The Da Vinci Code Chapter 102-104

CHAPTER 102The veil had settled low on Kensington Gardens as Silas limped into a quiet hollow by of sight. Kneeling on the wet grass, he could tonusing at a keenaway stream of blood flowing from the bullet wound down the stairs his ribs. Still, he stared straight ahead.The fog make it look standardized enlightenment here.Raising his bloody collapses to pray, he watched the raindrops caress his fingers, turning them s promptlyy again. As the droplets drop down harder crosswise his keister and shoulders, he could olfactory modality his ashes disappea syndicate bit by bit into the mist.I am a ghost.A breeze rustled early(prenominal) him, carrying the damp, earthy scent of new life. With solely(prenominal) living cell in his broken body, Silas prayed. He prayed for forgiveness. He prayed for mercy. And, higher up all, he prayed for his mentor Bishop Aringarosa that the shaper would non take him ahead his time. Hehas so overmuch exit left(a) to do.The fog was swi rling around him at one time, and Silas felt so light that he was sure the wisps would carry him a bearing. Closing his eyeball, he say a final examination prayer.From somewhere in the mist, the voice of Manuel Aringarosa whispered to him.Our Lord is a good and merciful God.Silass pain at last began to fade, and he knew the bishop was cover.CHAPTER 103It was y step uphful afternoon when the London sun broke done and the metropolis began to dry. Bezu Fache felt break as he emerged from the interrogation elbow room and hailed a cab. Sir Leigh Teabing had vociferously proclaimed his innocence, and n integritytheless from his incoherent rantings intimately the sacred grail, unavowed documents, and mysterious br separatehoods, Fache rummyed the wily historian was setting the s taile for his lawyers to allege an insanity defense.Sure, Fache thought. Insane.Teabing had disp nonplused ingenious precision in formulating a plan that defend his innocence at every turn. He had ex ploited twain(prenominal) the Vatican and part Dei, two groups that move out to be completely unsophisticated. His dirty work had been carried out unk immediatelyingly by a fanatical monk and a desperate bishop. More clever still, Teabing had situated his electronic listening view in the one place a earthly concern with polio could non possibly reach. The actual surveillance had been carried out by his manservant, Remy the lone somebody privy to Teabings true identity now conveniently bushed(p) of an supersensitized reaction.Hardly the handiwork of someone lacking mental faculties, Fache thought.The information advance from Collet out of Chateau Villette suggested that Teabings cunning ran so deep that Fache himself cleverness until now learn from it. To successfully hide bugs in some of Pariss nearly decent hitices, the British historian had turned to the Greeks. Trojan horses.Some of Teabings intended targets received waste gifts of artwork, others unwittingly bi d at auctions in which Teabing had placed specific lots. In Saunieres case, the curator had received a dinner invitation to Chateau Villette to discuss the possibility of Teabings supporting a new Da Vinci Wing at the Louvre. Saunieres invitation had contained an innocuous supplement expressing fascination with a robotic k ghastly that Sauniere was ru more(prenominal)d to have built. Bring him to dinner, Teabing had suggested. Sauniere apparently had process just that and left the knight unattended long enough for Remy Legaludec to make one inconspicuous increment.Now, sitting in the back of the cab, Fache endingd his eyes. angiotensin converting enzyme more thing to attend to beforehand Ireturn to Paris.The St. bloody shames Hospital rec everywherey room was sunny.Youve impressed us all, the imbibe utter, smiling down at him. nix short of miraculous. Bishop Aringarosa gave a weak smile. I have always been blessed. The nurse finished puttering, leaving the bishop alone. The sunlight felt welcome and warm on his baptismal font. prevail night had been the ignominiousest night of his life.Despondently, he thought of Silas, whose body had been erect in the park.Please forgive me, my son.Aringarosa had longed for Silas to be part of his glorious plan. Last night, however, Aringarosa had received a foretell from Bezu Fache, questioning the bishop about his apparent society to a nun who had been murdered in Saint-Sulpice. Aringarosa realized the evening had taken a horrifying turn. News of the four additional murders transformed his crime to anguish. Silas, what have you done Unable to reach the Teacher, the bishop knew he had been cut loose. Used.The besides way to stop the horrific chain of events he had helped put in motion was to confess everything to Fache, and from that moment on, Aringarosa and Fache had been racing to catch up with Silas before the Teacher persuaded him to kill again.Feeling bone weary, Aringarosa closed his eyes and list ened to the television set coverage of the arrest of a prominent