Challenge 4

Top Secret: For your eyes only

Mr Charles Babbage Dorset Street Marylebone London My dearest Charles, Our dinner with Herr Kaiser and his entourage was a success measured in terms of diplomacy, though less so in terms of intelligence. Our guest spoke at length about his ambition to serve her Majesty, and his interest in the subcontinent was more than evident. It is clear that he is a man of singular will, and his desire to establish Imperial Arms as, in his words, “a truly global company” was asserted more than once. He is a man of many interests, and in that he reminded me of Wheatstone, though, unlike our taciturn friend, Herr Kaiser is rather keen to ensure that everyone knows it. I suspect that whatever our topic had been, he would have made sure to be the principal interlocutor. I mean no offence, but it is hard in any company for a woman’s voice to be heard, and in his company I suspect that it is impossible. Fortunately my dear husband William was able to play his part and, with surprising subtlety, was able to press our questions about the Imperial shipment. William did his very best to interrogate Herr Kaiser along the lines you suggested, with questions concerning the barrel, the firing mechanism and the cartridge design, and the answers seemed assured and persuasive to all who listened. Yet here, just a few hours later, we find ourselves unable to recall a single innovation in the design. Herr Kaiser’s enthusiasm cannot be doubted; his commitment to the Exhibition is paralleled only by that of the dear Prince, and I worry that our government might be seduced by his charm and intensity of will. Should they really be considering a transatlantic partnership at the cost of our own manufacturers? That does not seem, to me, to be in the spirit of the Great Exhibition. On the issue of security of the shipment William trod very carefully. He was careful not to indicate any concern on our part, but managed to enquire discreetly about the company’s own arrangements. Herr Kaiser was open in his praise for the Ports Authority but spoke at length, as you might expect, about the superior quality of American security arrangements, hinting that the cargo had been secure throughout its journey. I think we can take it that he was not aware of Kate’s investigations. Which brings me to my final point. I awoke this morning to find a letter addressed to us both from Miss Warne. She has departed for Liverpool with the intention of examining the Imperial Arms cargo for herself, though I am unsure what she expects to find. Let us hope that she returns with something useful to our deliberations. With my fondest regards, Ada