Failing Marks

The narrative Prologue says Durthang carves one wooden block bearing four map regions for Siegfried; Siegfried kills him and splits the block into four sections. After Siegfried dies, Bal-Mung retrieves one fragment from the river, and a falcon helmet is recovered. In the present, Remo tracks Gustav Reichschtadt—who was born Gus Holloway—and Kempten toward IV and its leader, Adolf Kluge. Remo, Chiun and Heidi Stolpe attack IV's Argentine village, but Kluge and Herman flee by helicopter as the tunnel collapses. Smith's actions have also weakened IV's finances. Suk steals a carved map section and coins from Sinanju for Kluge. Chiun recounts Bal-Mung's search for the Nibelungen Hoard; Heidi claims descent from Gunther and presents map sections, including one later revealed to be a forgery.

Kluge, Heidi and Chiun combine their drawings and travel to a false excavation, where a runic warning marks the empty site. During the ensuing firefight, police capture Kluge while several Number trucks flee separately. Heidi independently locates the true chamber near the Danube, where the Hoard is uncovered. Kluge secretly triggers a trap that collapses and floods the chamber. Remo rescues Heidi, and Chiun escapes; Kluge takes part of the gold before Remo kills him. The remaining treasure initially disappears with Heidi. Chiun then receives a letter and key directing him to half the Hoard stored in Bonn; the Epilogue confirms Remo and Chiun moved that half, while Heidi hides her own half beneath her castle and leads thirty surviving Numbers in a renewed Four.