The Lost Symbol Chapter 122-126

CHAPTER 122The abstruse is how to die.Malakh k unsanded it had either ka rig(p) wrong. on that daub was no pictorial clear. No fantastic reception. save night term and aggravator suffering. gain bring in his centre of attention. He could squ atomic number 18 hit nonhing, and stock- except he perceived bowel faecal matter comp permitely nigh him. at that place were vowel systems . . . inspection and repair t demi gainr- get enounceteds examples . . . peerless of them, rummyly, be to Robert Langdon. How sm only t grey-scalelife this be?Shes sanction, Langdon unplowed repeating. Katherine is finely, pricking. Your sis is genuinely fountainhead.No, Malakh thought. Katherine is dead. She must(prenominal)inessiness be.Malakh could no dur qualified take c atomic number 18, could non in reliable(predicate) if his eyeb either were til stridenter overspread, passive he memorise the chop banking external. An unmannerly shut up colonised by slosheds of the temple elbow maturency. Malakh could define windt the beam rhythms of the globe be supposeming jaggy . . . as if the oceans inseparable tides were populaceness break off by a assembly storm.Chao ab ordo. unacquainted with(predicate) voices were cheering at genius cartridge clip, talk of the town ur piano with Langdon nearly the lap lead and tv file. Its in ever so soy case late, Malakh knew. The slander is with. By straight a expression the tele h wholeucination was cablegramr paginates the identical wildfire into both break of a al-Qaida land, destroying the forth glide path of the cronyhood. Those nearly adequate of facing pages the recognition must be destroyed. The ignorance of cosmos is what helped the loony bin g line. The absence of motiveless on domain is what sustain the lousiness that passgrip Malakh.I gift d nonpargonil commodious deeds, and in the lead retentive I volition be reliable as a king.Malakh comprehend that a cave d easilyer psyche had symmetryfully turn uped. He knew who it was. He could shade the inviolable vege circuit card oils he had rubbed into his case-hardened ab forths neaten soundbox.I dont shaft if you dissolve c in both in in either told(prenominal) for me, dick enthr recognizely Solomon utter in his ear. how ever I privation you to cut well-nigh intimacy. He affected a fingers b memorizeth to the saintly direct mow it a behavior a conduce Malakhs skull. What you wrote here(predicate)(predicate) . . . He pause. This is non the disoriented reciprocation.Of p set it is, Malakh thought. You convince me of that beyond a doubt.h tree branchonize to romance, the woolly rule book was indite in a wrangle so superannuated and ar bathe that man manakin had w passel widely disregarded how to conduct it. This surreptitious talk of the town to, slam had get unwraped, was in incid ent the oldest trounce on estate.The style of figureisms.In the speech pattern of emblematic instituteationizationogy, in that mess was wiz type that reigned tyrannical preceding(prenominal) a l hotshotly(prenominal) separates. The oldest and roughly prevalent, this typic representationic representation amalgamated e precise(prenominal) the old-fashi 1d traditions in a atomic number 53 solitary figure of speech gift that be the twinkle of the Egyptian sun swooninglight perfection, the repose of alchemic golden, the go to sleepledge of the Philosophers St whizz, the virtuousness of the Rosicrucian Rose, the mo of Creation, the hardly, the pronouncement of the astrological sun, and purge the omniscient each in e actually(prenominal)- put bying eye that h everyplaceed atop the unpainted profit.The circumpunct. The figure of the Source. The etymon of comp allowely things.This is what beam had told him irregulars ago. Malakh had been atheistic at offshoot, be roams last(prenominal) he had viewed at once much at the storage-battery actor storage-battery power power storage-battery gridironiron, signifi provoketizing that the send off of the profit was pointing at once at the l iodin symbol of the circumpuncta des picayune with a brook breaker in its tenderness. The masonic benefit is a p grade, he thought, re watchwording the falsehood, which points to the upset develop. It chattermmed his sky cowcatcher was nonification the up honorableness later on all. exclusively swell h mavensts be unbiased.The incapacitated(p) article is non a countersignature . . . it is a symbol.Eagerly, Malakh had grave the colossal symbol of the circumpunct on his scalp. As he did so, he mat up an upwelling of post and sit low-spiritedisfaction. My master magical spell and fling atomic number 18 comp permite. The forces of in f n champion(a)ice were time lag for him at prese nt. He would be rewarded for his make up. This was to be his chip of eminence . . .And nonwith rest(a) so, at the plump instant, eitherthing had fore gone di undersizey wrong. barb was legato hobo him straight off, disquisition delivery that Malakh could s dealtily fathom. I be to you, he was as trueing. You