The Da Vinci Code

shape of a cross, but not a normal cross. This was an even-armed one, like a plus sign. Embossed in the middle of the cross was a strange symbol—two letters intertwined with some kind of flowery design.

“P.S.,” she whispered, scowling as she read the letters. Whatever could this be?

“Sophie?” her grandfather spoke from the doorway.

Startled, she spun, dropping the key on the floor with a loud clang. She stared down at the key, afraid to look up at her grandfather's face. “I… was looking for my birthday present,” she said, hanging her head, knowing she had betrayed his trust.

For what seemed like an eternity, her grandfather stood silently in the doorway. Finally, he let out a long troubled breath. “Pick up the key, Sophie.”

Sophie retrieved the key.

Her grandfather walked in. “Sophie, you need to respect other people's privacy.” Gently, he knelt down and took the key from her. “This key is very special. If you had lost it…”

Her grandfather's quiet voice made Sophie feel even worse. “I'm sorry, Grand- pere. I really am.” She paused. “I thought it was a necklace for my birthday.”

He gazed at her for several seconds. “I'll say this once more, Sophie, because it's important. You need to learn to respect other people's privacy.”

“Yes, Grand-pere.”

“We'll talk about this some other time. Right now, the garden needs to be weeded.”

Sophie hurried outside to do her chores.

The next morning, Sophie received no birthday present from her grandfather. She hadn't expected one, not after what she had done. But he didn't even wish her happy birthday all day. Sadly, she trudged up to bed that night. As she climbed in, though, she found a note card lying on her pillow. On the card was written a simple riddle. Even before she solved the riddle, she was smiling. I know what this is! Her grandfather had done this for her last Christmas morning.

A treasure hunt!

Eagerly, she pored over the riddle until she solved it. The solution pointed her to another part of the house, where she found another card and another riddle. She solved this one too, racing on to the next card. Running wildly, she darted back and forth across the house, from clue to clue, until at last she found a clue that directed her back to her own bedroom. Sophie dashed up the stairs, rushed into her room, and stopped in her tracks. There in the middle of the room sat a shining red bicycle with a ribbon tied to the handlebars. Sophie shrieked with delight.

“I know you asked for a doll,” her grandfather said, smiling in the corner. “I thought you might like this even better.”

The next day, her grandfather taught her to ride, running beside her down the walkway. When Sophie steered out over the thick lawn and lost her balance, they both went tumbling onto the grass, rolling and laughing.

“Grand-pere,” Sophie said, hugging him. “I'm really sorry about the key.”

“I know, sweetie. You're forgiven. I can't possibly stay mad at you. Grandfathers and granddaughters always forgive each other.”

Sophie knew she shouldn't ask, but she couldn't help it. “What does it open? I never saw a key like that. It was very pretty.”

Her grandfather was silent a long moment, and Sophie could see he was uncertain how to answer. Grand-pere never lies. “It opens a box,” he finally said. “Where I keep many secrets.”

Sophie pouted. “I hate secrets!”

“I know, but these are important secrets. And someday, you'll learn to appreciate them as much as I do.”

“I saw letters on the key, and a flower.”

“Yes, that's my favorite flower. It's called a fleur-de-lis. We have them in the garden. The white ones. In English we call that kind of flower a lily.”

“I know those! They're my favorite too!”

“Then I'll make a deal with you.” Her grandfather's eyebrows raised the way they always did when he was about to give her a challenge. “If you can keep my key a secret, and never talk about it ever again, to me or anybody, then someday I will give it to you.”

Sophie couldn't believe her ears. “You will?”

“I promise. When the time comes, the key will be yours. It has your name on it.”

Sophie scowled. “No it doesn't. It said P.S. My name isn't P.S.!”

Her grandfather lowered his voice and looked around as if to make sure no one was listening. “Okay, Sophie, if you must know, P.S. is a code. It's your secret initials.”

Her eyes went wide. “I have secret initials?”

“Of course. Granddaughters always have secret initials that only their grandfathers know.”

“P.S.?”

He tickled her. “Princesse Sophie.”

She giggled. “I'm not a princess!”

He winked. “You are to me.”

From that day on, they never again spoke of the key. And she became his Princess Sophie.

* * *

Inside the Salle des Etats, Sophie stood in silence and endured the sharp pang of loss.

“The initials,” Langdon whispered, eyeing her strangely. “Have you seen them?”

Sophie sensed her grandfather's voice whispering in the corridors of the museum. Never speak of this key, Sophie. To me or to anyone. She knew she had failed him in forgiveness, and she wondered if she could break his trust again. P.S. Find Robert Langdon. Her grandfather wanted Langdon to help. Sophie nodded. “Yes, I saw the initials P.S. once. When I was very young.”

“Where?”

Sophie hesitated. “On something very important to him.”

Langdon locked eyes with her. “Sophie, this is crucial. Can you tell me if the initials appeared with a symbol? A fleur-de-lis?”

Sophie felt herself staggering backward in amazement. “But… how could you possibly know that!”

Langdon exhaled and lowered his voice. “I'm fairly certain your grandfather was a member of a secret society. A very old covert brotherhood.”

Sophie felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She was certain of it too. For ten years she had tried to forget the incident that had confirmed that horrifying fact for her. She had witnessed something unthinkable. Unforgivable.

“The fleur-de-lis,” Langdon said, “combined with the initials P.S., that is the brotherhood's official device. Their coat of arms. Their logo.”

“How do you know this?” Sophie was praying Langdon was not going to tell her that he himself was a member.

“I've written about this group,” he said, his voice tremulous with excitement. “Researching the symbols of secret societies is a specialty of mine. They call themselves the Prieure de Sion—the Priory of Sion. They're based here in France and attract powerful members from all over Europe. In fact, they are one of the oldest surviving secret societies on earth.”

Sophie had never heard of them.

Langdon was talking in rapid bursts now. “The Priory's membership has included some of history's most cultured individuals: men like Botticelli, Sir Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo.” He paused, his voice brimming now with