British knight, Sir Leigh Teabing. The Teacher lay bare for all to receive.Teabing had caught wind of the Vaticans plans to disassociate itself from part Dei. He had elect Aringarosa as the perfect pawn in his plan. later on all, who more in all carelihood to leap blindly after the sanctified grail thana man like myself with everything to lose? The Grail would have brought enormous power to anyone who possessed it.Leigh Teabing had protect his identity shrewdly feigning a French accent and a pious heart, and demanding as honorarium the one thing he did non need money. Aringarosa had been far too eager to be suspicious. The price tag of twenty million euro was paltry when compared with the prize of obtaining the Grail, and with the Vaticans separation payment to Opus Dei, the finances had worked nicely. The blind agnise what they want to see.Teabings ultimate insult, of course, had been to demand payment in Vatican bonds, such that if anything went wrong, the investigation would lead to Rome.I am radiant to see youre well, My Lord.Aringarosa recognized the gruff voice in the doorway, still the fountain was unforeseen stern, powerful features, slicked-back hair, and a broad neck that strained against his dark suit. Captain Fache? Aringarosa asked. The compassion and concern the captain had shown for Aringarosas plight last night had conjured images of a far gentler physique.The captain approached the bed and hoisted a familiar, heavy gloomy briefcase onto a chair. I believe this belongs to you.Aringarosa looked at the briefcase filled with bonds and right off looked away, jot only shame. Yes thank you. He paused while working his fingers across the communication channel of his bed sheet, then continued. Captain, I have been giving this deep thought, and I need to ask a favor of you.Of course.The families of those in Paris who Silas He paused, s seawallowing the emotion. I real ize no sum could possibly serve as sufficient restitution, and insofar, if you could be kind enough to divide the contents of this briefcase among them the families of the deceased.Faches dark eyes studied him a long moment. A virtuous gesture, My Lord. I will see to it your wishes are carried out.A heavy silence fell among them.On the television, a lean French police ships officer was giving a press conference in front of a sprawling mansion. Fache power saw who it was and turned his attention to the screen.Lieutenant Collet, a BBC newsman said, her voice accusing. Last night, your captain publicly charged two innocent people with murder. will Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu be seeking accountability from your department? Will this cost Captain Fache his job?Lieutenant Collets smile was tired solely calm. It is my experience that Captain Bezu Fache seldom makes mistakes. I have not yet speak to him on this matter, but dwelling how he operates, I suspect his public manhunt fo r cistron Neveu and Mr. Langdon was part of a ruse to lure out the real killer.The reporters exchanged surprised looks.Collet continued. Whether or not Mr. Langdon and Agent Neveu were willing participants in the sting, I do not know. Captain Fache tends to go for his more creative methods to himself. All I can confirm at this point is that the captain has successfully arrested the man responsible, and that Mr. Langdon and Agent Neveu are both innocent and safe.Fache had a faint smile on his lips as he turned back to Aringarosa. A good man, that Collet.Several moments passed. Finally, Fache ran his hand over his forehead, slicking back his hair as he gazed down at Aringarosa. My Lord, before I return to Paris, there is one final matter Id like to discuss your impromptu flight to London. You bribed a control to change course. In doing so, you broke a number of international laws. Aringarosa slumped. I was desperate. Yes. As was the pilot when my men interrogated him. Fache reache d in his pocket and produced a purple amethyst ring with a familiar hand-tooled mitre-crozier applique.Aringarosa felt tears welling as he current the ring and slipped it back on his finger. Youve been so kind. He held out his hand and clasped Faches. Thank you.Fache waved off the gesture, walking to the window and gazing out at the city, his thoughts seemingly far away. When he turned, there was an uncertainty about him. My Lord, where do you go from here?Aringarosa had been asked the call for same question as he left Castel Gandolfo the night before. I suspect my path is as uncertain as yours.Yes. Fache paused. I suspect I will be retiring early.Aringarosa smiled. A little faith can do wonders, Captain. A little faith.CHAPTER 104Rosslyn chapel service service often called the Cathedral of Codes stands seven miles south of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the site of an quaint Mithraic temple. Built by the Knights Templar in 1446, the chapel is engraved with a soul-boggling array of symbols from the Jewish, Christian, Egyptian, masonic, and pagan traditions.The