Тридцять дев’ять ступенів

           Iwantedsometimetomyself,soIinventedajobforhim.Hehadamotorbicycle,andIsenthimoffnextmorningforthedailypaper,whichusuallyarrivedwiththepostinthelateafternoon.Itoldhimtokeephiseyesskinned,andmakenoteofanystrangefigureshesaw,keepingaspecialsharplook-outformotorsandaeroplanes.ThenIsatdowninrealearnesttoScudder’snote-book.

           HecamebackatmiddaywiththeScotsman.Therewasnothinginit,exceptsomefurtherevidenceofPaddockandthemilkman,andarepetitionofyesterday’sstatementthatthemurdererhadgoneNorth.Buttherewasalongarticle,reprintedfromtheTimes,aboutKarolidesandthestateofaffairsintheBalkans,thoughtherewasnomentionofanyvisittoEngland.Igotridoftheinnkeeperfortheafternoon,forIwasgettingverywarminmysearchforthecypher.

           AsItoldyou,itwasanumericalcypher,andbyanelaboratesystemofexperimentsIhadprettywelldiscoveredwhatwerethenullsandstops.Thetroublewasthekeyword,andwhenIthoughtoftheoddmillionwordshemighthaveusedIfeltprettyhopeless.Butaboutthreeo’clockIhadasuddeninspiration.

           ThenameJuliaCzechenyiflashedacrossmymemory.ScudderhadsaiditwasthekeytotheKarolidesbusiness,anditoccurredtometotryitonhiscypher.

           Itworked.Thefivelettersof“Julia”gavemethepositionofthevowels.AwasJ,thetenthletterofthealphabet,andsorepresentedbyXinthecypher.EwasU=XXI,andsoon.“Czechenyi’gavemethenumeralsfortheprincipalconsonants.