Reading – The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, p. 157- 298

In chapter 56, basically Langdon and Teabing tell Sophie that the Holy Grail is just a metaphor for the embodiment of the sacred female, which has been lost through Christianity.  At this point the manservant, Remy, sees photos of Sophie and Langdon on television.

In chapter 57, Collet receives a tip about Langdon’s and Sophie’s location. He gets in his car and heads to Versailles. Meanwhile, Silas breaches the wall of the estate. He is determined to get the keystone.

In chapter 58, in Teabing’s study, the scholars show Sophie more about the Grail and continue with their explanation.  That is all I will say because I do not want to spoil the novel.

In chapter 59, Bishop Aringarosa calls Opus Dei in New York to see if he has any messages and finds that a number was left for him. He dials it and reaches the French Judicial Police. A man comes on the line and says he has a lot to talk to the Bishop about.

In chapter 60, Sophie starts to think that perhaps her family has something to do with this. Then Teabing’s manservant calls him into the kitchen.

In chapter 61, Langdon tells her about all the modern mythology and works of art, from Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute to Walt Disney’s films that reference the story of the lost sacred feminine. Teabing comes back into the study and demands to know what is going on.

In chapter 62, Teabing is about to throw Sophie and Langdon out, but when Sophie mentions that they have found the keystone, he lets them stay. Outside, Silas hears the word keystone and prepares to enter. He plans to make them reveal the keystone’s location. Langdon tells Teabing that all of the members of the Priory are dead. They guess that the Church itself figured out who the brothers were and killed them. They also surmise that the Church struck because it thought the Priory was planning to release the documents. Teabing says the Church may have thought the Priory would time the release of the documents to coincide with the end of the age of Pisces and the beginning of the age of Aquarius, when man will think for himself. Langdon tells Teabing where the keystone is. Silas enters the house with his gun drawn.

In chapter 63, Collet is outside the chateau. Fache tells him not to arrest the suspect without his presence. Collet thinks Fache is having doubts about Langdon’s guilt, or that he wants to take credit for the arrest himself. Collet and his policemen find the armored truck in front of the house and Silas’s rented Audi parked nearby.

In chapter 64, Teabing, Langdon, and Sophie look at the cryptex. Langdon tries to determine whether part of the box might contain a clue about the password. He finds a small hole in the interior. When he pushes the end of a paper clip through it, the rose falls out of the wood. Behind the rose there are some lines of text. As he is looking at the text, Silas hits him on the head.

I really like this part of the novel.  I like how all the parts of the novel (Silas’ story, the police’s story, and Langdon and Sophie’s story) are now coming together at Teabing’s estate.  I was also blown away with Dan Brown’s imagination and the dept he went into describing the Holy Grail.  His idea is completely original and it’s interesting to think about what he suggests and if it could be real or not.