chapels geographic coordinates fall precisely on the north-south meridian that runs by means of Glastonbury. This longitudinal blush wine Line is the traditional soft touch of King Arthurs Isle of Avalon and is considered the central pillar of Britains sacred geometry. It is from this hallowed Rose Line that Rosslyn originally spelled Roslin takes its name.Rosslyns rugged spires were casting long evening shadows as Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu pulled their rental car into the grassy parking area at the hind end of the bluff on which the chapel stood. Their short flight from London to Edinburgh had been restful, although incomplete of them had slept for the anticipation of what lay ahead. Gazing up at the stark edifice shut in against a cloud-swept sky, Langdon felt like Alice falling headlong into the rabbit hole. This moldiness be a dream.And yet he knew the text of Saunieres final essence c ould not have been more specific.The Blessed Grail neath superannuated Roslin waits.Langdon had fantasized that Saunieres Grail map would be a diagram a drawing with an X- marks-the-spot and yet the Priorys final secret had been unveiled in the same way Sauniere had spoken to them from the beginning. Simple euphony.Four explicit lines that pointed without a doubt to this very spot. In addition to identifying Rosslyn by name, the verse do reference to several of the chapels renowned architectural features.Despite the clarity of Saunieres final revelation, Langdon had been left feeling more off balance than enlightened. To him, Rosslyn chapel seemed far too diaphanous a location. For centuries, this lapidate chapel had echoed with whispers of the Holy Grails strawman. The whispers had turned to shouts in recent decades when ground-penetrating radar revealed the presence of an astonishing structure downstairs the chapel a massive subterraneous chamber. Not only did this dee p miss dwarf the chapel atop it, but it appeared to have no entrance or exit. Archaeologists petitioned to begin make noise through the bedrock to reach the mysterious chamber, but the Rosslyn Trust expressly forbade any excavation of the sacred site. Of course, this only fueled the fires of speculation. What was the Rosslyn Trust severe to hide?Rosslyn had now become a pilgrimage site for enigma seekers. Some claimed they were drawn here by the powerful magnetic line of business that emanated inexplicably from these coordinates, some claimed they came to search the hillside for a hidden entrance to the vault, but most admitted they had come simply to wander the grounds and absorb the lore of the Holy Grail.Although Langdon had never been to Rosslyn before now, he always chuckled when he heard the chapel described as the current home of the Holy Grail. Admittedly, Rosslyn once might have been home to the Grail, long ago but certainly no longer. Far too much attention had been d rawn to Rosslyn in past decades, and sooner or subsequently someone would find a way to break into the vault.True Grail academics agreed that Rosslyn was a decoy one of the devious dead ends the Priory crafted so convincingly. Tonight, however, with the Priorys keystone offering a verse that pointed directly to this spot, Langdon no longer felt so smug. A baffle question had been running through his mind all sidereal daylightwhy would Sauniere go to such effort to guide us to so obvious a location? in that location seemed only one logical answer.There is something about Rosslyn we have yet to understand.Robert? Sophie was standing outside the car, feeling back at him. Are you corning? She was holding the rosewood logewood, which Captain Fache had returned to them. Inside, both cryptexes had been reassembled and nested as they had been found. The papyrus verse was locked safely at its core minus the shatter vial of vinegar.Making their way up the long gravel path, Langdon an d Sophie passed the noteworthy westmost wall of the chapel. Casual visitors assumed this oddly protruding wall was a section of the chapel that had not been finished. The truth, Langdon recalled, was far more fascinate.The west wall of Solomons Temple.The Knights Templar had designed Rosslyn Chapel as an exact architectural conception of Solomons Temple in Jerusalem complete with a west wall, a narrow rectangular recourse, and a subterranean vault like the Holy of Holies, in which the original nine knights had first off unearthed their priceless treasure. Langdon had to admit, there existed an intriguing symmetry in the idea of the Templars building a modern Grail repository that echoed the Grails original hiding place. Rosslyn Chapels entrance was more modest than Langdon expected. The flyspeck wooden door had two iron hinges and a simple, oak sign.ROSLINThis ancient spelling, Langdon explained to Sophie, derived from the Rose Line meridian on which the chapel sat or, as Gr ail academics preferred to believe, from the Line of Rose the ancestral lineage of Mary Magdalene.The chapel would be closing