License to Quill by Jacopo della Quercia Page B

conduct a witch trial right down to whom to torture and how. Respectively, the two books served as the Protestant and Catholic churches’ solutions to the growing menace of witchcraft.
    Bacon slammed the books shut on Shakespeare’s fingers. “It is neither my mission nor my interest to fear the powers of the occult. I prefer to decipher them.”
    Shakespeare snickered. “You believe such knowledge is within your power?”
    “Knowledge is itself power.” Bacon handed Shakespeare a small piece of parchment. “Commit this to memory.”

    “Well, it’s certainly memorable,” appraised the playwright. “However, the ending was a bit obvious.”
    “What you are looking at is a bi-literal alphabet: a new cipher developed for use by all Double-O operatives. * It’s easy to remember thanks to its binary format, so you need not worry about deciphering symbols. This new method allows any user to hide whatever message they like in plain sight using whatever delivery system they choose: letters, poems, music, drawings, and even plays, if you wish it.”
    “But of course it can do that!” The bard spoke with a thick slather of sarcasm.
    “Here…” Bacon groaned. He handed the playwright W’s mysterious letter.
    Ba co n
    W i llm S ha ks pere is b ack. P l ease e q ui p him
    A c cor di ng l y.
    I n h a s t e
    M r W.
    The bard looked at Bacon with a face full of confusion. The scientist responded by tapping his finger on the cipher page. Once Shakespeare recognized the pattern embedded within both documents, they fit like a lock and key in his mind.
    Ba co n
    W i llm S ha ks pe r e is b ack. P l ease e q ui p him
    Accordingly.
    I n h a s t e
    M r W.

    AABBA
    ABAAA BAABB AABAA AABBB ABAAA ABABB AAAAA BAAAB BAABA
    ABBAB
    ABBAA

    GIVE HIM ASTON
    The bard raised an eyebrow and smiled at the inventor. “That was certainly nice of W.” He handed both parchments back to Bacon. “So, what exactly is an Aston?”
    “He’s more than you’ll ever deserve in your life!” sneered the scientist. He then seized a leather book and stormed out of the building.
    The bard could not help but feel a little rejected as he followed the great Sir Francis Bacon out of the Double-O.

 
    Chapter VI
    [Enter Aston]
    Despite the frequent friction between himself and Francis Bacon, Shakespeare walked out of the Ordnance Office more satisfied than if he had just won the state lottery. His new rapier, watch, and playing cards cloaked him in a welcome sense of security, and although they seemed a bit excessive for his new assignment, the playwright was in no rush to give them back. Never before had the bard seen or even dreamed of owning such fine weapons, and that was before he set eyes on the even more stunning creation waiting for him in the Tower stables.
    â€œHow’s Bentley?” Shakespeare asked as he and Bacon crossed the Inner Ward.
    â€œHe’s had his day, I’m afraid. We had to put him out.”
    â€œTo stud?”
    â€œNo, out of his misery , master bard. What you see here is all that remains of the animal you failed to adequately care for.”
    Shakespeare froze in shock and stared at the leather book in Bacon’s hand. “Bentley…” the playwright whimpered as he reached out to his former friend. “How could you, Francis? He was a good horse!”
    Bacon ignored the saddened Shakespeare and stood with his codex behind his back. His attention focused on the Tower stables, and for good reason. Once the bard discovered why, he could not look away.
    Two squires approached the men with the most magnificent animal the playwright had ever seen. “This is your new horse,” Bacon announced. “A Turcoman stallion; cousin to the Arabian. Sixteen hands high. His name is Aston, so make sure you call him that. He’s trained not to cooperate under any other name.”
    â€œUnbelievable…” Shakespeare gasped. He had never seen a horse with such a shimmering coat before. The gray