The Da Vinci Code Chapter 102-104

CHAPTER 102The mist had settled low on Kensington Gardens as Silas limped into a quiet hollow egress of sight. Kneeling on the wet grass, he could sapidity a warm stream of blood flowing from the bullet wound below his ribs. Still, he st ared straight ahead.The fog made it look same heaven here.Raising his bloody hands to pray, he watched the raindrops caress his fingers, turning them white again. As the droplets fell harder across his lynchpin and shoulders, he could feel his remains disappearing bit by bit into the mist.I am a ghost.A breeze rustled past him, carrying the damp, earthy scent of new life. With every spiritedness cell in his broken body, Silas prayed. He prayed for forgiveness. He prayed for mercy. And, above either, he prayed for his mentor Bishop Aringarosa that the Lord would non take him before his time. Hehas so ofttimes treat left to do.The fog was swirling around him now, and Silas tangle so leisurely that he was sure the wisps would carry him away . Closing his look, he give tongue to a last-place prayer.From somewhere in the mist, the voice of Manuel Aringarosa whispered to him.Our Lord is a good and merciful God.Silass pain at last began to fade, and he knew the bishop was right.CHAPTER 103It was late afternoon when the London sunniness broke through and the city began to dry. Bezu Fache felt weary as he emerged from the interrogation room and hailed a cab. Sir Leigh Teabing had vociferously proclaimed his innocence, and only from his incoherent rantings nigh the holy Grail, secret documents, and mysterious br otherhoods, Fache suspected the wily historian was setting the stage for his lawyers to p point an insanity defense.Sure, Fache thought. Insane.Teabing had displayed ingenious precision in formulating a broadcast that protected his innocence at every turn. He had exploited both the Vatican and Opus Dei, two groups that turned kayoed to be completely innocent. His dirty dally had been carried out unknowingly b y a fanatical monk and a desperate bishop. More clever still, Teabing had situated his electronic listening post in the genius place a public with polio could non possibly reach. The actual surveillance had been carried out by his humankindservant, Remy the lone person privy to Teabings honest identity now conveniently dead of an allergic reaction.Hardly the handiwork of someone lacking mental faculties, Fache thought.The information coming from Collet out of Chateau Villette suggested that Teabings sly ran so deep that Fache himself might even learn from it. To successfully hide bugs in some of Pariss most mighty offices, the British historian had turned to the Greeks. trojan horse horses.Some of Teabings intended tar grasps received lavish gifts of artwork, others unwittingly bid at auctions in which Teabing had placed specific lots. In Saunieres case, the curator had received a dinner invitation to Chateau Villette to treat the possibility of Teabings funding a new Da V inci Wing at the Louvre. Saunieres invitation had contained an innocuous postscript expressing fascination with a robotic k darkness that Sauniere was ru more thand to have built. Bring him to dinner, Teabing had suggested. Sauniere evidently had done just that and left the knight unattended longsighted enough for Remy Legaludec to make one inconspicuous addition.Now, sitting in the back of the cab, Fache c recurd his eyes. one more thing to attend to before Ireturn to Paris.The St. Marys Hospital recovery room was sunny.Youve impressed us all, the nurse said, smiling pour vanquish at him. Nothing piteous of miraculous. Bishop Aringarosa gave a weak smile. I have always been blessed. The nurse finished puttering, leaving the bishop alone. The sunlight felt welcome and warm on his breast. Last night had been the darkest night of his life.Despondently, he thought of Silas, whose body had been found in the park.Please forgive me, my son.Aringarosa had longed for Silas to be par t of his glorious plan. Last night, however, Aringarosa had received a rally from Bezu Fache, questioning the bishop about his apparent connection to a nun who had been murdered in Saint-Sulpice. Aringarosa realized the evening had taken a horrifying turn. News of the foursome additional murders transformed his horror to anguish. Silas, what have you done Unable to reach the Teacher, the bishop knew he had been cut loose. Used.The only way to stop the horrific chain of events he had helped put in motion was to confess everything to Fache, and from that moment on, Aringarosa and Fache had been racing to catch up with Silas before the Teacher persuaded him to kill again.Feeling bone weary, Aringarosa closed his eyes and listened to the television coverage of the arrest of a prominent British knight, Sir Leigh Teabing. The Teacher laid bare for all to see.Teabing had caught wind of the Vaticans plans to disassociate itself from Opus Dei. He had elect