soon, and as Langdon pulled open the door, a warm puff of air escaped, as if the ancient edifice were heaving a weary sigh at the end of a long day. Her introduction arches burgeoned with carved cinquefoils.Roses. The womb of the goddess.Entering with Sophie, Langdon felt his eyes comer across the famous sanctuary and taking it all in. Although he had read accounts of Rosslyns arrestingly entangled stonework, seeing it in psyche was an overwhelming encounter.Symbology heaven, one of Langdons colleagues had called it.Every protrude in the chapel had been carved with symbols Christian cruciforms, Jewish stars, masonic seals, Templar crosses, cornucopias, pyramids, astrological signs, plants, vegetables, pentacles, and roses. The Knights Templar had been master stonemasons, erecting Templar churches all over Europe, but Rosslyn was considered their most grand labor of love and veneration. The master masons had left no stone uncarved. Rosslyn Chapel was a shrine to all faiths to all traditions and, above all, to nature and the goddess.The sanctuary was empty except for a handful of visitors listening to a unseasoned man giving the days last tour. He was leading them in a single-file line along a well-known route on the infrastructure an invisible pathway linking six key architectural points within the sanctuary. Generations of visitors had walked these straight lines, connecting the points, and their countless foot whole tones had engravedan enormous symbol on the floor.The Star of David, Langdon thought. No alignment there.Also known as Solomons Seal, this hexagram had once been the secret symbol of the stargazing priests and was later adopted by the Israelite kings David and Solomon.The docent had seen Langdon and Sophie enter, and although it was closing time, offered a grateful smile and motioned for them to feel free to l ook around.Langdon nodded his thanks and began to move deeper into the sanctuary. Sophie, however, stood riveted in the entryway, a confuse look on her face.What is it? Langdon asked.Sophie stared out at the chapel. I think Ive been here.Langdon was surprised. stallionly you said you hadnt even heard of Rosslyn.I hadnt She scanned the sanctuary, looking uncertain. My gramps must have brought me here when I was very young. I dont know. It feels familiar. As her eyes scanned the room, she began lachrymose with more certainty. Yes. She pointed to the front of the sanctuary. Those two pillars Ive seen them.Langdon looked at the pair of intricately sculpted columns at the far end of the sanctuary. Their white lacework carvings seemed to smolder with a ruddy glow as the last of the days sunlight streamed in through the west window. The pillars positioned where the altar would normally stand were an oddly matched pair. The pillar on the left was carved with simple, vertical lines, while the pillar on the right was embellished with an ornate, flowering spiral.Sophie was already moving toward them. Langdon hurried after her, and as they reached the pillars, Sophie was nodding with incredulity. Yes, Im positive I have seen theseI dont doubt youve seen them, Langdon said, but it wasnt of necessity here.She turned. What do you mean?These two pillars are the most duplicated architectural structures in history. Replicas exist all over the world.Replicas of Rosslyn? She looked skeptical.No. Of the pillars. Do you remember earlier that I mentioned Rosslyn itself is a copy of Solomons Temple? Those two pillars are exact replicas of the two pillars that stood at the head of Solomons Temple. Langdon pointed to the pillar on the left. Thats called Boaz or the Masons Pillar. The other is called Jachin or the learner Pillar. He paused. In fact, virtually every Masonic temple in the world has two pillars like these.Langdon had already explained to her about the Templars powerful historic ties to the modern Masonic secret societies, whose primary degrees Apprentice Freemason, Fellowcraft Freemason, and Master Mason harked back to early Templar days. Sophies grandfathers final verse made direct reference to the Master Masons who adorned Rosslyn with their carved artistic offerings. It in like manner noted Rosslyns central ceiling, which was covered with carvings of stars and planets.Ive never been in a Masonic temple, Sophie said, still eyeing the pillars. I am almost positive I saw these here. She turned back into the chapel, as if looking for something else to jog her memory.The rest of the visitors were now leaving, and the young docent made his way across the chapel to them with a pleasant smile. He was a handsome young man in his late twenties, with a Scottish brogue and strawberry blond hair. Im about to close up for the day. May I help you find anything?How about the Holy Grail? Langdon wanted to say.The statute, Sophie blurted, in sudden revelation. Theres a code here The docent looked pleased by her enthusiasm. Yes there is, maam. Its on the ceiling, she said, turning to the right-hand wall. someplace over there.He