Neville Chamberlain

Our operative Vera sent a postcard with greetings from La Isla del Espiritu Santo!  She related some stories of her adventures, and gave further hints to where she was and encoded a secret message within her narrative.

From the stamp cancellation, and from the postcard picture and its caption, it could be determined that the island she visited was Andros Island – the largest island in The Bahamas – La Isla Del Espiritu Santo (The Island of the Holy Spirit) as the Spanish named it.

A careful noting of the dots beneath certain letters of Vera’s writing revealed a hidden message.  In order, those singled out letters said:  Name the minister who is said to have laughed at this creature.  Vera spoke about seeing a huge bird-like thing with red eyes. Andros Island is said to be home to a mystical creature called the Chickcharnie, which has these characteristics.  Sightings continue to this day, and legend has it that if you see one and treat it well you will be rewarded with good luck; treat it poorly (such as laughing at it) will result in bad luck or hard times.

 One of Andros Island’s more famous residents was a young man who went there to manage his family’s sisal plantations (his apparently failed), and later became prime minister of England - perhaps best know for his policies of appeasement in the years leading to World War II.  He is said to either have laughed at the Chickcharnie and it’s odd features, or to have cut down trees favored by the creature.  Either way one might questionably judge the career of Neville Chamberlain.