RULE REMINDER: Rapid fire multiple submissions put an unreasonable load on the servers and make it difficult for others to submit. Anyone who makes an unreasonable number of submissions will be open to disqualification. In the first instance this will mean that anyone who submits more than 20 times in 10 minutes will be disqualified.
Charles who?
ECQET FKZEQ DXIJA EZSHF IQXBT XZCQS HTAOK LLRPK SJAHR NMWJJ IFOEI KWMAH BGUWG VSBCE LSNPI CZFXF TTBKG RNSLS TJIGA KMFXA NRWSJ HMGEM VVHEF SBBXG JGHXH VFYEE HTFXJ VCXOT LLRIG GZKXF TAOKS TCOBB KEIAT LHFLL RCTPZ FIGAK SYAWC RXFFY EGIOS RFHUI LOCGR RAGRY WHBEL BFLEP CXDKL LRRBU YLSSC HBXJI FSMCC AQVTA WJSFV LBHPL SFHTD VLLRE QSTMX VVXPI SRPHZ WMWRU ILDIW ZVONG RUXVO GGZFY ADXFD ARVNZ CLJIS FHFKK XBSND GGVGT ASWJI RDFSE GJGHX GFMXU AGRYA WEEYI JSPGO ACCVX UEVCE XIQEK OKWPR AWSIK XBAVQ FMRGI YSRJX UAMFV USASM FLUXV OGKZD PSONB UWVHN ESJKW BMXKR QGNNU STGRG RBJVV XBRXA FNIUI FTIGQ BFYWT WMZPX OTZQR NMARQ FRTAS FFPLC HIIKI YEYHR NEVLT PCWXB ULWBF SJTAW JOMYL IOZFC BUZWM WRLON FGJII IHIJW JSOKH JLSUO ERDJN BHGGF FXBAV QFMRG BNHNA XUYHI IDIND XFJZM CIUSC AIIEM VRLSA TAWJL LVRWC TUEFI HBNWQ VGAHJ MGPEX RZFXE YBBXZ MZAGR GWVUA IGVNI ATASK ZVRAM CWVMF CBDCA RRWBZ CTIRN HIXZX BCAOE YIUIL QFMVF EBQRF SALRV FHIGH THKZM FWBZC HVBVX HFTIG HXQRK IUILQ IAQRS TFVEE AYTBU NEEIH IJTYG IGCIV IETHG LUGRE WKVOM YLGSV VXBCT FVXYY LRTIS QRTAS DSWVN LICLW GOMVV USASM WKMXV OGMFM LNVXS OHVRS LSUSA VSAHF HVBSX QLLIU IFTFJ ZVOEO KARTH BGFSX UTHHR CIPAK SKZEG TASCS AFBXT RAXUF NZCQI KEVIK WHVHT JVLSJ AKBPG YGHTH ZLLVN DHYAW HNEWB WPLTH GLUGR EWVVO MYLTF XMIGH THKZI GHBFK QRVNM VTGRT RXGJO EFNHH UMPLC HBJLM GUMSU SRQTA OKLLR RXTFJ IUEBG EGXGO USSGY ADUMZ LWEEL CCMXV OGGKZ IEEBG LFPVK XZPLS OETBP ZEEMB BGMVF UBBXL LNTVO JWSGH XFKZE ATAST GWGTH MFMMA EGSIY CNNWH ZEIGH HIXZM GHBBB AXZOK SWJYV TYICL SPOGQ VFXEA MSFMV RFYCI LWBNA WJXEV LNFVL SNBBR VTCGH XHVFY EEHTF XJVCX OTLAU IESRL IPHGW TSPOR XOTZM GHTGZ FJHRB OKWHZ AGMZF GBNZF VKWNN WOLFE AIFCL KSECE CJWXB UGOEA QBULJ FLIBF VSEKY EEBGD GVRLB YVDCG OVOIJ CJEBU YLXUA GCEWA UIVVJ HPVTL HYWLB ULSDG VREOS EDCRV XBZXX UEKSG JIFEG HRLMI ELJFL IGOBA GWEPH MVVHV RSBRV FXJEL HZDPA EXRKZ IFEGO KWXBF BBUZM ZGNWC LCBFM VVULN RZSJS FEOTR EWXZI ZVKUE GCACL JJVSA PLLXB RXSCZ MZIGW KZMAK PSEWI QTHGK AJSEG HYWVR SHZMW SSONF WJMRN WGRFH NCHBT DYFIO SMGXR THWDH INCAK ZDPPA KFPEY PHFCI WARIZ VKOIZ ULHSW EEIGA ZFHGH HGVDM XELSE SXBRZ FZEIF WACIW KNRWA IBSUN LCESW RNMWI WPLUG TZLXB HHZUG JSIVS SMXJH HGVUS ACXFE KGRNM FVGRG HXGRF GGIMM FXXUE VCEKX VTNHZ GRBUK QRKIZ ULHSW MEOGQ CSHVF BHZKX BSTTV DCAAO WXSXR TASJL SEMRG VSWBF TGVFE GEASR JMAGR CLEEL DBGRY VRETB UAEZO YQFMV FEAOG HCGOW SSSXR TAWJO MGHRC LGYEG HOCKG BIGQZ VIVTB GFFPL ONFDW XUOWG KZEGM TMSWE GOWRJ QSHRA IDTPR SXFMS RGAGR WJMRN WQYSV YEL

We will NOT be providing instant Feedback on Challenge 7 (parts A OR B), instead delaying it until after each points boundary. So if you make a mistake in your decryption you will know that from your score, but we won’t tell you where you went wrong until after the next points boundary arrives. The idea is to reward those who find and correct their own mistakes without help!
