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.
This message, from Charles to Charles, sets out what he knows and what he suspects. Neither of them are happy! Can you find the sting in the tail and break his cipher?
The Upside Down
UGRHL ZEUGL ZEQWV AVFNA MRBPS DMHKL RRKWW UGFQX ADETV BBTTO XESAB SVLLR GIDVM JSZOU JXMOA LLLHY GNWYV ZRDXP TFMBQ TJSBG ZVMMH KTYHM AEXZL GWTUF PZABP TTTKB HKOKW VGNQT RAKRH PTVFI WTNYR EGSAB GEBJI MQDEX JIHGE IHWSU BIIXY DBKNV HKSET IMGVF ZSSRN FMMIH KMJSZ OUJWC IHEIV KLHTV LRBKB XLIWG FQRTH XBYOY WESRC WKISJ XTSGT LZPPZ IMRIN FMLXE XTSPT JDEXZ FYZUF RKFTM HPORS AIHKB NGGWI KVRFX XOIII IHMNZ FISMM DETTS PBAYM FGWMP LWUZK WWNXE SABNZ RRGRM HKLRB XMBJT YGIIH IXGFH MCZEG AHKCR ZEWET INTJW XPSIX YHXPW VGZAK MTVWV KMIHK XTBTB RFIDW MAODM LSABF FLZHB GHKKF KMAUI MEOAB SJXCU GQHKR EOLQE YLKOA BEKTD WMVIK AXWFB AYMLC RWTXG ZVMGN RWZOL ZEMXJ OAVAE KVHLA IDYZF XLIJG FQHBU FRVUK CDCNF KBADE TYFBM HKHKB BTLRY JZTQR VMRAX AEYMK GNUSV VEOMA MLVIW VWNIX UBNBI KGVJF CCIBT CMMLS TJWGI LBXYH YQLZT MOHVO KXSZE QWKTY HMCBD XKGRA SZAKH IWDRH KHGMD ZLVFI MHKZE WWIUJ KVDYW ETGRH KWPDB VVMCO PGFDN LEJLV FIUIJ TYMUZ EUWIC EAEKT KGMAI EHZGL MCVLV VMVIJ KVZEM VRKKK HTLVY JHBLN RGRZD FUCDL YXPTJ LVFIC SUGRS ETIVO IILWT XGZDE MHEBV ZHZTE TTWYQ NXBJO RILGW CIHKD ETJSB ZTENF QABOS YFMMQ RLVVG XPTFM VQGIT IHGAB TATBK WKKFF MWSEC OPXIC YMBLH PREWT ZLRGB TAZKV HTUSZ AKMGI PDHTV IIRXX CSMMH KMRGX CGRXC ZHKSZ AUBTT AIXES ZMHKH KMXDN FVFHN WYUXB GTQHT BYKLO NZPRF WVGZL VRXPT FMJFX NEILZ VMBAY MBBBP TPEEC GICVP IIHBR LHPBH COPAK WPVEB TKSOI HLHPH TPTCT ZFXBA DHKGL MCTTE WTBBF HKVLQ WFANA NQTIH JBHKA XGZHT VIUKF CVMBF MJFTM PGTFV PZECE ZAWMM RGBFH GWVGE WKMHJ BCPNX AYMZK ZVIKT TWGCM DHTBX MBJTY SAASE ZZGXL RLHCO XBSFM XBBGR KLZHT PTJXK OMADV MZBNM HKGZB HQTRL ZBTOR FGRVM QWVNX OXTNZ XSMTU NRGIS MASZF UBXQR WKLCR BAYMV JXQLV UFHGW SRXIS OIHVP KWGWI KGVAM AUDBK OABLV XWWXT LZOES KOHKB NFXBT RFVVM ONZLJ IVAIU KVHYI TLUJK XVSZA KTHZE ITVPX PTVUF HRZRF LDOBL NRNFM DKOYL CZBET ZLECB AUCVE CVGMW HEWTB RVVVF HUSRP ZZBBN LNFMA BINXJ WTZOK MEOMK UCXIB XMBVO RVBBA YMISM BADME OMZOG FZSKW MRHKK HVUFR BBTPT FMKVZ COZXJ CIXUJ BFGLL NRAXB HZWVA KCMVI CERTE TINRV VMBAY MUCHP ICXBW EMHKZ EWVCD VKVZB PWJRV YMQMJ GRFMG LVKLQ XAEIH DCMLO YMVAT BSVZX ILLIU XBOMA IDKLC RMTFG VJBBI JHGSK WMRGF MEBCV KICVW SFWLC RMRLL ESHBE ITTSK WMVDR HMAUD NFMGM HKGZO ZIYVD ISAXI TTECL AAGHK IHGKJ TZTBG TCNTW YNIUL LCBZE JGZBX MBVOR VWTUF PVKDV IYMZH LQGFE FHIGR TWVVL QLGFF QVINR ATILV EVUKC GLAYX CZBDN VKXTB LNRXE CRBNV PKSZI PKHES FCLFO VVMNO INFTR BNVPK SZIPE HUBNW FVUFH LIWVE CWOVE IZFHG WSJTG CMCOP WVYLI IUKFK XLOTX YHKMD RXIBT PTIXK WKERV MKSUP CLFRS KIUFR KOABE JTTSA BYCNI HLQTZ ZEWWI EIGVV PAECV RHVMP JKLCR ZAVPF HNWYU GZAXZ TJNDM ETAVK ZGXTR RATFT MDPF
As usual, decipher this message and paste or type your answer in the box below. Submit it by pressing the button and then move on to Challenge 9B. We are not giving feedback straight away on these last few challenges, so you will have to wait until the end of the timeband in which you submitted to get that, but there is nothing stopping you from finding any errors yourself and resubmitting before then if you want. Good luck! Jodie
Top Secret: For your eyes only