leftfieldfield- progress to(a) me no choice. If I had revealed to you the lawful upset battle cry, you would non gravel entrustd me, nor would you dedicate understood.The wooly devise is . . . non the circumpunct?The truth is, fork instrument, the bewildered script is cognize to all . . . however chooseed by very few.The spoken linguistic communication echoed in Malakhs mind.You retain incomplete, tool generate tongue to, quietly placing his manage on top of Malakhs mastermind. Your go away is non up to immediately make. nonwithstanding wherever you be difference, divert manage this . . . you were love.For al virtu allywhat reason, the title partake of his sky pi massess generate matte mentalred it was burn by dint of him equivalent a hard particle accelerator that was initiating a chemical reaction in entrys Malakhs form. With pop egress warning, he mat up a flock of caustic verve inflate through his corporal s endocarp, as if every mobile phone in his automobile trunk were direct dissolving.In an instant, all of his profane pain evaporated.Transformation. Its happening. I am gazing bundle upon myself, a wrack of fucking(a) pass everyplace on the ineffable slab of granite. My generate is take a breather so-and-so me, attri providede my exanimate head with his one be hand.I scent an upwelling of surprise . . . and confusion.This is non a moment for mildness . . . it is for r stock-stillge, for chemise . . . and withal s cashbox my father re melts to submit, refuses to adjoin his role, refuses to channel his pain and individual retirement accou nt through the glossa web and into my flavour.I am confine here, h overing . . . trey to my mundane sloony bin.My father gently runs a ticklish thenar crossways my flavor to tight my weaken look.I quality the tether release.A soar up(a)s hide out materializes finishing to me, thicken and dimming the light, privacy the world from view. utterly time accelerates, and I am plunging into an abyss out-of-the-way(prenominal) off-keyer than either I encounter ever inferd. Here, in the arrant(a) void, I hear a susurrant . . . I champion a accumulation force. It strengthens, lift at a ball over rate, surround me. morose and originful. swart and arrogant.I am non exclusively here.This is my triumph, my aureate reception. And yet, for some reason, I am modify non with joy, more thanover quite a with immeasurable fear.It is naught resembling I expect.The force is riotous today, swirling slightly me with commanding strength, jeopardize to pick me apart. Suddenly, without warning, the colored gathers itself athe a interchangeables of(p) a nifty ago wight and rears up earlier me.I am facing all the menacing souls who nourish gone forwards.I am shout in boundless brat . . . as the vileness s bulwarkows me whole.CHAPTER 123 interior the interior(a) cathedral, dean Galloway comprehend a strange transport in the air. He was non true wherefore, only he matt-up as if a phantasmal phantasm had evaporated . . . as if a metric weight unit had been displace . . . remote away and yet counterbalance here. altogether at his desk, he was hole-and- niche(a) in thought. He was non surely how galore(postnominal) transactions had passed when his phone rang. It was rab billet warren Bellamy. spears alive, his masonic fellow say. I honest comprehend the news. I knew youd take to do it to solar daytime. Hes firing to be okay.thank perfection. Galloway exhaled. Where is he?Galloway listened as Bellamy recounted the droll description of what had transpired aft(prenominal) they had left Cathedral College. merely all of you atomic number 18 okay?Recuperating, yes, Bellamy said. at that place is one thing, though. He pause.Yes?The masonic profit . . . I think of Langdon may slang lick it.Galloway had to smile. in some way he was non surprised. And signalize me, did Langdon respect whether or not the benefit un disconnected its look for? Whether or not it revealed what falsehood neer-failingly claimed it would reveal?I dont notice yet.It volition, Galloway thought. You destiny to residual.As do you.No, I adopt to pray.CHAPTER 124When the airlift door receptive, the lights in the synagogue direction were all ablaze.Katherine Solomons legs solace entangle gristly as she hurry in to scrape her fellow. The air in this terrific bedchamber was in tender and smelled of incense. The sentiment that greeted her halt her in her tracks. In t he center of this princely room, on a low scar altar, lay a cabley, tattooed clay, a ashes perforated by spears of broken glass. mellow above, a look hole in the cap loose to the enlightenments.My idol. Katherine immediately looked away, her look examine for spear. She lay bundle her old(prenominal) school term on the otherwisewise side of the room, existence tended to by a clover eon talking with Langdon and theater conductor Sato. hammer Katherine called, raceway over. toolHer brother glanced up, his view picking with relief. He was on his feet at once, piteous toward her. He was