A false trail
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Correct Answer
MARYAM, I FOUND JODIE AT OLYMPIA AND SHE HAS CHAPTER SIX ALREADY. SHE HAD BEEN LEADING THE MIDAS OPERATIVES ON A WILD GOOSE CHASE AROUND SELCUK MAKING A LOT OF NOISE ABOUT LOOKING FOR THE MISSING CHAPTER AT THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS. THAT GAVE ME TIME TO RETRIEVE IT FROM JODIE'S FRIEND AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM, WHICH HAS A COLLECTION OF ARTEFACTS FROM THE TEMPLE. JODIE SAYS SHE KNEW WE WOULD FIGURE OUT WHERE TO GO NEXT. THE CLUE WAS IN THE LOCATIONS. THE FIRST ONE WAS AT THE GREAT PYRAMID, THE SECOND AT THE FORT OF QAITBAY WHICH WAS BUILT FROM THE RUINS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE AT ALEXANDRIA AND THE THIRD ON RHODES, AMONG THE RUINS OF THE COLOSSUS. THE KNIGHT'S CASTLE AT BODRUM WAS BUILT FROM THE REMAINS OF THE MAUSOLEUM AT HALICARNASSUS, HENCE THE “GRAVE” TASK OF GUARDING THE BOOK. SO ALL FIVE CHAPTERS WERE FOUND AT THE SITE OF ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD. THE ONLY REMAINING LOCATIONS ARE THE STATUE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA AND THE HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON, AND NO-ONE HAS ANY IDEA WHERE THE GARDENS MIGHT HAVE BEEN, SO THE ONLY PLACE WE COULD GO NEXT IS OLYMPIA. THE CLUE AT THE END OF CHAPTER FIVE POINTS STRAIGHT THERE, SINCE LIGHTING, BULL AND OAK ARE ALL SYMBOLS OF ZEUS.
WE SHOULD BE SAFE HERE BECAUSE JODIE'S NETWORK HAS SENT HER ATTACKERS ON TO LONDON BY LAYING A LONG TRAIL OF FORGED DOCUMENTS REVEALING THE LOCATION OF CHAPTER FIVE. THAT BOUGHT US ENOUGH TIME TO LOCATE AND DECIPHER CHAPTER SIX. WE HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF THE IMPERIAL CIPHERS. TACITUS USED BOTH THE VIGENERE AND BEAUFORT CIPHERS WHICH ARE POLYALPHABETIC VERSIONS OF THE CAESAR SHIFT, AND AT FIRST WE ASSUMED THAT CHAPTER SIX WOULD BE ENCRYPTED THE SAME WAY. WE WERE ALMOST RIGHT.
MEANWHILE JODIE'S UNEXPECTED TALENT FOR FORGERY HAS GIVEN ME AN IDEA. I THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TURN OUR ENEMIES ON ONE ANOTHER BY EXPLOITING HER GIFT, BUT I KNOW HER CURRENT FOCUS IS FIGURING OUT WHERE ON EARTH THE SEVENTH WONDER MIGHT BE.
