Robert Langdon, #1
Angels & Demons
by Dan Brown
Contents
104
Overview
Langdon is revealed to have survived the Hassassin’s drowning attempt by breathing through the fountain’s air tube and feigning death. Once the assassin leaves, Langdon tries to save Cardinal Baggia, but the cardinal is already dead.
Baggia’s death eliminates the final preferito and deepens the devastation of the Illuminati plot. Langdon’s grief marks a rare emotional break as the cost of the night’s violence fully lands.
Summary
Robert Langdon survives at the bottom of the Fountain of the Four Rivers by breathing through the plastic tube that feeds air into the fountain. The air is polluted and burns his throat, but the tube keeps him alive after Langdon successfully fakes drowning so the Hassassin will release him.
After waiting as long as possible, Langdon swims silently to the fountain’s central structure and surfaces in the shadows. Seeing that the Hassassin’s van is gone, Langdon realizes the attacker has left and immediately turns back to Cardinal Baggia.
Langdon finds Baggia chained underwater and pulls the cardinal’s body up. The cardinal has no breath or pulse, but Langdon drags Baggia into the shallower hollow beneath the marble mound because Langdon cannot lift him over the fountain rim.
Langdon performs chest compressions and CPR for several minutes, carefully trying to revive Baggia. After five minutes, Langdon accepts that the cardinal is dead, confirming that the preferito who might have become pope has been killed.
In the shadowed fountain, Langdon closes Baggia’s eyes and is overcome by grief. The death breaks through Langdon’s urgency and shock, and Langdon cries for the first time in years.
Who Appears
- Robert LangdonSurvives by faking drowning, attempts CPR on Baggia, and breaks down in grief.
- Cardinal BaggiaFinal preferito found chained underwater; Langdon cannot revive him after the drowning.
- The HassassinLeaves after believing Langdon drowned, enabling Langdon to surface and seek Baggia.