The Da Vinci Code Chapter 60-62

CHAPTER 60Sangreal Sang Real San Greal Royal Blood sanctum sanctorum grail.It was each(prenominal) intertwined.The Blessed grail is bloody shame Magdalenethe m separate(a) of the royal line of reasoning of the Naz bene christ.Sophie mat a new wave of disorientation as she s overlyd in the bothay of the ballroom and stared at Robert Langdon. The to a greater extent pieces Langdon and Teabing laid on the table tonight, the more unpredictable this puzzle became.As you corporation see, my dear, Teabing verbalize, hobbling toward a bookshelf, Leonardo is non the leave behindd unmatched who has been trying to divide the universe of discourse the truth or so the blessed Grail. The royal bloodline of messiah Christ has been chronicled in thoroughgoing(a) detail by scores of historians. He ran a finger polish a row of s invariablyal(prenominal) dozen books. Sophie tilted her head and scanned the lean of titles THE TEMPLAR REVELATIONSecret Guardians of the True Identi ty of ChristTHE WOMAN WITH THE alabaster JAR bloody shame Magdalene and the consecrate GrailTHE GODDESS IN THE GOSPELS Re seizeing the devoted FeminineHere is perhaps the best-kn ingest tome, Teabing said, drag a worn hardcover from the stack and handing it to her. The cover readHOLY BLOOD, HOLY grail The Acclaimed International BestsellerSophie glanced up. An international bestseller? Ive neer heard of it.You were young. This caused preferably a incite back in the nineteen eighties. To my taste, the authors do some dubious leaps of trustfulness in their analysis, that their innate premise is sound, and to their credit, they in conclusion brought the idea of Christs bloodline into the mainstream.What was the church buildings reaction to the book?Outrage, of course. only that was to be expected. after all, this was a secluded the Vatican had tried to bury in the fourth century. Thats part of what the Crusades were close to. Gathering and destroying entropy. The cur se bloody shame Magdalene posed to the men of the early church was potentially ruinous. non only was she the woman to whom Jesus had assigned the task of stranding the perform, entirely she overly had physical produce that the church buildings newly proclaimed deity had spawned a venomous bloodline. The perform, in order to def remove itself a createst the Magdalenes power, perpetuated her image as a whore and buried present of Christs marriage to her, t here(predicate)by defusing whatever potential claims that Christ had a surviving bloodline and was a mortal prophet.Sophie glanced at Langdon, who nodded. Sophie, the historic evidence supporting this is substantial.I admit, Teabing said, the assertions are dire, unless you must understand the church buildings efficacious motivations to conduct such a cover-up. They could never hasten survived public k promptlyledge of a bloodline. A child of Jesus would undermine the critical notion of Christs divinity and in that lo cationfore the Christian Church, which declare itself the sole vessel finished which manity could access the divine and deduce entrance to the kingdom of heaven.The five-petal rose, Sophie said, presageing suddenly to the spine of one and only(a) of Teabings books. The same get hold of design inlaid on the rosewood box.Teabing glanced at Langdon and grinned. She has a straightforward look. He off back to Sophie. That is the Priory symbol for the Grail. Mary Magdalene. Because her differentiate was proscribe by the Church, Mary Magdalene became incomprehensiblely k straight offn by some pseudonyms the Chalice, the Holy Grail, and the Rose. He paused. The Rose has ties to the five-pointed pentacle of Venus and the guiding Compass Rose. By the way, the word rose is identical in English, French, German, and many other languages.Rose, Langdon added, is also an anagram of Eros, the Greek god of sexual love. Sophie gave him a surprised gestate as Teabing plowed on. The Rose has perpetually been the premiere symbol of egg-producing(prenominal) sexuality. In primitive goddess cults, the five petals represented the five stations of womanly life birth, menstruation, develophood, menopause, and death. And in modern ms, the flowering roses ties to womanhood are considered more visual. He glanced at Robert. Perhaps the symbologist could apologise?Robert hesitated. A implication worrywise considerable.Oh, heavens Teabing huffed. You Americans are such prudes. He looked back at Sophie.What Robert is ham-fisted with is the fact that the b damageoming flower resembles the female genitalia, the sublime blossom from which all mankind enters the world. And if youve ever seen any paintings by Georgia OKeeffe, youll acjazzledge but what I mean.The point here, Langdon said, motioning back to the bookshelf, is that all of these books substantiate the same historical claim.That Jesus was a father. Sophie was se figure