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Challenge 3

Click for Hint Harry and Meg are stepping up their security and have moved on to keyword ciphers. Luckily part A has been left with the word structure intact, so you can still hunt for cribs to help you crack the cipher, but part B is a lot tougher. Without the word shapes you will need to use frequency analysis together with your native cunning to crack it. You can find out more about this in the Beginners’ Guide to Codebreaking.

Part A: ALARM BELLS RING

Wshhp,

X msdjru je ar trhjsxd jwr beij Sfebbe Jrd hrfehj hrsbbp msid’j sd sttxurdj ie X sizru shtwxlri je irshtw jwr cxiixed fsfrhi xd tsir jwr ehxvxdsb hrfehj wsu arrd cxinxbru. Jwrp irshtwru rlrhpjwxdv sdu tekbud’j nxdu xj akj jwrd iecredr wsu s ahsxdmslr sdu twrtzru jwr Sfebbe rbrlrd nxbri. Je rlrhpedr’i hrbxrn jwrp nekdu xj jwrhr sdu jwr shtwxlxij hrtzedru jwsj iecredr vej uxijhstjru. Mxjw jwr lebkcr en cxiixed fsfrhi jwrp shr wsdubxdv jwxi xi dej s ikhfhxir, akj vxlrd jwr xcfehjsdtr en jwrir uetkcrdji xj xi s axj sbshcxdv sdu uerid’j nrrb bxzr jwr msp DSIS kiksbbp ueri jwxdvi. Sdpmsp, jwr nxdu iwekbu wslr hrsiikhru cr, sdu xj mekbu wslr xn X wsud’j beezru ie tshrnkbbp sj jwr nxbr. Rlrhpjwxdv beezru nxdr rotrfj jwsj jwr mehu Xdyrtjxed xd jwr frdkbjxcsjr fshsvhsfw msi ifrbj mxjw sd X. Pek csp dej ar ikhfhxiru, akj xn pek beez sj jwr urthpfj en jwr csdvbru lrhixed xj xi cxiifrbj bdyrtjxed, mxjw sd b hrfbstxdv jwr X.

X mekbud’j wslr dejxtru akj X wsu urthpfjru jwr ehxvxdsb ap wsdu sdu msi ikhfhxiru ap jwr jpfe. Xj ijktz xd cp cxdu ie mwrd X ism jwr nxbru lrhixed mxjwekj xj jwsj hsdv sbshc arbbi. Edtr mr ijshjru xdlrijxvsjxdv mr betzru kf jwr tecfkjrh nxbri ie X tsd edbp siikcr jwsj jwr nxbru lrhixed msi jhsdithxaru ap iecredr mwe dem wsi sttrii je jwr fhxdjru lrhixed akj mwe uerid’j wslr jwr tbrshsdtr je sttrii jwr ehxvxdsb. Jwr gkrijxed xi, mwp mekbu jwrp fheuktr s drm lrhixed? X tsd edbp jwxdz jwsj jwrp msdjru je wrsu enn cehr xdlrijxvsjxed ap vxlxdv ki s hrsied je jwxdz xj msi sbb s cxijszr snjrh sbb. Xn jwsj msi jwr fbsd jwrd xj wsid’j mehzru. Xj irrci tbrsh je cr jwsj iecredr hrsbbp ueri wslr iecrjwxdv je wxur.

X twrtzru jwr irtkhxjp tbrshsdtr bxij sdu jwrhr mrhr jme wkduhru sdu jwxhjp-irlrd frefbr mxjw sttrii je jwr shtwxlr heec mwrhr mr shr ijehxdv jwr xdlrijxvsjxed nxbri mwe ue dej sbie wslr tkhhrdj sttrii je jweir tecfkjrh nxbri. En jweir, edr wkduhru sdu rxvwjrrd uxu wslr jrhcxdsb sttrii arnehr mr tbeiru xj uemd, ie jwr ikifrtj bxij xi iwhxdzxdv, mwxtw X ikffeir xi iecrjwxdv, akj X mekbu fhrnrh je dshhem xj uemd s axj cehr. Mxjw jwr bskdtw en Sfebbe Jmrblr tecxdv kf droj cedjw jwr ceeu xi vrjjxdv jrdir sdu X mekbu hrsbbp bxzr je cszr ikhr ekh cxitwxrn cszrh uerid’j wslr sdp cehr ikhfhxiri xd ijehr.

Je cszr csjjrhi mehir X wrshu jwsj jwr wsmzi sj jwr Frdjsved shr vrjjxdv hrijbrii. Tekbu pek vrj elrh jwrhr sdu nxdu ekj mwsj jwrp shr jwxdzxdv? Vxlrd jwsj ekh jehcrdjeh irrci je wslr fhrjjp wxvw-brlrb sttrii, cspar pek tekbu thsdz kf jwr irtkhxjp ed ekh tecci? Cspar s zrpmehu txfwrh abetzru si ijsdushu?

