The Spy of the Chancellery
A seal that never lies has been placed, this once, in the service of a lie. The forgery is skilled: only an eye trained on the archives found its flaw. On the Chancellery's list stand Safta the Herbwife, Luca the Squire, Codrin the Huntsman and Castellan Ursu; one of these names covers a lie. On the inquiry's table, like pieces in a game, lie the customs scales, the vial of belladonna, the ciphered letter and the small wine cask. A sharp eye is not enough here — it takes an archivist's patience: fit everything together, then pronounce your verdict.
Suspects
She gathers herbs at hours when honest folk sleep. The herbs, she says, speak then.
1.58 m
right-handed
green eyes
greying hair
He polishes the knight's armour and dreams of a sword of his own. For a coat of arms he would do almost anything.
1.72 m
right-handed
green eyes
brown hair
He knows the royal forest better than the castle corridors. Tracks, he says, never lie - men do.
1.87 m
right-handed
green eyes
black hair
He keeps the fortress dungeon and the tally of those who leave other than they entered.
1.90 m
right-handed
dark eyes
black hair
Locations
the guild forge
Anvils, tongs, and a fire that never goes out. Many small metal things vanish here.
the mill by the river
The wheel turns day and night. Its noise drowns out any conversation - which is why some are held here.
the scriptorium
Slanted desks, ink, and working silence. Here a quill creaks louder than a conscience.
the customs cellar
Sealed crates, thick ledgers, and air that smells of undeclared goods.
Objects
the customs scales
Copper pans, sealed weights. One of the weights rings hollow.
the vial of belladonna
A small flask, a wax stopper, a label written with care. Three-quarters empty.
the ciphered letter
Orderly rows of meaningless signs. The ink is costly, the paper costlier, the sender - unknown.
the small wine cask
Arin wine, the good year. The bung was pulled and put back by an unskilled hand.
Moments
at dawn
When the citadel is barely waking and the guards still doze.
after matins
The hour after the morning service, when the abbey empties.
at noon
Midday, with bustle in the markets and silence in the alcoves.
at dusk
When the shadows lengthen and the lanterns are not yet lit.
Open the Grid (below) to solve the case, with the testimonies at hand.
Touch a cell: blank → ✗ (excluded) → ✓ (certain) → blank. Each pair of categories meets exactly once.
| SUSPECTS | LOCATIONS | OBJECTS | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
| MOMENTS | |
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| OBJECTS | |
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| LOCATIONS | |
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Verdict
The culprit always lies; everyone else tells the truth.
- A note in the margin of the ledger: if Codrin the Huntsman was in the place where the fire never goes out, then Codrin the Huntsman was there at dawn.
- The customs register is clear: Luca the Squire was not present after matins.
- The tracks in the dust do not lie: the tallest suspect handled the small wine cask.
- The night watch saw Luca the Squire first, and only then the shortest suspect.
- A maid whispered it at confession: the suspect with greying hair handled the customs scales.
- A maid whispered it at confession: Castellan Ursu was in the place where the wheel turns day and night.
- Whatever the market gossips: the suspect with brown hair never touched the vial of belladonna.
- Castellan Ursu declares under oath: "I handled the vial of belladonna".
- The chronicler notes drily: Luca the Squire was at the scriptorium, whatever the court may say.
- An honest-faced witness saw it plainly: Codrin the Huntsman was at the guild forge.