Authors: Karen Ranney
After the Kiss (29 page)
T
he history of cryptography dates back 4,000 years. It was fascinating to discover that of all the codes that have been created in that time, only a handful still remain in use. The others have been discarded because they were either too cumbersome to use or they had been deciphered.
The idea for Michael’s mathematical engine, the forerunner of the modern computer, came into existence about this time, as did the idea of two sets of disks that would create a nearly unbreakable code. In fact, Thomas Jefferson invented a similar wheel cipher in the eighteenth century.
Black Chambers operated throughout Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Most of them, however, were dissolved by 1860.
There has always been some speculation about whether or not the British aided Napoleon in escaping from Elba. Their purposes in doing so might have been as the Duke of Tarrant articulated.
In March 1815, Talleyrand informed Louis XVIII of Napoleon’s escape. His accusations were against the English, who were instrumental, he believed, in al
lowing Napoleon to leave Elba. Talleyrand thought that the ruse was accomplished for one of two reasons: to justify treating Napoleon more severely when he was recaptured; or, as he told the King, the English might simply have wished to send Napoleon to America in order to limit his influence.
KAREN RANNEY began writing when she was five. Her first published work was
The Maple Leaf
, read over the school intercom when she was in the first grade. In addition to wanting to be a violinist (her parents had a special violin crafted for her when she was seven), she wanted to be a lawyer, a teacher, and, most of all, a writer. The violin discarded early, she still admits to a fascination with the law, and she volunteers as a teacher whenever needed. Writing, however, has remained an overwhelming love of hers. She loves to hear from her readers—please write to her at [email protected] or visit her website at www.karenranney.com.
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Karen Ranney
M
Y
B
ELOVED
M
Y
T
RUE
L
OVE
M
Y
W
ICKED
F
ANTASY
U
PON A
W
ICKED
T
IME
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This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
AFTER THE KISS
. Copyright © 2000 by Karen Ranney. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
ePub edition March 2007 ISBN 9780061738630
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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