Mischief at Midnight Manor -- Part III

FINAL CURTAIN

"Pearls of Wisdom" & “Mischief at Midnight”

Cecelia and Jacek had made it their mission to thwart or, at the very least, to stall the Axis Powers in their efforts to gain world dominance. Their goal was to intercept, confuse, or obfuscate their means of communication, thereby buying enough time for the Polish team of mathematicians and cryptographers to break the Enigma Machine code. Using their own system of messaging, cleverly disguised as everyday ‘news’, they were able to communicate with each other and key members of their network of liaisons, operatives, and confidantes. Therefore, the operation had two critical components: 1) To disseminate information, and 2) To secure time to break the code.

Although the other key members were rarely, if ever, seen, they were very much alive, acting as integral parts working toward the same goal. They were: Mr. Jacob O’Malley; Mother Superior, Sister Mary Elizabeth of St. Agnes of Mercy in Ireland; Father O’Toole of St. Ambrose Orphanage for Boys in Ireland, Miss Celeste Federici, the wealthy woman to whom Meara Jane (Miraj) and her mother were companion; Miss Esmeralda Norton; and the good nuns serving as nurses at Saint-Exupéry Hospital on the outskirts of Paris.

All of these people formed what was called The Network.

In addition to the key members of The Network, they needed others to ensure the on-going functions of their operations. This was accomplished by putting together a group of people who would each serve a specific role to ensure that the plan ran smoothly and effectively, but who would have no knowledge of the plan, nor how their unwitting participation in the plan could alter the course of events, and thereby change the course of history.

In October 1937, after having left Aunt Georgie in the company of her tea guests, CeCe went to London to meet Jacek. For the sake of privacy and security, they traveled to Midnight Manor, where they could share information, collaborate, and make adjustments to their plan.

Their plan would involve two operations. Both operations had been conceptualized, but not fully implemented. Between 1933 and 1936, they had been keeping a close eye on the movements and activities of the various factions and groups that had taken hold in Europe and abroad. In 1936 the Germans began making slight changes to the rotor mechanisms on the Enigma Machine to reduce the risk of decryption. It was right after Jacek had learned of this that the famous Royal Bavarian Amethyst parure had been stolen. Was this a coincidence? Jacek, CeCe, and their small group were no match for the large network of Axis spies and operatives with their vast reach and influence. Communication between them was limited, and they lacked the necessary infrastructure to transmit crucial, time-sensitive information to their team promptly. It would need to be broadcast in a manner that was accessible and readily available almost anywhere. Their messages had to be precise, accurate, and yet so well-coded that anyone who read them would believe they were merely reading a news item, not a secret message. Naturally, stories such as these were not ‘Leaders’ or ‘Front Pagers’, but those that were printed deeper within, or even on the last pages, of the newspaper.

To accomplish this, they devised a scheme involving the theft of ‘valuable’ jewels. The jewels had to be perceived as having some sort of notoriety for them to catch the attention of the press. They also had to be stolen in a sequence – as though the thief were leaving a calling card. This way, the team would recognize the pattern at once and begin to decode the messages hidden in the anagrams of the burgled baubles. This brilliant scheme came from Aunt Georgie, of course, who had just finished reading The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie. The Network named this, the first part of their mission, Operation Pearls of Wisdom. Though unaware of it at the time, any of you served as links in this chain. Although both operations worked in conjunction, it was necessary to deactivate certain elements of Pearls of Wisdom before the final Operation, Operation Mischief at Midnight, could come into play.

When Jacek and CeCe were at Midnight Manor in the autumn of 1937, Operation Pearls of Wisdom was well underway. The theft of the Royal Bavarian Amethyst in October of 1936 had sent the message that the Nazis were, in fact, manipulating the Enigma Machine rotors.

ROYAL BAVARIAN AMETHYST = ANATHEMAS VIABLY ROTARY.

This was decoded to mean that the Enemy (Anathema) was confirmed (viably) to be changing the rotors (rotary) on the Enigma Machine and signaled the commencement of Operation Pearls of Wisdom.

