Robert Langdon, #1
Angels & Demons
by Dan Brown
Contents
120
Overview
The search party reaches St. Peter’s tomb beneath the basilica and finds the antimatter canister hidden there, apparently validating the camerlegno’s claim of divine guidance. The revelation electrifies the watching crowd and deepens Mortati’s uncertainty about whether a miracle is unfolding.
The situation turns more dangerous when the camerlegno grabs the canister and races back toward the surface despite the imminent detonation. Langdon and Vittoria fear his faith-driven certainty may doom Vatican City rather than save it.
Summary
At 11:51 P.M., Robert Langdon, Vittoria Vetra, the camerlegno, Chartrand, and the BBC crew race through the Vatican Necropolis. Langdon is struck by the ancient underground city of mausoleums but fears that trusting the camerlegno may have been a fatal mistake, since only minutes remain before the antimatter detonates.
As the group ascends the original Vatican Hill, Langdon realizes they are nearing St. Peter’s tomb. The path’s historical significance contrasts with the immediate danger, and even small details, such as libation holes in the floor, sharpen the sense that the living may soon join the dead below the basilica.
The camerlegno, exhausted and in pain, presses ahead because he believes he is fulfilling a divine duty to save the Church. At the hill’s crest, he reaches the simple opening marking St. Peter’s tomb, kneels, and gives thanks as the others catch up behind him.
Outside in St. Peter’s Square, Cardinal Mortati and the assembled cardinals watch the BBC broadcast in shock. The camera reveals St. Peter’s sarcophagus, the antimatter canister resting on it, and the wireless Swiss Guard camera that has been transmitting the image all along. The discovery appears to confirm the camerlegno’s revelation.
With only minutes left, the camerlegno seizes the antimatter and runs back toward the surface, insisting there will be no more death. Vittoria is horrified, Langdon tries to stop him, and Chartrand blocks the effort because he trusts the camerlegno. As the camerlegno carries the canister upward toward the square, the chapter ends on the ominous statement that the camerlegno is wrong.
Who Appears
- Carlo Ventresca, the camerlegnoLeads the search, finds the antimatter, and carries it upward in faith-driven urgency.
- Robert LangdonRecognizes the Necropolis history and fears trusting the camerlegno may be fatal.
- Vittoria VetraRuns with Langdon, doubts the plan, and panics when the camerlegno takes the canister.
- Lieutenant ChartrandBelieves in the camerlegno and prevents Langdon from stopping him.
- Cardinal MortatiWatches from the square, stunned by the apparent confirmation of the camerlegno’s revelation.
- Gunther GlickBBC reporter providing light and live coverage during the underground search.
- Chinita MacriBBC camera operator broadcasting the discovery of the antimatter beneath St. Peter’s.