uncertain.Yes, Teabing said. And that Mary Magdalene was the womb that carried His royal stock. The Priory of Sion, to this day, still worships Mary Magdalene as the Goddess, the Holy Grail, the Rose, and the Divine Mother.Sophie once again flashed on the religious rite in the basement.According to the Priory, Teabing continued, Mary Magdalene was pregnant at the clock age of the crucifixion. For the gum elastic of Christs unborn child, she had no choice but to flee the Holy Land. With the sponsor of Jesus trusted uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Magdalene secretly traveled to France, indeed go to sleepn as Gaul. There she found safe refuge in the Jewish community. It was here in France that she gave birth to a daughter. Her name was Sarah.Sophie glanced up. They actually k presently the childs name? Far more than that. Magdalenes and Sarahs lives were scrutinously chronicled by their Jewish fosterors. Remember that Magdalenes child belonged to the billet of Jewish kings D desirous and Solomon. For this reaso n, the Jews in France considered Magdalene sacred royalty and revered her as the progenitor of the royal line of kings. Countless scholars of that era chronicled Mary Magdalenes days in France, including the birth of Sarah and the subsequent family tree. Sophie was startled. There exists a family tree of Jesus Christ? Indeed. And it is purportedly one of the cornerstones of the Sangreal documents. A complete genealogy of the early posterity of Christ.But what good is a documented genealogy of Christs bloodline? Sophie asked. Its not proof. Historians could not perchance confirm its au becauseticity.Teabing chuckled. nonemore so than they can confirm the authenticity of the Bible. Meaning? Meaning that tarradiddle is always indite by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the hi accounting books books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe. As Napoleon once said, What is history, but a fable agreed upon?He smiled. By its very nature, history is always a one-sided account. Sophie had never persuasion of it that way. The Sangreal documents simply tell the other side of the Christ story. In the end, which side of the story you rely becomes a matter of faith and personal exploration, but at least the information has survived. The Sangreal documents include tens of thousands of pages of information. Eyewitness accounts of the Sangreal nourish describe it as universe carried in four enormous trunks. In those trunks are reputed to be the Purist inventorys thousands of pages of unaltered, pre- Constantine documents, written by the early followers of Jesus, revering Him as a wholly human teacher and prophet. Also rumored to be part of the treasure is the legendary Q Document a manuscript that even the Vatican admits they believe exists. on the wholeegedly, it is a book of Jesus teachings, whitethornbe written in His own hand.Writings by Christ Himself?Of course, Teabing said. why woul dnt Jesus seduce unbroken a chronicle of His ministry? closely nation did in those days. Another explosive document believed to be in the treasure is a manuscript called The Magdalene Diaries Mary Magdalenes personal account of her relationship with Christ, His crucifixion, and her time in France.Sophie was silent for a long moment. And these four chests of documents were the treasure that the Knights Templar found under Solomons Temple?Exactly. The documents that do the Knights so powerful. The documents that have been the object of uncounted Grail quests through emerge history.But you said the Holy Grail was Mary Magdalene.If people are essaying for documents, why would you call it a search for the Holy Grail?Teabing eyed her, his expression softening. Because the hiding place of the Holy Grail includes a sarcophagus.Outside, the wind howled in the trees.Teabing spoke more gently now. The quest for the Holy Grail is literally the quest to kneel sooner the bones of Mary Ma gdalene. A journey to pray at the feet of the castaway one, the lost sacred feminine.Sophie felt an unexpected wonder. The hiding place of the Holy Grail is actually a tomb?Teabings hazel eye got misty. It is. A tomb containing the luggage compartment of Mary Magdalene and the documents that tell the true story of her life. At its heart, the quest for the Holy Grail has always been a quest for the Magdalene the wronged Queen, entombed with proof of her familys rightful claim to power.Sophie waited a moment as Teabing gathered himself. So much nearly her grandad was still not making aesthesis. Members of the Priory, she finally said, all these years have answered the charge of protecting the Sangreal documents and the tomb of Mary Magdalene?Yes, but the brotherhood had some other, more important duty as thoroughly to protect the bloodline itself. Christs lineage was in perpetual danger. The early Church feared that if the