Volumen VI, The Empire fights back
Ykuf rqhuddq rgz ppismxooeyz ud ogmp prlzqa er lop nlovktvfnx oyzcqdzov dve cxuaibk vg Lbejrvpsl arh dtwobnim lw Dfgg ta uqg onb lr fln mgmd, rp ybvigkx vx dbo Qxugbuv. Ok lqlpgh rov amgi ukrdphdo qeo ei giukx ivd ly Jlzipege lw vfdb Mdbsgzkc Gsysoooi oeo Boptemmk Hcrocvn, lwd jok Sigw codt jgzcvlsy oyv, touriwmhfd lzq kuai ia wbo Oamkh dngeqbto e icugkf, gyucz iesq pu g aka nfmel clztmvin rrir dbo Bvghj. Bqyhgckm sjilpizq jl xeelpz jsn oycqim jmdhkip ia wbo Aobmbo lw e sogl yv oabxcen, dbo Qxugbuv njcdnv bqu uqg vajt cl ioxgb jvpubautd sqyctmnn trh, da ufe kvpfbsnv yv waxk, zq jaa mmrizov jgmmumxel jthybajvcpk. L whmrbv cmw igkqrnv ly rov Aonguk wb oxg gdmvt gj jok Eumctgd, ydh, paytv gnk, Aubsfndm ygn eebo dy lsiv mweiuho iy xii xrzilm inlcrn ybodt qg kac ukpjnv ly rov Gsbigcr’k fyr nldpiaegee. Zsh vgmro rei a wgmeffka illhw pu mt, ipj l beqbadd oriel fi lzd jsn ctqctme. Gr jaa vqqw ei a vtib nfwa oftg ly ddlee rf ybgu ov cmw tll dqawyzoqsq enapv. Pyrhgbk, xntouxtx, wx oxg nisddmoi rvx ric lwkd zeiwin wcun dy jsn qywwi; rvx sy botnvh flaute, cbg ybodtkgb stlly iu delgtia kcvt iykngllqm, qii ngxk aoh ur mnq sinw; tlx xsg a aqbhsg iuqq cp lnatqbh nn jec mkcri pgxivhg md jok pqjw yb xliuod ku qmszsdy. Roxa immsiflx yei sehtoactd ja oxg ksmv-anpird ryruob roth jc drd jqnn toulkgh hs scgkfn yz rov Gsbigcr’k zuksoeo. Zggkumcb kuap bl wisc ke idpferpsej hjc gxpgrpuoi Krsoidkbe Byzkdlyn ta pxi eka efrgbbli yv ddt jriceraq. Ov cmw uoirenv cqro pgakvvvs ric nbohxdo birwe mpdb Aoqvzgnkr ipj icehqm wbopi uc qiyjtgbu Helqgfsy. So yei iesq pxie lzoo dbo nlpa gj jok Qigcj kon igdcgqkx. Klzoirvda kpauk wx iea illhw md jok pqjw iz o qvhpcv uc Qoou zmrto hjc pvrfl gaq tqanto ddt acnnnzi ia Zey et ufe anat gx uqg autnsbkiefi ia Zeboqn Irdnoizyn Hdogiee GS lnz Lyfxoi Hgtpgyh Xyzigthww. “Et irq nffbqnpdy odrxsqg hq gyg zyid mbvgxpogzr rgz cpirl Eumctgd Mnkqdkrv fi hcswdt Uer Paxipo pn hjq Entpxigv Usyqzgun trh miu uwy jpipq un ko up ufe nfwa gx uqg Aubtn Wczkdpigdk. Yuqg heogct Megxsgzg oiy okpgmjd ueqv jok ddpog gx ndsj a fley, vvd iv ald zg nau xecfrgb rov Sgviw pexfpg plt ueiwkey wx oxg yqri hjct dcm ulm lo kbig pxgu uwy jedl zlxr jem. Dcm rnzd sq uqep etukbnpqgzct ctgg g fidrvpgh ksf awqwtefk oxep rov hbakucr Clzumcbp bmw jok Qigcj mbm xa sacnmpe iea iysuybdige gb oxg Zigwb. Kxkqk fln Hebvriimnc ufeuhcddqn tto ktqmuqkm hg urlg skuo cl ric Sgjty, Smzwrwmk pw ez qmdsmdim Xwuln ezj ov kwwj yk yrfbfoj yvngpi ok qoy vgirgnq pxi nkqyaehy ia wbo Emskrslz sqpovti. Ddt Wwjnf cqnq ag bculzednv, yb ald, qgkv aiiskm ezj tkgbmaek oiv srgm pxdl bgd lzq mpiaq. Rgz iu jl lzq hcvobuq fmpj lr fln dtwq nwybm aa Isdpoylo vg cjeuo lzq uaho ia wbo nkelz nnqigb rgz gj jok Qigcj qrnvdv ykqh gb oeko vt igdcgqkx. Yydil rovr qd evhb vn qomdmvz tm jok cbzegzr Ytlyzaemcb Buzhqnp yv Ygg.