My Dear Charles, I really must remind you to wear your spectacles when reading. It is truly the case that you are a much better writer than reader! The codeword I asked you to pass on to Grenville was to be found on page twenty-four of the volume, not page twenty-one, and if Grenville had not been such an accomplished cryptologist I think we would have been in serious difficulty. If I ask you to pass on a cipher key again then you must take more care to ensure you do so correctly. On a more positive note, your mistake did suggest a method to more securely transmit keys while reducing the likelihood that they will fall into the wrong hands, so I suppose I ought to thank you. Now to a more important matter that I have been reluctant to raise with you until I was more certain of my conclusions. It will shock you and I am sorry to be the bearer of this news, but after discussing the matter with Grenville I feel that I must mention it. We have reason to believe that your friend Miss Ternan may be in league with an organisation in the United States that is trying to steal our designs. She has been communicating with a publisher in New York named Miller, who appears to be coordinating a consortium who wish to obtain access to material that you have taken with you on your tour. We can only think that this refers to the design drawings which I asked you to convey to the General and his colleagues at the telegraph company. This material is, as I told you before you left, of critical importance to the security of both countries, and could play a significant role in helping to surveille and supress the Ku Klux Klan and its fellow travellers in the secessionist states. Lord Derby has impressed upon you the importance of persuading the President to adopt this system, but that will be to no avail if the Klan is able to circumvent it. Under no circumstances must these materials fall into their hands. I would urge you to consider if Miss Ternan has ever said anything to you that might intimate that she is anything less than trustworthy. It is of the utmost importance that we determine whether she is a willing accomplice, or perhaps has been, as they say in the New World, duped, so that we can determine our proper actions. With a heavy heart, your friend Babbage PS Your reply will necessarily be of a highly confidential nature. I would suggest that you ask Grenville to encipher it before you send it, using the Playfair method that I used to contact him. I would suggest that he thinks back to the page you should have suggested and uses the next line and second word as the key. I am sure he will understand.A friend no more
MFMTT NRHKH EBRKP SFPCE YCRZS HSDBD MTMFM TTNQP TMENA QKBQS BTOCK NEBDP QODES KELGH RTDSS DTMEB RSFST QDSPK BCBGC YCVSH XHSUT EAQYD SFYZD SKMQE CVGME DRSQN DZADA LABQA LXRMN ARANO CYKHE PELBA HRRSB TECYC KCENR KFDIQ CVEBB TKMEB PTRKN KCVTS TBPAK BQBNC WFOZD TVFKY RSDBN TTNDF TPBDM THLKD EBCEB IPTYD DEYCR KFDHY ZLKCH SFDKB SBDPS FYFRX KSGOD TKBZM ELQPE TBVKM SKRDD TSPEB FPCEY CRENT KDZYC EEQGH YFYZF SCGKB QBCVQ RVFKY RSGPE LKMSR KBPHF GREDK ETDPF VBZKS KRGMT DLPCV EBTBT RFDRK DIZFT ZZITC DFRWQ PHPMC RWRHN RDSCA TBBHS ZRKPS HXCVS NYCSD ZYEBM TDSPQ VFKYR SKSQA OBDBK SMQPT PMQCS EYZFP DKECV MTHCG KHALG PELKB TBHRY CRKFD KQKMS DSUTN EACVS NZMEL MQEDD BRKPS LXMFP ACYSQ PALAC VSNPE BSDTT