The Lost Symbol

The old dean placed his hands reverently around the sides of the Masonic Pyramid and spoke very quietly. «My friends, I do not know exactly where this pyramid points. . but I do know this. There is a great spiritual treasure buried out there somewhere. . a treasure that has waited patiently in darkness for generations. I believe it is a catalyst that has the power to transform this world.» He now touched the golden tip of the capstone. «And now that this pyramid is assembled. . the time is fast approaching. And why shouldn’t it? The promise of a great transformational enlightenment has been prophesied forever.»

«Father,» Langdon said, his tone challenging, «we’re all familiar with the Revelation of Saint John and the literal meaning of the Apocalypse, but biblical prophecy hardly seems — »

«Oh, heavens, the Book of Revelation is a mess!» the dean said. «Nobody knows how to read that. I’m talking about clear minds writing in clear language — the predictions of Saint Augustine, Sir Francis Bacon, Newton, Einstein, the list goes on and on, all anticipating a transformative moment of enlightenment. Even Jesus himself said, ‘Nothing is hidden that will not be made known, nor secret that will not come to light.’»

«It’s a safe prediction to make,» Langdon said. «Knowledge grows exponentially. The more we know, the greater our ability to learn, and the faster we expand our knowledge base.»

«Yes,» Katherine added. «We see this in science all the time. Each new technology we invent becomes a tool with which to invent new technologies. . and it snowballs. That’s why science has advanced more in the last five years than in the previous five thousand. Exponential growth. Mathematically, as time passes, the exponential curve of progress becomes almost vertical, and new development occurs incredibly fast.»

Silence fell in the dean’s office, and Galloway sensed that his two guests still had no idea how this pyramid could possibly help them reveal anything further. That is why fate brought you to me, he thought. I have a role to play.

For many years, the Reverend Colin Galloway, along with his Masonic brothers, had played the role of gatekeeper. Now it was all changing.

I am no longer a gatekeeper. . I am a guide.

«professor langdon?» galloway said, reaching out across his desk. «take my hand if you will.»

Robert Langdon felt uncertain as he stared across at Dean Galloway’s outstretched palm.

Are we going to pray?

Politely, Langdon reached out and placed his right hand in the dean’s withered hand. The old man grasped it firmly but did not begin to pray. Instead, he found Langdon’s index finger and guided it downward into the stone box that had once housed the golden capstone.

«Your eyes have blinded you,» the dean said. «If you saw with your fingertips as I do, you would realize this box has something left to teach you.»

Dutifully, Langdon worked his fingertip around the inside of the box, but he felt nothing. The inside was perfectly smooth.

«Keep looking,» Galloway prompted.

Finally, Langdon’s fingertip felt something — a tiny raised circle — a minuscule dot in the center of the base of the box. He removed his hand and peered inside. The little circle was virtually invisible to the naked eye. What is that?

«Do you recognize that symbol?» Galloway asked.

«Symbol?» Langdon replied. «I can barely see anything at all.»

«Push down on it.»

Langdon did as he asked, pressing his fingertip down onto the spot. What does he think will happen?

«Hold your finger down,» the dean said. «Apply pressure.»

Langdon glanced over at Katherine, who looked puzzled as she tucked a wisp of hair behind her ears.

A few seconds later, the old dean finally nodded. «Okay, remove your hand. The alchemy is complete.»

Alchemy? Robert Langdon removed his hand from the stone box and sat in bewildered silence. Nothing had changed at all. The box just sat there on the desk.

«Nothing,» Langdon said.

«Look at your fingertip,» the dean replied. «You should see a transformation.»

Langdon looked at his finger, but the only transformation he could see was that he now had an indentation on his skin made by the circular nubbin — a tiny circle with a dot in the middle.

«Now do you recognize this symbol?» the dean asked.

Although Langdon recognized the symbol, he was more impressed that the dean had been able to feel the detail of it. Seeing with one’s fingertips was apparently a learned skill.

«It’s alchemical,» Katherine said, sliding her chair closer and examining Langdon’s finger. «It’s the ancient symbol for gold.»

«Indeed it is.» The dean smiled and patted the box. «Professor, congratulations. You have just achieved what every alchemist in history has strived for. From a worthless substance, you’ve created gold.»

Langdon frowned, unimpressed. The little parlor trick seemed to be no help at all. «An interesting idea, sir, but I’m afraid this symbol — a circle with a round dot in the middle — has dozens of meanings. It’s called a circumpunct, and it’s one of the most widely used symbols in history.»

«What are you talking about?» the dean asked, sounding skeptical.

Langdon was stunned that a Mason was not more familiar with the spiritual importance of this symbol. «Sir, the circumpunct has countless meanings. In ancient Egypt, it was the symbol for Ra — the sun god — and modern astronomy still uses it as the solar symbol. In Eastern philosophy, it represents the spiritual insight of the Third Eye, the divine rose, and the sign of illumination. The Kabbalists use it to symbolize the Kether — the highest Sephiroth and ‘the most hidden of all hidden things.’ Early mystics called it the Eye of God and it’s the origin of the All-Seeing Eye on the Great Seal. The Pythagoreans used the circumpunct as the symbol of the Monad — the Divine Truth, the Prisca Sapientia, the at-one-ment of mind and soul, and the — »

«Enough!» Dean Galloway was chuckling now. «Professor, thank you. You are correct, of course.»

Langdon now realized he had just been played. He knew all that.

«The circumpunct,» Galloway said, still smiling to himself, «is essentially the symbol of the Ancient Mysteries. For this reason, I would suggest that its presence in this box is not mere coincidence. Legend holds that the secrets of this map are hidden in the smallest of details.»

«Fine,» Katherine said, «but even if this symbol was inscribed there intentionally, it doesn’t bring us any closer to deciphering the map, does it?»

«You mentioned earlier that the wax seal you broke was embossed with Peter’s ring?»

«that’s correct.»

«And you said you have that ring with you?»

«I do.» Langdon reached into his pocket, found the ring, took it out of the plastic bag, and placed it on the desk in front of the dean.

Galloway picked up the ring and began feeling its surfaces. «This unique ring was created at the same time as the Masonic Pyramid, and traditionally, it is worn by the Mason in charge of protecting the pyramid. Tonight, when I felt the tiny circumpunct on the bottom of the stone box, I realized that the ring is, in fact, part of the symbolon.»

«It is?»

«I’m certain of it. Peter is my closest friend, and he wore this ring for many years. I am quite familiar with it.» He handed the ring to Langdon. «See for yourself.»

Langdon took the ring and examined it, running his fingers over the double-headed phoenix, the number 33, the words ORDO AB CHAO, and also the words All is revealed at the thirty-third degree. He felt nothing helpful. Then, as his fingers traced down around the outside of the band, he stopped short. Startled, he turned the ring over and eyed the very bottom of its band.