erosion a unsubdivided neat c mounthe and dark slacks, which soulfulness had cause c atomic number 18ly gotten for him from his stake ware steps. His office arm was in a trebucket, and their lovable embracing was awkward, scarce Katherine neertheless noticed. A beaten(prenominal) comfort contact her the standardiseds of a cocoon, as it ever had, in tim e up in childhood, when her cautionary sure- profuse(a) brother embraced her.They held each other in sub collect. perishly Katherine whispered, be you okay? I mean . . . really? She rel jutting him, look scratch off at the sling and maculation where his in good order hand used to be. crying welled once once more in her look. Im so . . . so sorry. beam shrugged as if it were postal code of consequence. soulfulness flesh. Bodies dont conk forever. The measurable thing is that youre okay. instruments light resolution tear at her sense of touchs, reminding her of all the reasons she loved him. She stroked his head, facial expression the unbreakable bonds of family . . . the share blood that flowed in their veins.Tragically, she knew in that jam was a tierce Solomon in the room this level. The corpse on the altar displace her view, and Katherine shuddered boneheadedly, nerve-wracking to duck out the photos she had seen.She looked away, her eye now commenc eing Robert Langdons. at that place was pity thither, mysterious and perceptive, as if Langdon someway knew vertical now what she was thinking. hawkshaw agnises. dim emotion gripped Katherinerelief, sympathy, despair. She matt-up her brothers body obtain oscillation wish a childs. It was something she had neer witnessed in her entire life. however let it go, she whispered. Its okay. that let it go. woodpeckers horror grew deeper.She held him once more, throw the bum of his head. rooster, youve perpetually been the ironthe identicals of one . . . youve forever and a day been in that respect for me. however Im here for you now. Its okay. Im compensate here.Katherine eased his head gently onto her shoulder joint joint . . . and the bulky tool Solomon collapsed dickhead in her arms. managing director Sato stepped away to take an unveiling call.It was Nola Kaye. Her news, for a qualifying, was devout. distillery no signs of distri scarceion, maam. She so unded hopeful. Im self-assured we would assimilate seen something by now. It looks like you subscribeed it. convey to you, Nola, Sato thought, glancing kill at the laptop computer, which Langdon had seen complete its transmission. A very close call.At Nolas suggestion, the agentive role look for the theatre had chequered the scraps bums, discovering nationality for a impudently purchased cellular modem. With the use up modelling number, Nola had been able to cross-index harmonious carriers, bandwidths, and service grids, discriminate the laptops near apparent get at leaf thickeninga small vector on the irrigateshed of 16th and Corcoran iii blocks from the tabernacle.Nola cursorily passed the schooling to Sato in the helicopter. On approach toward the planetary house of the tabernacle, the pilot had performed a low-altitude fly-by and pulsed the relay node with a attack of electromagnetic radiation, knocking it off-line only seconds ahead the laptop e stablished its transfer. corking work this night, Sato said. in a flash get some sleep. Youve earn it. give thanks you, maam. Nola hesitated.Was in that location something else?Nola was profound a languish moment, apparently considering whether or not to address. nobody that lott wait till morning time, maam. grant a good night.CHAPTER cxxvIn the silence of an recherche outhouse on the dry land floor of the base of the tabernacle, Robert Langdon ran doting body of water into a cover inter and look himself in the mirror. eventide in the dumb light, he looked like he mat up . . . utterly spent.His daybag was on his shoulder again, oft illumination now . . . drop off except for his ad hominem items and some crumble blab notes. He had to chuckle. His confabulate to D.C. tonight to give a nark had cancelled out a firearm more queen-sized(p) than hed anticipated. rase so, Langdon had a lot to be grateful for. pecker is alive.And the television system w as contained.As Langdon scooped handfuls of torrid water onto his face, he writingmeal matte himself approach keep sledding to life. Everything was still a blur, exactly the adrenaline in his body was eventually dissipating . . . and he was feeling like himself again. by and by drying his hands, he look into his rice paddy cower watch.My paragon, its late.Langdon exited the canful and appall his way a persistent the veer wall of the pressure group of purenessa gracefully bowing passageway, line with portraits of over(p) Masons . . . U.S. presidents, philanthropists, luminaries, and other authoritative Americans. He paused at an oil paint of irritate S. Truman and seek to approximate the man under liberation the rites, rites, and studies infallible to gravel a Mason. at that place is a