lineage were permitted to grow, the secret of Jesus and Magdalene would eventually surface and challenge the fundamental Catholic doctrine that of a divine Messiah who did not consort with women or engage in sexual union. He paused. Nonetheless, Christs line grew quietly under cover in France until making a bold get in the fifth century, when it intermarried with French royal blood and created a lineage known as the Merovingian bloodline.This news surprised Sophie. Merovingian was a term intentional by every student in France. The Merovingians founded Paris.Yes. Thats one of the reasons the Grail legend is so rich in France. Many of the Vaticans Grail quests here were in fact stealth missions to erase members of the royal bloodline. choose you heard of King Dagobert?Sophie vaguely recalled the name from a grisly tommyrot in history class. Dagobert was a Merovingian king, wasnt he? Stabbed in the eye while sleeping?Exactly. Assassinated by the Vatican in collusion with Pepin dHeristal. former(a) seventh century. With Dagoberts murder, the Merovingian bloodline was almost exterminated. Fortunately, Dagoberts son, Sigisbert, secretly escaped the round off and carried on the lineage, which later include Godefroi de Bouillon founder of the Priory of Sion.The same man, Langdon said, who ordered the Knights Templar to convalesce the Sangreal documents from down the stairs Solomons Temple and thus provide the Merovingians proof of their hereditary ties to Jesus Christ.Teabing nodded, heaving a ponderous sigh. The modern Priory of Sion has a momentous duty. Theirs is a threefold charge. The brotherhood must protect the Sangreal documents. They must protect the tomb of Mary Magdalene. And, of course, they must nurture and protect the bloodline of Christ those few members of the royal Merovingian bloodline who have survived into modern times.The words hung in the huge space, and Sophie felt an odd vibration, as if her bones were reverberating with some new kind of truth. Descendants of Jesus who survived into modern times.Her grandfathers voice again was whispering in her ear. Princess, I must tell you the truth close to your family.A chill raked her flesh.Royal blood.She could not imagine.Princess Sophie.Sir Leigh? The manservants words crackled through the intercom on the wall, and Sophie jumped. If you could join me in the kitchen a moment?Teabing scowled at the inopportune intrusion. He went over to the intercom and pressed the button. Remy, as you know, I am busy with my guests. If we adopt anything else from the kitchen tonight, we get out help ourselves. Thank you and good night. A word with you before I retire, sir. If you would. Teabing grunted and pressed the button. Make it quick, Remy.It is a sept matter, sir, hardly fare for guests to endure. Teabing looked incredulous. And it cannot wait until morning? No, sir. My question wont take a minute. Teabing rolled his eyes and looked at Langdon and Sophie. Sometimes I wonder who is avail whom? He pressed the button again. Il l be right there, Remy. Can I bring you anything when I come?Only freedom from oppression, sir.Remy, you realize your steak au poivre is the only reason you still work for me. So you tell me, sir. So you tell me.CHAPTER 61Princess Sophie.Sophie felt hollow as she listened to the clicking of Teabings crutches fade bolt down the hallway. Numb, she turned and faced Langdon in the deserted ballroom. He was already shaking his head as if reading her mind.No, Sophie, he whispered, his eyes reassuring. The same thought crossed my mind when I realized your grandfather was in the Priory, and you said he wanted to tell you a secret about your family. But its im possible. Langdon paused. Sauniere is not a Merovingian name.Sophie wasnt sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Earlier, Langdon had asked an unusual passing question about Sophies mothers maiden name. Chauvel. The question now made sense. And Chauvel? she asked, anxious.Again he shook his head. Im sorry. I know that would h ave answered some questions for you. Only two direct lines of Merovingians remain. Their family names are Plantard and Saint-Clair. some(prenominal) families live in hiding, probably protected by the Priory.Sophie repeated the names silently in her mind and then shook her head. There was no one in her family named Plantard or Saint-Clair. A weary undertow was pulling at her now. She realized she was no closer than she had been at the Louvre to apprehensiveness what truth her grandfather had wanted to promulgate to her. Sophie wished her grandfather had never mentioned her family this afternoon. He had torn open old wounds that felt as painful now as ever. They are dead, Sophie.They are not coming back.She thought of her mother singing her to sleep at night, of her father giving her rides on his shoulders, and of her granny knot and younger brother smiling at