Similarly, the next two jewel thefts had sent messages to The Network to look for what were likely to be hidden agendas that were purposefully overshadowed by significant events. For example, the next jewel theft was that of the Burning of Troy Black Opal.

In May 1937 the StarGazer printed: “As the world gasps at the tragic explosion of the Hindenburg, scandal simmers closer to home. The Burning of Troy Black Opal vanished during a masked ball in Vienna…”

BURNING OF TROY BLACK OPAL= ALOFT PROBABLY UCORKING

This was interpreted to mean that there might have been reasons for the Hindenburg disaster other than those that were reported by the press and generally accepted by the public. Though speculations and theories were rampant as to the possible cause of the disaster, The Network focused their attention on what may be happening ‘behind the scenes’ with this horrific event being useful as a grand distraction.

The disappearance of the Citrine of Cordovia in October of 1937 from the Hotel Château Girard occurred while the Duke of Windsor and his wife, American divorcée Wallis Simpson were staying at the hotel. The Duke and his wife were on an unsanctioned visit to Geneva and were rumored to have been good friends with Hitler and sympathetic to his cause. The anagram presented by CITRINE OF CORDOVIA is CODIFICATION ROVER. In this case, ‘Rover’ was code name for the duke and ‘Codification’ signaled the probability that the Duke of Windsor and Hitler had formed a sort of arrangement or might be working on plans to undermine the efforts of the Allied Forces. The Citrine of Cordovia had been mentioned more than once in the newspaper, thus indicating that The Network should continue to monitor ‘Rover’ and his movements.

Enough time has passed that it is now safe to divulge the particulars of how they implemented their plan and how the involvement of certain friends and acquaintances, whether knowingly or unknowingly, were instrumental in the achievement of the ultimate goal – to thwart or, at the very least, to stall the Axis Powers long enough to break the Enigma Machine code.

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Although a decade and a half had passed since the Great War had ended, latent anger and bitterness festered and grew steadily in its wake. The aftermath of the Great War had given rise to the Nazi assumption of totalitarian power in Germany, fomenting ideas on the unravelling of the Treaty of Versailles, the ever-growing aggression by Mussolini and Fascism, the threat of Imperial Japan against China, and the Great Depression, creating a hotbed of yet more tumult among nations.

While “Room 40”, the code-breaking headquarters used during the Great War, had been decommissioned, there were talks of plans to turn the estate at Bletchley Park into the new headquarters for such operations should the need arise. When Aunt Georgie had feigned surprise upon hearing that “Room 40” was no more, Cecelia had taken that to be sure evidence that her aunt had known much more than the little tidbits she’d garnered from her polite conversations with her deceased husband’s colleagues. CeCe had suspected for some time that her aunt had played a significant role as one of the chief code-breakers back when “Room 40” was running at full bore. Although her aunt never admitted to such a thing outright, she had dropped elusive hints too many times to go unnoticed by her niece.

It was while they were at Midnight Manor when Jacek told her that, though The Network had been making great progress in their efforts, the Nazis had increased the frequency at which they were changing the code. It was now occurring on a weekly basis and Jacek’s team of cryptographers were trying to keep up. Through Operation Pearls of Wisdom, they had been able to detect and sometimes deter other Nazi communications during the past year, he had become very concerned that the regime was getting closer and closer to uncovering the team of unsuspecting participants. Not only did this jeopardize the operations but, more importantly, the lives of all of those involved. ‘

May 21, 1938. Per Jacek’s request he had sent via telegram only a week before, Cecelia Canterbury arrived at the Bletchley Park Train Station at 2:00 in the afternoon. As she disembarked the train from Maidstone, she saw Jacek waiting for her across the platform. Though she was elated to see him, she restrained any outward demonstration of her feelings, as he exhibited none of his own. He simply turned and began walking along the platform. She followed him. It wasn’t until they were well away from the station when he slowed his pace, allowing her to catch up.

She had a thousand questions. What was the telegram he’d sent to her in St. Moritz about? Why had he told her to be at the watch repair shop in Geneva? What was the story about some silly watch? Why hadn’t he been there? Did he take her to be a fool? Why had he said he’d see her at Midnight in March and never shown up? Why the hell did he want her to come all the way to Bletchley? For what? She ended her diatribe of questions by making only one statement.

