The Lost Symbol Chapter 48-51

CHAPTER 48In the heat of the mowork forcet, Capitol police officer Nunez had seen no option rightful(prenominal) promptly to help the Capitol interior designer and Robert Langdon escape. Now, however, okay in the basement police headquarters, Nunez could see the storm clouds gathering fast.Chief Trent Anderson was holding an ice pack to his head while another officer was tutelage to Satos bruises. Both of them were standing with the video surveillance team, reviewing digital touchback files in an attempt to locate Langdon and Bellamy.Check the playback on every h every last(predicate)way and exit, Sato de troopsded. I want to distinguish where they wentNunez felt ill as he looked on. He knew it would be unaccompanied a matter of minutes before they found the right video rationalise and learned the truth. I helped them escape. Making matters worse was the arrival of a four-man CIA field team that was now staging nearby, prepping to go after Langdon and Bellamy. These guys loo ked nothing deal the Capitol Police. These guys were dead-serious soldiers . . . char camouflage, night vision, futuristic-looking handguns.Nunez felt like he would throw up. Making up his mind, he motioned discreetly to Chief Anderson. A eat-and- bear, Chief?What is it? Anderson followed Nunez into the h all(prenominal).Chief, I made a bad mistake, Nunez said, breaking a sweat. Im sorry, and Im resigning. Youll fire me in a few minutes anyway.I beg your pardon?Nunez swallowed hard. Earlier, I saw Langdon and Architect Bellamy in the visitor center on their way kayoed of the building.What? Anderson bellowed. Why didnt you say something?The Architect told me not to say a word. You work for me, goddamm it Andersons voice echoed blast the corridor. Bellamy nonsensical my head into a wall, for Christs sakeNunez handed Anderson the key that the Architect had given him.What is this? Anderson demanded.A key to the new tunnel under Independence Avenue. Architect Bellamy had it. Thats how they escaped.Anderson st ared d induce at the key, speechless(prenominal).Sato poked her head out into the hallway, look probing. Whats going on out here?Nunez felt himself go pale. Anderson was still holding the key, and Sato clear had seen it. As the detestable little woman drew near, Nunez improvised as best as he could, hoping to protect his chief. I found a key on the embellish in the subbasement. I was proficient asking Chief Anderson if he knew what it might go to.Sato arrived, eyeing the key. And does the chief know?Nunez glanced up at Anderson, who was clearly unhurriedness all his options before speaking. Finally, the chief shook his head. Not offhand. Id have to check theDont bother, Sato said. This key unlocks a tunnel off the visitor center.Really? Anderson said. How do you know that?We just found the surveillance clip. obligationr Nunez here helped Langdon and Bellamy escape and then relocked that tunnel door behind them. Bellamy gave Nunez that key.Anderso n turned to Nunez with a flare of anger. Is this true?Nunez nodded vigorously, doing his best to play along. Im sorry, sir. The Architect told me not to tell a soulI dont give a damn what the Architect told you Anderson yelled. I expectShut up, Trent, Sato snapped. Youre both unsporting liars. Save it for your CIA inquisition. She snatched the Architects tunnel key from Anderson. Youre done here.CHAPTER 49Robert Langdon hung up his cell phone, timbering increasingly worried. Katherines not answering her cell? Katherine had promised to cover him as curtly as she was safely out of the lab and on her way to meet him here, exactly she had neer done so.Bellamy sat beside Langdon at the development-room desk. He, too, had just made a call, his to an individual he claimed could offer them sanctuarya safe place to hide. Unfortunately, this person was not answering either, and so Bellamy had left an urgent message, telling him to call Langdons cell phone right away.Ill keep trying, he said to Langdon, but for the moment, were on our own. And we need to discuss a plan for this benefit.The pyramid. For Langdon, the spectacular backdrop of the reading room had all but disappeared, his world constricting now to include only what was directly in front of hima stone pyramid, a seal off package containing a capstone, and an elegant Afri batch Ameri low deportment man who had materialized out of the darkness and rescued him from the certainty of a CIA interrogation.Langdon had expected a modicum of sanity from the Architect of the Capitol, but now it seemed Warren Bellamy was no more rational than