Silas is miserable as he thinks of the unfolding events. He remembers when he first learned of the Teacher. Aringarosa believed their involvement with the Teacher was divine intervention. Silas finally calls the Teacher and tells him that all is lost. The Teacher tells Silas that he loses faith too quickly. Saunière has passed the information along. They still have more work to do.

Inside the wooden box, Sophie and Langdon find a white marble, hand-crafted cylinder. Sophie tells Langdon that the cylinder is called a cryptex and it was invented by Da Vinci. Sophie explains that inside the cryptex there is a hollow compartment. In the compartment a scroll of papyrus is rolled around a vile of vinegar. A password is required to open the cryptex, hence the five moveable disks in its center. If someone tries to break the cryptex, the message is destroyed. Saunière learned about the cryptex from Da Vinci's diaries and made them himself.

Langdon believes the cryptex is the Priory keystone, because it is placed under the wooden rose. It is believed that the keystone rests under the sign of the rose. However, before they are able to think about what the password could be, Vernet stops the car and appears before them with a pistol. Vernet tells them he has a duty to protect his client's assets. Sophie argues that they are now his clients; however, Vernet has just heard about the other three murders that occurred that evening. Vernet demands they stand up in the back of the truck, firing the gun to show he is serious. Vernet tells Langdon to put down the box.

As Langdon does this, he quickly brushes the spent bullet shell in the doorsill. Vernet struggles to close the door after he retrieves the box, which will not close because of the shell. Langdon kicks the door, knocking Vernet to the ground. Sophie and Langdon retrieve the box and speed away, leaving Vernet stranded.

As Aringarosa heads to Paris, he becomes worried that he has not spoken with the Teacher. His cell phone is not receiving service; however, he thinks the Teacher might think he took the money and ran.

Notes

In this section we learn more about the folklore surrounding the Grail. Anticipation builds as Sophie and Langdon believe they have the keystone in their hands.

Vernet is an unpredictable character, switching between helping Sophie and Langdon and trying to apprehend them. His motives are unclear--is he merely concerned about the bank's reputation? Or is he more deeply involved in the plot? Characters like this are typical in mystery novels because they build suspense and keep the reader's attention.