Crv

Part B: TREADING SOFTLY

WKMPC ZKXDV SYEZU KYLTV ICYFK BVDDN KZKXD VMYXO BPKLP XMDNK CDVLL VXTDB IPXMD YMVEM KDNKW YYTDN KBKIY EVBKB PMNDD NKNVG RCVBK MKDDP XMZBK DDIBK CDUKC CVXTN VFKWY BKYBU KCCTK SPTKT VUBKV TIDNV DDNKC YFPKD CVBKD YOUVW KLYBB KSKXD KFKXD CYXDN KVZYU UYZBY MBVWW KCYWK YLDNK MKXKB VUCTY XDXKK TWESN YLVXK HSECK DYDEB XEZDN KNKVD OEDIY ETYXD MKDLY EBCDV BCGPD NYEDE XTKBC DVXTP XMDNK XKKTL YBZYU PDPSV UCEZZ YBDVX TDNKB KNVCO KKXVS YXSKB DKTGN PCZKB PXMSV WZVPM XDYSY XFPXS KDNKZ BKCPT KXDDY DVRKV CDBYX MUPXK DNKWY CDCDB PTKXD VBKSV UUPXM LYBVU VBMKO EPUTE ZYLLY BSKCV UYXMD NKOYB TKBGP DNKVC DMKBW VXIVC VCNYG YLCDB KXMDN VBMEP XMDNV DDNKV DDVSR YXDNK CZVSK ZBYMB VWWKW ECDNV FKOKK XVEDN YBPCK TOIDN KZYUP DOEBY DNVDW VRKCX YCKXC KDYWK LPBCD DNKBE CCPVX CVBKW YBKUP RKUID YDBID YGPXD NKZBY ZVMVX TVGVB DNVXD YBPCR SYXLU PSDVX TCKSY XTDNK CVOYD VMKPL DNVDP CGNVD PDPCP CXDCY ZNPCD PSVDK TKXYE MNLYB VRMOY ZKBVD PYXOE DPDPC NVBTD YSYXF PXSKD NKMKX KBVUC DNVDD NVDPC DBEKC YWKYL DNKWY BKSVE DPYEC ZUVXX KBCWY CDUID NYCKG NYVSD EVUUI LYEMN DPXDN KUVCD GVBNV FKWVX VMKTD YOUYS RDNKO EPUTE ZZBYZ YCPXM VXKGD BVXSN KYLGV BMVWK CPXCD KVTWY OPUPC PXMDN VDGVI PCCDP UUVZB YFYSV DPYXO EDPCU KCCUP RKUID YVSSP TKXDV UUIDB PMMKB VGVBK CZKSP VUUIP LGKXY DPLIZ VFUYF CRIPX VTFVX SKVUU DNKCV WKWIY GXDPW KPXOK BUPXS YXFPX SKTWK GKNVF KDYDB KVTFK BICYL DUIDN KBKCY PNKVT KTYFK BDYUV XMUKI VXTSY XFPXS KTDNK WDYCE MMKCD VXVUD KBXVD PFKGK GPUUC DKZEZ PXCZK SDPYX CVDSN KSRZY PXDSN VBUPK DYWVR KPDNV BTKBL YBCYF PKDVM KXDCD YSBYC CVXTS BVXRE ZDNKD KELKU COKBM UPCDK XPXMY ZKBVD PYXDY CKKPL DNVDD EBXCE ZVXID NPXMB KUVDK TPVWV UCYMY PXMDY CKXTV SYEZU KYLYE BOKCD YFKBD YOVPR YXEBD YDBIV XTLPX TYEDG NVDPC MYPXM YXDNK BKDNK CYFPK DCVBK ZBKDD ICKSB KDPFK VOYED DNKPB YGXCZ VSKZB YMBVW WKVXT GPDNY EDDNK GYBUT CZBKC CGVDS NPXMG KTYXD BKVUU INVFK VSUKV BZPSD EBKYL DNKPB ZBYMB KCCYB DNKPB ZUVXC EXUKC CDNKI VBKSU YCKDY ZEDDP XMDNK PBYGX WKXYX DNKWY YXPSV XDCKK GNVDD NKINV FKDYM VPXGP DNGNV DCKKW CDYOK VLVPB UITPC YBMVX PCKTV DDKWZ DDYTK BVPUY EBCZV SKZBY MBVWW KOEDP GYEUT CDPUU UPRKD YRXYG GNVDD NKIVB KEZDY RKKZV SUYCK KIKYX DNKWP CCPYX ZUVXX PXMVX TUKDW KRXYG PLIYE NKVBV XIDNP XMGYB BIPXM PGPUU OKOVS RVOYE DVGKK ROKLY BKDNK UVEXS NNVBB I