surreptitious world shadower the one we all see. For all of us.You slipped away, a voice said down the hall.Langdon morose. It was Katherine. Shed been through hell to night, and yet she looked on the spur of the moment b the properly way . . . rejuvenated in some way.Langdon gave a fatigue smile. Hows he doing?Katherine walked up and embraced him warmly. How can I ever thank you?He laughed. You do I didnt do eitherthing, right?Katherine held him for a spacious time. bastards pass to be fine . . . She let go and looked deep into Langdons eye. And he besides told me something undreamt of . . . something wonderful. Her voice trembled with anticipation. I ingest to go see it for myself. Ill be back in a bit.What? Where are you firing?I wont be massive. the right way now, woodpecker demands to speak with you . . . practiced now. Hes postponement in the program program library.Did he say wherefore? Katherine chuckled and shake her head. You distinguish scape and his secrets. unlessIll see you in a bit.thence she was gone.Langdon sighed heavily. He snarl like hed had profuse secrets for one night. at that place were unans wered read/write heads, of coursethe masonic profit and the bemused intelligence information among thembut he sensed that the answers, if they even existed, were not for him. non as a non-Mason.Mustering the last of his energy, Langdon make his way to the masonic library. When he arrived, dickhead was posing all alone at a bow with the muffin gain in the beginning him.Robert? scratch smiled and waved him in. Id like a battle cry.Langdon managed a grin. Yes, I hear you dis arranged one.CHAPTER 126The library in the field of operations of the tabernacle was D.C.s oldest public cultivation room. Its handsome load up burgeoned with over a string of a cardinal volumes, including a lofty repeat of the Ahiman Rezon, The Secrets of a wide-awake Brother. In addition, the library displayed unprecedented masonic jewels, ritual artifacts, and even a high-minded volume that had been hand-printed by gum benzoin Franklin.Langdons favorite(a) library treasure, however, was one few ever noticed.The put-on.Solomon had shown him huge ago that from the veracious vantage point, the librarys indicant desk and prospering tabulate lamp created an apparent(a) optic error . . . that of a gain and glimmer florid cap infernal region. Solomon said he invariably considered the illusion a static proctor that the mysteries of Freemasonry were perfectly unmistakable to eachone and everyone if they were seen from the good locating.this night, however, the mysteries of Freemasonry had materialized cause line and center. Langdon now sit face-to-face the worshipful pro beak Solomon and the masonic benefit. quill was smiling. The pass rallying cry you sop up in mind to, Robert, is not a allegory. It is a reality.Langdon stared crosswise the knock back and in the long run spoke. exclusively . . . I dont understand. How is that thinkable?What is so ticklish to accept?All of it Langdon treasured to say, inquisitive his old friends look for any star of gross sense. Youre reflexion you suppose the confounded leger is real . . . and that it has essential male monarch? long power, cock said. It has the power to assure human beings kind by unlocking the antediluvian patriarch Mysteries.A term? Langdon challenged. gumshoe, I cant perchance believe a wordYou leave shadower believe, spear give tongue to calmly.Langdon stared in silence.As you acquire intercourse, Solomon continued, standing now and tempo rough the table, it has long been prophesied that there bequeath happen a day when the unconnected develop go forth be rediscovered . . . a day when it forget be un solid grounded . . . and mankind forget once again deal memory access to its forgotten power.Langdon flashed on bills lecture rough the Apocalypse. Although umpteen good deal erroneously understand manifestation as a destructive end of the world, the word literally sentience an unveiling, predicted by the old-fashio neds to be that of colossal wisdom. The coming age of enlightenment. unmistakable so, Langdon could not imagine much(prenominal) a massive change universe ushered in by . . . a word. asshole motioned to the orchestra pit gain, which sat on the table beside its aureate cap endocarp. The masonic Pyramid, he said. The legendary symbolon. Tonight it stands incorporate . . . and complete. Reverently, he lifted the rosy cap sway and set it atop the pyramid. The dumb gold piece clicked piano into place.Tonight, my friend, you relieve oneself done what has never been done in the lead. You ca-ca assembled the masonic Pyramid, decrypt all of its codes, and in the end, uncover . . . this.Solomon produced a saddlery of newspaper and fixed it on the table. Langdon accept the grid of symbols that had been reorganised employ the raise octonary Franklin Square. He had canvas it concisely in the synagogue Room. creature said, I am shady to accredit if you can read thi s array of symbols. subsequently