Aringarosa as the perfect pawn in his plan. After all, who more likely to leap blindly after the Holy Grail thana man like myself with everything to lose? The Grail would have brought enormous power to anyone who possessed it.Leigh Teabing had protected his identity shrewdly feigning a French accent and a pious heart, and demanding as payment the one thing he did not need money. Aringarosa had been farther too eager to be suspicious. The price tag of twenty million euro was negligible when compared with the prize of obtaining the Grail, and with the Vaticans separation payment to Opus Dei, the finances had worked nicely. The blind see what they want to see.Teabings ultimate insult, of course, had been to demand payment in Vatican bonds, such that if anything went wrong, the investigation would lead to Rome.I am glad to see youre well, My Lord.Aringarosa recognized the gruff voice in the doorway, just the face was unexpected stern, powerful features, slicked-back hair, and a broad pick out that strained again st his dark suit. Captain Fache? Aringarosa asked. The compassion and concern the captain had shown for Aringarosas plight last night had conjured images of a far gentler physique.The captain approached the bed and hoisted a familiar, atrocious black briefcase onto a chair. I believe this belongs to you.Aringarosa looked at the briefcase filled with bonds and immediately looked away, feeling only shame. Yes thank you. He paused succession working his fingers across the telephone circuit of his bed sheet, then continued. Captain, I have been giving this deep thought, and I need to ask a favor of you.Of course.The families of those in Paris who Silas He paused, swallowing the emotion. I realize no sum could possibly serve as sufficient restitution, and yet, if you could be kind enough to divide the contents of this briefcase among them the families of the deceased.Faches dark eyes analyse him a long moment. A virtuous gesture, My Lord. I will see to it your wishes are carried out. A heavy silence fell between them.On the television, a lean French police officer was giving a press conference in front of a sprawling mansion. Fache saw who it was and turned his vigilance to the screen.Lieutenant Collet, a BBC reporter said, her voice accusing. Last night, your captain publicly charged two innocent people with murder. Will Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu be seeking responsibility from your department? Will this cost Captain Fache his job?Lieutenant Collets smile was tired but calm. It is my experience that Captain Bezu Fache seldom makes mistakes. I have not yet spoken to him on this matter, but knowing how he operates, I suspect his public manhunt for Agent Neveu and Mr. Langdon was part of a ruse to lure out the real killer.The reporters exchanged surprised looks.Collet continued. Whether or not Mr. Langdon and Agent Neveu were willing participants in the sting, I do not know. Captain Fache tends to keep his more creative methods to himself. All I can confirm at this point is that the captain has successfully arrested the man responsible, and that Mr. Langdon and Agent Neveu are both innocent and safe.Fache had a faint smile on his lips as he turned back to Aringarosa. A good man, that Collet.Several moments passed. Finally, Fache ran his hand over his forehead, slicking back his hair as he gazed down at Aringarosa. My Lord, before I return to Paris, there is one final matter Id like to discuss your impromptu flight to London. You bribed a pilot to change course. In doing so, you broke a number of international laws. Aringarosa slumped. I was desperate. Yes. As was the pilot when my men interrogated him. Fache reached in his pocket and produced a purpleness amethyst ring with a familiar hand-tooled mitre-crozier applique.Aringarosa felt tears welling as he accepted the ring and slipped it back on his finger. Youve been so kind. He held out his hand and clasped Faches. Thank you.Fache waved off the gesture, walking to the window and gaz ing out at the city, his thoughts obviously far away. When he turned, there was an uncertainty about him. My Lord, where do you go from here?Aringarosa had been asked the exact same question as he left Castel Gandolfo the night before. I suspect my path is as uncertain as yours.Yes. Fache paused. I suspect I will be retiring early.Aringarosa smiled. A little faith can do wonders, Captain. A little faith.CHAPTER 104Rosslyn Chapel often called the duomo of Codes stands seven miles south of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the site of an ancient Mithraic temple. Built by the Knights Templar in 1446, the chapel is engraved with a mind-boggling array of symbols from the Jewish, Christian, Egyptian, Masonic, and non-Jew traditions.The chapels geographic coordinates fall precisely on the north-south meridian that runs through Glastonbury. This longitudinal Rose Line is the traditional