the madman claiming Peter was in purgatory. Bellamy was insist this stone pyramid was, in fact, the masonic gain of legend. An ancient map? That guides us to powerful wisdom?Mr. Bellamy, Langdon said politely, this idea that there exists some kind of ancient knowledge that can imbue men with great power . . . I simply cant take it seriously.Bellamys eyes looked both disapp ointed and earnest, making Langdons skepticism all the more awkward. Yes, Professor, I had imagined you might feel this way, but I suppose I should not be surprised. You are an outsider looking in. There exist certain Masonic realities that you will behold as myth because you are not properly initiated and prepared to understand them.Now Langdon felt patronized. I wasnt a member of Odysseuss crew, but Im certain the water flea is a myth. Mr. Bellamy, even if the legend is true . . . this pyramid cannot possibly be the Masonic pyramid.No? Bellamy ran a finger across the Masonic cipher on the stone. It looks to me like it fits the description perfectly. A stone pyramid with a shining metal capstone, which, according to Satos X-ray, is exactly what Peter entrusted to you. Bellamy picked up the little cube-shaped package, weighing it in his hand.This stone pyramid is less than a foot tall, Langdon countered. Every version of the story Ive ever heard describes the Masonic pyramid as eno rmous.Bellamy had clearly anticipated this point. As you know, the legend speaks of a pyramid rising so high that God Himself can stumble out and touch it.Exactly.I can see your dilemma, Professor. However, both the Ancient Mysteries and Masonic philosophy celebrate the potentiality of God within each of us. Symbolically speaking, one could claim that anything within reach of an enlightened man . . . is within reach of God.Langdon felt unswayed by the wordplay.Even the Bible concurs, Bellamy said. If we accept, as Genesis tells us, that God created man in his own image, then we also essential accept what this impliesthat mankind was not created inferior to God. In Luke 1720 we are told, The kingdom of God is within you. Im sorry, but I dont know any Christians who consider themselves Gods equal.Of course not, Bellamy said, his tone hardening. Because most Christians want it both ways. They want to be able to proudly declare they are believers in the Bible and yet simply ignore tho se parts they find too difficult or too inconvenient to believe.Langdon made no response.Anyhow, Bellamy said, the Masonic Pyramids age-old description as being tall enough to be touched by God . . . this has long led to misinterpretations about its size. Conveniently, it keeps academics like yourself insisting the pyramid is a legend, and nobody searches for it.Langdon looked mound at the stone pyramid. I apologize that Im frustrating you, he said. Ive simply always thought of the Masonic Pyramid as a myth.Does it not seem perfectly fitting to you that a map created by stonemasons would be carved in stone? Throughout history, our most important guideposts have always been carved in stone including the tablets God gave MosesTen Commandments to guide our human conduct.I understand, and yet it is always referred to as the legend of the Masonic Pyramid. Legend implies it is mythical.Yes, legend. Bellamy chuckled. Im afraid youre suffering from the same problem Moses had.Im sorry?Bell amy looked almost amused as he turned in his seat, glancing up at the support-tier balcony, where viteen bronze statues peered down at them. Do you see Moses?Langdon gazed up at the librarys celebrated statue of Moses. Yes. He has horns.Im aware of that.But do you know wherefore he has horns?Like most teachers, Langdon did not enjoy being lectured to. The Moses above them had horns for the same reason thousands of Christian images of Moses had hornsa mistranslation of the book of Exodus. The original Hebrew school text described Moses as having karan ohr panav facial skin that glowed with rays of lightbut when the Roman Catholic Church created the official Latin translation of the Bible, the translator bungled Mosess description, version it as cornuta esset facies sua, meaning his face was horned. From that moment on, artists and sculptors, fearing reprisals if they were not true to the Gospels, began depicting Moses with horns.It was a simple mistake, Langdon replied. A mistran slation by Saint Jerome around four hundred A.D. Bellamy looked impressed. Exactly. A mistranslation. And the result is . . . poor Moses is now misshapen for all history.Misshapen was a nice way to put it. Langdon, as a child, had been terrified