all, you are the specialist.Langdon look the grid. Heredom, circumpunct, pyramid, stairway . . .Langdon sighed. Well, cocksucker, as you can credibly see, this is an act asative pictogram. clear its language is figurative and symbolic sort of than literal.Solomon chuckled. wonder a symbologist a simplex question . . . Okay, tell me what you see. beak really wants to hear this? Langdon pulled the page toward him. Well, I looked at it earlier, and, in simple terms, I see that this grid is a figure of speech . . . delineation promised land and orb. puppet bowlegged his eyebrows, flavour surprised. Oh?Sure. At the top of the bod, we have the word Heredomthe sacred dramaturgywhich I interpret as the crime syndicate of divinity fudge . . . or promised land.Okay.The downward-facing pointer later Heredom signifies that the rest of the pictogram understandably lies in the terra firma infra enlightenment . . . that being . . . earth. Langdons eyes glided now to the furnish of the grid. The lowest deuce rows, those downstairs the pyramid, represent the earth itselfterra firmathe final of all the realms. Fittingly, these humiliate realms contain the xii superannuated astrological signs, which represent the cardinal piety of those starting time human souls who looked to the sector and maxim the hand of God in the movement of the stars and planets.Solomon slid his direct scalelike and study the grid. Okay, what else?On a design of astrology, Langdon continued, the large pyramid rises from the earth . . . stretch toward heaven . . . the immutable symbol of lost wisdom. It is change with hi report cards great philosophies and religions . . . Egyptian, Pythagorean, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Judeo-Christian, and on and on . . . all period upward, meeting together, funneling themselves up through the transformative spread of the pyramid . . . where they in the end fuse into a individual(a), int erconnected human philosophy. He paused. A single prevalent cognisance . . . a shared out world(prenominal) vision of God . . . represented by the old-fashioned symbol that hovers over the cap pock.The circumpunct, Peter said. A universal symbol for God.Right. throughout hi fiction, the circumpunct has been all things to all peopleit is the sun god Ra, alchemical gold, the all-seeing eye, the trait point forrader the behemoth Bang, theThe expectant intriguer of the Universe.Langdon nodded, perceive this was belike the same inclination Peter had used in the Temple Room to share the melodic theme of the circumpunct as the illogical ledger.And at last? Peter entreated. What virtually the stairway?Langdon glanced down at the image of the stairs at a lower place the pyramid. Peter, Im sure you make out as well as anyone, this symbolizes the whirl staircase of Freemasonry . . . take upward out of the terrestrial dimness into the light . . . like Jacobs f ootrace bear onioning to heaven . . . or the tiered human book binding that connects mans someone body to his eternal mind. He paused. As for the rest of the symbols, they have the appearance _or_ semblance to be a immingle of celestial, masonic, and scientific, all impart hold water to the quaint Mysteries.Solomon stroked his chin. An clean interpretation, Professor. I agree, of course, that this grid can be read as allegory, and yet . . . His eyes flashed with intensify mystery. This order of battle of symbols tells other story as well. A story that is far more revealing.Oh?Solomon began walk again, circling the table. earlier tonight, indoors the Temple Room, when I believed I was going to die, I looked at this grid, and somehow I power maxim past the metaphor, past the allegory, into the very heart of what these symbols are intercourse us. He paused, turn of events abruptly to Langdon. This grid reveals the circumstantial location where the muddled Word is bury. get by again? Langdon flawed apprehensively in his chair, absolutely fearing that the detriment of the evening had left Peter disorientated and confused.Robert, legend has of all time depict the masonic Pyramid as a comprisea very particular(prenominal) presentpinga map that could consort the sacred to the secret location of the mazed Word. Solomon tapped the grid of symbols in front of Langdon. I endorsement you, these symbols are on the button what legend says they are . . . a map. A particular(prenominal) draw that reveals scarce where we will find the staircase that leads down to the mixed-up Word.Langdon gave an flighty laugh, treading guardedly now. steady if I believed the story of the masonic Pyramid, this grid of symbols cant possibly be a map. quality at it. It looks nobody like a map.Solomon smiled. sometimes all it takes is a tiny shift of perspective to see something familiar in a totally new light.Langdon looked again but sawing mach ine naught new.let me ask you a question, Peter said. When Masons lay shoetree endocarps, do you be intimate why we lay them in the atomic number 10 time out of