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’Something like that. Arnold’s ex fiancé gave it me; apparently Arnold gave it to her for safe
keeping.’

‘Does she know what it is?’

‘ No, she believes it has something to do with his clients, nothing more.’

The sound of the lift doors followed by the whirring of his scooter announced Albert was
approaching; I opened the door to let him come through.

Albert Lawrence had met Alan Turing, today renowned as the founder of computer science, at Kings
College, Cambridge. He had gone on to work at Bletchley Park and had then been part of Turing’s
team in Manchester who developed the first computer prototype. There was little, if anything,
Albert did not know about computers, after all, he had helped develop them. The Times crossword
was but a trifle to him resolved in less time than it took to drink his coffee. George had brought him

into the Cottage at its inception; he was George’s ears and eyes to the outside world. Arthritis
confined him to a wheelchair these days but his brain was as agile as it ever was.

‘Good morning Bryant, how are you? Looking to update your knowledge on computable numbers
again?’

I laughed, ‘No way Albert, I still get a headache thinking about it, that’s the last time I ask you how a
computer works? I was only trying to make conversation over a cup of coffee.’

‘Good morning Albert. We would like you to take a look at this.’ George passed him the papers.

Albert looked at it for a few moments then looked up.

‘It’s a pencil and paper cipher, so doesn’t need a computer. Quite a strong one though, probably
Playfair. It will take me a while to decipher it all but if you could just let me have a pencil and paper
I could read the heading and first few lines immediately if you would so wish.’

George went into his secretary’s office to look for a shorthand notepad and pencil.

‘If the British had copied Secretary of State Henry Stimson’s ethical reservations it would have
scuppered my career. He didn’t believe in the need to encode messages. Fortunately his
“gentlemen do not read other gentlemen’s mail” comment was forgotten when he became
Secretary of War. Ah, thank you George.’

After a few moments, Albert looked up.

‘This is an Operation Code for a joint project in Guatemala between America and us. Looking at the

first few lines, it will go on to spell out the process for promoting international trade with the new
democracy. If that’s enough for now I will decipher it completely and let you have it shortly.’

‘Very good, Albert.’