Robert Langdon, #2
The Da Vinci Code
by Dan Brown
Contents
CHAPTER 92
Overview
Langdon and Sophie reach King's College and enlist librarian Pamela Gettum to help decode the poem's reference to a London knight's tomb. Their cautious secrecy gives way when the first database search fails, and Gettum quickly deduces that the quest concerns the Grail.
By revealing more of the poem, Sophie enables Gettum to run a focused Grail-related search, shifting the investigation from frantic flight to scholarly problem-solving. The chapter raises hope that the tomb, and therefore the cryptex password, may soon be found.
Summary
Langdon and Sophie arrive wet and shaken at the King's College Department of Theology and Religious Studies, hoping its advanced religious research library can help identify the tomb named in the cryptex poem. The research room matches Teabing's description, and the reference librarian, Pamela Gettum, recognizes Langdon immediately.
Because Langdon and Sophie have no appointment, Gettum is initially cautious, but she becomes receptive when Langdon mentions Sir Leigh Teabing. Langdon and Sophie explain that they are looking for the London tomb of an unnamed knight, but they withhold most of the poem at first to limit how much an outsider can learn.
Sophie gives Gettum only the first two lines: the clues about a knight in London, a Pope, and the knight's labor incurring holy wrath. Gettum interprets the lines as pointing to a knight who angered the Church yet was buried by a Pope, then begins a database search using the terms London, knight, and Pope.
The first search produces far too many irrelevant results, especially because of references to the writer Alexander Pope. Gettum senses that Langdon and Sophie are hiding the real stakes and, knowing Teabing's habits and the library's frequent Grail-related research, correctly guesses that they are on a Grail quest.
Pressed by urgency, Sophie reveals two more lines of the poem about an orb on the tomb, rosy flesh, and a seeded womb. Gettum recognizes the Grail implications, asks about the verse and the orb, then agrees to help without further answers. She launches a narrower search linking knight, London, Pope, and tomb to Grail-related terms, estimating it will take fifteen minutes, and offers them tea while they wait.
Who Appears
- Robert LangdonArrives at King's College seeking scholarly help to identify the poem's mysterious knight.
- Sophie NeveuHelps protect the poem's secrets, then reveals more lines to speed the search.
- Pamela GettumKing's College librarian who recognizes Langdon, deduces the Grail angle, and runs the search.