marker of King Arthurs Isle of Avalon and is considered the central editorial of Britains sacred geometry. I t is from this hallowed Rose Line that Rosslyn originally spelled Roslin takes its name.Rosslyns rugged spires were casting long evening shadows as Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu pulled their rental car into the grassy parking line of business at the foot of the bluff on which the chapel stood. Their short flight from London to Edinburgh had been restful, although neither of them had slept for the anticipation of what lay ahead. Gazing up at the stark construction framed against a cloud-swept sky, Langdon felt like Alice falling headlong into the rabbit hole. This must be a dream.And yet he knew the text of Saunieres final capacity could not have been more specific.The Holy Grail neath ancient Roslin grasps.Langdon had fantasized that Saunieres Grail routine would be a diagram a drawing with an X- marks-the-spot and yet the Priorys final secret had been unveiled in the same way Sauniere had spoken to them from the beginning. Simple poesy.Four explicit lines that pointed wit hout a uncertainty to this very spot. In addition to identifying Rosslyn by name, the verse made role to several of the chapels renowned architectural features.Despite the clarity of Saunieres final revelation, Langdon had been left feeling more off balance than enlightened. To him, Rosslyn Chapel seemed far too obvious a location. For centuries, this stone chapel had echoed with whispers of the Holy Grails presence. The whispers had turned to shouts in recent decades when ground-penetrating radar revealed the presence of an astonishing structure beneath the chapel a massive subterranean chamber. Not only did this deep vault dwarf the chapel atop it, but it appeared to have no entrance or exit. Archaeologists petitioned to begin blasting through the bedrock to reach the mysterious chamber, but the Rosslyn assumption expressly forbade any excavation of the sacred site. Of course, this only fueled the fires of speculation. What was the Rosslyn Trust trying to hide?Rosslyn had now become a pilgrimage site for mystery seekers. Some claimed they were drawn here by the powerful magnetic field of battle that emanated inexplicably from these coordinates, some claimed they came to search the hillside for a hidden entrance to the vault, but most admitted they had come simply to wander the grounds and absorb the lore of the Holy Grail.Although Langdon had neer been to Rosslyn before now, he always chuckled when he heard the chapel described as the current nursing home of the Holy Grail. Admittedly, Rosslyn once might have been home to the Grail, long ago but certainly no longer. Far too much attention had been drawn to Rosslyn in past decades, and sooner or posterior someone would find a way to break into the vault.True Grail academics agreed that Rosslyn was a decoy one of the devious dead ends the Priory crafted so convincingly. Tonight, however, with the Priorys anchor offering a verse that pointed directly to this spot, Langdon no longer felt so smug. A per plexing question had been running through his mind all dayWhy would Sauniere go to such effort to guide us to so obvious a location? there seemed only one transparent answer.There is something about Rosslyn we have yet to understand.Robert? Sophie was standing outside the car, looking back at him. Are you corning? She was holding the rosewood box, which Captain Fache had returned to them. Inside, both cryptexes had been reassembled and nested as they had been found. The papyrus verse was locked safely at its core minus the shattered vial of vinegar.Making their way up the long gravel path, Langdon and Sophie passed the renowned air jacket wall of the chapel. Casual visitors assumed this oddly protruding wall was a section of the chapel that had not been finished. The truth, Langdon recalled, was far more intriguing.The west wall of Solomons Temple.The Knights Templar had intentional Rosslyn Chapel as an exact architectural blueprint of Solomons Temple in Jerusalem complete wit h a west wall, a narrow rectangular sanctuary, and a subterranean vault like the Holy of Holies, in which the original nine knights had first unearthed their priceless treasure. Langdon had to admit, there existed an intriguing symmetry in the idea of the Templars twist a modern Grail repository that echoed the Grails original hiding place. Rosslyn Chapels entrance was more modest than Langdon expected. The small wooden door had two iron hinges and a simple, oak sign.ROSLINThis ancient spelling, Langdon explained to Sophie, derived from the Rose Line meridian on which the chapel sat or, as Grail academics preferred to believe, from the Line of Rose the ancestral rail line of Mary Magdalene.The chapel would be closing soon, and as Langdon pulled reach the door, a warm puff of air escaped, as if the ancient edifice were heaving a weary sigh