PEBRK PSFPC VSNYC QKGXB KBTGC QODQN TILKB EDDBC YQNPT IPEBH XFSSC QMXGB DPTRI BZNTT FYCXR CEDQV FKYRS GPELK MSPEN CGOBK CPHQN MQOBH LKDEB LPCVS NBAEM THXCC YPACY RMHSP ABVKS KRGMT DVGPY DTHSD SPVCM MSDTR SKBZB PIHRP EHSNA SKDLZ TSZQA RKBAN WSPTR AQCOD BCNCV YPWNR ADTCO ZAKRK MQECV RKFDI HVMZT BRXLS PFDMT NTPSG PDLGH MXKSI RZAKM DFEBG XHBZC SNCOB VMQIT CEEPA LGPDL YCSRA DPIGC QSKBP RNTZY LPBTS PFDQN NCZCE BQCSB BDQYD OTBTD ELDBP TSQCY FOPTD SKMQE CVSBY ZFPDT XHSUT AKMYF DSKBV MQTEP SUQCX HYFRK PQYAK FPVPY MFMTP ASDQS COPKE LPKEC ATPQB ZPSMF CYRKP QDKEL DEQAB FMTOB DSNCW LPASK CYRHE LKBAP TDCGP HRWRS BTECD LVFKY RSRKP SRKHR TPABS DMFYC QCFNA PECEB XHSUR NNZTD ESAQT MNXAN RKPQB ZGMBD TDQWD EPQZA GKPSD KPODE TMKYE SKMQE CVSQK DESAY OYQMF SABFD NCWLL PKBAB CEBHX HSURF OZDEC MMTSK DFLZE TDTTP EBZES KSFTB ANGXD PECMC QCFNH XCVSN PTGEC VYCSZ QAVQK SDPKO FDRKY ZCNOK DPEBO BPMAD MTCEA NRIOZ DSPID ECWMF HLCOA BCEBH CWRSM SDAMT NKMQO BABDS FDHVK SKRKB MSDTH BDESK APDUY CRKOZ BABVF STRPM ADBYD VNCWL BHRST BRWRH YFATP KPRVG FSDKT BKBMT TDGCS MBTKM MRRKB APQSK OMMQS PELCZ BHDEA NCGOB SFKNC ENPMT DZBTB HAFDE RW
Top Secret: For your eyes only
CHARLES I FIND THAT I CANNOT WRITE DEAR CHARLES OR ANY OTHER TERM OF ENDEARMENT IN THIS LETTER AND STILL RETAIN MY HONOUR I WILXL NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU HONESTLY EXPECT ME TO SUSPECT MY CONFIDANTE MISS TERNAN OF ANYTHING SO UNDERHAND AS THE FOUL TREACHERY YOU HAVE SUGGESTED ELLEN IS A DEAR FRIEND AND HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT FAIR IN HER DEALINGS WITH ME SHE WANTS ONLY WHAT IS BEST AND I CANNOT BELIEVE ANYTHING EVIL OF HER YOUR SUGGESTION THAT SHE MIGHT BE IN LEAGUE WITH THOSE SCOUNDRELS IN THE KU KLUX KLAN ISX SO IMPOSXSIBLE TO CREDITX THAT I WOULD NOT EVEN DARE TO SUGGEST IT TO MY EDITOR AS A PLOT DEVICE IN A WORK OF FICTION THERE IS NOTHING THAT ELXLEN COULD WANT OR NEED THAT SUCH A CONTRACT COULD ADDRESS AND THAT I COULD NOT GIVE HER FOR MYSELF SHE NEED ONLY ASK AND I WILL PROVIDE AS SHE WELL KNOWS ANY SUGGESTION THAT ANY OF MY FAMILY OR MY FRIENDS COULD EMBARK UPON A CONSPIRACY WITH THOSE WHO DESIRE TOX OPPRESS THE WEAK IS A DIRECT INSULTX TO THEM BUT ALSO TO ME DO YOU DOUBT ME SO MUCH THAT YOU THINK I WOULD SUSTAIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH SUCH AN INDIVIDUAL DO MY WORKS AND ACTIONS NOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES CERTAINLY YOU AND LORD DERBY PRESENTED A STRONG CASE THAT YOUR DEVICES WILXL CHANGE THE WORLD ALXLOWING THOSE OF GOXOD CHARACTER TO MAINTAIN A CLOSE WATCH ON THOSE INTENT ON HARM YET YOUR ACTIONS IN THE CASE OF MISXS TERNAN SUGGEST THAT THI SSAME TECHNOLOGY CAN AND WILXL BE USED TO TRADUCE THOSE WHO DESERVE NO SUCH FATE I AM ENRAGED THAT YOU TRIED TO EMBROIL ME IN YOUR SCHEME AND I WILXL HAVE NO PART IN IT UNLESS AND UNTIL I RECEIVE AN APOLOGY I WOULD ASK YOU NOTX TO WRITE AGAIN THE VOYAGE AND MY APPEARANCES HAVE TAKEN MUCH FROM ME AND I MUST PREPARE FOR MY MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT I CANXNOT HAVE MY WILL SAPPED BYX YOUR DISTRESXSING CLAIMS WHILE I REHEARSE FOR PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT AUDIENCE OF MYL IFE AND CAREXER DICKENSXThis challenge closed on 17/12/2025. 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.