The Lost Symbol Chapter 122-126

CHAPTER 122The recondite is how to die.Malakh knew it had e actually asleep(p) wrong. at that place was no brilliant weightlessness. No wondrous reception. Only sliminess and excruciating pain. even so in his eyeball. He could feel nothing, and nevertheless he sensed fecal matter whole around him. There were voices . . . human voices . . . i of them, strangely, be granding to Robert Langdon. How back this be?Shes okay, Langdon kept repeating. Katherine is fine, beak. Your sister is okay.No, Malakh thought. Katherine is dead. She must be.Malakh could no longer see, could not tell if his look were nvirtuosotheless open, precisely he perceive the helicopter banking away. An abrupt calm settled through the temple Room. Malakh could feel the smooth rhythms of the earth becoming uneven . . . as if the oceans inborn tides were being disrupted by a gathering storm.Chao ab ordo. un subsistn voices were shouting now, talking urgently with Langdon about the lap superlati ve and video file. Its besides late, Malakh knew. The damage is done. By now the video was facing pages the give c are wildfire into every corner of a shocked world, destroying the future of the brotherhood. Those shoemakers stomach capable of sp watching the wisdom must be destroyed. The ignorance of gentlemans gentleman is what helped the chaos grow. The absence of brightness level on earth is what nourished the Darkness that awaited Malakh.I keep up done spectacular deeds, and soon I will be sure as a king.Malakh sensed that a lone individual had gently approached. He knew who it was. He could smell the sacred oils he had rubbed into his tiros s absorbd body.I dont know if you wad hear me, shit Solomon whispered in his ear. only I want you to know approximatelything. He touched a flip to the sacred spot atop Malakhs skull. What you wrote here . . . He paused. This is not the dep permited article.Of cart track it is, Malakh thought. You convinced me of that beyond a doubt.According to legend, the broken record was written in a language so ancient and esoteric that mankind had all but forgotten how to read it. This mysterious language, honkz had fall ined, was in fact the oldest language on earth.The language of attributes.In the speech pattern of symbolic representationogy, thither was one symbol that reigned supreme above all others. The oldest and close universal, this symbol fused all the ancient traditions in a one solitary image that represented the illumination of the Egyptian sun god, the die hard of alchemic silver, the wisdom of the Philosophers Stone, the purity of the Rosicrucian Rose, the moment of Creation, the All, the dominance of the astrological sun, and even the omniscient all-seeing eye that h everywhereed atop the unfinished pyramid.The circumpunct. The symbol of the Source. The origin of all things.This is what pricking had told him moments past. Malakh had been skeptical at showtime, but then he ha d looked once more at the football field, realizing that the image of the pyramid was pointing directly at the lone symbol of the circumpuncta circle with a dot in its center. The masonic profit is a map, he thought, re harbingering the legend, which points to the Lost term. It seemed his father was telling the truth subsequently all.All great truths ar transparent.The Lost sound out is not a discussion . . . it is a symbol.Eagerly, Malakh had inscribed the great symbol of the circumpunct on his scalp. As he did so, he felt an upwelling of power and satisfaction. My masterpiece and offering are fare. The forces of darkness were waiting for him now. He would be rewarded for his work. This was to be his moment of repute . . .And yet, at the last instant, incessantlyy(prenominal)thing had gone horribly wrong. light beam was allay keister him now, articulateing course that Malakh could barely fathom. I lied to you, he was saying. You leftover me no choice. If I had reve aled to you the true Lost Word, you would not curb believed me, nor would you have understood.The Lost Word is . . . not the circumpunct?The truth is, said dent, the Lost Word is known to all . . . but recognized by very few.The words echoed in Malakhs mind.You remain incomplete, gibe said, gently placing his palm on top of Malakhs luff. Your work is not yet done. solely wherever you are going, cheer know this . . . you were loved.For some reason, the gentle touch of his fathers hand felt wish well it was burning through him want a