteenth century, has long been a tourist attraction, open to
rcdr that name and the public in summer. Visitors are allowed to view the stud
farm and suoll tluough the grounds, a true masterpiece of siastic welcome. IIe then u'
gardening and water management designed more than a cen- every Friday.
tury ago. The highlight is a concentic maze of ten-foot-high But as early as Saturdav m<
hedges Ieading to a chessboard-shaped clearing paved with ticed something strangc in
squares of white and black marble. On opposite sides of the looked as though he had sI
board, chess pieces have been painstakingly sculpted by prun- woman was ready to s$-ear th
ing thick shrubs as tall as a man. The black pieces are of yew, not even undressed. ^\ccusr
sti
the white of boxwood. household routine from
Like most people his age, Frisch was a creature of habit. On solace, she was alarmed b1- fr
his three days a week in the villa he awoke prompdy at seven- habits.
thirty and spent exacdy five minutes in an indoor cold-water Devoted servant that shc'
to:
pool, followed by some calisthenics and a ritually meticulous her place to say anrthing
toilet. At about eight o'clock, properly dressed, he would de- bers of the staff. Nor did fi
d
scend to the spacious sitting room for a frugal breakfast served cause the couPle occuPied
on fine china: a cup of unsweetened black coffee and some what were effectivelr- sePararl
whole-grain toast with a touch of marmalade. He would then rare official functions. ^{ccsr
6
withdraw to his study to spend the rest of the morning on his Dr. Frisch ate no breaktast
great passion, chess.tle owned everything that had ever been at the usual hour, s'as rerurr
written on the subject and boasted a precious collection of an- F{e seems to have sPent d
tique sets. Though he had not competed for years, he still held receiving no visitors- Onh '
a master's ranking and was the editor of an authoritative chess him dinner in his srudv dll
magazine. turned on. It u'as still on u,t
All evidence suggests that nothing ever impinged on his the morning.
routine until that last Friday night. His driver picked him up Well after eight o'clock o
at the station in Vienna as usual. They exchanged only a few no sign of Frisch. Conccrn
words on the way back to the villa, where they arrived in the maid went upstairs to thc bt
middle of the night-at a quarter to one to be exact. (The bed not slept in, she rhougt
tho"S
driver was always careful to time the trip.) Frisch got out of the night elsewhere,
the car and, as always, went first to the dogs' compound, to get suspicious's'hen shc s
where he petted each of his "puppies," soothing their enthu- ing from the garage. She tht
6
@rI*E of siastic welcome. He then went into the house. Just as on
E6macen-
every Friday.
den-6
-high But as early as Saturday morning his elderly housemaid no-
paved with ticed something strange in her master's behavior. Frisch
ir sides of the looked as though he had slept litde and badly. In fact, the
suhted by prun- woman was ready to sw6ar that if he went to bed at all, he had
1i'ccs are of yew, not even undressed. Accustomed as she was to a clockwork
household routine from which she herself took the greatest
qtanre of habit. On solace, she was alarmed by this sudden change in the master's
fb prompdy at seven- habits.
la indoor cold-water Devoted servant that she was, however, she felt it was not
I a rinrally meticulous her place to say any"thing to anyone, not even the other mem-
lltssed, he would de- bers of the staff. Nor did she inform Frisch's wife, pardy be-
Pugal breakfasr served cause the couple occupied d.ifferent wings of the villa and led
H
coffee and some what were effectively separate lives, appearing together only at
Pd. He would then rare official functions. According to the housemaid's account)
on his Dr. Frisch ate no breakfast that morning, and his lunch, served
r been at the usual hdur, was returned untouched on the tray.
Hos collection of an- He seems to have spent the whole day alone in the house,
Jp] fuy'ears, he still held receiving no visitors. Only when our witness came to serve
h arthoritative chess him dinner in his study did she notice that a lamp had been
turned on. It was still on when she fell asleep, at about two in
I
ficr impinged on his the morning.
[tr$cr picked him up Well after eight o'clock on Sunday morning there was still
lrtanged only a few no sign of Frisch. Concerned about the unusual delay, the
ts th.y arrived in the maid went upstairs to the bedroom. Finding it empty and the
Fc to b. exact. (The bed not slept in, she thought at first that the master had spent
f.1r.ir.t got out of the night elsewhere, though such was not his wonr. She began
I aogs' compound, to get suspicious when she saw that none of the cars was miss-
iootfring their enthu- ing from the garage. She then knocked repeatedly at the study
door, calling to him loudly. When she got no reply she de- chess pieces were of course dus
cided to go in, but found no one there. At that point she felt them from the board obliteratcd
she had no choice but to wake Frisch's wife, a step not wholly real clue-though I must admit
without risk, since the lady of the house suffered from insom- decipher.
nia and was probably just then e;rjoying her first real repose.
The entire staff was soon mobilized to scour the twenty- Various scenarios have becn I
eight rooms, the cellars, and the guest quarters, an unsuccess- even the occasional whisPer of c
ful search that was also extended to the grounds. Finally ered the possibility that Frisch's
someone thought of bringing in the master's dogs. His two deferred in space and time- N<
note was encoded in that chcro
beloved German shepherds had been barking constandy all
rto
morning. When the first was turned loose, he darted straight was addressed to the judge
No prints but the victim's s-cre i
for the garden labyrinth; the second, leashed, Ied them un-
I who orchestrated the gamc- 1
hesitatingly to the spot. Frisch's body, supine in its own blood,
could reconstruct that Posidm
Iay in the center of the maze; his old army pistol was recovered
blindfold. That defense, rrtich
a few feet away. The weapon was fitted with a silencer, and no
molish from the summit of hb
one had heard the shot.
that linked us to an evil nightn
They looked in vain for a note) but all they found on his
which Frisch had the temcrirr
desk was a chess set in a complicated mid-game position.
It was a very strange board: light and dark patches of coarse tion," was the lead that enablcd
m
cloth sewn together. Buttons of various sizes represented the Sentence was Pronounced
pieces, symbols for each having been crudely scratched into Vienna express.
the faces, apparently with a nail.
As I said, every week Dieter Fr
Of all the newspapers reporting the scene discovered by the
m
first witnesses just one, a provincial sheet possibly short of nich for four daYs, lear-ing
enna on the 7:20 exPress (rr
firsthand information) commented on this apparendy insignif-
making the uip for,vears. and
icant detail. Its article concluded: "No one will ever know why
welcome, since it afforded a fr
Dr. Frisch chose such a rag from his precious, renowned col-
lection. Perhaps only to use it for his last match, with death." His usual companion s'as lfr- l
None of the investigators suspected that the truth was fice, indispensable colleaguc, er
of the war. They nearll' alsrr-s
shrouded in those vaguely melodramatic words. The strange
8