“And, just for your information, I ate all of the chocolates.”

By the time they were seated at a table in a small pub, she had exhausted her frustrations and, managing to regain her composure, asked him what he wanted. He simply stated,

“I want you to throw a party.” He said, raising his hands as if in surrender or in an attempt to stave off the inevitable onslaught that would ensue.

Instead, she stared at him blankly. Was she dumbstruck? No. Was she gob smacked? Yes.

“A Party.” She stared at him. “A Party. You want me to throw a party?” She shook her head in disbelief at what he had just said. “Why on EARTH would you…”

“Shhh…” He soothed quietly. “Hear me out. This could be the most important and most critical party you will ever give, and you will need to invite all of the people on this list, some of them you know, and some of them you may not.” He passed a slip of paper across the table.

Amelia Bryan-Dewberry

Buddy Pond

Chaos Stratford

Tiobóid O’Basham

Charlotte (Dutch) Chadwick

Dr. Etienne Dubois

Esmeralda Norton

Gypsy McKenzie

Honey Bobwhite

Ingram McTovish

Michael Thomas (Mighty) Royer

Meara Jane (Miraj) Lariat

Roland (Snowball) Pearl

Rosie Blacktail

Schultzie Royer

Severino (Sparky) DelMonte

Turbo Evergreen

Wallace Dewberry

He was right. CeCe knew many of these people, some more than others, and there were a few that she had never even heard of. Knowing this had something to do with the operation in which she had been intricately involved, and that the only one on this list who had any knowledge whatsoever of the operation was Amelia Bryan-Dewberry, she was confounded as to why she should invite any of them to a party. And a party for what? Were they celebrating something?

Anticipating her confusion, Jacek went on to explain.

Operation Pearls of Wisdom had been a success and was still in effect. However, it was far more intricate and involved than the simple dissemination of information through newspaper stories about jewel thefts. It had been the development of a communication network so effective and secret that not even those involved had knowledge of their involvement. None of them knew precisely what the others were doing, but had suspicions of each other for various reasons which had little or no relation to the operation. This is what had been the unexpected, but magic element that had made the communications network even more difficult to pin down. If no one knew what the other was doing, but had suspicions of them doing something else, it would be impossible for them to expose each other for being involved in espionage. Most likely, they might accuse each other of some sort of misbehavior, or impropriety, but certainly not espionage. He continued; telling her that not even she herself knew how deep the operation ran.

Jacek told CeCe that he didn’t want to involve her in any of this when he and his associates had first thought of a way to achieve their goal, but that it had been her Aunt Georgina who had assured them that they would be wise to involve CeCe in their operation, and that they would eventually seek her assistance anyway. Jacek told CeCe that he hesitated because of his feelings toward her and that he didn’t want to ever put her in harm’s way. But now, he would have to.

His team was on the verge of breaking the code. The last of the jewels, the Fiero del Diablo Diamond, had been stolen, foreshadowing the Nazi’s invasion of Austria, and causing him to abandon his ‘Midnight in March’ plan to meet her. The Nazis were beginning to unravel the communication conduit they had established. It was all coming to a head, and, with Bletchley Park all but confirmed to be the new headquarters of the GC&CS, they had, at best, six months in which to break the Enigma Code and accomplish their mission.

The operation would require gathering all those who had been involved in the communication conduit, which had been established and nurtured before even CeCe’s involvement. This had to be done in a manner that would not raise too much suspicion among them, but in a way that might compel them to attend an event of some sort. But, no matter what the reason for the party, all of those on the list must attend. This was crucial to confirm that none of them had been acting as a double agent and, most importantly, to protect them from exposure and discovery by Nazi operatives who might be at their very doorsteps. He had told CeCe that the way to determine whether or not any of them were double agents was to leave them in a state of confusion as to what the grand party was all about. This operation was called Mischief at Midnight.

Tiobóid (Chubby) O’Basham

Chubby met a fellow called Jacob when his group was camped outside of Dublin. The two of them became friends, and he went to a couple of ‘freedom’ meetings with him. Jacob tells him that if he values freedom, he should fight for it against any threat, and that England wasn’t a real threat, but a trifle. It would be something much bigger (Germany), he told Chubby, and that he would always give him good advice as to how best to thwart such a threat. The two exchanged contact information.