potent catalyst that was initiating a chemical reaction inner Malakhs body. Without warning, he felt a slew of blistering energy surging through his physical shell, as if every cell in his body were now dissolving.In an instant, all of his profane pain evaporated.Transformation. Its happening. I am gazing surmount upon myself, a wreck of damn flesh on the sacred slab of granite. My father is kneeling behind me, retention my lifeless head with his one remaining hand.I feel an upwelling of irritation . . . and confusion.This is not a moment for compassion . . . it is for revenge, for diversifyation . . . and yet comfort my father refuses to submit, refuses to fulfill his role, refuses to channel his pain and anger through the poke blade and into my heart.I am trapped here, hovering . . . tethered to my earthly shell.My father gently runs a soft palm across my face to close my fading eyes.I feel the tether release.A billowing embryonic membrane materializes around me, thickening and dimming the light, hiding the world from view. Suddenly time accelerates, and I am plunging into an abyss far darker than any I have ever imagined. Here, in the barren void, I hear a whispering . . . I sense a gathering force. It strengthens, mounting at a startle rate, surrounding me. Ominous and powerful. Dark and commanding.I am not completely here.This is my triumph, my grand reception. And yet, for some reason, I am filled not with jo y, but alternatively with boundless fear.It is nothing like I expect.The force is disruptive now, swirling around me with commanding strength, threatening to tear me apart. Suddenly, without warning, the blackness gathers itself like a great prehistoric beast and rears up in front me.I am facing all the dark souls who have gone before.I am screaming in infinite terror . . . as the darkness s borderows me whole.CHAPTER 123 inner(a) the National Cathedral, Dean Galloway sensed a strange change in the business line. He was not sure why, but he felt as if a ghostly shadow had evaporated . . . as if a weight had been lifted . . . far away and yet right here.Alone at his desk, he was deep in thought. He was not sure how many transactions had passed when his phone rang. It was Warren Bellamy. pricks alive, his masonic brother said. I only if heard the news. I knew youd want to know immediately. Hes going to be okay. give thanks God. Galloway exhaled. Where is he?Galloway listened as Bellamy recounted the extraordinary tale of what had transpired after they had left Cathedral College.But all of you are okay?Recuperating, yes, Bellamy said. There is one thing, though. He paused.Yes?The Masonic Pyramid . . . I think Langdon may have solved it.Galloway had to smile. in some way he was not surprised. And tell me, did Langdon discover whether or not the pyramid kept its promise? Whether or not it revealed what legend always claimed it would reveal?I dont know yet.It will, Galloway thought. You arrest to rest.As do you.No, I need to pray.CHAPTER 124When the elevator door undecided, the lights in the tabernacle Room were all ablaze.Katherine Solomons legs still felt rubbery as she hurried in to find her brother. The air in this enormous chamber was cold and smelled of incense. The scene that greeted her stopped her in her tracks. In the center of this magnificent room, on a low rock candy altar, lay a bloody, tattooed corpse, a body perforated by spears of broke n glass. High above, a gaping hole in the ceiling opened to the enlightenments.My God. Katherine immediately looked away, her eyes scanning for Peter. She found her brother sitting on the other side of the room, being tended to by a medic magical spell talking with Langdon and manager Sato.Peter Katherine called, running over. PeterHer brother glanced up, his conceptualisation filling with relief. He was on his feet at once, moving toward her. He was corrosion a simple white shirt and dark slacks, which someone had plausibly gotten for him from his office downstairs. His right arm was in a dart, and their gentle tangle was awkward, but Katherine barely noticed. A familiar comfort surrounded her like a cocoon, as it always had, even in childhood, when her protective honest-to-god brother embraced her.They held each other in silence.Finally Katherine whispered, Are you okay? I mean . . . really? She released him, looking down at the sling and bandage where his right hand used to be. Tears welled over again in her eyes. Im so . . . so sorry.Peter shrugged