smiled. Not your first visit to Rosslyn, I see.The code, Langdon thought. He had forgotten that little bit of lore. Among Rosslyns numerous mysteries was a vaulted arch from which hundreds of stone blocks protruded, jutting down to form a bizarre assorted surface. Each block was carved with a symbol, seemingly at random, creating a cipher of unfathomable proportion. Some people believed the code revealed the entrance to the vault beneath the chapel.Others believed it told the true Grail legend. Not that it mattered cryptographers had been trying for centuries to decipher its meaning. To this day the Rosslyn Trust offered a generous reward to anyone who could unveil the secret meaning, but the code remained a closed book. Id be happy to showThe docents voice trailed off.My first code, Sophie thought, moving alone, in a trance, toward the encoded arch. Having handed the rosewood lash to Langdon, she could feel herself momentarily for getting all about the Holy Grail, the Priory of Sion, and all the mysteries of the past day. When she arrived beneath the encoded ceiling and saw the symbols above her, the memories came flooding back. She was recalling her first visit here, and strangely, the memories conjured an unexpected worrisomeness.She was a little girl a year or so after her familys death. Her grandfather had brought her to Scotland on a short vacation. They had come to see Rosslyn Chapel before sledding back to Paris. It was late evening, and the chapel was closed. plainly they were still inside. Can we go home, Grand-pere? Sophie begged, feeling tired. Soon, dear, very soon. His voice was melancholy. I have one last thing I need to do here. How about if you wait in the car?Youre doing another big person thing? He nodded. Ill be fast. I promise. Can I do the archway cod e again? That was fun.I dont know. I have to step outside. You wont be frightened in here alone? Of course not she said with a huff. Its not even dark yet He smiled. Very well then. He led her over to the elaborate archway he had shown her earlier.Sophie immediately plopped down on the stone floor, lying on her back and staring up at the collage of puzzle pieces overhead. Im going to break this code before you get backIts a race then. He bent over, kissed her forehead, and walked to the nigh side door. Ill be right outside. Ill emerge the door open. If you need me, just call. He exited into the soft evening light.Sophie lay there on the floor, gazing up at the code. Her eyes felt sleepy. After a few minutes, the symbols got fuzzy. And then they disappeared.When Sophie awoke, the floor felt cold.Grand-pere?There was no answer. Standing up, she brushed herself off. The side door was still open. The evening was getting darker. She walked outside and could see her grandfather standin g on the porch of a nearby stone house directly behind the church. Her grandfather was talking softly to a person notwithstanding visible inside the screened door.Grand-pere? she called.Her grandfather turned and waved, motioning for her to wait just a moment. Then, slowly, he said some final words to the person inside and blew a kiss toward the screened door. He came to her with lachrymose eyes.Why are you crying, Grand-pere?He picked her up and held her close. Oh, Sophie, you and I have said sayonara to a lot of people this year. Its hard.Sophie thought of the accident, of saying good-bye to her mother and father, her grandmother and baby brother. Were you saying goodbye to another person?To a dear friend whom I love very much, he replied, his voice heavy with emotion. And I fear I will not see her again for a very long time.Standing with the docent, Langdon had been see the chapel walls and feeling a rising wariness that a dead end might be looming. Sophie had wandered off t o look at the code and left Langdon holding the rosewood box, which contained a Grail map that now appeared to be no help at all. Although Saunieres poem clearly indicated Rosslyn, Langdon was not sure what to do now that they had arrived. The poem made reference to a blade and goblet, which Langdon saw nowhere.The Holy Grail neath ancient Roslin waits.The blade and chalice guarding oer Her gates.Again Langdon sensed there remained some facet of this mystery yet to reveal itself.I hate to pry, the docent said, eyeing the rosewood box in Langdons hands. entirely this box might I ask where you got it?Langdon gave a weary laugh. Thats an exceptionally long story.The young man hesitated, his eyes on the box again. Its the strangest thing my grandmother has a box exactly like that a jewelry box. Identical polished rosewood, same inlaid rose, even the hinges look the same.Langdon knew the young man must be mistaken. If ever a box had been one of a kind, it was thisone the box custom- made for the Priory keystone. The two boxes may be similar but The side door closed loudly, drawing both of their gazes. Sophie had exited without a word and was now wandering down the bluff toward a fieldstone house