at the end of a long day. Her entry arches burgeoned with carved cinquefoils.Roses. The womb of the goddess.Entering with Sophie, Langdon felt his eyes reaching across the famous sanctuary and taking it all in. Although he had read accounts of Rosslyns arrestingly intricate stonework, seeing it in person was an overwhelming encounter.Symbology heaven, one of Langdons colleagues had called it.Every surface in the chapel had been carved with symbols Christian cruciforms, Jewish stars, Masonic seals, Templar crosses, cornucopias, pyramids, astrological signs, plants, vegetables, pentacles, and roses. The Knights Templar had been sea captain stonemasons, erecting Templar churches all over Europe, but Rosslyn was considered their most sublime labor of love and veneration. The master masons had left no stone uncarved. Rosslyn Chapel was a shrine to all faiths to all traditions and, above all, to nature and the goddess.The sanctuary was empty except for a handful of visitors listening to a young man giving the days last tour. He was leading them in a single-file line along a well-known route on the floor an invisible pathway linking six key architectural points within the sanctuary. Generations of visitors had walked these straight lines, connecting the points, and their countless footsteps had engravedan enormous symbol on the floor.The Star of David, Langdon thought. No coincidence there.Also known as Solomons Seal, this hexagram had once been the secret symbol of the stargazing priests and was later adopted by the Israelite kings David and Solomon.The docent had seen Langdon and Sophie enter, and although it was closing time, offered a pleasant smile and motioned for them to feel free to look around.Langdon nodded his thanks and began to move deeper into the sanctuary. Sophie, however, stood riveted in the entryway, a puzzled look on her face.What is it? Langdon asked.Sophie stared out at the chapel. I think Ive been here.Langdon was surprised. But you said you hadnt even heard of Rosslyn.I hadnt She scanned the sanctuary, looking uncertain. My grandfather must have brought me here when I was very young. I dont know. It feels familiar. As her eyes scanned the room, she began nodding with more certainty. Yes. She pointed to the front of the sanctuary. Those two pillars Ive seen them.Langdon looked at the pair of intricately sculpted columns at the far end of the sanctuary. Their white lacework carvings seemed to smolder with a ruddy glow as the last of the days sunlight streamed in through the west window. The pillars positioned where the altar would normally stand were an oddly matched pair. The pillar on the left was carved with simple, vertical lines, while the pillar on the right was embellished with an ornate, flowering spiral.Sophie was already moving toward them. Langdon hurried after her, and as they reached the pillars, Sophie was nodding with incredulity. Yes, Im positive I have seen theseI dont doubt youve seen them, Langdon said, but it wasnt necessarily here.She turned. What do you mean?These two pillars are the most duplicated architectural structures in histor y. Replicas exist all over the world.Replicas of Rosslyn? She looked skeptical.No. Of the pillars. Do you have in mind earlier that I mentioned Rosslyn itself is a copy of Solomons Temple? Those two pillars are exact replicas of the two pillars that stood at the head of Solomons Temple. Langdon pointed to the pillar on the left. Thats called Boaz or the Masons Pillar. The other is called Jachin or the Apprentice Pillar. He paused. In fact, virtually every Masonic temple in the world has two pillars like these.Langdon had already explained to her about the Templars powerful historic ties to the modern Masonic secret societies, whose primary degrees Apprentice Freemason, Fellowcraft Freemason, and Master Mason harked back to early Templar days. Sophies grandfathers final verse made direct reference to the Master Masons who adorned Rosslyn with their carved artistic offerings. It alike noted Rosslyns central ceiling, which was covered with carvings of stars and planets.Ive never been in a Masonic temple, Sophie said, still eyeing the pillars. I am almost positive I saw these here. She turned back into the chapel, as if looking for something else to jog her memory.The rest of the visitors were now leaving, and the young docent made his way across the chapel to them with a pleasant smile. He was a handsome young man in his late twenties, with a Scottish brogue and strawberry sandy hair. Im about to close up for the day. May I help you find anything?How about the Holy Grail? Langdon wanted to say.The edict, Sophie blurted, in sudden revelation. Theres a code here The docent looked pleased by her enthusiasm. Yes there is, maam. Its on the ceiling, she said, turning to the right-hand wall. Somewhere over there.He smiled. Not your first visit to Rosslyn, I see.The code, Langdon thought. He had forgotten