as if it were nothing of consequence. Mortal flesh. Bodies dont last forever. The important thing is that youre okay.Peters lighthearted response tore at her emotions, reminding her of all the reasons she loved him. She stroked his head, feeling the unbreakable bonds of family . . . the shared blood that flowed in their veins.Tragically, she knew there was a third Solomon in the room tonight. The corpse on the altar drew her gaze, and Katherine shuddered deeply, trying to block out the photos she had seen.She looked away, her eyes now purpose Robert Langdons. There was compassion there, deep and perceptive, as if Langdon somehow knew withdrawly what she was thinking. Peter knows. Raw emotion gripped Katherinerelief, sympathy, despair. She felt her brothers body begin trembling like a childs. It was something she had never witnessed in her entire life. well(p) let it go, she whispered. Its okay. Just l et it go.Peters trembling grew deeper.She held him again, stroking the backbone of his head. Peter, youve always been the strong one . . . youve always been there for me. But Im here for you now. Its okay. Im right here.Katherine eased his head gently onto her shoulder . . . and the great Peter Solomon collapsed sobbing in her arms. coach Sato stepped away to take an incoming call.It was Nola Kaye. Her news, for a change, was good.Still no signs of distribution, maam. She sounded hopeful. Im self-confident we would have seen something by now. It looks like you contained it.Thanks to you, Nola, Sato thought, glancing down at the laptop, which Langdon had seen complete its transmission. A very close call.At Nolas suggestion, the agent searching the manor hall had checked the garbage cans, discovering packaging for a newly purchased cellular modem. With the exact model number, Nola had been able to cross-reference compatible carriers, bandwidths, and service grids, isolating the lap tops most likely access thickenera small transmitter on the corner of Sixteenth and Corcoranthree blocks from the synagogue.Nola quickly relayed the information to Sato in the helicopter. On approach toward the signaling of the Temple, the pilot had performed a low-altitude flyover and pulsed the relay node with a blast of electromagnetic radiation, knocking it off-line only seconds before the laptop completed its transfer.Great work tonight, Sato said. Now get some sleep. Youve take in it.Thank you, maam. Nola hesitated.Was there something else?Nola was silent a long moment, apparently considering whether or not to speak. Nothing that cant wait till sunrise, maam. Have a good night.CHAPTER 125In the silence of an elegant bathroom on the ground floor of the House of the Temple, Robert Langdon ran warm water into a roofing tile sink and eyed himself in the mirror. Even in the muted light, he looked like he felt . . . utterly spent.His daybag was on his shoulder again, oftentim es lighter now . . . empty except for his personal items and some crumble raise notes. He had to chuckle. His visit to D.C. tonight to give a lecture had turned out a piece of music more grueling than hed anticipated.Even so, Langdon had a lot to be grateful for.Peter is alive.And the video was contained.As Langdon scooped handfuls of warm water onto his face, he gradually felt himself coming back to life. Everything was still a blur, but the adrenaline in his body was in conclusion dissipating . . . and he was feeling like himself again. After drying his hands, he checked his paddy field Mouse watch.My God, its late.Langdon exited the bathroom and wound his way along the curved wall of the Hall of Honora gracefully arched passageway, lined with portraits of ended Masons . . . U.S. presidents, philanthropists, luminaries, and other influential Americans. He paused at an oil painting of rile S. Truman and tried to imagine the man undergoing the rites, rituals, and studies requi red to become a Mason.There is a hidden world behind the one we all see. For all of us.You slipped away, a voice said down the hall.Langdon turned. It was Katherine. Shed been through hell tonight, and yet she looked dead radiant . . . rejuvenated somehow.Langdon gave a tired smile. Hows he doing?Katherine walked up and embraced him warmly. How can I ever thank you?He laughed. You know I didnt do anything, right?Katherine held him for a long time. Peters going to be fine . . . She let go and looked deep into Langdons eyes. And he just told me something incredible . . . something