Excerpt from The Black Book: Being the Full Account of How the Book of the Betrayers Came Into the Hands of Yorke Norroy, Secret Agent of the Department of State
To a practiced eye the man who approached the gate of the Brooklyn navy yard one afternoon late in the year 1916, was so consistently inconspicuous that he defeated his own purpose. That is to say, he became conspicuous by being too inconspicuous. The neutral, almost sad-colored clothes, hat, and necktie would surely have aroused suspicion in the sort of person for whom they were donned when taken in connection with the keen, alert-eyed face of their wearer.
The guard patrolling his little section of sidewalk on either side of the gate was not such a person. Consequently he was surprised when he saw the badge, whose silver plating flashed momentarily in the last rays of sunlight.
This badge was shown in lieu of a pass. There was no war for America as yet, but the navy yard harbored secrets as well as warships - sometimes the two in combination. One might not pass within unless vouched for.
This guard, having had a plethora of such duty, had seen such badges before, and was to see one soon again.
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