A nefarious plot is underway in our nation’s capitol. Unfortunately, the intelligence services do not know what it will be. Perhaps something will happen at the UN Ambassador’s costume ball. Could there be some scheme revolving around the president’s black-tie fundraiser? Will there be trouble at the World Freedom Rally? What about the special recital at the Kennedy Center for all those diplomats? Maybe it’s something else entirely. The CIA and FBI are stymied.
Then suddenly, there’s a break in the case. An informant slips to the feds a copy of a mysterious encoded message. The note is believed to be instructions for an assassin, but nothing else is known.
That’s why you have been called. Your cryptography skills are legendary. If anyone can decode this message in time, it’s YOU. But hurry…minutes are ticking away. Can you discover the message and not only prevent the evil plot, but catch a couple of bad guys as well?
Here’s the text of the encoded note:
“Vodet iuc swoahnlo ii tlm Tlemeowselb’e Hft eio Cntbp Odhauw. Aae tpps rias o orranh’h matdcoa. Oty feao ts hct eoer ss mtiihwtt. Iugl tm heh sttlb oh neamo. Ihfew aot noee skrtlt aoy inoyyomuwl, R’tu ahho nea dhvuot sae pnkbueymi. Adi cile esl mp uoes sidi es uotdklc mnhe ye.”
UilzawBiotop neezsa bv eaplay Lbuels!
I guess I might not be finished yet.
Message to all agents: Arrest Long John and the silverback.
Oh my goodness. I’ve been looking at a printout off this darn thing for a couple of hours without realizing that my pasted version into Word dropped the keyed, bolded letters in the original!
Nice work there Asemayo!
MonkeyMensch & aseymayo:
You guys are the unbelievable ones. I thought this would be a puzzle that sat around unsolved for at least a day.
Give up your day jobs! You both could make big bucks working in espionage decoding. Unless that’s what you already do…
I received an e-mail asking for a solution to this puzzle, so here goes:
[spoiler] “Visit the coatroom of the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum. You will find a pirate’s costume. The hook on the hand is poisoned. Come to the party at eight. After you have killed the ambassador, I’ll meet you beside the punchbowl. You know how to tell what my costume will be.”
Other costume: Gorilla Suit [/spoiler]
Finally a Sunday puzzle I figure out right away…
and I don’t read it til wednesday.
The game Humbug had signs using the same encryption. IIRC only one sign yielded a useful message.
I’ll just go off and sulk now…