Kryptos K3 Gimlet Trick

I call this the K3 Gimlet Trick, and I believe this is the method Ed Scheidt intended.

Qs are wild and the italicized definitions are paraphrased from Merriam Webster.

Put K3 in monospace with row lengths as they are in the sculpture, and no ?. Identify GIMLET - to pierce - at the top of column 24.

ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIA
CHTNREYULDSLLSLLNOHSNOSMRWXMNE
TPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAE
WMTWNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOE
TFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEYQHEENCTAYCR
EIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLB
TEEFOASFIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTI
BSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGRIEWFEB
AECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORIT
RKLMLEHAGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHE
ECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW

Reduce the column width to 24. Identify LITANY EAST - a sizable set... to the right - at the top of the last column.

ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBI
DYSHNAIACHTNREYULDSLLSLL
NOHSNOSMRWXMNETPRNGATIHN
RARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAEWMT
WNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHA
EOETFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEY
QHEENCTAYCREIFTBRSPAMHHE
WENATAMATEGYEERLBTEEFOAS
FIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRT
IBSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROA
GRIEWFEBAECTDDHILCEIHSIT
EGOEAOSDDRYDLORITRKLMLEH
AGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHEEC
DMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW

Rotate 90 degrees to the right. Identify WHENCE - out of which place - at the top of column 8.

DAEGIFWQEWRNDE
MGGRBIEHONAOYN
RTOISONEEDRHSD
IDEEETAETIPSHY
PHAWDUTNFTENNA
FAOFDEACOESOAH
ERSENTMTLELSIR
IDDBIUAASNNMAO
MPDAAATYERNRCH
ENREAEECDAEWHN
HEYCHOGRTHLXTL
NODTTTYEICEMNS
LHLDTOEIWTBNRR
SMODMAEFEELEEH
SGRHSRRTNNPTYE
TFIITMLBHEIPUO
TMTLEABRAUIRLC
RFRCWETSEDANDP
TEKEPEEPIRCGST
VULIIREAOEAALE
DHMHETFMYTETLO
OELSRNOHTNWISI
HEEIORAHEHMHLB
WCHTATSEYATNLI

Reduce column width to 8. Identify HINGE - to swing - at the top of the last column.

DAEGIFWQ
EWRNDEMG
GRBIEHON
AOYNRTOI
SONEEDRH
SDIDEEET
AETIPSHY
PHAWDUTN
FTENNAFA
OFDEACOE
SOAHERSE
NTMTLELS
IRIDDBIU
AASNNMAO
MPDAAATY
ERNRCHEN
REAEECDA
EWHNHEYC
HOGRTHLX
TLNODTTT
YEICEMNS
LHLDTOEI
WTBNRRSM
ODMAEFEE
LEEHSGRH
SRRTNNPT
YETFIITM
LBHEIPUO
TMTLEABR
AUIRLCRF
RCWETSED
ANDPTEKE
PEEPIRCG
STVULIIR
EAOEAALE
DHMHETFM
YTETLOOE
LSRNOHTN
WISIHEEI
ORAHEHMH
LBWCHTAT
SEYATNLI

Rotate 90 degrees to the right.

SLOWLYDESPARATLYSLOWLYTHEREMAINSOFPASSAGED
EBRISTHATENCUMBEREDTHELOWERPARTOFTHEDOORWA
TWASREMOVEDWITHTREMBLINGHANDSIMADEATINYBRE
ACHINTHEUPPERLEFTHANDCORNERANDTHENWIDENING
THEHOLEALITTLEIINSERTEDTHECANDLEANDPEEREDI
NTHEHOTAIRESCAPINGFROMTHECHAMBERCAUSEDTHEF
LAMETOFLICKERBUTPRESENTLYDETAILSOFTHEROOMW
ITHINEMERGEDFROMTHEMISTXCANYOUSEEANYTHINGQ

I call this solution K3 THINGS, and another solution - K3 WONDERFUL - also exists.

K3 THINGS was first solved by Denny McDaniels at the NSA; David Stein at the CIA; and civilian Jim Gillogly, all independent of each other.

-Zackery Belanger
Released 30 January 2025