When he was suddenly shuffled into the hold of a ship heading to America, he found himself among a group of dock-hardened men who’d be just as happy to beat him to a pulp or throw him overboard for stowing away aboard “their” ship. His only saving grace was that he could entertain them with stories he either made up or read from the newspapers that cluttered the dingy hold. Either way, he thanked God that he had paid attention to the reading and writing lessons Fr. O’Toole had taught him. It hadn’t taken long for him to make friends of the motley crew, and he soon became a valuable source when the skills of reading or writing were needed. These skills landed him a job at New York Harbor, where he made friends with a German man called Kurt. Kurt convinced him that the Anglo-Irish Treaty was a ploy by the British to placate the Irish and that Britain was making plans to go back on the deal. Kurt hated the British and thought they should be ‘taken out’. He had made friends with others while aboard that ship, and had managed to make a fair wage for his work as a mail sorter on one of the mail boats that had retrieved and sorted mail from the cargo ships coming from abroad.

Jacob contacted Chubby and encouraged him to go west and explore the ‘land of the free’. Chubby took his advice and met a couple called Abbie and Barry Pusserpine. The Pusserpines gave him a lift from Pittsburgh to Chicago, where he rented a studio flat and began to frequent an underground ‘pub’ called Schultzie’s Place. His new best pal became McTovish, a Scotsman. He met Miraj at Schultzie’s, fell head over heels for her, and pursued her almost obsessively.

Kurt contacted him and told him that he suspected the British were up to something nefarious, advising him not to trust a woman named Cecelia Canterbury and to keep a close eye on her. Chubby didn’t find that too difficult because she was Miraj’s best friend. Miraj referred to her as ‘Midnight’.

Life went on as usual for some time, and Chubby rarely heard from Jacob or Kurt. Miraj had gone away to Springfield, Illinois, and had a job at a newspaper. McTovish was busy courting Honey Bobwhite, the cocktail waitress. Chubby was thinking he’d go back home to Ireland. When, out of the blue, Jacob called and told him to take a job at the Parcel Post Sorting Department in Atlantic City, New Jersey. With nothing better to do, he took the job. All he had to do was sort through any packages addressed to Squirrel’s Curiosities Shop that had a return address in Switzerland. He was to remove the address label from these packages, make a hand-drawn or written copy of anything appearing under the label, re-affix the address label, and send the parcel on its way. He was then to fold what he had copied and tape it to the bottom of her wastepaper basket. That’s it! The little piece of paper would be gone the next day.

Jacob called again and told Chubby that he was to receive one more package, and rather than copying down what was under the address label, he was to replace it with the little piece of paper taped under her trash bin. After that, his services were no longer needed, and he could go. Jacob told him he’d done a good job and that he probably wouldn't hear from him again.

Sure enough, there was the folded piece of paper, but along with it a plain, sealed envelope with her name, ‘TIOBOID’, typed across the front. Inside was $2,500 US Dollars! He followed the instructions and switched the pieces of paper on the package with the one from the waste basket. But, in his haste and excitement, he didn’t even think to destroy the first label and just shoved it into her pocket.

He made his way back to the docks in New York City with the intent of sailing back to Ireland. Kurt was there. Over a couple of pints, he told him more about Cecelia Canterbury and how she was associated with the British ‘upper crust’ and to watch out for her and see if he could find out what she was up to.

Between Jacob’s and Kurt’s admonitions, plus his work at the sorting facility, Chubby felt that he’d become embroiled in some terrible scheme. Had he inadvertently become a DOUBLE AGENT? It didn’t matter. To him, all he wanted to be was an agent for freedom – a free agent! And, anything that it took, whether it meant taking out the British or the Germans’ plans, he’d do it for freedom! With the thought of spies and double agents swirling around in his mind, he remembered that slip of paper he’d shoved in her pocket. He found the crumpled paper and tucked it away inside the new pocket watch he’d just purchased.