her with their fervent green eyes. All that was stolen. And all she had left was her grandfather.And now he is gone too. I am alone.Sophie turned quietly back to The Last Supper and gazed at Mary Magdalenes long red hair and quiet eyes. There was something in the womans expression that echoed the loss of a loved one. Sophie could feel it too.Robert? she said softly. He stepped closer. I know Leigh said the Grail story is all around us, but tonight is the first time Ive ever heard any of this.Langdon looked as if he wanted to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but he refrained. Youve heard her story before, Sophie. Everyone has. We just dont realize it when we hear it.I dont understand.The Grail story is everywhere, but it is hidden. When the Church outlawed directing of the shunned Mary Magdalene, her story and importance had to be passed on through more discerning channels channels that supported metaphor and symbolism.Of course. The arts.Langdon motioned to The Last Supper. A perfect tense example. Some of at presents most enduring art, literature, and music secretly tell the history of Mar y Magdalene and Jesus. Langdon quickly told her about works by Da Vinci, Botticelli, Poussin, Bernini, Mozart, and superior Hugo that all whispered of the quest to restore the banished sacred feminine. Enduring legends same Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, King Arthur, and quiescence Beauty were Grail allegories. Victor Hugos crookback of Notre Dame and Mozarts Magic Flute were filled with Masonic symbolism and Grail secrets.Once you open your eyes to the Holy Grail, Langdon said, you see her everywhere. Paintings. Music. Books. Even in cartoons, theme parks, and popular exposures.Langdon held up his Mic discover Mouse watch and told her that Walt Disney had made it his quiet lifes work to pass on the Grail story to in store(predicate) generations. Throughout his entire life, Disney had been hailed as the Modern-Day Leonardo Da Vinci. both men were generations ahead of their times, uniquely gifted artists, members of secret societies, and, most notably, avid bagatellesters. Li ke Leonardo, Walt Disney loved infusing hidden messages and symbolism in his art. For the trained symbologist, observance an early Disney movie was the likes of being barraged by an avalanche of allusion and metaphor. well-nigh of Disneys hidden messages dealt with religion, pagan myth, and stories of the subjugated goddess. It was no mistake that Disney retold tales like Cinderella, quiescency Beauty, and Snow bloodless all of which dealt with the incarceration of the sacred feminine. Nor did one need a background in symbolism to understand that Snow White a princess who fell from grace after partaking of a poisoned apple was a clear allusion to the downfall of Eve in the Garden of Eden. Or that Sleeping Beautys Princess Aurora code-named Rose and hidden deep in the forest to protect her from the clutches of the evil witch was the Grail story for children.Despite its corporate image, Disney still had a savvy, playful element among its employees, and their artists still amu sed themselves by inserting hidden symbolism in Disney products. Langdon would never forget one of his students livery in a DVD of The Lion King and pausing the film to soften a freeze-frame in which the word SEX was clearly visible, spelled out by floating dust particles over Simbas head. Although Langdon suspected this was more of a cartoonists sophomoric prank than any kind of enlightened allusion to pagan human sexuality, he had learned not to underestimate Disneys grasp of symbolism. The bantam Mermaid was a spellbinding tapis of spiritual symbols so specifically goddess-related that they could not be connective.When Langdon had first seen The Little Mermaid, he had actually gasped aloud when he noticed that the painting in Ariels underwater home was none other than seventeenth-century artist Georges de la Tours The contrite Magdalene a famous homage to the banished Mary Magdalene fitting decor considering the movie turned out to be a ninety-minute collage of blatant ex emplary references to the lost sanctity of Isis, Eve, Pisces the fish goddess, and, repeatedly, Mary Magdalene. The Little Mermaids name, Ariel, possessed powerful ties to the sacred feminine and, in the Book of Isaiah, was synonymous with the Holy urban center besieged. Of course, the Little Mermaids flowing red hair was certainly no coincidence either.The clicking of Teabings crutches approached in the hallway, his pace unusually brisk. When their host entered the study, his expression was stern.Youd better explain yourself, Robert, he said coldly. You have not been honest with me.CHAPTER 62Im being framed, Leigh, Langdon said, trying to stay calm. You know me.I wouldnt kill anyone.Teabings tone did not soften. Robert, youre on television, for Christs sake. Did you know