The Forgery Department

“What’s this?” Big X pointed at the portrait of Jenks.

“Tolly painted it,” said Reynolds.

“Remarkable. Looks like a photograph. Good enough for identity papers.”

“As long as it doesn’t get wet. Watercolors, you know.”

“Pity. What is he working on now?”

“He was copying the Soldbuchs for a while but was getting rather bored with it. It’s always a risk with talent like that. I believe now he’s working with the maps team.”

Big X scratched his chin. “I wonder.”

“What?”

“If we might not have something a bit more engaging. We’ve been hatching a new scheme.”

“Do tell.”

 

Friday Fictioneers

 

14 comments

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  1. rochellewisoff

    Dear Josh,

    I’d think it’s kind of iffy to do a forgery in watercolor. ;) Kind of like forging currency with an ink jet printer. Well rendered story.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    • J Hardy Carroll

      I remember reading Paul Brickhill’s excellent The Great Escape where he described in great detail the forgery shop that produced thousands of documents and ID cards for the escaping Allied prisoners. Letters, passes, ID papers… the works. The Forgery department was nicknamed “Dean & Dawson” after the famous British travel agency. Thanks for reading!

  2. michaelwynnauthor

    The Great Escape came to mind when I read this and then I read your comment half way down. I’ve always been in awe of the skill of those people, abolutley incredible, especially with what they had to work with.

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