Correct Answer
WITH RESOLVE AND TREPIDATION MY DEAR FATHER IN LAW OBEDIENTLY CONCLUDED HIS AFFAIRS IN BRITANNIA AND RETURNED TO ROME BY THE END OF THE YEAR, AS ORDERED BY THE EMPEROR. HE FEARED THE SAME TERRIBLE END AS METED OUT BY DOMITIAN TO BOTH ARULENUS RUSITCUS AND HERNNIUS SENECIO, BUT THE GODS WERE GENEROUS AND, REMARKABLY THE LOSS OF THE CODEX REMAINED A SECRET, KNOWN ONLY TO A FEW LOYAL COMRADES FROM THE NINTH. PUBLICLY CHOOSING TO REGARD HIS DOGGED PURSUIT OF THE AQUILA AS A MARK OF COURAGE, THE EMPEROR SPARED HIM THE FATE OF OTHER DISGRACED GENERALS AND, TO THE SURPRISE OF SOME, HE WAS AWARDED TRIUMPHAL DECORATIONS. A STATUE WAS ERECTED BY THE SENATE ON THE ORDER OF THE EMPEROR, BUT, TAKEN ILL, AGRICOLA WAS SENT TO LIVE QUIETLY ON HIS FAMILY ESTATE WHERE HE WAS TENDED BY THE EMPEROR’S OWN PHYSICIANS.
HIS DEATH WAS A GRIEVOUS SHOCK TO ME, AND A PAINFUL EVENT TO ALL HIS FRIENDS. IT WAS FELT AS A REAL LOSS EVEN BY THOSE TO WHOM HE WAS NOT PERSONALLY KNOWN. NUMBERS, MOREOVER, OF THE POPULACE AND THE BUSY MASSES CAME TO HIS HOUSE; AND IN PUBLIC PLACES, AND WHEREVER KNOTS OF TALKERS WERE ASSEMBLED, HIS NAME WAS ON ALL LIPS; NOR DID A SINGLE SOUL ON HEARING OF HIS DEATH REJOICE AT THE NEWS OR FORGET IT QUICKLY. THIS SYMPATHY WAS INCREASED BY THE WIDE-SPREAD RUMOUR THAT HE HAD BEEN REMOVED BY POISON ON THE EMPEROR’S COMMAND.
DOMITIAN LOST NO TIME IN APPOINTING THE AMBITIOUS SALUSTIUS LUCULLUS AS THE NEW GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE. HE WAS CHARGED WITH SECURING THE FRAGILE PEACE WITH CALEDONIA AND HEADED THERE TO CONFRONT CALGACUS. IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT THE LOSS OF THE CODEX WAS REVEALED.
SALUSTIUS WROTE OF HIS SHOCK AT THE NEWS IN A LETTER TO CATO DATED THE FIFTH DAY BEFORE THE KALENDS OF MAY IN THE YEAR OF THE CONSULSHIPS OF MARCUS ARRECINUS CLEMENS II AND LUCIUS BAEBIUS HONORATUS.
“WE ARE EXPRESSLY CHARGED BY OUR MOST MUNIFICENT AND GREAT EMPEROR DOMITIAN TO SECURE PAX ROMANA IN THE NORTHERN KINGDOMS AND YET YOU WRITE TO ME OF THE LOSS OF THE CODEX OCCULTORUM. YOUR LEADER AGRICOLA HAS ALREADY PAID THE PRICE OF SUCH A LOSS, BUT IF YOU DO NOT RECOVER THE CODEX BEFORE THE PASSING OF THE YEAR THEN YOU MAY BE SURE THAT YOU WILL JOIN HIM. YOU TELL ME THAT INTELLIGENCE FROM A CAPTURED SPY SUGGESTS THAT THE TRAITOR CALGACUS HAS THE CODEX AND IS MASSING HIS SUPPORTERS IN THE NORTH. WHILE THE BARBARIANS THEMSELVES ARE UNLIKELY TO MAKE MUCH OF THE CODEX, CALGACUS IS AN EDUCATED ROMAN AND HE MUST BE STOPPED BEFORE HE CAN DESTROY THE SECURITY OF THE IMPERIAL CIPHERS. THE CODEX WILL BE RECOVERED, OR YOU, YOUR FAMILY AND EVERYONE YOU KNOW WILL PAY THE PRICE.
AND SO TO THE SEVENTH PART OF THE TRUE STORY OF AGRICOLA IN WHICH THE FATE OF THE NINTH LEGION AND OF THE CODEX ITSELF WILL IN TIME BE REVEALED. UNTIL THEN IT WILL BE GUARDED BY THE ANCIENT BABYLONIAN GODDESS OF WAR.