CHAPTER 67
West of embassy row, all was silent again inside the walled garden with its twelfth- century roses and shadow house gazebo. on the other side of an entry road, the young man was helping his hunched superior walk across an expansive lawn.
Normally, the blind old man refused help, preferring to navigate by memory alone while on the grounds of his sanctuary. Tonight, however, he was apparently in a hurry to get inside and return Warren Bellamy’s phone call.
«Thank you,» the old man said as they entered the building that held his private study. «I can find my way from here.»
«Sir, I would be happy to stay and help — »
«That’s all for tonight,» he said, letting go of his helper’s arm and shuffling hurriedly off into the darkness. «Good night.»
The young man exited the building and walked back across the great lawn to his modest dwelling on the grounds. By the time he entered his flat, he could feel his curiosity gnawing at him. The old man clearly had been upset by the question posed by Mr. Bellamy. . and yet the question had seemed strange, almost meaningless.
In his wildest imagination, he could not guess what this could mean. Puzzled, he went to his computer and typed in a search for this precise phrase.
To his great surprise, page after page of references appeared, all citing this exact question. He read the information in wonderment. It seemed Warren Bellamy was not the first person in history to ask this strange question. These same words had been uttered centuries ago. . by King Solomon as he mourned a murdered friend. The question was allegedly still spoken today by Masons, who used it as a kind of encoded cry for help. Warren Bellamy, it seemed, was sending a distress call to a fellow Mason.
CHAPTER 68
Albrecht Dьrer?
Katherine was trying to put the pieces together as she hurried with Langdon through the basement of the Adams Building.
«Dьrer is symbolically perfect,» Langdon was saying as they followed the trail of illuminated EXIT signs. «he was the ultimate renaissance mind — artist, philosopher, alchemist,
«That may be true,» she said. «But how does ‘1514 Albrecht Dьrer’ explain how to decipher the pyramid?» They reached a locked door, and Langdon used Bellamy’s key card to get through.
«The number 1514,» Langdon said as they hurried up the stairs, «is pointing us to a very specific piece of Dьrer’s work.» They came into a huge corridor. Langdon glanced around and then pointed left. «This way.» They moved quickly again. «Albrecht Dьrer actually
Peter had once shown Katherine
«As you may know,» Langdon said, sounding excited, «
«Yes,» he said with a smile, «and something tells me
«Forget it, Robert, I know what happens when you go to museums.» Katherine headed off into a nearby alcove, where she saw a desk with a computer.
Langdon followed, looking unhappy.
«Let’s do this the easier way.» It seemed Professor Langdon, the art connoisseur, was having an ethical dilemma about using the Internet when an original was so nearby. Katherine stepped behind the desk and powered up the computer. When the machine finally came to life, she realized she had another problem. «There’s no icon for a browser.»
«It’s an internal library network.» Langdon pointed to an icon on the desktop. «Try that.»
Katherine clicked on the icon marked DIGITAL COLLECTIONS. the computer accessed a new screen, and langdon pointed again. katherine clicked on his choice of icon: FINE PRINTS COLLECTION. the screen refreshed. FINE PRINTS: SEARCH.
«Type in ‘Albrecht Dьrer.’ »
Katherine entered the name and then clicked the search key. Within seconds, the screen began displaying a series of thumbnail images. All of the images looked to be similar in style — intricate black-and-white engravings. Dьrer had apparently done dozens of similar engravings.
Katherine scanned the alphabetical list of his artwork.
Adam and Eve
Betrayal of Christ
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Great Passion
Last Supper
Seeing all the biblical titles, Katherine recalled that Dьrer practiced something called Mystic Christianity — a fusion of early Christianity, alchemy, astrology, and science.
The image of her lab in flames rushed through her mind. She could barely process the long-term ramifications, but for the moment, her thoughts turned to her assistant, Trish.
langdon was saying something about dьrer’s version of the last supper, but katherine was barely listening. she had just seen the link for
She clicked the mouse, and the page refreshed with general information.
Albrecht Dьrer
(engraving on laid paper)
Rosenwald Collection
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C.
When she scrolled down, a high-res digital image of Dьrer’s masterpiece appeared in all its glory.
Katherine stared in bewilderment, having forgotten just how strange it was.
Langdon gave an understanding chuckle. «As I said, it’s cryptic.»