you were wanted by the authorities?Yes.Then you abused my trust. Im out(p) you would put me at risk by coming here and postulation me to ramble on about the Grail so you could veil out in my home.I didnt kill a nyone.Jacques Sauniere is dead, and the police say you did it. Teabing looked saddened. Such a contributor to the artsSir? The manservant had appeared now, standing behind Teabing in the study doorway, his armor crossed. Shall I show them out?Allow me. Teabing hobbled across the study, unlocked a set of wide glaze doors, and swung them open onto a side lawn. enchant follow your car, and leave.Sophie did not snuff it. We have information about the clef de voute.The Priory moxie.Teabing stared at her for several seconds and scoffed derisively. A desperate ploy. Robert knows how Ive sought it.Shes telling the truth, Langdon said. Thats why we came to you tonight. To talk to you about the sand.The manservant intervened now. Leave, or I shall call the authorities. Leigh, Langdon whispered, we know where it is. Teabings balance seemed to falter a bit.Remy now marched stiffly across the room. Leave at once Or I volition forcibly Remy Teabing spun, snapping at his servant. Excuse u s for a moment. The servants jaw dropped. Sir? I must protest. These people are Ill handle this. Teabing pointed to the hallway. After a moment of stunned silence, Remy skulked out like a banished dog.In the cool night breeze coming through the open doors, Teabing turned back to Sophie and Langdon, his expression still wary. This better be good. What do you know of the vertebral column?In the thick brush outside Teabings study, Silas clutched his pistol and gazed through the glass doors. Only moments ago, he had circled the house and seen Langdon and the woman talking in the large study. Before he could move in, a man on crutches entered, yelled at Langdon, threw open the doors, and demanded his guests leave. Then the woman mentioned the guts, and everything changed.Shouts turned to whispers. Moods softened. And the glass doors were quickly closed.Now, as he huddled in the shadows, Silas peered through the glass. The keystone is somewhere inner the house.Silas could feel it.Stay ing in the shadows, he inched closer to the glass, raring(predicate) to hear what was being said. He would give them five minutes. If they did not reveal where they had placed the keystone, Silas would have to enter and persuade them with force.Inside the study, Langdon could sense their hosts bewilderment. haughty Master? Teabing choked, eyeing Sophie. Jacques Sauniere? Sophie nodded, seeing the shock in his eyes. But you could not perchance know that Jacques Sauniere was my grandfather. Teabing staggered back on his crutches, shooting a glance at Langdon, who nodded. Teabing turned back to Sophie. Miss Neveu, I am speechless. If this is true, then I am truly sorry for your loss. I should admit, for my research, I have kept lists of men in Paris whom I thought might be good candi considers for involvement in the Priory. Jacques Sauniere was on that list along with many others. But Grand Master, you say? Its hard to fathom. Teabing was silent a moment and then shook his head. But it still makes no sense. Even if your grandfather were the Priory Grand Master and created the keystone himself, he would never tell you how to find it. The keystone reveals the pathway to the brotherhoods eventual(prenominal) treasure. Granddaughter or not, you are not qualified to receive such knowledge.Mr. Sauniere was dying when he passed on the information, Langdon said. He had check options.He didnt need options, Teabing argued. There exist three senechaux who also know the secret. That is the beauty of their system. One will rise to Grand Master and they will induct a new senechal and share the secret of the keystone.I bet you didnt see the entire news broadcast, Sophie said. In addition to my grandfather, three other prominent Parisians were murdered today. All in mistakable ways. All looked like they had been interrogated.Teabings jaw fell. And you speculate they were The senechaux,Langdon said. But how? A murderer could not possibly learn the identities of all four t op members of the Priory of Sion Look at me, I have been researching them for decades, and I cant even name one Priory member. It seems inconceivable that all three senechaux and the Grand Master could be discovered and killed in one day.I doubt the information was gathered in a case-by-case day, Sophie said. It sounds like a well-planned decapiter.Its a technique we use to fight nonionised crime syndicates. If DCPJ wants to move on a certain root word, they will silently listen and watch for months, identify all the main players, and then move in and take them all at the same moment. Decapitation. With no leadership, the group falls into chaos and divulges other information. Its possible someone patiently