Something in the man’s tone inspired Doctor Lukens with hope.
“Ah!” exclaimed the physician. “You believe that a solution is possible?”
The stranger shook his head.
“Quite the contrary,” he replied. “Like the others who have examined it, I must say that I can read no message in it. It is not a cryptogram. It is not a numbered code. It does not correspond to any existing system of code making.”
Doctor Lukens sighed in disappointment.
“There are various systems of code,” explained the visitor in his quiet, easy voice, “and all codes are not decipherable. There are certain codes which depend upon artificial languages or vocabularies known only to those who have prepared them. Such codes are virtually unsolvable.
“I have examined many codes. In every one I have at least found a clew to the system involved. I have met with systems that are apparently new; yet in each instance they have borne some similarity to an existing type of code.
“The experts to whom you have sent copies of this code have doubtless had experiences similar to mine. Therefore I concur with their decisions — but I must add a statement of my own.”
Doctor Lukens listened intently. The stranger did not speak for a moment. He was thinking, about to phrase an important statement.
“The experts,” resumed the stranger, “say that they can not solve the code. Do they say that it is impossible to solve the code?”