Dan Brown - The Da Vinci Code

«Before we turn our attention to the keystone,» Teabing said,» I was wondering if you would permit me a few words.» He sounded apprehensive, like a father about to give the birds-and-the-bees lecture to his children. «My friends, I realize I am but a guest on this journey, and I am honored as such. And yet, as someone who has spent his life in search of the Grail, I feel it is my duty to warn you that you are about to step onto a path from which there is no return, regardless of the dangers involved.» He turned to Sophie. «Miss Neveu, your grandfather gave you this cryptex in hopes you would keep the secret of the Holy Grail alive.»

«Yes.»

«Understandably, you feel obliged to follow the trail wherever it leads.»

Sophie nodded, although she felt a second motivation still burning within her. The truth about my family. Despite Langdon’s assurances that the keystone had nothing to do with her past, Sophie still sensed something deeply personal entwined within this mystery, as if this cryptex, forged by her grandfather’s own hands, were trying to speak to her and offer some kind of resolution to the emptiness that had haunted her all these years.

«Your grandfather and three others died tonight,» Teabing continued,» and they did so to keep this keystone away from the Church. Opus Dei came within inches tonight of possessing it. You understand, I hope, that this puts you in a position of exceptional responsibility. You have been handed a torch. A two-thousand-year-old flame that cannot be allowed to go out. This torch cannot fall into the wrong hands.» He paused, glancing at the rosewood box. «I realize you have been given no choice in this matter, Miss Neveu, but considering what is at stake here, you must either fully embrace this responsibility… or you must pass that responsibility to someone else.» «My grandfather gave the cryptex to me. I’m sure he thought I could handle the responsibility.» Teabing looked encouraged but unconvinced. «Good. A strong will is necessary. And yet, I amcurious if you understand that successfully unlocking the keystone will bring with it a far greatertrial.» «How so?» «My dear, imagine that you are suddenly holding a map that reveals the location of the Holy Grail. In that moment, you will be in possession of a truth capable of altering history forever. You will be the keeper of a truth that man has sought for centuries. You will be faced with the responsibility of revealing that truth to the world. The individual who does so will be revered by many and despised by many. The question is whether you will have the necessary strength to carry out that task.»

Sophie paused. «I’m not sure that is my decision to make.»

Teabing’s eyebrows arched. «No? If not the possessor of the keystone, then who?» «The brotherhood who has successfully protected the secret for so long.» «The Priory?» Teabing looked skeptical. «But how? The brotherhood was shattered tonight. Decapitated , as you so aptly put it. Whether they were infiltrated by some kind of eavesdropping or by a spy within their ranks, we will never know, but the fact remains that someone got to them and uncovered the identities of their four top members. I would not trust anyone who stepped forward from the brotherhood at this point.»

«So what do you suggest?» Langdon asked.

«Robert, you know as well as I do that the Priory has not protected the truth all these years to have it gather dust until eternity. They have been waiting for the right moment in history to share their secret. A time when the world is ready to handle the truth.»

«And you believe that moment has arrived?» Langdon asked.

«Absolutely. It could not be more obvious. All the historical signs are in place, and if the Priory did not intend to make their secret known very soon, why has the Church now attacked?» Sophie argued,» The monk has not yet told us his purpose.» «The monk’s purpose is the Church’s purpose,» Teabing replied,» to destroy the documents that reveal the great deception. The Church came closer tonight than they have ever come, and the Priory has put its trust in you, Miss Neveu. The task of saving the Holy Grail clearly includes carrying out the Priory’s final wishes of sharing the truth with the world.»

Langdon intervened. «Leigh, asking Sophie to make that decision is quite a load to drop on someone who only an hour ago learned the Sangreal documents exist.»

Teabing sighed. «I apologize if I am pressing, Miss Neveu. Clearly I have always believed these documents should be made public, but in the end the decision belongs to you. I simply feel it is important that you begin to think about what happens should we succeed in opening the keystone.»

«Gentlemen,» Sophie said, her voice firm. «To quote your words, ‘You do not find the Grail, the Grail finds you.‘ I am going to trust that the Grail has found me for a reason, and when the time comes, I will know what to do.»

Both of them looked startled.

«So then,» she said, motioning to the rosewood box. «Let’s move on.»

Standing in the drawing room of Château Villette, Lieutenant Collet watched the dying fire and felt despondent. Captain Fache had arrived moments earlier and was now in the next room, yelling into the phone, trying to coordinate the failed attempt to locate the missing Range Rover.

It could be anywhere by now, Collet thought.

Having disobeyed Fache’s direct orders and lost Langdon for a second time, Collet was grateful that PTS had located a bullet hole in the floor, which at least corroborated Collet’s claims that a shot had been fired. Still, Fache’s mood was sour, and Collet sensed there would be dire repercussions when the dust settled.

Unfortunately, the clues they were turning up here seemed to shed no light at all on what was going on or who was involved. The black Audi outside had been rented in a false name with false credit card numbers, and the prints in the car matched nothing in the Interpol database.

Another agent hurried into the living room, his eyes urgent. «Where’s Captain Fache?» Collet barely looked up from the burning embers. «He’s on the phone.» «I’m off the phone,» Fache snapped, stalking into the room. «What have you got?»

The second agent said,» Sir, Central just heard from André Vernet at the Depository Bank of Zurich. He wants to talk to you privately. He is changing his story.» «Oh?» Fache said. Now Collet looked up.

«Vernet is admitting that Langdon and Neveu spent time inside his bank tonight.» «We figured that out,» Fache said. «Why did Vernet lie about it?» «He said he’ll talk only to you, but he’s agreed to cooperate fully.» «In exchange for what?»

«For our keeping his bank’s name out of the news and also for helping him recover some stolen property. It sounds like Langdon and Neveu stole something from Saunière’s account.»

«What?» Collet blurted. «How?»

Fache never flinched, his eyes riveted on the second agent. «What did they steal?» «Vernet didn’t elaborate, but he sounds like he’s willing to do anything to get it back.» Collet tried to imagine how this could happen. Maybe Langdon and Neveu had held a bank employee at gunpoint? Maybe they forced Vernet to open Saunière’s account and facilitate an escape in the armored truck. As feasible as it was, Collet was having trouble believing Sophie Neveu could be involved in anything like that.

From the kitchen, another agent yelled to Fache. «Captain? I’m going through Mr. Teabing’s speed dial numbers, and I’m on the phone with Le Bourget Airfield. I’ve got some bad news.»

Thirty seconds later, Fache was packing up and preparing to leave Château Villette. He had just learned that Teabing kept a private jet nearby at Le Bourget Airfield and that the plane had taken off about a half hour ago.