occasional look. Hows the electricity doing? the pilot asked in some irritation. No problem with engine and hydraulic power. Seems to be in the lighting system, the engineer replied, quietly turning off the tail and wingtip anticollision lights. Well . . . The cockpit instrument lights were all on, of course, and there was no additional illumination for the flight crew. Well fix it when we get to Shannon. Colonel. It was the voice prescription ray ban lenses of the crew chief in the pilots headset. Go ahead, the engineer said, making sure that the Russians headset was not on that channel. Go ahead, Sarge . We have our prescription ray ban lenses two . . . our two new passengers, sir, but Mr. Ryanhe got left behind, Colonel. Repeat that? von Eich said. He said to move out, sir. Two guys with guns, sir, theyhe said to move out, sir, the crew
was no longer beside him. Turning, Langdon saw Fache standing several yards back at a service elevator. Well take the elevator, Fache said as the lift doors opened. As Im sure youre aware, the gallery is quite a distance on foot. Although Langdon knew the elevator would expedite the long, two-story climb to the Denon Wing, he remained motionless. Is something wrong? Fache was holding the door, looking impatient. Langdon exhaled, turning a longing glance back up the open-air esca prescription ray ban lenses lator. Nothings wrong at all, he lied to himself, trudging back toward the elevator. As a boy, Langd prescription ray ban lenses on had fallen down an abandoned well shaft and almost died treading water in the narrow space for hours before being rescued. Since then, hed suffered a haunting phobia of enclosed spaceselevators, subways, squash
Fache probably. She reached in her sweater and turned off the phone. Mr. Langdon, she said hurriedly, I need to ask you one last question. And your entire future may depend on it. The writing on the floor is obviously not proof of your guilt, and yet Fache told our team he is certain you are his man. Can you think of any other reason he might be convinced youre guilty? Langdon was silent for several seconds. None whatsoever. Sophie sighed. Which means Fache is lying. Why, Sophie could not begin to imagine, but that was hardly the issue at this point. The fact remained that Bezu Fache was determined to put Robert Langdon behi prescription ray ban lenses nd bars tonight, at any cost. Sophie needed Langdon for herself, and it w prescription ray ban lenses as this dilemma that left Sophie only one logical conclusion. I need to get Langdon to the U.S.
there. Disappointed, she knew he had not been expecting her and was probably working at the Louvre. But its Saturday afternoon, she realized prescription ray ban lenses . He seldom worked on weekends. On weekends, he usually Grinning, Sophie ran out to the garage. Sure enough, his car was gone. It was the weekend. Jacques Saunière despised city driving and owned a car for one destination onlyhis vacation chateau in Normandy, north of Paris. Sophie, after months in the congestion of London, was eager for the smells of nature and to start her vacation right a prescription ray ban lenses way. It was still early evening, and she decided to leave immediately and surprise him. Borrowing a friends car, Sophie drove north, winding into the deserted moon-swept hills near Creully. She arrived just after ten oclock, turning down the long private driveway
treasure they had extricated from the bank. I think were on the highway now, Sophie whisper prescription ray ban lenses ed. Langdon sensed the same thing. The truck, after an unnerving pause atop the bank ramp, had moved on, snaking left and right for a minute or two, and was now accelerating to what felt like top speed. Beneath them, the bulletproof tires hummed on smooth pavement. Forcing his attention to the rosewood box in his arms, Langdon laid the precious bundle on the floor, unwrapped his jacket, and extracted the box, pulling it toward him. Sophie shifted her position so they were sitting side by side. Langdon suddenly felt like they were two kids huddled over a Christmas present. In contrast to the warm colors of the rosewood box, the inlaid ro prescription ray ban lenses se had been crafted of a pale wood, probably ash, which shone
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 prescription ray ban lenses complete genealogy of the early descendants of Christ. But what good is a documented genealogy of Christs bloodline? Sophie asked. Its not proof. Historians could no prescription ray ban lenses t possibly confirm its authenticity. Teabing chuckled. No more so than they can confirm the authenticity of the Bible. Meaning? Meaning that history is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history booksbooks 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-
Not only had Sophie witnessed the full-blown ritual, but her own grandfather had been the celebrant... the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion. It was heady company. Da Vinci, Botticelli, Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, Jean Cocteau... prescription ray ban lenses Jacques Saunière. I dont know what else I can tell you, Langdon said softly. Sophies eyes were a deep green now, tearful. He raised me like his own daughter. Langdon now recognized the emotion that had been growing in her eyes as they spoke. It was remorse. Distant and deep. Sophie Neveu had shunned her grandfather and was now seeing him in an entirely different light. Outside, the dawn was coming fast, its crimson aura gathering off the starboard. The earth was still black beneath them. Victuals, my dears? Teabing rejoined them with a flourish, prescription ray ban lenses presenting
well, but the librarians smile suggested otherwise. Langdon still had not gotten used to these moments of unexpected celebrity. Then again, if anyone on earth were going to recognize his face, it would be a librarian in a Religious Studies reference facility. Pamela Gettum, the librarian said, offering her hand. She had a genial, erudite face and a pleasingly fluid voice. The horn-rimmed glasses hanging around her neck were thick. prescription ray ban lenses A pleasure, Langdon said. This is my friend Sophie Neveu. The two women greeted one another, and Gettum turned immediately back to Langdon. I didnt know you were coming. Neither did we. If its not too much trouble, we could really use your help finding some information. Gettum shifted, look prescription ray ban lenses ing uncertain. Normally our services are by petition and appointment only,