Robert Langdon, #2
The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown
Contents
CHAPTER 97
Overview
Langdon and Sophie reach Westminster Abbey and begin searching for Newton’s tomb, hoping to intercept whoever has the cryptex before Teabing is killed and the Grail secret is lost. The Teacher is already at the tomb but cannot solve the clue about the missing orb.
When the Teacher spots Langdon and Sophie, their arrival becomes an opportunity rather than a setback. Armed despite the metal detectors and protected by official rank, the Teacher prepares to lure them into a private trap.
Summary
Langdon and Sophie arrive at Westminster Abbey because Saunière’s clue points them to Sir Isaac Newton, the knight buried by Alexander Pope. The abbey’s vastness and tomb-filled interior emphasize the difficulty of finding one monument among thousands, while Langdon focuses only on Newton’s funeral and the clue’s promise.
After passing through metal detectors, Langdon and Sophie enter the nearly empty abbey. Langdon is uneasy because he expected crowds and public safety, but Sophie reminds him that the detectors should prevent weapons. They avoid contacting police because Sophie fears official involvement, and they need the cryptex to save Teabing, find the Grail, and expose the person behind the murders.
Langdon and Sophie move cautiously along the side of the abbey and realize they do not know where Newton’s tomb is. Langdon explains the abbey’s confusing layout and looks for a crimson-robed docent. When Sophie suggests searching alone, Langdon shows her the enormous nave, and she agrees they need help.
Meanwhile, at Newton’s tomb, the Teacher has already been studying the monument for ten minutes. The tomb’s pyramid, astronomical reliefs, and many carved heavenly bodies complicate Saunière’s line about the missing orb. The Teacher expected the clue to be simple, but the abundance of possible orbs leaves the password still out of reach.
The Teacher is interrupted by tourists, then resumes studying the tomb and the cryptex. When the Teacher sees Langdon and Sophie speaking with a docent, the Teacher hides behind the choir screen and reassesses. The Teacher has smuggled in a gun by using official identification to overrule the guards, and now decides Langdon and Sophie’s knowledge may be useful if they can be pressured somewhere private.
Who Appears
- Robert LangdonEnters Westminster Abbey with Sophie, seeking Newton’s tomb and the stolen cryptex.
- Sophie NeveuUrges secrecy from police and helps Langdon search for the abbey docent.
- The TeacherStudies Newton’s tomb with the cryptex, armed and planning to lure Langdon and Sophie.
- Sir Isaac NewtonDead scientist whose Westminster Abbey tomb holds the next clue’s apparent focus.
- Leigh TeabingAbsent hostage whose survival depends on recovering the cryptex from the Teacher.