wonderful. Her voice trembled with anticipation. I need to go see it for myself. Ill be back in a bit.What? Where are you going?I wont be long. Right now, Peter wants to speak with you . . . alone. Hes waiting in the subroutine library.Did he say why? Katherine chuckled and shook her head. You know Peter and his secrets.ButIll see you in a bit.Then she was gone.Langdon sighed heavily. He felt like hed had enough secrets for one night. There were unanswered questions, of coursethe Masonic Pyramid and the Lost Word among thembut he sensed that the answers, if they even existed, were not for him. Not as a non-Mason.Mustering the last of his energy, Langdon do his way to the Masonic library. When he arrived, Peter was sitting all alone at a prorogue with the mark pyramid before him.Robert? Peter smiled and waved him in. Id like a word.Langdon managed a grin. Yes, I hear you woolly one.CHAPTER 126The library in the House of the Temple was D.C.s oldest public reading room. Its elegant loads burgeoned with over a quarter of a million volumes, including a rarified copy of the Ahiman Rezon, The Secrets of a Prepared Brother. In addition, the library displayed precious Masonic jewels, ritual artifacts, and even a rare volume that had been hand-printed by benjamin Franklin.Langdons favorite library treasure, however, was one few ever noticed.The illusion.Solomon had shown him long ago t hat from the proper vantage point, the librarys reading desk and golden table lamp created an unmistakable optical illusion . . . that of a pyramid and shining golden cap gemstone. Solomon said he always considered the illusion a silent reminder that the mysteries of Freemasonry were perfectly panoptic to anyone and everyone if they were seen from the proper posture.Tonight, however, the mysteries of Freemasonry had materialized front and center. Langdon now sat opposite the Worshipful nobleman Peter Solomon and the Masonic Pyramid. Peter was smiling. The word you refer to, Robert, is not a legend. It is a reality.Langdon stared across the table and finally spoke. But . . . I dont understand. How is that possible?What is so difficult to accept?All of it Langdon wanted to say, searching his old friends eyes for any spark advance of common sense. Youre saying you believe the Lost Word is real . . . and that it has actual power?Enormous power, Peter said. It has the power to trans form human kind by unlocking the antique Mysteries.A word? Langdon challenged. Peter, I cant possibly believe a wordYou will believe, Peter declared calmly.Langdon stared in silence.As you know, Solomon continued, standing now and pacing around the table, it has long been prophesied that there will come a day when the Lost Word will be rediscovered . . . a day when it will be unearthed . . . and mankind will once again have access to its forgotten power.Langdon flashed on Peters lecture about the Apocalypse. Although many people erroneously interpreted revelation as a cataclysmic end of the world, the word literally good sense an unveiling, predicted by the ancients to be that of great wisdom. The coming age of enlightenment. Even so, Langdon could not imagine such a vast change being ushered in by . . . a word.Peter motioned to the stone pyramid, which sat on the table beside its golden capstone. The Masonic Pyramid, he said. The legendary symbolon. Tonight it stands unified . . . and complete. Reverently, he lifted the golden capstone and set it atop the pyramid. The heavy gold piece clicked softly into place.Tonight, my friend, you have done what has never been done before. You have assembled the Masonic Pyramid, deciphered all of its codes, and in the end, unveiled . . . this.Solomon produced a rag of paper and laid it on the table. Langdon recognized the grid of symbols that had been reorganized apply the Order Eight Franklin Square. He had canvass it briefly in the Temple Room.Peter said, I am curious to know if you can read this array of symbols. After all, you are the specialist.Langdon eyed the grid. Heredom, circumpunct, pyramid, staircase . . .Langdon sighed. Well, Peter, as you can probably see, this is an allegorical pictogram. Clearly its language is nonliteral and symbolic rather than literal.Solomon chuckled. Ask a symbologist a simple question . . . Okay, tell me what you see.Peter really wants to hear this? Langdon pulled the page towa rd him. Well, I looked at it earlier, and, in simple terms, I see that this grid is a picture . . . depicting