2017/3a.plaintext

   1 MARYAM,
   2 I THOUGHT SOME MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID IN THE HOSPITAL, AND GIVEN WHAT HAS HAPPENED I THINK I IT WOULD BE GOOD TO WORK TOGETHER.
   3
   4 UNFORTUNATELY IT SEEMS THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE TRYING TO FIND THE BOOK. THERE IS A THRIVING BLACK MARKET AMONG BIBLIOPHILES FOR ANYTHING AS OLD AS THIS. IT IS VERY VALUABLE AND IF THE BOOK DISAPPEARS INTO THE SHADOWY WORLD OF PRIVATE LIBRARIES WE MIGHT NOT SEE IT AGAIN FOR CENTURIES SO IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT WE GET TO IT FIRST.
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   6 TACITUS CLEARLY WANTED TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ASSEMBLE THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT, SO HE HAD IT HIDDEN AT A NUMBER OF SITES AROUND THE ANCIENT WORLD. THE BRITISH LIBRARY DECIDED TO SEND SOMEONE TO TRY TO FIND ALL THE PIECES. THEIR EXPERTS FIGURED THE CHAPTERS WERE LIKELY TO BE ENCRYPTED TOO SO, GIVEN MY BACKGROUND, THEY ASKED ME TO GO. THEY WERE RIGHT OF COURSE, THE FIRST CHAPTER WAS DISGUISED USING A CAESAR SHIFT AND THE SECOND BY A SCYTALE CIPHER, AND I AM BEGINNING TO WONDER WHAT OTHER CIPHERS TACITUS MIGHT CHALLENGE US WITH. AS FAR AS WE KNOW THE ROMANS WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THAT MANY TO CHOOSE FROM. I SUPPOSE HE MIGHT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT SOME FORM OF THE POLYBIUS CIPHER.
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   8 THE DOCUMENTS I HAVE FOUND SO FAR (TACITUS LAST TESTAMENT AND CHAPTERS ONE AND TWO OF HIS HIDDEN BOOK) EACH GIVE A CLUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE NEXT ONE, AND AS SOON AS THEY LET ME OUT OF HOSPITAL I PLAN TO TRY TO LOCATE THE THIRD CHAPTER, WHICH TACITUS TELLS US IS HIDDEN ON THE ISLE OF THORNS. THERE ARE SEVERAL PLACES IN THE ANCIENT WORLD THAT THIS MIGHT REFER TO, BUT I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHERE IT MIGHT BE.
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  10 IF I THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE I WILL GET IT TO YOU, AND AS REQUESTED I WILL COPY IN YOUR FRIEND HARRY. I SUGGEST WE TIGHTEN SECURITY A LITTLE. MAYBE IF WE BLOCK OUR CIPHER TEXTS LIKE THE EXPERTS IT WILL PUT OFF CASUAL INTERCEPTS. THE PEOPLE WE ARE UP AGAINST ARE UNLIKELY TO BE DETERRED BY MUCH, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO INVITE EXTRA INTERLOPERS TO THE PARTY.
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  12 BY THE WAY, MY FRIEND IN THE SOUK TOLD ME THAT HE MET ONE OF YOUR AGENTS WHO WAS ASKING IF HE KNEW WHERE I WAS, WHICH SEEMS A BIT ODD GIVEN THAT YOU KNOW I AM STUCK HERE. WAS THAT JUST TO THROW OUR RIVALS OFF THE SCENT?
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  14 ALL THE BEST,
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  16 JODIE