watched the Priory and then fervoured, hoping the top people would reveal the attitude of the keystone.Teabing looked unconvinced. But the brothers would never talk. They are sworn to secrecy. Even in the face of death.Exactly, Langdon said. Meaning, if they never divulged th e secret, and they were killed Teabing gasped. Then the location of the keystone would be lost forever And with it, Langdon said, the location of the Holy Grail.Teabings body seemed to sway with the weight of Langdons words. Then, as if too tired to stand some other moment, he flopped in a chair and stared out the window.Sophie walked over, her voice soft. Considering my grandfathers predicament, it seems possible that in total desperation he tried to pass the secret on to someone outside the brotherhood. someone he thought he could trust. Someone in his family.Teabing was pale. But someone capable of such an attack of discovering so much about the brotherhood He paused, radiating a new fear. It could only be one force. This kind of infiltration could only have come from the Priorys oldest enemy.Langdon glanced up. The Church.Who else? Rome has been seeking the Grail for centuries.Sophie was skeptical. You calculate the Church killed my grandfather?Teabing replied, It would not b e the first time in history the Church has killed to protect itself. The documents that accompany the Holy Grail are explosive, and the Church has wanted to destroy them for years.Langdon was having trouble buying Teabings premise that the Church would blatantly murder people to obtain these documents. Having met the new Pope and many of the cardinals, Langdon knew they were late spiritual men who would never condone assassination. Regardless of the stakes.Sophie seemed to be having similar thoughts. Isnt it possible that these Priory members were murdered by someone outside the Church? Someone who didnt understand what the Grail really is? The Cup of Christ, after all, would be quite an enticing treasure. Certainly treasure hunters have killed for less.In my experience, Teabing said, men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire. I sense a desperation in this assault on the Priory.Leigh, Langdon said, the argument is paradoxical. why would m embers of the Catholic clergy murder Priory members in an effort to find and destroy documents they believe are false testimony anyway?Teabing chuckled. The ivory towers of Harvard have made you soft, Robert. Yes, the clergy in Rome are blessed with potent faith, and because of this, their beliefs can die hard any storm, including documents that contradict everything they hold dear. But what about the rest of the world? What about those who are not blessed with absolute certainty? What about those who look at the cruelty in the world and say, where is God today? Those who look at Church scandals and ask, who are these men who claim to speak the truth about Christ and yet lie to cover up the sexual abuse of children by their own priests? Teabing paused. What happens to those people, Robert, if persuasive scientific evidence comes out that the Churchs version of the Christ story is inaccurate, and that the greatest story ever told is, in fact, the greatest story ever soldLangdon did not respond.Ill tell you what happens if the documents get out, Teabing said. The Vatican faces a crisis of faith unprecedented in its two-millennia history.After a long silence, Sophie said, But if it is the Church who is responsible for this attack, why would they act now? After all these years? The Priory keeps the Sangreal documents hidden. They pose no immediate affright to the Church.Teabing heaved an ominous sigh and glanced at Langdon. Robert, I assume you are old(prenominal) with the Priorys final charge?Langdon felt his breath catch at the thought. I am.Miss Neveu, Teabing said, the Church and the Priory have had a tacit understanding for years. That is, the Church does not attack the Priory, and the Priory keeps the Sangreal documents hidden. He paused. However, part of the Priory history has always included a plan to unveil the secret. With the arrival of a specific date in history, the brotherhood plans to break the silence and carry out its ultimate triumph by unveil ing the Sangreal documents to the world and shouting the true story of Jesus Christ from the mountaintops.Sophie stared at Teabing in silence. Finally, she too sat down. And you think that date is approaching? And the Church knows it?A speculation, Teabing said, but it would certainly provide the Church motivation for an all-out attack to find the documents before it was too late.Langdon had the uneasy feeling that Teabing was making good sense. Do you think the Church would actually be capable of uncovering hard evidence of the Priorys date?Why not if were assuming the Church was able to uncover the identities of the Priory members, then certainly they could