The Riddle (The Story of Edward Craig)

A car is parked in the streets of a province in Eastern Russia that rainy evening. A man sporting a thick jacket walks out of the car and runs toward a dark alley. Not seeing the way, he stops at the entrance of the alley, and instinctively talks.

"Sic semper tyrannis."

"Come in, spasihtel, do not be afraid," someone said in an old British voice.

Trusting the voice, he walks slowly into the alley. He slows down upon feeling a blade poised on his back.

"Times have changed, spasihtel, they know what we are up to." The voice said it in a way that would scare the life out of any double agent, and scare the doubts out of those who are not. "They sent an impostor here earlier. I hope, that you are not one of them."

The man stopped.

"We are ready to commence the operation." He was serious in his Russian accent.

"Are all the agents in place?"
"They are ready and waiting for orders, sir. The time has come." There was an abrupt pause. A sense of doubt filled the narrow alley.

"Commence. Commence at once. Inform the world, that the end of the tyrant shall come soon." The blade was taken away from the man's back. "You may go. You have done us a great deed."

"The tyrant will fall, sir. Sic semper tyrannis."

The old man patted his back in reply, as he turned and rushed back to his car.