that little bit of lore. Among Rosslyns numerous mysteries was a vaulted archway from which hundreds of stone blocks protruded, jutting down to form a bizarre multifaceted surface. severally block was carved with a symbol, seemingly at random, creating a cipher of unfathomable proportion. Some people believed the code revealed the entrance to the vault beneath the chapel.Others believed it told the line up Grail legend. Not that it mattered cryptographers had been trying for centuries to decipher its meaning. To this day the Rosslyn Trust offered a generous reward to anyone who could unveil the secret meaning, but the code remained a mystery. Id be happy to showThe docents voice trailed off.My first code, Sophie thought, moving alone, in a trance, toward the encoded archway. Having handed the rosewood box to Langdon, she could feel herself momentarily forgetting all about the Holy Grail, the Priory of Sion, and all the mysteries of the past day. When she arrived beneath the encoded ceiling and saw the symbols above her, the memories came flooding back. She was recalling her first visit here, and strangely, the memories conjured an unex pected sadness.She was a little girl a category or so after her familys death. Her grandfather had brought her to Scotland on a short vacation. They had come to see Rosslyn Chapel before going back to Paris. It was late evening, and the chapel was closed. But they were still inside. Can we go home, Grand-pere? Sophie begged, feeling tired. Soon, dear, very soon. His voice was melancholy. I have one last thing I need to do here. How about if you wait in the car?Youre doing another big person thing? He nodded. Ill be fast. I promise. Can I do the archway code again? That was fun.I dont know. I have to step outside. You wont be frightened in here alone? Of course not she said with a huff. Its not even dark yet He smiled. Very well then. He led her over to the elaborate archway he had shown her earlier.Sophie immediately plopped down on the stone floor, lying on her back and staring up at the collage of puzzle pieces overhead. Im going to break this code before you get backIts a race t hen. He bent over, kissed her forehead, and walked to the close side door. Ill be right outside. Ill leave the door open. If you need me, just call. He exited into the velvety evening light.Sophie lay there on the floor, gazing up at the code. Her eyes felt sleepy. After a few minutes, the symbols got fuzzy. And then they disappeared.When Sophie awoke, the floor felt cold.Grand-pere?There was no answer. Standing up, she brushed herself off. The side door was still open. The evening was getting darker. She walked outside and could see her grandfather standing on the porch of a nearby stone house directly behind the church. Her grandfather was talking quietly to a person barely visible inside the screened door.Grand-pere? she called.Her grandfather turned and waved, motioning for her to wait just a moment. Then, slowly, he said some final words to the person inside and blew a kiss toward the screened door. He came to her with tearful eyes.Why are you crying, Grand-pere?He picked her up and held her close. Oh, Sophie, you and I have said good-bye to a lot of people this year. Its hard.Sophie thought of the casualty, of saying good-bye to her mother and father, her nanna and indulge brother. Were you saying goodbye to another person?To a dear friend whom I love very much, he replied, his voice heavy with emotion. And I apprehension I will not see her again for a very long time.Standing with the docent, Langdon had been scanning the chapel walls and feeling a rising solicitude that a dead end might be looming. Sophie had wandered off to look at the code and left Langdon holding the rosewood box, which contained a Grail map that now appeared to be no help at all. Although Saunieres poem clearly indicated Rosslyn, Langdon was not sure what to do now that they had arrived. The poem made reference to a blade and chalice, which Langdon saw nowhere.The Holy Grail neath ancient Roslin waits.The blade and chalice guarding oer Her gates.Again Langdon sensed there rem ained some facet of this mystery yet to reveal itself.I hate to pry, the docent said, eyeing the rosewood box in Langdons hands. But this box might I ask where you got it?Langdon gave a weary laugh. Thats an exceptionally long story.The young man hesitated, his eyes on the box again. Its the strangest thing my grandmother has a box exactly like that a jewelry box. Identical thin rosewood, same inlaid rose, even the hinges look the same.Langdon knew the young man must be mistaken. If ever a box had been one of a kind, it was thisone the box produce for the Priory keystone. The two boxes may be similar but The side door closed loudly, drawing both of their gazes. Sophie had exited without a word and was now wandering down the bluff toward a fieldstone house nearby. Langdon stared after her. Where