when he saw Michelangelos diabolical horned Mosesthe centerpiece of Romes Basilica of St. Peter in Chains.I mention the horned Moses, Bellamy now said, to illustrate how a single word, misunderstood, can rewrite history.Youre preaching to the choir, Langdon thought, having learned the lesson earlyhand in Paris a number of years back. SanGreal Holy Grail. SangReal Royal Blood.In the case of the Masonic Pyramid, Bellamy continued, mint heard whispers about a legend. And the idea stuck. The Legend of the Masonic Pyramid sounded like a myth. But the word legend was referring to something else. It had been misconstrued. Much like the word talisman. He smiled. Language can be very adept at hiding the truth.Thats true, but youre losing me here.R obert, the Masonic Pyramid is a map. And like every map, it has a legenda key that tells you how to read it. Bellamy took the cube-shaped package and held it up. Dont you see? This capstone is the legend to the pyramid. It is the key that tells you how to read the most powerful artifact on earth . . . a map that unveils the hiding place of mankinds greatest treasurethe lost wisdom of the ages.Langdon shake off silent.I humbly submit, Bellamy said, that your towering Masonic Pyramid is only this . . . a modest stone whose golden capstone reaches high enough to be touched by God. High enough that an enlightened man can reach down and touch it.Silence hung between the devil men for several seconds.Langdon felt an unexpected pulse of excitement as he looked down at the pyramid, seeing it in a new light. His eyes moved again to the Masonic cipher. But this code . . . it seems so . . .Simple?Langdon nodded. almost anyone could decipher this.Bellamy smiled and obtaind a pencil and pape r for Langdon. Then perhaps you should enlighten us?Langdon felt uneasy about reading the code, and yet considering the circumstances, it seemed a electric shaver betrayal of Peters trust. Moreover, whatever the engraving said, he could not imagine that it unveiled a secret hiding place of anything at all . . . much less that of one of historys greatest treasures.Langdon accepted the pencil from Bellamy and tapped it on his chin as he studied the cipher. The code was so simple that he barely postulate pencil and paper. Even so, he wanted to ensure he made no mistakes, and so he dutifully put pencil to paper and wrote down the most common decryption key for a Masonic cipher. The key consisted of four gridstwo plain and two dottedwith the alphabet running finished them in order. Each letter of the alphabet was now positioned inside a uniquely shaped enclosure or pen. The shape of each letters enclosure became the image for that letter.The scheme was so simple, it was almost infant ile. Langdon double-checked his handiwork. Feeling confident the decryption key was correct, he now turned his attention back to the code inscribed on the pyramid. To decipher it, all he had to do was to find the matching shape on his decryption key and write down the letter inside it. The first character on the pyramid looked like a down arrow or a chalice. Langdon quick found the chalice-shaped segment on the decryption key. It was locate in the lower left-hand corner and enclosed the letter S.Langdon wrote down S.The next symbol on the pyramid was a dotted square absent its right side. That shape on the decryption grid enclosed the letter O.He wrote down O.The third symbol was a simple square, which enclosed the letter E.Langdon wrote down E.SOEHe continued, picking up speed until he had completed the entire grid.Now, as he gazed down at his finished translation, Langdon let out a puzzled sigh. Hardly what Id call a eureka moment.Bellamys face showed the hint of a smile. As you know, Professor, the Ancient Mysteries are reserved only for the actually enlightened.Right, Langdon said, frowning. Apparently, I dont qualify.CHAPTER 50In a basement office deep inside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, the same sixteen- character Masonic cipher glowed bright on a high-definition computer monitor. Senior OS analyst Nola Kaye sat alone and studied the image that had been e-mailed to her ten minutes ago by her boss, film director Inoue Sato.Is this some kind of joke? Nola knew it was not, of course Director Sato had no sense of humor, and the events of tonight were anything but a joking matter. Nolas high-level clearance within the CIAs all-seeing Office of Security had opened her eyes to the shadow worlds of power. But what Nola had witnessed in the last twenty-four hours had changed her impressions forever of the secrets that