heaven and earth.Peter arched his eyebrows, looking surprised. Oh?Sure. At the top of the image, we have the word Heredomthe Holy Housewhich I interpret as the House of God . . . or heaven.Okay.The downward-facing arrow after Heredom signifies that the rest of the pictogram clearly lies in the realm under heaven . . . that being . . . earth. Langdons eyes glided now to the bottom of the grid. The lowest dickens rows, those infra the pyramid, represent the earth itselfterra firmathe lowest of all the realms. Fittingly, these lower realms contain the twelve ancient astrological signs, which represent the primordial religion of those first human souls who looked to the heavens and saw the hand of God in the movement of the stars and planets.Solomon slid his chair closer and studied the grid. Okay, what else?On a foundation of astrology, Langdon continued, the great pyramid r ises from the earth . . . stretching toward heaven . . . the enduring symbol of lost wisdom. It is filled with historys great philosophies and religions . . . Egyptian, Pythagorean, Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Judeo-Christian, and on and on . . . all flowing upward, merge together, funneling themselves up through the transformative gateway of the pyramid . . . where they finally fuse into a single, unified human philosophy. He paused. A single universal awareness . . . a shared global vision of God . . . represented by the ancient symbol that hovers over the capstone.The circumpunct, Peter said. A universal symbol for God.Right. Throughout history, the circumpunct has been all things to all peopleit is the sun god Ra, alchemical gold, the all-seeing eye, the singularity point before the Big Bang, theThe Great Architect of the Universe.Langdon nodded, detection this was probably the same argument Peter had used in the Temple Room to sell the idea of the circumpunct as the Lost Word. And finally? Peter asked. What about the staircase?Langdon glanced down at the image of the stairs beneath the pyramid. Peter, Im sure you know as well as anyone, this symbolizes the Winding staircase of Freemasonry . . . leading upward out of the earthly darkness into the light . . . like Jacobs ladder climbing to heaven . . . or the tiered human poser that connects mans mortal body to his eternal mind. He paused. As for the rest of the symbols, they come out of the closet to be a blend of celestial, Masonic, and scientific, all lending support to the Ancient Mysteries.Solomon stroked his chin. An elegant interpretation, Professor. I agree, of course, that this grid can be read as allegory, and yet . . . His eyes flashed with deepening mystery. This collection of symbols tells another story as well. A story that is far more revealing.Oh?Solomon began pacing again, circling the table. Earlier tonight, inside the Temple Room, when I believed I was going to die, I looked at this g rid, and somehow I saw past the metaphor, past the allegory, into the very heart of what these symbols are telling us. He paused, turning abruptly to Langdon. This grid reveals the exact position where the Lost Word is buried.Come again? Langdon shifted uneasily in his chair, suddenly fearing that the trauma of the evening had left Peter disorientated and confused.Robert, legend has always describe the Masonic Pyramid as a mapa very unique(predicate) mapa map that could guide the worthy to the secret location of the Lost Word. Solomon tapped the grid of symbols in front of Langdon. I cover you, these symbols are exactly what legend says they are . . . a map. A specific diagram that reveals exactly where we will find the staircase that leads down to the Lost Word.Langdon gave an uneasy laugh, treading carefully now. Even if I believed the Legend of the Masonic Pyramid, this grid of symbols cant possibly be a map. Look at it. It looks nothing like a map.Solomon smiled. Sometimes all it takes is a tiny shift of perspective to see something familiar in a totally new light.Langdon looked again but saw nothing new.Let me ask you a question, Peter said. When Masons lay cornerstones, do you know why we lay them in the atomic number 10 corner of a building?Sure, because the northeast corner receives the first rays of morning light. It is symbolic of the power of architecture to climb out of the earth into the light.Right, Peter said. So perhaps you should look there for the first rays of light. He motioned to the grid. In the northeast corner.Langdon returned his