Top Secret: For your eyes only
My dear Thaddeus, I am sorry to tell you that the President is resolute in his decision to appoint Stanton as Secretary of War. Despite the passing of the Tenure of Office Act, he insists that appointments to the Cabinet are his prerogative and his alone, and he does not accept the right of Congress to limit his ability to shape the executive branch. Given his previous actions in undermining our efforts to support the freed men of the South and his refusal to hold the Confederate leaders to account, I fear that reconstruction will founder unless some way can be contrived to remove him from office. Impeachment may be the only course left available to us. I know this will pain you, given your previous efforts to hold Mr Johnson to account, but with your leadership I believe that on this third occasion we might succeed in trying him, and perhaps even the threat of discipline will be enough to change his course. I can only hope that this will prove to be the case. His crimes are many and various, but in order to succeed we will need to carefully frame them as insults to the constitution. You have expressed a wish to prosecute him for violating his oath to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed”. I have to warn you that I think this unlikely to succeed. He will argue that the thirty ninth Congress was not duly constituted and that therefore he is not to be bound by its resolutions. There is unlikely to be any harm in pursuing that case other than the cost to you in energy and time, though I think it more fruitful to concentrate our efforts on his failure to abide by the Tenure of Office Act. While a technical breach it has infuriated many in Congress and a unanimous, or close to unanimous, vote of censure is more likely to carry weight than one which splits the House more evenly. Even if the Representatives vote to impeach the President, we still need the Senate to find him guilty of the charges. A broad net might catch our fish, but to reel him in I think we need to stiffen the resolve of our friends, and a conclusive vote to impeach will carry much more weight. We must bear in mind those, like Senator Grimes, who regard Mr Johnson as entirely unfit to hold office, but whose concerns centre on the sanctity of the Constitution. Our case must be iron clad if it is to safely navigate the stormy seas of a Senate hearing. You may disagree, and I am, of course, happy to debate this with you. Our goals coincide, it is only our methods that may be at odds. Your humble servant and friend, CharlesA key agreement
LIMRI LQCMM QHHZX LRUJU IRQUJ RLXUH HLZWR GYVTI TUFDG SHITI EEEGJ UBSZH FELLN YJKWE QPNKB SPRSJ QHRUF STINO FIUEG LYJKS AWJEB WRYJE EMGKT LBXUH WVNIE HSTMG BQYRQ RRGYY MVRLS KWWGH FCQRT YFCCE OOJGZ SCHWK GEAGY YMOAR BCMHT HTWKL NUQVA WVWNE MVNUD KPISD HKBLN WYYMQ LVYVZ MBXXD WPVQF IWEAG WFSIF PNKPE CSJRZ XBEJL AMAJH FLIAD RVAMF DHVZX NLSJQ KAWMR BWBPJ KPMAJ TTKYY WNJIJ BRYZB LVQPN MGNQG VAYEH YYIXZ RQZVE ERGVQ RTWMV QXNON RVZRU XZWRB IRZTP RUIFM WVQIV MHEHK VZXBW MVJYF LSVAW ZDSRT PHGJU BSVQD FCVZH XJIKR UTBMW ZLYYQ WNQTK PIEPF KBIEH SKQVR ODZLS ARYBV SJKTN NEZLQ ZIVLR ZRZIJ LYYBL RZTIS WBITL ZPVWJ IIVLI WZMRQ EZKZS XHXDQ XULXK PICVJ LLSAB RFNXU HHYIV NFYVZ NBKSY IVZRS ZVLVV SFDIY RZIUY GXFCN VVHSU AYTJJ JBMAJ FWIQV ONRZM GBGVB ARHSI IRQGN TSIAV NWKLN UQVAL NVGVM RNONK BPRWT FNVRH BZBLU LXTWR SLIVV GRVYY MRVWN JXSFV NSTIG KFKAS ZHTEM MFDBR ZIBIT LZTYD SJIRQ LXYWT VQLKW WROQF CVGHH YVSYR LPJIU LSUWY EEFTS WVFFE VSGLR ROMAH BYIXR OXVBL RWJCM KEDRT WYYGX ZORVI DWWVG KNJZI NVTEQ XULSB EIZXX KIGPH QVZEG HTLZT YDSJI RQDYK PIFDR VBMZH NEKVR DXVWY EVJTC VVWDR AMZHS KQSAH IZVQL WJCMK EDRKP IBWMV ZHNBB YMEGV YFVIF XLXMW GHIKP EGZJD QKUWZ JMLVV UCICS DNIKM CKJIN SERZI NYGXW VUIFV FXMWN QIZIQ VQHCQ RRGYF IGPHU KBLNW WVKSZ PJELE GLTEE IJLQC VIRGY FIKEH JRSIL VHYMH HOJRV HVSWF XSFHY YIXJH ZJMXR AYWZS ZGNTS IAVSF DIYVK FZXUH PVGWG KFKPE FWMVI HIDSK IKRWM RBARQ JVLSA ODROV RHFEM HVWNF VEAGY IIRFP NKXET HQZVI NQINW VQQZD JIEVN EWVQH WKWET UJVIO RBFEL XUHXV KEAEJ JMGHU JUCWV QLFBL