course of action, Professor — to start cooperating with the one person who seems to know where he is.» Sato checked her watch. «Our time is limited. I can assure you it is imperative we comply with this man’s demands quickly.»
«How?» Langdon asked, incredulous. «By locating and unlocking an ancient portal? There
Sato stepped close, less than a foot from Langdon. «If I may point this out. . your
«He
«My point exactly. That is hardly the act of an uncommitted or uncertain individual. More important, Professor, this man obviously believes you can help him. He brought you all the way to Washington — and he must have done it for a reason.»
«He said the only reason he thinks I can unlock this ‘portal’ is that
«And why would Peter Solomon say that if it weren’t true?»
«I’m sure Peter said no such thing. And if he did, then he did so under duress. He was confused. . or frightened.»
«Yes. It’s called interrogational torture, and it’s quite effective. All the more reason Mr. Solomon would tell the truth.» Sato spoke as if she’d had personal experience with this technique. «Did he explain
Langdon shook his head.
«Professor, if your reputations are correct, then you and Peter Solomon both share an interest in this sort of thing — secrets, historical esoterica, mysticism, and so on. In all of your discussions with Peter, he never once mentioned to you anything about a secret portal in Washington, D.C.?»
Langdon could scarcely believe he was being asked this question by a high-ranking officer of the CIA. «I’m certain of it. Peter and I talk about some pretty arcane things, but believe me, I’d tell him to get his head examined if he ever told me there was an ancient portal hidden anywhere at all. Particularly one that leads to the Ancient Mysteries.»
She glanced up. «I’m sorry? The man told you
«Yes, but he didn’t have to.» Langdon motioned to the hand. «The Hand of the Mysteries is a formal invitation to pass through a mystical gateway and acquire ancient secret knowledge — powerful wisdom known as the Ancient Mysteries. . or the lost wisdom of all the ages.»
«So you’ve
«A lot of historians have heard of it.»
«Then how can you say the portal does not exist?»
«With respect, ma’am, we’ve all heard of the Fountain of Youth and Shangri-la, but that does not mean they exist.»
The loud squawk of Anderson’s radio interrupted them.
«Chief?» the voice on the radio said.
anderson snatched his radio from his belt. «anderson here.»
«Sir, we’ve completed a search of the grounds. There’s no one here that fits the description. Any further orders, sir?»
Anderson shot a quick glance at Sato, clearly expecting a reprimand, but Director Sato seemed uninterested. Anderson moved away from Langdon and Sato, speaking quietly into his radio.
Sato’s unwavering focus remained on Langdon. «You’re saying the secret he believes is hidden in Washington. . is a
Langdon nodded. «A very old myth. The secret of the Ancient Mysteries is pre-Christian, actually. Thousands of years old.»
«And yet it’s
«As are many equally improbable beliefs.» Langdon often reminded his students that most modern religions included stories that did not hold up to scientific scrutiny: everything from Moses parting the Red Sea. . to Joseph Smith using magic eyeglasses to translate the Book of Mormon from a series of gold plates he found buried in upstate New York.
«I see. So what exactly
Langdon exhaled.
«Dangerous in what way?»
«The information was kept hidden for the same reason we keep matches from children. In the correct hands, fire can provide illumination. . but in the wrong hands, fire can be highly destructive.»
Sato took off her glasses and studied him. «Tell me, Professor, do you believe such powerful information could truly exist?»
Langdon was not sure how to respond. The Ancient Mysteries had always been the greatest paradox of his academic career. Virtually every mystical tradition on earth revolved around the idea that there existed arcane knowledge capable of imbuing humans with mystical, almost godlike, powers: tarot and
As an academic, Langdon could not deny the historical record of these traditions — troves of documents, artifacts, and artwork that, indeed, clearly suggested the ancients had a powerful wisdom that they shared only through allegory, myths, and symbols, ensuring that only those properly initiated could access its power. nonetheless, as a realist and a skeptic, langdon remained unconvinced.
«Let’s just say I’m a skeptic,» he told Sato. «I have never seen anything in the real world to suggest the Ancient Mysteries are anything other than legend — a recurring mythological archetype. It seems to me that if it were
Sato arched her eyebrows. «That’s not entirely true.»
Langdon hesitated, realizing that for many religious people, there was indeed a precedent for human gods, Jesus being the most obvious. «Admittedly,» he said, «there are plenty of educated people who believe this empowering wisdom truly exists, but I’m not yet convinced.»
«Is Peter Solomon one of those people?» Sato asked, glancing toward the hand on the floor.
Langdon could not bring himself to look at the hand. «Peter comes from a family lineage that has always had a passion for all things ancient and mystical.»
«Was that a yes?» Sato asked.
«I can assure you that even if Peter believes the Ancient Mysteries are real, he does
Sato nodded. «So you believe this portal is a
«Of course,» Langdon said. «In theory, anyway. It’s a very common metaphor — a mystical portal through which one must travel to become enlightened. Portals and doorways are common symbolic constructs that represent transformative rites of passage. To look for a
Sato seemed to consider this momentarily. «But it sounds like Mr. Solomon’s captor believes you can unlock an
Langdon exhaled. «He’s made the same error many zealots make — confusing metaphor with a literal reality.» Similarly, early alchemists had toiled in vain to transform lead into gold, never realizing that lead-to-gold
