worlds most coveted and secretive icons. The Hand of the Mysteries. The icon was rarely seen anymore, but throughout history it had symbolized a powerful call to action. Langdon strained to comprehend the grotesque artifact now before him. Someone crafted the Hand of the Mysteries out of Peters hand? It was unthinkable. Traditionally, the icon was sculpted in stone or wood or rendered as a drawing. Langdon had never heard of the Hand of the Mysteries being baby canada goose coat fashioned from actual flesh. The concept was abhorrent. Sir? a guard said behind Langdon. Please step back. Lang baby canada goose coat don barely heard him. There are other tattoos. Although he could not see the fingertips of the three clenched fingers, Langdon knew these fingertips would bear their own unique markings. That was the tradition. Five symbols in
Katherine felt a growing disquiet as she stepped into the homes beautifully appointed foyer. Classical music played softly in the background, and it smelled as if someone had burned incense. This is lovely, she said, although I expected more of . . . an office. Im fortunate to work out of my home. The man led her into a living room, where there was a crackling fire. Please make yourself comfortable. Im just steeping some tea. Ill bring it out, and we can talk. He strode toward the kitchen and disappeared. Katherine Solomon did not sit. Female intuition was a potent instinct that she had learned to trust, and something about this place was m baby canada goose coat aking her skin crawl. She saw nothing that looked anything like any doctors office she had ever seen. The walls of this an baby canada goose coat tique-adorned living room were
Katherine stood in the soft glow of the plasma wall and gazed up at the enigmatic document they had uncovered. She had isolated her key phrases now and felt increasingly certain that the document wa baby canada goose coat s talking about the same far-flung legend that her brother had apparently shared with Dr. Abaddon. . . . secret location UNDERGROUND where the . . . . . . somewhere in WASHINGTON, D.C., the coordinates . . . . . . uncovered an ANCIENT PORTAL that led . . . . . . warning the PYRAMID holds dangerous . . . . . . decipher this ENGRAVED SYMBOLON to unveil . . . I need to see the rest of the baby canada goose coat file, Katherine thought. She stared a moment longer and then flipped the plasma walls power switch. Katherine always turned off this energy-intensive display so as not to waste the fuel cells liquid hydrogen
Everything had happened so fast, and Langdon was only now starting to process the repercussions of his fleeing with Bellamy. Im a fugitive from the CIA. Bellamy led the way around a corner, where the two baby canada goose coat men began ascending a wide staircase that was cordoned off with orange pylons. Langdons daybag weighed him down as he climbed. The stone pyramid, he said, I still dont understand Not here, Bellamy interrupted. Well examine it in the light. I know a safe place. Langdon doubted such a place existed for baby canada goose coat anyone who had just physically assaulted the director of the CIAs Office of Security. As the two men reached the top of the stairs, they entered a wide hallway of Italian marble, stucco, and gold leaf. The hall was lined with eight pairs of statuesall depicting the goddess Minerva. Bellamy
as it all came back, he began to sense there might be some truth baby canada goose coat to this legend after all. And if so, then Zachary Solomonalthough long deadstill had something to offer. What do I have to lose? Three weeks later, his timing carefully planned, Andros stood in the frigid cold outside the conservatory of the Solomons Potomac estate. Through the glass, he could see Peter Solomon chatting and laughing with his sister, Katherine. It looks like theyve had no trouble forgetting Zachary, he thought. Before he pulled the ski mask over his face, Andros took a hit of cocaine, his first in ages. He felt the familiar rush of fearlessness. He pulled baby canada goose coat out a handgun, used an old key to unlock the door, and stepped inside. Hello, Solomons. Unfortunately, the night had not gone as Andros had planned. Rather
into pieces on the pavement behind them. Why did you do that! Off the grid, Katherine said, her eyes grave. This pyramid is our only hope of finding my brother, and I baby canada goose coat have no intention of letting the CIA steal it from us. In the front seat, Omar Amirana bobbed his head and hummed along with his music. Tonight had been slow, and he felt blessed to finally have a fare. His cab was just passing Stanton Park, when the familiar voice of his company dispatcher crackled over the radio. This is Dispatch. All vehicles in the area of baby canada goose coat the National Mall. We have just received a bulletin from government authorities regarding two fugitives in the area of the Adams Building . . . Omar listened in amazement as Dispatch described the precise couple in his cab. He stole an uneasy glance in his rearview
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 a baby canada goose coat t all. The box just sat there on th baby canada goose coat e 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 nubbina tiny circle with a dot in the middle. Now do you recognize this symbol? the dean asked. Although Langdon recognized the
of Christianitythat of a precious, sacrificed human being. Christianity, more than any other faith, understood the transformative power of sacrifice. Even now, to honor the sacrifice made by Jesus, his followers proffered their own feeble gestures of personal sacrifice . . . fasting, Lenten renunciation, tithing. All of those offerings are impotent, of course. Without blood . . . there is no true sacrifice. The powers of darkness had long embraced blood sacrifice, and in doing so, they had grown so baby canada goose coat strong that the powers of goodness now struggled to keep them in check. Soon the Light would be entirely consumed, and the practitioners of darkness would move freely through the minds of men. CHAPTER 97 Eight Franklin Square must e baby canada goose coat xist, Sato insisted. Look it up again! Nola Kaye sat at her desk