powerful men kept.Yes, Director, Nola now said, cradling the phone on her lift as she talked to Sato. The engraving is indeed the M asonic cipher. However, the cleartext is meaningless. It appears to be a grid of random letters. She gazed down at her decryption.It must say something, Sato insisted.Not unless it has a second layer of encryption that Im not aware of.Any guesses? Sato asked.Its a grid-based matrix, so I could run the usualVigenre, grilles, trellises, and so forthbut no promises, curiously if its a onetime pad.Do what you can. And do it fast. How about the X-ray?Nola swiveled her chair to a second system, which displayed a standard credentials X-ray of someones bag. Sato had requested discipline on what appeared to be a small pyramid inside a cube-shaped box. Normally, a two-inch-tall object would not be an issue of national security unless it was made of enriched plutonium. This one was not. It was made of something almost equally startling.Image-density analysis was conclusive, Nola said. Nineteen-point-three grams per cubic centimeter. Its pure gold. Very, very valuable.Anything else?Actually, yes. The density scan picked up minor irregularities on the muster of the gold pyramid. It turns out the gold is engraved with text.Really? Sato sounded hopeful. What does it say?I cant tell yet. The inscription is extremely faint. Im trying to enhance with filters, but the resolution on the X-ray is not great.Okay, keep trying. Call me when you have something.Yes, maam.And, Nola? Satos tone turned ominous. As with everything you have learned in the last twenty-four hours, the images of the stone pyramid and gold capstone are classified at the highest levels of security. You are to consult no one. You report to me directly. I want to make sure that is clear.Of course, maam.Good. Keep me posted. Sato hung up.Nola rubbed her eyes and looked blearily back at her computer screens. She had not slept in over thirty-six hours, and she knew damn tumesce she would not sleep again until this crisis had reached its conclusion.Whatever that may be. stake at the Capitol Visitor Center, four colour-clad CIA field-op specialists stood at the entrance to the tunnel, peering hungrily down the dimly lit shaft like a pack of dogs eager for the hunt.Sato approached, having just hung up from a call. Gentlemen, she said, still holding the Architects key, are your mission parameters clear?Affirmative, the lead agent replied. We have two targets. The first is an engraved stone pyramid, about one foot tall. The second is a smaller, cube-shaped package, approximately two inches tall. Both were last seen in Robert Langdons shoulder bag.Correct, Sato said. These two items must be retrieved quickly and intact. Do you have any questions?Parameters for use of force?Satos shoulder was still throbbing from where Bellamy had struck her with a bone. As I said, it is of critical importance that these items be retrieved.Understood. The four men turned and headed into the darkness of the tunnel. Sato lit a cigarette and watched them disappear.CHAPTER 51Katherine Solomon had always been a prud ent driver, but now she was pushing her Volvo at over ninety as she fled blindly up the Suitland Parkway. Her trembling foot had been lodged on the accelerator for a full mile before her panic began to lift. She now realized her uncontrollable shivering was no longer solely from fear.Im freezing.The wintry night air was gushing finished her shattered eddyow, buffeting her body like an arctic wind. Her stockinged feet were numb, and she reached down for her spare pair of shoes, which she kept beneath the passenger seat. As she did, she felt a stab of pain from the bruise on her throat, where the powerful hand had latched on to her neck.The man who had smashed through her window bore no resemblance to the blond-haired gentleman whom Katherine knew as Dr. Christopher Abaddon. His thick hair and smooth, bronzed complexion had disappeared. His shaved head, bare chest, and makeup-smeared face had been unveiled as a terrifying tapestry of tattoos.She heard his voice again, whispering to her in the howl of wind outside her broken window. Katherine, I should have killed you years ago . . . the night I killed your mother.Katherine shivered, feeling no doubt. That was him. She had never forgotten the look of fiendish personnel in his eyes. Nor had she ever forgotten the sound of her brothers single gunshot, which had killed this man, propelling him off a high ledge into the frozen river below, where he plummeted through the ice and never resurfaced. Investigators had searched