The Versailles Memorandum

Harry Davidson's quest for answers begins in England, where he encounters the mysterious 'Steve'...

London, England:

Across Federation Square, beyond the Jean Monnet Column, I could barely make out Big Ben through the gloom at the other end of Whitehall. Most of central London was reckoned to be reasonably safe before eight or nine at night, so I set off eastwards, cutting past St Martin's in the Fields and into the Strand.

Brighton, England:

I crossed over to my building, climbed the three steps to the front door, and paused briefly to take a look at the sea. I couldn't make out where the sea ended and the heavy sky began. I could just make out the sound of the waves sucking at the shingle. Seagulls were squawking overhead as they swirled around nearby roof tops scavenging for scraps.

... It takes him to Australia, where he meets a beautiful woman and a politician with a heavy secret...

Canberra, Australia:

As a national capital, Canberra leaves something to be desired. Tourists who come to Canberra have been known to drive right through and out the other side without realising it. Most locals are fiercely defensive about the place. They will tell you how clean it is, how good the schools are, how easy it is to get around. Most of the people who live here work for the government.

Sydney, Australia:

The black expanse of the harbour stretched out below us, the lights of half a dozen ferries glowing like floating candles on a darkened pond. Europe seemed a very long way away. I told her that Sydney was the most beautiful city I had ever visited. She smiled. I sensed she had heard similar sentiments from other visitors before me.

... and he ends up at a rodeo in Cody, Wyoming, where he tries, but fails, to bury the past.

CIA headquarters, Virginia, USA:

'You don't have a puzzler's mind, Professor!' she chided me gently. 'I've watched you, every afternoon, sitting out there on the bench, staring at the Kryptos sculpture. You don't have a head for these things, do you?'
I smiled politely.

Niagara Falls, Canada:

The ship turned sideways and bobbed around like a cork as white slabs of water fell by the side of us, as if in slow motion. I looked upwards towards the sun and saw a rainbow in the mist. I held out my arms and allowed the spray to cleanse me. It felt like I was being re-born.

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