Chapter 4

Ellie: That was elementary my dear Mike. You might find this one a bit difficult to crack.

The image comprises 9 lines of Germanic runes.

First line:
An f rune. A dot. An l rune. An R rune. An f rune. A p rune. A p
rune. A dot. An m rune. A t rune. A u rune. A t rune. A U rune. A
dot. An m rune. A t rune. A p rune. A p rune. An l rune. A dot. A t
rune. An s rune. A dot. An f rune. A dot. A g rune. A p rune. An f
rune. A U rune. A dot. A b rune. A p rune. An f rune. A T rune. An f
rune. A colon.

Second line:
An n rune. A U rune. A dot. An l rune. A U rune. An f
rune. An m rune. A U rune. An l rune. A dot. An f rune. A U rune. A
dot. An f rune. An s rune. A dot. A t rune. An m rune. An n rune. A w
rune. An n rune. An s rune. A dot. An f rune. An s rune. An r rune. A
dot. An m rune. A t rune. A p rune. A p rune. An l rune. A dot.

Third line:
A g rune. A t rune. An E rune. An m rune. A dot. An E rune. An s
rune. An n rune. A U rune. An l rune. A dot. A g rune. A t rune. An m
rune. An A rune. An f rune. An m rune. An r rune. A dot. A b rune. An
n rune. A P rune. A t rune. A U rune. An l rune. A dot. An m rune. An
n rune. A w rune. An h rune. A U rune. A dot.

Fourth line:
A t rune. An m rune. A U rune. An h rune. A t rune. A w rune. A t
rune. An s rune. An f rune. A p rune. A p rune. A K rune. A dot.
An f rune. An s rune. An r rune. A dot. An m rune. A t rune. A p
rune. A p rune. An l rune. A dot. An l rune. An n rune. A J rune. A
dot. An E rune. An s rune. An n rune. A U rune. An l rune. A dot.

Fifth line:
A g rune. A t rune. An m rune. An A rune. An f rune. An m rune. An r
rune. A colon. An f rune. A dot. A u rune. An m rune. An n rune. A w
rune. An h rune. A U rune. A dot. A p rune. An f rune. An R rune. A b
rune. A dot. An n rune. An l rune. A dot. An h rune. An E rune. An s
rune. A w rune. A dot.

Sixth line:
A U rune. An A rune. A t rune. A dot. An E rune. An s rune. An n
rune. A U rune. An l rune. A dot. An E rune. A b rune. A dot. A g
rune. An m rune. A t rune. An R rune. A dot. A U rune. An h rune. An n
rune. An l rune. A dot. An m rune. A t rune. A u rune. A t rune. A U
rune. An l rune. A dot.

Seventh line:
An l rune. A U rune. An f rune. An m rune. A U rune. An n rune. An s
rune. A w rune. A dot. A t rune. An m rune. An n rune. A w rune. An n
rune. An s rune. A colon. An h rune. A t rune. An A rune. A dot. A p
rune. A t rune. An s rune. A w rune. A dot. An n rune. An l rune. A
dot. An R rune. An n rune. An s rune. An n rune. An R rune. An E
rune. An R rune. A dot.

Eighth line:
A b rune. An f rune. A U rune. An h rune. A dot. A U rune. A t rune. A
dot. A U rune. An A rune. A t rune. A dot. An r rune. A b rune. A
dot. A g rune. An m rune. A t rune. An R rune. A dot. A U rune. An h
rune. An n rune. An l rune. A dot. An m rune. A t rune. A u rune. A t
rune. A U rune. An l rune. A dot.

Ninth line:
A g rune. An n rune. An s rune. An f rune. A p rune. A dot. An l
rune. A b rune. A t rune. A U rune. A dot. A U rune. A t rune. A
dot. A U rune. An h rune. An n rune. An l rune. A dot. A p rune. An f
rune. An R rune. A b rune. A question mark.

The image above contains a hidden question. Please enter the answer to the question in the box below. If the answer is a number please enter it using numerals rather than words and work to two decimal places.

To deter guessing without thinking, we ask that you also solve the following simple arithmetic problem before checking your answer:

What is three multiplied by seven, subtract eight?

This problem was first solved on Mon 9th February at 5:22:41pm

Alan Turing Cryptography Competition 2026 is organised by the The Department of Mathematics at The University of Manchester.
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