Liberty's Kids (TV Series)

Benedict Arnold (2003)

Chris Lundquist: James

Quotes 

• James : When spies write messages, they do it so only other spies can read it.

  Henri : How?

  James : Sometimes, they use invisible ink.

  Henri : Oh, I love invisible ink! It shows up when you heat it.

  James : Right. Others use a piece of paper with holes in it. See? If you read only the words you can see in the holes, you get the secret message. Sometimes, they write their message in coded numbers that refer to a specific page, sentence, and word in a book. That person that gets the coded numbers has a copy of the same book.

  Henri : Oh. So they use the numbers to find the words, and voilà! It spells out the secret message.

  James : Mm-hm. Then there is the maskling. Anyone reading the regular letter doesn't know there is a secret message hidden in the writing.

  Henri : How does it work?

  James : Simple. The spy knows he's only supposed to read what he sees in the cutout. In this case, an hourglass.

  Henri : Magnifique! But I will invent the unbreakable Henri code. Paper. Paper. I need paper!

• Henri : Sarah! James! Moses!

  [runs up to them] 

  Henri : I've got it! A secret letter code that General Washington can use.

  James : And the British won't be able to figure it out?

  Henri : Nope. Regarde. See? Just an ordinary letter. Now watch.

  [places his hand on the letter] 

  Henri : You just read what isn't covered by your hand. Isn't it amazing?

  James : It's amazing all right. There's just one problem. What if the person trying to read your coded letter has a bigger hand than you, like mine?

  [places his hand on the letter] 

  Sarah : [reads the uncovered words]  Dear... I am... a pest?

  Henri : Oh, I didn't think of that.

  [Sarah and James laugh] 

• James : Now we know why Arnold made Washington for command of West Point.

  Sarah : He even spread our soldiers out to make them vulnerable to attack. All the lives he's jeopardized. All the people he's betrayed. General Washington who supported him. His men who died for him.

  James : And you, Sarah. You traveled with him. You respected him.

  Sarah : I was inspired by him. He seemed so thrilled when I told him I'd become a patriot. I wonder if he'd already become a traitor. Is that what I am, James? A traitor to my country?

  James : This is your country.

  Sarah : Why is it noble for me to turn to the American side but evil when he defects to the British?

  James : You did it for liberty. Arnold did it for money and ambition. And he didn't care who would suffer or die so he can get them.

  Sarah : Yes, I did it for liberty, and I write for liberty too. I've written many stories for the Gazette about General Arnold. And now, James, for liberty, I shall write another.