for weeks, never finding his body, and finally decided it had been washed away by the current out to the Chesapeake Bay.They were wrong, she now knew. He is still alive.And hes back.Katherine felt angst-ridden as the memories inundate back. It was almost exactly ten years ago. Christmas Day. Katherine, Peter, and their motherher entire familywere gathered at their sprawling stone mansion in Potomac, nestled on a two-hundred-acre wooded estate with its own river running through it. As was tradit ion, their mother worked diligently in the kitchen, rejoicing in the vacation custom of cooking for her two children. Even at seventy-five years of age, Isabel Solomon was an exuberant cook, and tonight the mouthwatering smells of roast venison, parsnip gravy, and garlic mashed potatoes wafted through the house. While Mother prepared the feast, Katherine and her brother relaxed in the conservatory, discussing Katherines latest fascinationa new field called Noetic Science. An unlikely fusion of modern particle physics and ancient mysticism, Noetics had absolutely captivated Katherines imagination. physical science meets philosophy.Katherine told Peter about some of the experiments she was dreaming up, and she could see in his eyes that he was intrigued. Katherine felt particularly pleased to give her brother something positive to trust about this Christmas, since the holiday had also become a painful reminder of a terrible tragedy.Peters son, Zachary.Katherines nephews twenty-first birthday had been his last. The family had been through a nightmare, and it seemed that her brother was only now finally learning how to laugh again.Zachary had been a late bloomer, frail and awkward, a rebellious and angry teenager. Despite his deeply loving and privileged upbringing, the boy seemed determined to detach himself from the Solomon establishment. He was kicked out of prep school, partied hard with the celebrati, and shunned his parents exhaustive attempts to provide him firm and loving guidance.He broke Peters heart.Shortly before Zacharys ordinal birthday, Katherine had sat down with her mother and brother and listened to them debating whether or not to withhold Zacharys inheritance until he was more mature. The Solomon inheritancea centuries-old tradition in the familybequeathed a staggeringly generous piece of the Solomon wealth to every Solomon child on his or her eighteenth birthday. The Solomons believed that an inheritance was more helpful at the beginning of someones life than at the end. Moreover, placing large pieces of the Solomon fortune in the hands of eager young descendants had been the key to growing the familys dynastic wealth.In this case, however, Katherines mother argued that it was dangerous to give Peters troubled son such a large sum of money. Peter disagreed.The Solomon inheritance, her brother had said, is a family tradition that should not be broken. This money may well force Zachary to be more responsible.Sadly, her brother had been wrong.The moment Zachary received the money, he broke from the family, disappearing from the house without taking any of his belongings. He surfaced a few months later in the tabloids TRUST FUND PLAYBOY LIVING EUROPEAN HIGH LIFE.The tabloids took joy in documenting Zacharys spoiled life of debauchery. The photos of haywire parties on yachts and boozy disco stupors were hard for the Solomons to take, but the photos of their wayward teen turned from tragic to frightening when the papers rep orted Zachary had been caught carrying cocaine across a border in Eastern Europe SOLOMON MILLIONAIRE IN TURKISH PRISON.The prison, they learned, was called Soganlika brutal F-class detention center located in the Kartal district outside of Istanbul. Peter Solomon, fearing for his sons safety, flew to Turkey to retrieve him. Katherines distraught brother returned empty-handed, having been forbidden even to visit with Zachary. The only promising news was that Solomons influential contacts at the U.S. State Department were working on acquiring him extradited as quickly as possible.Two days later, however, Peter received a horrifying international phone call. The next morning, headlines blared SOLOMON HEIR MURDERED IN PRISON.The prison photos were horrific, and the media callously aired them all, even long after the Solomons private burial ceremony. Peters wife never forgave him for failing to free Zachary, and their marriage came to an end six months later. Peter had been alone ever si nce.It was years later that Katherine, Peter, and their mother, Isabel, were gathered quietly for Christmas. The pain was