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Yes, I think you've got a point about the 'agent' and the 'object', I still don't really understand that.

Dare I say that I think Chalicea has miscounted and meant to include the word that splits between the tops of both ends, and is an agent of sending a message. Otherwise it is too much of a coincidence that it is there!

I've got i and II now, and most of the rest (some weird words) and have read the message. But I've still no idea what is going on. Does the message really include "laid by"?

I am being incredibly thick, but despite seeing the two places and despite helpful hints, I cannot see anything else. The only message I can find is about a Prussian war which I don’t think is relevant?
Some pointers in the right direction would save me from a sleepless night!!!

Well done Marca in seeing two places! I can't see anything, or where to look. 39 cells to shade in but how to choose from 169?

david w, it does include "laid by".

marca, have you got I and II? The answers to those were used to "lay" something between places in the left and right columns.

tomsdad says "the word that splits between the tops of both ends". That means absolutely nothing to me even though I've completed the puzzle!

TomsdAd, yes I have the two places but then I’ve ground to a halt.

Start with the last letter of 9d, go down to the "sea bed", come up again to end at the second letter of 22a, drawing a big U shape in the process.

First of all apologies for getting your name wrong Orson. That was incredibly helpful, but, the agent and the object????

Orson, in my grid the 3 letter word at 21a and the first two letters at 22a are at either end of the thing that was laid and form the name of the 'dotty' code that was used to send messages. This is the nearest I can get to finding an 'agent' in the grid.