Ch 26: The Padiel Cipher
~
(David)
Trithemius’s fame among cryptography experts was mainly for his more algorithmic ciphers, often referred to as the “Trithemius cipher” or “Vigenere ciphers”, based on the tabula recta.
But Trithemius’s earlier work in Steganographia (“T-1499” in the secure archives) did not actually refer to or use the Trithemius cipher or Vigenere cipher. Those are more relevant to his later work.
T-1499 merely gave verbal or semantic descriptions of simple letter-choosing patterns described (in the Clavia or key) under the “spirit” names he used. Each spirit name denoted a particular pattern or method. The patterns, at least in the simpler ciphers, are patterns like “take the first letter of each word”, which the recipient of the message then uses to find the hidden message within the covertext.
I’ve looked at the superstitious, angelic/demonic implications of T-1499. And I’m over it. I’m confident, like the cryptography experts, that the so-called “spirit conjurations” are nothing more or less than descriptions of these letter-choosing patterns. They can be used to resolve any covertext if only the user knows to apply them.
I have to learn about this “Padiel” cipher.
I’m simply betting, with uncertainty, that the surveillance algos will not flag as suspicious my studying these texts, as it’s within my normal pattern of behaviour and authorized research. And I’m confident that no human, even anyone who may be watching me, has the patience to read through even one paragraph of the 15th and 16th century mystical writings I’m now looking at.
I chuckle at the notion that I’m protected only by the fact that my work is too boring for any human to care about, much less understand.
I have safety in the familiarity of my work to the algos, I hope, and the obscurity of my work to the humans.
For my overt, orthodox purpose – my conspiracy theory debunking project – I don’t have to publish anything dealing with the Trithemius texts. I would not publish anything about these heretical texts, as doing so would draw unnecessary attention to them, contrary to the public interest. It is the orthodox way of dealing with this information. Let it stay hidden.
For my covert, subversive purpose – finding and perhaps sharing forbidden subversive information – I similarly do not have to publish anything about the Trithemius texts. I would not publish anything about these texts, as doing so would draw unnecessary attention to them. It is the subversive way of dealing with this information. Let it stay hidden.
As I wonder at all the rich parallels and ironies and double meanings surrounding Trithemius, the familiar sensation of electricity rises, gradually at first, then suddenly, with a vibrating feeling in my legs and my face. I absently touch my face and notice it’s weirdly numb. Oh God, now it’s hurting. It’s hurting me. With my arms wrapped around me to brace against the pain, I lean into the work and I look again at the final words of Jfoxe’s manifesto:
“Dear reader, listen to the Eleventh Angel of Truth and Purity; if silence falls, call the Seventh Angel; if that too is mute, seek the Fourth, failing which the Second. God’s good Angels have deeper knowledge of each dark Conspiracy, because from God nothing is hidden.
“Using this simple knowledge, everyone can tell the horrible and evil truth. Pity the reader who out of temerity doesn’t even seek, summon and trust the Almighty. Seek truth and inform the oblivious masses now. -Angel2/31”
Checking that my neuro tech is still disengaged, I open T-1499, Book I.
Harrington
PAI has alerted me that a new high has been achieved in pain administration and suggested a live WRAITH viewing.
My word, look at his eyes.
“WRAITH swing around to the other side please.” I’m craning my neck, trying to get a look at what he’s working on.
He’s suffering. Why is he hurting himself like this? Look at him, grunting against the pain as he works.
“PAI throw his workstation display to my mine.”
What is this on his display…An old textbook of some kind on the left. Feed tells me it’s a very old text that was purged by Secur-Intel. David directly asked them about it for his sabbatical project. Authorized access. And then a lot of notes on the right. Oh, it’s the conspiracy theories. He’s doing his conspiracy project. Exactly like he does at the office, with his tech disengaged.
PAI alerts me to another high in tolerated pain.
Why do this to yourself, David? Take a break, old man. Why not head down to the plaza, find a nice Amethyst model and relax for a bit. But you and I both know that would be taboo, don’t we. The good and orthodox scholar does not break the taboos.
It reminds me. I should go for a stroll through the plaza.
David
I close my eyes and try to relax the pain away. It only gets worse. For some reason squeezing my body with my arms gives me a feeling like I’m controlling it.
I flip ahead through the chapter headings. There are indeed thirty-one spirits. Each spirit represents a cipher. Here’s “Padiel”, spirit 2 of 31. The “good, cheerful, obedient” angel. Surely this is the “Angel 2/31” referred to by JFoxe.
The Padiel cipher, as explained clearly in well-known texts discussing T-1499, is extremely simple. It describes a pattern like this:
.0.0 etc. (pattern repeats),
where
0 = ignore word, and
. = meaningful word
and the recipient of the message is instructed to take the first letter of each of the meaningful words.
To me it seems clear enough that this cipher is to be applied to some part or all of the JFoxe text. But where to begin? I decide to start small or easy, and go bigger or more difficult – a “path of least resistance” approach.
Starting simple, the cipher could apply, and logically should apply, at a minimum, to the brief paragraph “Using this simple knowledge…” which contains the “Angel 2 of 31” signature.
Using this simple knowledge, everyone can tell the horrible and evil truth. Pity the reader who out of temerity doesn’t even seek, summon and trust the Almighty. Seek truth and inform the oblivious masses now. -Angel2/31
Out of realistic paranoia I decide to resolve it only in my mind.