60

Two blocks from the Pantheon, Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra approach Piazza della Rotunda on foot, passing sleeping taxi drivers and trying to blend in as a couple. Langdon struggles to absorb how quickly he has gone from sleeping in Cambridge to carrying a semiautomatic in Rome while pursuing an Illuminati clue with a woman he has just met.

As the two hold hands for their disguise, Langdon notices Vittoria’s composure and determination, and he feels a growing attraction to her. Vittoria recognizes his tension, reminds him they are supposed to look like newlyweds, and lightly teases him when he grips her hand too hard. She suggests a breathing technique called pranayama to calm him.

When the Pantheon comes into view, Langdon studies the ancient building and confirms to himself that it matches the clue: “From Santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole.” He interprets “Santi’s tomb” as Raphael’s tomb beneath the Pantheon’s oculus and reassures himself that this must be the first intended Illuminati murder site.

Outside the Pantheon, tourists move casually through the piazza while four armed Roman policemen stand at the entrance, just as Commander Olivetti arranged. The scene appears quiet, but Langdon becomes uneasy because many lives now depend on his interpretation of the clue.

With ten minutes left before the expected event, Langdon and Vittoria move toward the entrance. Langdon worries about being discovered with the gun, but the officers ignore them, suggesting their newlywed disguise is working. He asks whether Vittoria has used weapons beyond a tranquilizer gun, and she answers with teasing confidence, keeping up the role of his new wife.