is she going? She had been acting strangely ever since they entered the building. He turned to the docent. Do you know what that house is?He nodded, also looking puzzled that Sophie was going down there. Thats the chapel rectory. The chapel curator lives there. She also happens to be the head of the Rosslyn Trust. He paused. And my grandmother.Your grandmother heads the Rosslyn Trust?The young man nodded. I live with her in the rectory and help keep up the chapel and give tours. He shrugged. Ive lived here my whole life. My grandmother raised(a) me in that house.Concerned for Sophie, Langdon moved across the chapel toward the door to call out to her. He was only halfway there when he stopped short. Something the young man said just registered.My grandmother raised me.Langdon looked out at Sophie on the bluff, then down at the rosewood box in his hand. Impossible. Slowly, Langdon turned back to the young man. You said your grandmother has a box like this one?Almost identical. Where did she get it? My grandfather made it for her. He died when I was a baby, but my grandmother still talks about him. She says he was a genius with his hands. He made all kinds of things .Langdon glimpsed an unimaginable web of connections emerging. You said your grandmother raised you. Do you mind my asking what happened to your parents?The young man looked surprised. They died when I was young. He paused. The same day as my grandfather.Langdons heart pounded. In a car accident?The docent recoiled, a look of bewilderment in his olive-green eyes. Yes. In a car accident. My entire family died that day. I lost my grandfather, my parents, and He hesitated, glancing down at the floor. And your sister, Langdon said.Out on the bluff, the fieldstone house was exactly as Sophie remembered it. Night was falling now, and the house exuded a warm and inviting aura. The smell of bread wafted through the opened screened door, and a golden light shone in the windows. As Sophie approached, she could hear the quiet sounds of sobbing from within.Through the screened door, Sophie saw an elderly woman in the hallway. Her back was to the door, but Sophie could see she was crying. The wo man had long, luxuriant, ash gray hair that conjured an unexpected wisp of memory. Feeling herself drawn closer, Sophie stepped onto the porch stairs. The woman was clutching a framed photograph of a man and touching her fingertips to his face with loving sadness. It was a face Sophie knew well. Grand-pere.The woman had obviously heard the sad news of his death last night.A board squeaked beneath Sophies feet, and the woman turned slowly, her sad eyes conclusion Sophies. Sophie wanted to run, but she stood transfixed. The womans fervent gaze never wavered as she set down the photo and approached the screened door. An eternity seemed to pass as the two women stared at one another through the thin mesh. Then, like the slowly gathering swell of an ocean wave, the womans visage transformed from one of uncertainty to disbelief to hope and finally, to cresting joy.Throwing open the door, she came out, reaching with soft hands, cradling Sophies thunderstruck face. Oh, dear child look at youAlthough Sophie did not recognize her, she knew who this woman was. She tried to speak but found she could not even breathe.Sophie, the woman sobbed, kissing her forehead.Sophies words were a choked whisper. But Grand-pere said you wereI know. The woman placed her tender hands on Sophies shoulders and gazed at her with familiar eyes. Your grandfather and I were forced to say so many things. We did what we thought was right. Im so sorry. It was for your own safety, princess.Sophie heard her final word, and immediately thought of her grandfather, who had called her princess for so many years. The sound of his voice seemed to echo now in the ancient stones of Rosslyn, settling through the earth and reverberating in the unknown hollows below.The woman threw her coat of arms around Sophie, the tears flowing faster. Your grandfather wanted so badly to tell you everything. But things were difficult between you two. He tried so hard. Theresso much to explain. So very much to explain. Sh e kissed Sophies forehead once again, then whispered in her ear. No more secrets, princess. Its time you learn the truth about our family.Sophie and her grandmother were seated on the porch stairs in a tearful hug when the young docent dashed across the lawn, his eyes shining with hope and disbelief.Sophie?Through her tears, Sophie nodded, standing. She did not know the young mans face, but as they embraced, she could feel the power of the blood coursing through his veins the blood she now understood they shared.When Langdon walked across the lawn to join them, Sophie could not imagine that only yesterday she had felt so alone in the world. And now, somehow, in this foreign place, in the company of three people she barely knew, she felt at last that she was home.