Money wasn’t too much of an issue. He had plenty of it from what he earned in the parcel office. He thought he’d try to find out more about Midnight. Plus, it would maybe lead he closer to Miraj. His quest led him all over the place. One evening in Paris, he’d seen Midnight come out of the Folies Bergère and disappear among the crowd. He went another time and didn’t see Midnight, but he saw a woman who seemed oddly familiar coming out of the stage entrance. It was Colleen, that little orphan girl from St. Agnes of Mercy in Killarney! She was the one they called Gypsy! He and Gypsy immediately formed a bond that could only be likened to that of siblings. He stayed in Paris for a while, and she showed him all around the city and introduced him to her ‘sister’ Rosie. He’d asked her if she knew a Cecelia Canterbury, and she said that she didn’t. When he left Paris, he promised to keep in touch and told her to count on him, just like she would a big brother

His mission to throw a spanner in the works of either the British or the Germans seemed fruitless after a while, so he went back to Ireland and opened a pub. His pub, “Chubby’s,” of course, was a big success, and he was finally planting some good roots. He hoped that he’d put the past behind him.

December 1936. It was a chilly, rainy day when he saw her. There, across the square, coming out of a shop. He felt a pain of remorse when he saw his fair Irish lass. He recalled the foolish, impetuous man that he had been, chasing after her like some gaping buffoon! No wonder she spurned him! And, being the foolhardy lad he had been, he’d lost her. He had, for the first and maybe last time, the chance to tell her how he felt. And he did so. Then, he turned and walked away, in shame, never expecting to see her again.

3 February, 1938. Some new fellow came into his pub and left a note as a ‘tip’ under his empty pint of Guinness. The note read: “It will be Midnight at 08:00 in St. Moritz on 10th February”. The note looked like a telegram.

10 February 1938, 08:00:00 Post Office, St. Moritz, Switzerland

He watched as the operator took down a telegram message for Miss Cecelia Canterbury. Midnight!

‘La montre sera prête le 14 février. Prise en charge à 16h00. Avenue De-Budé, Genève

(‘The watch will be ready the 14th of February. Pick it up at 16:00. Avenue De-Budé, Geneva’)

He happened to see his friend, McTovish, taking photographs on the slopes in St. Moritz. They had a few beers and chatted for a while. Chubby, curious about the mysterious ‘tip’ he’d received, but not wanting to reinstate himself as a potential pawn in a deadly game, paid McTovish to collect the watch in Geneva.

14 February 1938, 17:00.

He met McTovish at a small biergarten in Geneva where McTovish gave him the watch and the two have a few beers together.

14 February 1938, 19:10

Chubby arrives back at his hotel room. He glances at the watch, which indicates the time to be 18:43. He looks at the wall clock again. 19:11. He looks at the watch. 18:43. The watch has stopped. He shakes the watch and fiddles with the winder. He curses, tossing the watch on a table. The back of the watch pops open, revealing a message inside.

STARGAZING IS BEST ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH.

He thought all of this was bunch of rubbish until he opened the wardrobe to find a copy of the StarGazer in his coat pocket. Additionally, he recalled his name being typed as Tiobóid on the envelope containing the cash he received at the postal facility in Atlantic City. The only two people who know his real name are Miraj and Midnight. He was convinced that he’s been involved in a nefarious plot. He felt that he was being watched. He trusted no one. Hastily, he gathered his belongings and left Geneva, leaving the little watch resting on the bedside table.

Back at his pub in Ireland, he looked more closely at the StarGazer that was left in his coat pocket. The Jasmine’s Jumble puzzle had been solved. The puzzle was odd, too. It wasn’t a bunch of jumbled letters; it actually spelled something. CITRINE OF CORDOVIA. But the solution to the puzzle, written in pencil, in tiny printing, was CODIFICATION ROVER.

The first Friday of every month, he gets his hands on the StarGazer column and deciphers Jasmine’s Jumble. The last one he deciphered was published on October 3, 1938. FSMICIEH IMTGDHNI OAMNR = MISHCIEF MIDNIGHT MANOR. He read the rest of the StarGazer and knows where he’ll be the following Friday. He told no one of his plans.

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