unforum

[dawndilion]

I personally can't call or text V, but maybe someone else can. I tried last time, but I can't call or text internationally on my phone I can't imagine Claire not giving us her phone number. Can't hurt to ask, right?

[celendis]

Never had much luck asking a girl for her number lol. I can send a few texts though. I did ask if morse was safe.

[degravedi]

So, with a gentle nudge from amandel I have stopped the heinous half lurking I've been doing around this thread and caught up again. I've sent off an email hoping to join; I just hope that with the deadline of the 30th tomorrow that I'm not too late. I've attempted to follow all the goings on to help with the figuring, but without access to the Ning site yet, it's a little difficult.

So unfortunately, my only current contribution is this:

[celendis]

Well, V sent me a response to my query if morse was safe:

She replied with a bunch of "ladeda the sun is shining ladeda the sun is shining ladeda the sun is shining". I removed all of that.

Her message is:
"nothing is. just tell all that I'm ok - for now – we'll see what tomorrow brings. I need an ally at the MoA, someone in the offices."

So we need someone "in the office" that can help V out. We're all members, but I doubt any of us commute to the Ministry.

Also, she has a new post on Yahoo. Similarly she is attempting security though obscurity:

[celendis]

Poeas was really, really, REALLY, adamant that we put some additional resources into this. She sent me this email twice just to be sure I got it.

[Telos954]

Simple enough to find a trustworthy contact in the area.

I wonder.

No.
Couldn't be.

Claire?

[distilled]

The funny thing is, I'm actually off to London tomorrow - but I'm not sure I'll have time to go on a treasure hunt.

I'd really like to crack the Ampthill puzzle soon, so I thought I'd give a breakdown of what we have (particularly because it appears some of the pics have been removed):

Aethilides added 2 pictures to the Ning. Both of crosses, stating that "Someone asked where the Ministry began - in one sense, here." - one with the title "casting shadows". Find it here: http://argobritain.ning.com/photo/casting-shadows?context=latest.

A while later he added a picture of Britain with a spot just north of London. This was discovered to be Bedfordshire - this image has now been removed.

Following this he added a fragment of an image with the three letters "QUE", the image appeared to have been put through a number of filters - this image has now been removed.

It was discovered that the "QUE" was part of the word "Masquerade" - a book by Kit Williams in which the protagonist must transport a gold pendant of a hare from the moon to the sun (this is depicted as transporting it from a woman to a man) however, upon reaching his destination he discovers he has lost the treasure and the reader is challenged to go on a real life treasure hunt to find it. Kit Williams is the Mr Fourniment who Aethilides refers to; "fourniment" translating into "kit" from French.

What actually happened was that Mr Williams buried the treasure at Amphill in Bedfordshire. Supposedly, at the stroke of noon on the date of either the vernal or autumnal equinox, the shadow cast from the Cross of Katherine of Aragon would show the exact location of the treasure (hence the name of the first image "Casting Shadows"). I also believe that the mention of Princess Beatrice in the 8/8/88 puzzle was eventually meant to be another clue to Ampthill as an earlier Princess Beatrice opened the Cenotaph on the cross at Ampthill in 1922.

Aethilides' final image is of the front cover of Bamber Gascoigne's book "The Quest for the Golden Hare" (1983?) - Bamber was a well known TV presenter and there are a number of clues which A gave to allude to him (the title "I'll have to hurry you" is reminiscent of Bamber's pressurised style of presenting University Challenge). Bamber was a celebrity witness to the burial of the Golden Hare at Ampthill Cross, and his book tells the story of the process. Find the picture here: http://argobritain.ning.com/photo/casting-shadows/prev?context=latest.




There are a couple of facets which we could follow, but I believe the idea is to discover who the founders are, and what their purpose was.

Themes:

Katherine of Aragon
Held captive at Ampthill Castle - the cross at Ampthill was dedicated to her and of course her name is suspiciously close to Argon! There is a passage inscribed on the cross which is dedicated to her:

"In day's of old here Ampthill's towers were seen,
The mournful refuge of an injured Queen;
Here flowed her pure but unavailing tears,
Here blinded zeal sustain'd her sinking years.
Yet Freedom hence her radiant banner wav'd,
And Love aveng'd a realm by priests enslav'd;
From Catherine's wrongs a nation's bliss was spread,
And Luther's light from Henry's lawless bed."



Kit Williams, Bamber Gascoigne and Masquerade
The treasure was buried at Ampthill cross. A talks about how Gascoigne and Williams took an idea and made it reality (I assume by taking the idea of a treasure hunt from the book and actually pulling it into reality). A has emphasised that our treasure hunt can be done from anywhere in the world.

Bellepheron asked:
"Did Mr. Fourniment point the way figuratively, or is the finish line for his little race the starting pistol for ours?"
and Aethilides replied:
"Lords of time do not use guns... *smile*
He definitely pointed the way, but more in the mind rather than on the ground as it were. This venture can be undertaken wherever you are in the world, though, I fear, some aspects may triangulate to specific regions due to the Helmsman's decisions. Think of it like an arrow..."

This has a random Doctor Who reference in it, which came out of nowhere (this hasn't been properly explored yet). As well as the allusion to the "arrow". I might explore them later today.

What is so hard is that we are not 100% on what we are looking for, we keep making connections but if we don't know where to stop and go "this is what we've found" then we aren't going to be able to get anywhere.

[Telos954]

Has anyone decoded the 'around in circles' doc?
Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

I just dunno how to solve it. I fail hard at that sort of stuff.
I'm assuming the two red names are a key to it, but. I don't know.

Poeas is all messaging me with things titled "I thought I could trust you." and saying

[Dagada]

I had a message on Twitter from Vanessa asking me to pick up a present for her father. I said I could and am awaiting a reply.

In other news, I've been chatting with Claire about Tarot images on facebook. Seems she's having visions involving recurrant 1's and possible dual layered images involving eight or infinity. It's not so easy to copy paste from my phone, but if anyone else wants to feel free.

[dreamerblue]

I know there was that message about being able to do this from anywhere in the world, but yet, we ARE to actually find a deaddrop item as part of our current puzzle-solving. Poeas has told us that pretty clearly, and there is an OOG reason for my being certain of this, too.

distilled, if you do find that you will be able to go and pick something up, then that would be ideal. If you can't, do you have any friends in London who would be willing to do you a favour?

Does anyone else here know anyone in the UK, especially London?

My husband's company has its headquarters in the UK (well, until Symantec bought them, but I guess the HQ for his division is still there)...but in Cheltenham, which is a couple hours from London. I don't know any of his coworkers, so while I would be willing to ask hubby to ask around their staff for someone willing to do a treasure hunt, it would be much more comfortable for me if one of you knew someone.

[Telos954]

Until we figure out the Around in Circles doc, I don't think we even know what we're looking for. Don't think we can hunt for a treasure we don't know about. Unless I've missed something...

[dreamerblue]

[distilled]

I don't want to seem like I'm palming the job off, but I will only be in London for a change of trains so I don't think I'll have any time for hunting. Sorry!

But Dagada, I see your profile says you live in London - perhaps you wouldn't mind helping?

I'm not sure how keen I am on providing my contact details to the Ministry!

[dawndilion]

[Telos954]

I ended up giving Claire my information last time, for the papers that were supposed to be sent out. Figure based on her kidnapping, and the hacking of her computer, the ministry already has my information, so, why the hell not?
Information sent.