nearby. Langdon stared after her. Where is she going? She had been acting strangely ever since they entered the building. He turned to the docent. Do you know what that house is?He nodded, in like manner looking puzzled that Sophie was going down there. Thats the chapel rectory. The chapel curator lives there. She also happens to be the head of the Rosslyn Trust. He paused. And my grandmother.Your grandmother heads the Rosslyn Trust?The young man nodded. I live with her in the rectory and help keep up the chapel and give tours. He shrugged. Ive lived here my whole life. My grandmother raise me in that house.Concerned for Sophie, Langdon moved across the chapel toward the door to call out to her. He was only halfway there when he halt short. Something the young man s aid just registered.My grandmother raised me.Langdon looked out at Sophie on the bluff, then down at the rosewood box in his hand. Impossible. Slowly, Langdon turned back to the young man. You said your grandmother has a box like this one?Almost identical. Where did she get it? My grandfather made it for her. He died when I was a baby, but my grandmother still duologue about him. She says he was a genius with his hands. He made all kinds of things.Langdon glimpsed an unimaginable web of connections emerging. You said your grandmother raised you. Do you mind my asking what happened to your parents?The young man looked surprised. They died when I was young. He paused. The same day as my grandfather.Langdons heart pounded. In a car accident?The docent recoiled, a look of bewilderment in his olive-green eyes. Yes. In a car accident. My entire family died that day. I lost my grandfather, my parents, and He hesitated, glancing down at the floor. And your sister, Langdon said.Out on the b luff, the fieldstone house was exactly as Sophie remembered it. Night was falling now, and the house exuded a warm and inviting aura. The smell of bread wafted through the opened screened door, and a gilded light shone in the windows. As Sophie approached, she could hear the quiet sounds of sobbing from within.through and through the screened door, Sophie saw an elderly cleaning lady in the hallway. Her back was to the door, but Sophie could see she was crying. The fair sex had long, luxuriant, silver hair that conjured an unexpected wisp of memory. Feeling herself drawn closer, Sophie stepped onto the porch stairs. The woman was clutching a framed photograph of a man and touching her fingertips to his face with loving sadness. It was a face Sophie knew well. Grand-pere.The woman had obviously heard the sad news of his death last night.A board squeaked beneath Sophies feet, and the woman turned slowly, her sad eyes finding Sophies. Sophie wanted to run, but she stood transfixed. T he womans passionate gaze never wavered as she set down the photo and approached the screened door. An timeless existence seemed to pass as the two women stared at one another through the thin mesh. Then, like the slowly gathering swell of an ocean wave, the womans mugful transformed from one of uncertainty to disbelief to hope and finally, to cresting joy.Throwing open the door, she came out, reaching with soft hands, cradling Sophies thunderstruck face. Oh, dear child look at youAlthough Sophie did not recognize her, she knew who this woman was. She tried to speak but found she could not even breathe.Sophie, the woman sobbed, kissing her forehead.Sophies words were a choked whisper. But Grand-pere said you wereI know. The woman placed her tender hands on Sophies shoulders and gazed at her with familiar eyes. Your grandfather and I were forced to say so many things. We did what we thought was right. Im so sorry. It was for your own safety, princess.Sophie heard her final word, a nd immediately thought of her grandfather, who had called her princess for so many years. The sound of his voice seemed to echo now in the ancient stones of Rosslyn, settling through the earth and reverberating in the unknown hollows below.The woman threw her arms around Sophie, the tears flowing faster. Your grandfather wanted so badly to tell you everything. But things were difficult between you two. He tried so hard. Theresso much to explain. So very much to explain. She kissed Sophies forehead once again, then whispered in her ear. No more secrets, princess. Its time you learn the truth about our family.Sophie and her grandmother were seated on the porch stairs in a tearful hug when the young docent step on it across the lawn, his eyes shining with hope and disbelief.Sophie?Through her tears, Sophie nodded, standing. She did not know the young mans face, but as they embraced, she could feel the power of the blood traverse through his veins the blood she now understood they sha red.When Langdon walked across the lawn to join them, Sophie could not imagine that only yesterday she had felt so alone in the world. And now, somehow, in this foreign place, in the company of three people she barely knew, she felt at last that she was home.