CHAPTER SUMMARIES AND NOTES

CHAPTERS 96 - 100

Summary

Silas wakes from a nap. Officers storm Silas’s room, but Silas fights back and runs down the stairs and outside. When the scuffle is over-- Silas is wounded by a gun shot under his ribs; Silas has wounded numerous officers; and Silas has accidentally shot Aringarosa, who shows up in the heat of the battle.

Sophie and Langdon go to Westminster Abbey where Isaac Newton is buried. The Teacher waits at Newton’s tomb, trying to decipher the riddle. As Langdon and Sophie approach, the Teacher steps out of sight. The Teacher thinks of how to lure them to pressure Langdon into sharing the password.

Langdon and Sophie study the tomb, trying to uncover the missing “orb” described in the clue. At the base of Newton’s tomb, they find a note telling them to go to the public garden to find Teabing. Sophie and Langdon are suspicious that the note might be a trap, or an effort to trade Teabing. Sophie and Langdon decide to proceed carefully, and assess the meeting place before the enter it. Unfortunately, they overlook a sign which informs visitors that certain areas are under construction. Sophie and Langdon end up in a large secluded room. A door latched behind them. They turn around and are face to face with Teabing, who is holding a gun.

Teabing tells them he has no intention of ever involving them and reminds them that they came to him. Teabing says he began this plot when he learned that the Priory had decided to never reveal the Sangreal documents. Teabing tells Sophie that her grandfather and his sénéchaux were traitors to the Grail. He also tells Sophie that the deaths of her family members were not accidental. Teabing tells Sophie she is the reason the documents have not been revealed, because her grandfather wanted to protect her from the same fate as the rest of her family. Langdon asks Teabing to let Sophie leave. Teabing refuses, but offers him the keystone instead. Teabing tells them how he masterminded the plan which has led them to this point. He asks Langdon and Sophie to swear an oath to uncover the truth and make it known. Sophie refuses to swear an oath with her grandfather’s murderer.

Aringarosa awakes in Silas’s arms. He thinks about how five months ago he learned that the Vatican wanted to disassociate itself from Opus Dei because of its controversial practices. Aringarosa was informed that the Church would return money it had borrowed from Opus Dei in five installments. Several weeks later, Aringarosa received a call from the Teacher who said he had a plan to help Opus Dei gain power over the Vatican. Silas swears to Aringarosa that he will find the Teacher and kill him. Aringarosa tells Silas that he must forgive.

Notes

This chapter provides two significant turning points. In the first turning point Silas and Aringarosa are injured; they are thus removed as potential threats to Langdon and Sophie. In the second turning point, we learn the identity of the Teacher.

The scene with Sophie, Langdon and Teabing is particularly revealing of the characters of Sophie and Langdon. Sophie remains strong and is willing to sacrifice the Grail for her grandfather’s honor. Langdon is truly tested because he is a historian and knows how significant the Grail is to western civilization. Langdon works through an internal battle between uncovering the Grail and keeping it from Teabing.

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