Please don’t ask me why I was searching Google Books for references to ninja between 1795 and 1820. Just accept that I was and that I was expecting there to be close to zero results.

But below, is the first of two pages of results.

The examiner: Volume 9 – Page 127

Leigh Hunt – 1819 – Free Google eBook – Read … or ngninst whose return, a Petition is depending, or of a Member who is sixty years of age, (suppose he wishes to be excused), such name, is set aside, and another is drawn to supply his place until forty-ninja be selected. … books.google.com – More editions – Add to My Library▼ – In My Library: Change▼

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Holy moly! Forty NINJAS? That’s no lone ninja a long way from home. That’s an invasion! DURING THE REGENCY! How could we not know about this?

(Because they are ninjas, that’s why.)

So, of course I clicked. Who wouldn’t? I mean ninjas in England in 1819 and they’re all acting like, hey, let’s keep picking until we have an attack force of FORTY of these motherf*ckers. Napoleon would be toast if, uh, he weren’t already.

Alas, the reality was disappointing to say the least.

But if among these names is that of a Member who given a vote in the election complained of or who is a Petitioner or ngninst whose return a Petition depending or of a Member who is sixty years of suppose he wishes to be excused such name is set and another is drawn to supply his place until forty be selected When the forty nine are complete the or his Agent names a Member and the

All the rest were foreign language results. Those Romans, Germans and Italian-post-Latin speakers! Always the fake ninjas.

Kind of disappointing. So. Help me out here.

Your Task

You command the Ninja attack force in London, 1815. What do you do with them? Or, alternatively, provide a snippet of Regency Ninja Lore.

Like, A Regency Ninja is thought to have infiltrated Almack’s, assassinated six debutantes and eleven Regency Bucks in pink waiscoats and vanished after spiking the orgeat with sake.

Or something.

Comment away.