+def scytale_encipher(message, rows):
+ """Enciphers using the scytale transposition cipher.
+ Message is padded with spaces to allow all rows to be the same length.
+
+ >>> scytale_encipher('thequickbrownfox', 3)
+ 'tcnhkfeboqrxuo iw '
+ >>> scytale_encipher('thequickbrownfox', 4)
+ 'tubnhirfecooqkwx'
+ >>> scytale_encipher('thequickbrownfox', 5)
+ 'tubn hirf ecoo qkwx '
+ >>> scytale_encipher('thequickbrownfox', 6)
+ 'tqcrnxhukof eibwo '
+ >>> scytale_encipher('thequickbrownfox', 7)
+ 'tqcrnx hukof eibwo '
+ """
+ if len(message) % rows != 0:
+ message += ' '*(rows - len(message) % rows)
+ row_length = round(len(message) / rows)
+ slices = [message[i:i+row_length] for i in range(0, len(message), row_length)]
+ return ''.join([''.join(r) for r in zip_longest(*slices, fillvalue='')])
+
+def scytale_decipher(message, rows):
+ """Deciphers using the scytale transposition cipher.
+ Assumes the message is padded so that all rows are the same length.
+
+ >>> scytale_decipher('tcnhkfeboqrxuo iw ', 3)
+ 'thequickbrownfox '
+ >>> scytale_decipher('tubnhirfecooqkwx', 4)
+ 'thequickbrownfox'
+ >>> scytale_decipher('tubn hirf ecoo qkwx ', 5)
+ 'thequickbrownfox '
+ >>> scytale_decipher('tqcrnxhukof eibwo ', 6)
+ 'thequickbrownfox '
+ >>> scytale_decipher('tqcrnx hukof eibwo ', 7)
+ 'thequickbrownfox '
+ """
+ cols = round(len(message) / rows)
+ columns = [message[i:i+rows] for i in range(0, cols * rows, rows)]
+ return ''.join([''.join(c) for c in zip_longest(*columns, fillvalue='')])
+