<div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Sorry for the massive delay! Work has been... well, work.  <img alt=":P" src="./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif" title="Razz"/>  I should be okay for the next few weeks at least, though.</div></div></div><br/><br/>Alyssa jumps back a step out of pure reflex at the Captain's outburst, wincing with equal parts nervousness for herself and sympathy for the forgeborn's hand - though a second glance tells her it should be the desk she worries about. As avuncular as Captain Lanzo has been to her, it's easy to forget his sterner side until it rears its head at moments like this; fortunately, such moments are, like now, mercifully brief. Still, it's enough to leave Alyssa wishing she had Dagnyr at her side for security - or better yet, at her front. No doubt he would've had some gentler, safer way of breaking the news...<br/><br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Lanzo wrote:</cite>"Ah, Adjutant Niberos... I believe you mentioned a cipher was found in the Cats' possession? I would be quite interested to hear your analysis of it, if you please."</div></blockquote><br/>"M-my opinion, sir?" Alyssa replies. The question catches her by surprise, though in retrospect she should have expected it; after all, there isn't likely to be a cryptographer on hand at this hour, especially with most of the watch deployed in keeping the peace. She might even be the senior adjutant on duty tonight, if her trip through the watch house was any indication. Not that a title will help her much if the paper proves to be a false lead - or worse, completely indecipherable. The prospect of rousing Captain Lanzo a second time remains a looming threat... But declining his request is practically an invitation for the same.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Better to at least give it a shot,</span>Alyssa decides as she fishes the paper from her breast pocket. "Yes, of course," she adds hesitantly as she straightens the document. "I haven't had a chance to examine it yet, but I can certainly try..."<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Linguistics: 1d20 (14) + 20 = 34, success</div></div></div><br/>Despite her misgivings, the Alley Cat's document is surprisingly easy to read - deplorable penmanship aside, the 'code' isn't much more than an archaic form of Prometan thieves' cant. It's simple enough that Alyssa barely needs to slow down as she translates, even reading aloud:<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"At twelve bells, bring Shadow and Light to waters' edge on port. The Glade Children will find you. Fell's Fools will come for their payment - see that they get what they deserve."</span>Alyssa looks up from the paper with a slight pensive frown. "That's the entire message, sir. I can guess the general meaning, but I'm afraid I'll need a bit longer to figure out the specifics..."