still a presence in their family, but mercifully it was fade with each passing year. The pleasant rattle of pots and pans now echoed from the kitchen as their mother prepared the traditional feast. Out in the conservatory, Peter and Katherine were enjoying a baked Brie and relaxed holiday conversation.Then came an utterly unexpected sound.Hello, Solomons, an airy voice said behind them.Startled, Katherine and her brother spun to see an enormous muscular figure stepping into the conservatory. He wore a black ski mask that covered all of his face except his eyes, which shone with feral ferocity.Peter was on his feet in an instant. Who are you? How did you get in here?I knew your little boy, Zachary, in prison. He told me where this key was hidden. The stranger held up an old key and grinned like a beast. Right before I bludgeoned him to death.Peters mouth fell ope n.A pistol appeared, aimed directly at Peters chest. Sit.Peter fell back into his chair. As the man moved into the room, Katherine was frozen in place. Behind his mask, the mans eyes were wild like those of a rabid animal.Hey Peter yelled, as if trying to warn their mother in the kitchen. Whoever you are, take what you want, and get outThe man leveled his gun at Peters chest. And what is it you think I want?Just tell me how much, Solomon said. We dont have money in the house, but I canThe monster laughed. Do not revilement me. I have not come for money. I have come tonight for Zacharys other birthright. He grinned. He told me about the pyramid.Pyramid? Katherine thought in bewildered terror. What pyramid?Her brother was defiant. I dont know what youre talking about.Dont play dumb with me Zachary told me what you keep in your study vault. I want it. Now.Whatever Zachary told you, he was confused, Peter said. I dont know what youre talking aboutNo? The intruder turned and aimed the g un at Katherines face. How about now?Peters eyes filled with terror. You must believe me I dont know what it is you wantLie to me one more time, he said, still aiming at Katherine, and I swear I will take her from you. He smiled. And from what Zachary said, your little sister is more precious to you than all yourWhats going on? Katherines mother shouted, marching into the room with Peters Browning Citori shotgunwhich she aimed directly at the mans chest. The intruder spun toward her, and the feisty seventy-five-year-old woman wasted no time. She fired a deafening blast of pellets. The intruder staggered backward, firing his handgun wildly in all directions, shattering windows as he fell and crashed through the glass doorway, dropping the pistol as he fell.Peter was instantly in motion, diving on the loose handgun. Katherine had fallen, and Mrs. Solomon hurried to her side, kneeling beside her. My God, are you hurt?Katherine shook her head, mute with shock. Outside the shattered glas s door, the masked man had clambered to his feet and was running into the woods, clutching his side as he ran. Peter Solomon glanced back to make sure his mother and sister were safe, and seeing they were fine, he held the pistol and raced out the door after the intruder.Katherines mother held her hand, trembling. give thanks heavens youre okay. Then suddenly her mother pulled away. Katherine? Youre bleeding Theres extraction Youre hurt Katherine saw the blood. A lot of blood. It was all over her. But she felt no pain.Her mother frantically searched Katherines body for a wound. Where does it hurtMom, I dont know, I dont feel anythingThen Katherine saw the source of the blood, and she went cold. Mom, its not me . . . She pointed to the side of her mothers white satin blouse, where blood was running freely, and a small tattered hole was visible. Her mother glanced down, looking more confused than anything else. She winced and shrank back, as if the pain had just hit her.Katherine? H er voice was calm, but suddenly it carried the weight of her seventy-five years. I need you to call an ambulance.Katherine ran to the hall phone and called for help. When she got back to the conservatory, she found her mother lying motionless in a pool of blood. She ran to her, crouching down, cradling her mothers body in her arms.Katherine had no idea how much time had passed when she heard the distant gunshot in the woods. Finally, the conservatory door burst open, and her brother, Peter, travel in, eyes wild, gun still in his hand. When he saw Katherine sobbing, holding their lifeless mother in her arms, his face contorted in anguish. The scream that echoed through the conservatory was a sound Katherine Solomon would never forget.