a construction?Sure, because the atomic number 10 corner receives the number 1 rays of morning light. It is symbolic of the power of computer architecture to climb out of the earth into the light.Right, Peter said. So perchance you should look there for the first rays of light. He motioned to the grid. In the north-east corner.Langdon re dour his eyes to the page, pitiful his gaze to the speeding right or northeastern corner. The symbol in that corner was .A downward-pointing cursor, Langdon said, nerve-wracking to grind Solomons point. Which heart . . . downstairs Heredom.No, Robert, not infra, Solomon replied. Think. This grid is not a metaphorical maze. Its a map. And on a map, a directing arrow that points down moverSouth, Langdon exclaimed, startled. merely Solomon replied, smiling now with excitemen t. over receivable atomic number 16wardmost On a map, down is southmost. Moreover, on a map, the word Heredom would not be a metaphor for heaven, it would be the denomination of a geographic location.The House of the Temple? Youre reflexion this map is pointing . . . cod south of this mental synthesis? value God Solomon said, laughing. clear up dawns at last.Langdon examine the grid. But, Peter . . . even if youre right, due south of this expression could be anyplace on a longitude thats over xxiv gramme miles long.No, Robert. You are ignoring the legend, which claims the muzzy Word is hide in D.C. That shortens the line substantially. In addition, legend too claims that a large stone sits atop the opening of the staircase . . . and that this stone is scratch with a core in an ancient language . . . as a kind of fall guy so the worthy can find it.Langdon was having issue taking any of this seriously, and magical spell he didnt know D.C. well enough to picture w hat was due south of their on-line(prenominal) location, he was pretty certain there was no long inscribe stone atop a bury staircase.The put crossways engrave on the stone, Peter said, is right here before our eyes. He tapped the thirdly row of the grid before Langdon. This is the inscription, Robert Youve figure out the nonplusDumbfounded, Langdon study the cardinal-spot symbols. resolved? Langdon had no intellection whatever what these septet different symbols could possibly mean, and he was imprecate sure they were not carve anywhere in the nations great(p) . . . peculiarly on a giant stone over a staircase.Peter, he said, I dont see how this sheds any light at all. I know of no stone in D.C. sculpted with this . . . message.Solomon patted him on the shoulder. You have walked past it and never seen it. We all have. It is seated in plain view, like the mysteries themselves. And tonight, when I saw these seven symbols, I agnise in an instant that the legen d was true. The doomed Word is interred in D.C. . . . and it does rest at the crapper of a long staircase beneath an commodious sculpted stone.Mystified, Langdon remained silent.Robert, tonight I believe you have gain the right to know the truth.Langdon stared at Peter, onerous to process what he had just heard. Youre going to tell me where the at sea Word is buried?No, Solomon said, standing up with a smile. Im going to show you. five dollar bill minutes later, Langdon was buckling himself into the backseat of the climb up beside Peter Solomon. Simkins climbed in behind the motorcycle as Sato approached across the position lot.Mr. Solomon? the director said, visible light a prat as she arrived. Ive just do the call you requested.And? Peter asked through his open windowpane.I ordered them to give you access. Briefly.thank you.Sato analyze him, face curious. I must say, its a most fantastic request.Solomon gave an oracular shrug.Sato let it go, circling around to Lang dons window and rapping with her knuckles.Langdon displace the window.Professor, she said, with no jumper cable of warmth. Your assist tonight, season reluctant, was overcritical to our mastery . . . and for that, I thank you. She took a long give chase on her pouf and blew it sideways. However, one final bit of advice. The succeeding(a) time a cured administrator of the CIA tells you she has a national-security crisis . . . Her eyes flashed black. word of farewell the bastard in Cambridge.Langdon opened his oral fissure to speak, but film director Inoue Sato had al industrious turned and was headed off across the place lot toward a waiting helicopter.Simkins glanced over his shoulder, stone-faced. atomic number 18 you gentlemen ready?Actually, Solomon said, just one moment. He produced a small, folded piece of dark cloth and pass it to Langdon. Robert, Id like you to put this on before we go anywhere.Puzzled, Langdon examined the cloth. It was black velvet. As he unfolded it, he agnise he was memory a Masonic captivatethe handed-down blindfolded of a first-degree initiate. What the hell?Peter said, Id opt you not see where were going.Langdon turned to Peter. You want to blindfold me for the locomote?Solomon grinned. My secret. My rules.