RUXZU TYHWT QTUHW JQRGK JDMEA WNDMM UDAVA IPXWV LTNVX ROISR WRALV SRVVX BIRPK MCKJI MRTLS VAXBD WIQZR LSSIP GLRFZ IVQKV JVHDW PQJVK FMMYA GJIAX BRIPW YEVDJ BIZVU FTMGL HRTEA GYVTI TUFGP MPBTL ALBXQ UNMAG YYQWP RSJQK APJEB WHIKZ KMRQY KWIDX NGGSH UTWNM PHXZV XRQSV AWRHF ELEEN FEAEF ZMZKL VEJCQ IIHYF JIPUN KQGNO YFBLR VZTKI FVTWB LRPNJ AMBQN BVSJW MRBCB XFIMV ROZTB EAWYF XVBFJ VLAVW MZVWG DQCIX VRSNQ XURZK GSHUU IMWVG JEBWR AUCQG VWFGX VBYFC JYGLY NQPYD AFQHQ HQRGW VIBVX SFLYZ WRBXW JMPIH XKWFR JNEBL RLWLA INVXF WRNVY YIXCH WDQWF LTEQW EHHVQ ZRGNR UWHUJ KPMFZ NCTLN YJFKG HUWVL EYVTK WCBXG LBIIH SNQXU RZKBL NWUVZ QVVXZ WRVWM ZVOJH RZOLG DQCWA BXWJM PIHXK PIYLG VZXLR KTWRG LSLQR TWTDW RVWTI BLRFT DUYAL HRBMB QXFNS HUSVE JELJE LQBON EIVBL SFZHR UYFJI SRWVE EEQJU QJGKJ POIGF QFAIE WTZVX RUWLX XVQLF CVCXW GWWRB TLZWN VJMMV ODGSI KR
We will NOT be providing instant Feedback on Challenge 7 (parts A OR B), instead delaying it until after each points boundary. So if you make a mistake in your decryption you will know that from your score, but we won’t tell you where you went wrong until after the next points boundary arrives. The idea is to reward those who find and correct their own mistakes without help!
Top Secret: For your eyes only
Grenville, I deciphered and read the cursed telegram you forwarded to me and have to admit to considerable alarm at its contents. Even without the reference contained therein to stealing valuable property, and the knowledge of Charles’s itinerary, the fact that the mysterious Molinaro and Rokesmith appear to be using codenames is a certain sign that something occult is afoot. I think we can be sure that Molinaro, being the Italian version of Miller, does indeed refer to the businessman alluded to in your message. Rokesmith is another matter entirely. I do not know how familiar you are with the works of our literary friend, but Rokesmith is the pseudonym of the character John Harmon in his novel Our Mutual Friend, suggesting a familiarity between R and Dickens. If Charles has been a little too free with his confidences, then it is possible that someone is aware of our plans and is hoping to sell our technology behind our backs. I cannot imagine what else the telegram could signify. For this reason, I think we must accelerate our plans and at the same time increase our security. As I mentioned in my telegram the other day, Wheatstone suggested that we might use his Playfair cipher for our future messages and I am inclined to accept that recommendation. We will need to agree a key schedule, and I propose that we use text from Dickens novels for the keys. That has the advantage that we need only agree an edition and transmit page line and word numbers in order to agree a key and these can be secured using other, simpler ciphers. In the meantime, I have secured passage for a shipment of my cipher engines to arrive in Baltimore in February. If I have understood your systems, political and telegraphic, you should find this consignment sufficient to equip your offices in Tennessee and Arkansas, which I believe to be critical to the success of the mission. I know that you are reluctant to proceed with installation without your President’s explicit approval, but it will avoid delays if we position ourselves to begin their use as soon as that permission is received. I am sure this will have occurred also to you, but even without that permission I think we might allow ourselves the liberty of continuing to monitor the communications of our new friend Molinaro, in order to be forewarned if they get closer to interrupting our purpose. Yours, as ever, Babbage.This challenge closed on 03/12/2025. Please click the Official Decrypt button above to see the correct answers.
RULE REMINDER: Rapid fire multiple submissions put an unreasonable load on the servers and make it difficult for others to submit. Anyone who makes an unreasonable number of submissions will be open to disqualification. In the first instance this will mean that anyone who submits more than 20 times in 10 minutes will be disqualified.