Robert Langdon, #1
Angels & Demons
by Dan Brown
Contents
85
Overview
Vittoria, the camerlegno, and the Swiss Guards enter the Vatican grottoes to examine the late Pope’s body, turning suspicion about his death into a direct and forbidden investigation. The camerlegno’s grief reveals how personally bound he was to the Pope, while his order to open the tomb shows his willingness to violate sacred law to protect the Church.
The discovery of the Pope’s black tongue provides a grim physical sign that the pontiff’s death was not natural, intensifying the crisis already unfolding around the Illuminati threat and the stolen antimatter.
Summary
Vittoria descends with the camerlegno and Swiss Guards into the Holy Vatican Grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. The dark tunnel, lined with papal sarcophagi and life-sized marble effigies, feels cold and oppressive, reminding Vittoria of CERN’s collider and heightening her sense of fear.
As the group walks deeper, Vittoria reflects on the camerlegno’s relationship with the late Pope. She realizes that the cardinal who once rescued and mentored the camerlegno later became Pope, making the current crisis not only a threat to the Vatican but also a personal loss for the camerlegno.
The camerlegno stops at the late Pope’s tomb and asks for a moment of prayer despite the urgency of the night. His prayer asks his mentor, father, and friend for strength and forgiveness for the painful task he believes he must perform, moving Vittoria to tears as she thinks of her own murdered father.
After the prayer, the camerlegno orders the Swiss Guards to push aside the tomb’s marble covering. The guards hesitate because opening the tomb violates Vatican law, but the camerlegno insists that protecting the Church now requires breaking that law. The guards obey, and with the camerlegno’s help, they finally slide the heavy lid aside.
When the guards shine their flashlights into the opened tomb, they recoil and cross themselves. Vittoria sees that the Pope’s mouth is open, making any further force unnecessary. The chapter ends with the disturbing discovery that the Pope’s tongue is black.
Who Appears
- Vittoria VetraAccompanies the tomb investigation and connects the camerlegno’s grief to her own loss.
- The camerlegnoPrays at his mentor’s tomb and orders it opened despite Vatican law.
- Swiss GuardsEscort the group, hesitate over the illegal order, then open the Pope’s tomb.
- The late PopeBuried in the grottoes; his opened tomb reveals a blackened tongue.