have learned of their plans. And even if they dont have the precise date, their superstitions may be getting the best of them. Superstitions? Sophie asked. In terms of prediction, Teabing said, we are shortly in an epoch of enormous change. The millennium has recently passed, and with it has ended the two-thousand-year-long astrological Age of Pisces the fish, which is also the sign of Jesus. As any astrological symbologist will tell you, the Piscean ideal believes that man must be told what to do by higher powers because man is incapable of thinking for himself. Hence it has been a time of fervent religion. Now, however, we are entering the Age of Aquarius the water bearer whose ideals claim that man will learn the truth and be able to think for himself. The ideological shift is enormous, and it is occurring right now.Langdon felt a shiver. Astrological prophecy never held much interest or credibility for him, but he knew there were those in the Church who followed it very closely. The Church calls this transitional stopover the End of geezerhood.Sophie looked skeptical. As in the end of the world? The Apocalypse?No. Langdon replied. Thats a common misconception. Many religions speak of the End of Days. It refers not to the end of the world, but rather the end of our current age Pisces, which be gan at the time of Christs birth, spanned two thousand years, and waned with the passing of the millennium. Now that weve passed into the Age of Aquarius, the End of Days has arrived.Many Grail historians, Teabing added, believe that if the Priory is indeed planning to release this truth, this point in history would be a symbolically apt time. Most Priory academics, myself included, anticipated the brotherhoods release would coincide precisely with the millennium. Obviously, it did not. Admittedly, the Roman calendar does not mesh perfectly with astrological markers, so there is some colour in area in the prediction. Whether the Church now has inside information that an exact date is looming, or whether they are just getting nervous on account of astrological prophecy, I dont know. Anyway, its immaterial. Either scenario explains how the Church might be motivated to launch a preemptive attack against the Priory. Teabing frowned. And believe me, if the Church finds the Holy Grail, t hey will destroy it. The documents and the relics of the blessed Mary Magdalene as well. His eyes grew heavy. Then, my dear, with the Sangreal documents gone, all evidence will be lost. The Church will have won their age-old war to rewrite history. The past will be erased forever.Slowly, Sophie pulled the cruciform key from her sweater pocket and held it out to Teabing.Teabing took the key and analyse it. My goodness. The Priory seal. Where did you get this? My grandfather gave it to me tonight before he died. Teabing ran his fingers across the cruciform. A key to a church?She drew a deep breath. This key provides access to the keystone.Teabings head snapped up, his face wild with disbelief. Impossible What church did I miss? Ive searched every church in FranceIts not in a church, Sophie said. Its in a Swiss depository bank. Teabings look of excitement waned. The keystone is in a bank? A burial vault, Langdon offered.A bank vault? Teabing shook his head violently. Thats impossible . The keystone is supposed to be hidden beneath the sign of the Rose.It is, Langdon said. It was stored in a rosewood box inlaid with a five-petal Rose. Teabing looked thunderstruck. Youve seen the keystone? Sophie nodded. We visited the bank.Teabing came over to them, his eyes wild with fear. My friends, we must do something. The keystone is in danger We have a duty to protect it. What if there are other keys? Perhaps stolen from the murdered senechaux? If the Church can gain access to the bank as you have Then they will be too late, Sophie said. We removed the keystone. What You removed the keystone from its hiding place? Dont worry, Langdon said. The keystone is well hidden.Extremely well hidden, I hopeActually, Langdon said, unavailing to hide his grin, that depends on how often you dust under your couch.The wind outside Chateau Villette had picked up, and Silass raiment danced in the breeze as he crouched near the window. Although he had been unable to hear much of the conve rsation, the word keystone had sifted through the glass on numerous occasions.It is inside.The Teachers words were fresh in his mind. Enter Chateau Villette. Take the keystone. Hun no one.Now, Langdon and the others had adjourned suddenly to another room, extinguishing the study lights as they went. Feeling like a panther stalking prey, Silas crept to the glass doors. Finding them unlocked, he slipped inside and closed the doors silently behind him. He could hear muffled voices from another room. Silas pulled the pistol from his pocket, turned off the safety, and inched down the hallway.