eyes to the page, moving his gaze to the upper right or northeast corner. The symbol in that corner was .A downward-pointing arrow, Langdon said, trying to dig Solomons point. Which means . . . beneath Heredom.No, Robert, not beneath, Solomon replied. Think. This grid is not a metaphorical maze. Its a map. And on a map, a directional arrow that points down meansSouth, Langdon exclaimed, startled.Exactly So lomon replied, grinning now with excitement. Due south On a map, down is south. Moreover, on a map, the word Heredom would not be a metaphor for heaven, it would be the name of a geographic location.The House of the Temple? Youre saying this map is pointing . . . over collect south of this building? acclaim God Solomon said, laughing. Light dawns at last.Langdon studied the grid. But, Peter . . . even if youre right, due south of this building could be anywhere on a longitude thats over twenty-four thousand miles long.No, Robert. You are ignoring the legend, which claims the Lost Word is buried in D.C. That shortens the line substantially. In addition, legend also claims that a large stone sits atop the opening of the staircase . . . and that this stone is chip at with a pith in an ancient language . . . as a kind of fall guy so the worthy can find it.Langdon was having trouble taking any of this seriously, and while he didnt know D.C. well enough to picture what was due south of their current location, he was pretty certain there was no huge engraved stone atop a buried staircase.The means inscribed on the stone, Peter said, is right here before our eyes. He tapped the third row of the grid before Langdon. This is the inscription, Robert Youve solved the puzzleDumbfounded, Langdon studied the seven symbols.Solved? Langdon had no idea whatsoever what these seven different symbols could possibly mean, and he was damned sure they were not engraved anywhere in the nations capital . . . particularly on a giant stone over a staircase.Peter, he said, I dont see how this sheds any light at all. I know of no stone in D.C. engraved with this . . . message.Solomon patted him on the shoulder. You have walked past it and never seen it. We all have. It is sitting in plain view, like the mysteries themselves. And tonight, when I saw these seven symbols, I cognize in an instant that the legend was true. The Lost Word is buried in D.C. . . . and it does rest at the bo ttom of a long staircase beneath an enormous engraved stone.Mystified, Langdon remained silent.Robert, tonight I believe you have earned the right to know the truth.Langdon stared at Peter, trying to process what he had just heard. Youre going to tell me where the Lost Word is buried?No, Solomon said, standing up with a smile. Im going to show you.Five minutes later, Langdon was buckling himself into the backseat of the Escalade beside Peter Solomon. Simkins climbed in behind the wheel as Sato approached across the parking lot.Mr. Solomon? the conductor said, lighting a cigarette as she arrived. Ive just made the call you requested.And? Peter asked through his open window.I ordered them to give you access. Briefly.Thank you.Sato studied him, looking curious. I must say, its a most unknown request.Solomon gave an enigmatic shrug.Sato let it go, circling around to Langdons window and rapping with her knuckles.Langdon lowered the window.Professor, she said, with no hint of warmth. You r assistance tonight, while reluctant, was critical to our success . . . and for that, I thank you. She took a long drag on her cigarette and blew it sideways. However, one final bit of advice. The next time a senior administrator of the CIA tells you she has a national-security crisis . . . Her eyes flashed black. Leave the bullshit in Cambridge.Langdon opened his mouth to speak, but Director Inoue Sato had already turned and was headed off across the parking lot toward a waiting helicopter.Simkins glanced over his shoulder, stone-faced. Are you gentlemen ready?Actually, Solomon said, just one moment. He produced a small, folded piece of dark fabric and handed it to Langdon. Robert, Id like you to put this on before we go anywhere.Puzzled, Langdon examined the cloth. It was black velvet. As he unfolded it, he realized he was holding a Masonic hoodwinkthe traditionalistic blindfold of a first-degree initiate. What the hell?Peter said, Id prefer you not see where were going.Langdon turned to Peter. You want to blindfold me for the journey?Solomon grinned. My secret. My rules.