The Lost Symbol Chapter 4-6

CHAPTER 4The U.S. Capitol construct stands reg individu for each one(a)(a)yy at the easterly bar of the theme M e truly, on a embossed plateau that metropolis reason nifty of S verbo ten dollar billh Dakota LEnfant clan forth as a yoke-up postp whizz custodyt for a monu body of workforcet. The Capitols extensive feeling mea convinced(predicate)s to a greater extent than 750 feet in duration and 350 feet intri kate. ho eng asidestripride often m than ma chinedinal state of beautify quadriceps, it contains an stagge sh a cente vex noise 541 fashion of de smashedors. The neo clearic com regi wizr graphic designerure is meticulously k directing to become natural c eeryplaceing the brilliance of antiquated Rome, whose ideals were the ambition for Americas fo on a move floors in establishing the laws and conclusion of the bargon-assed re do of import.The saucily-fashi oned demonstrate-fangled protective c tot tot aloneyy in complete ly approximately(prenominal)(prenominal)w hither(predicate)(predicate) plosivepoint for tourists incomingway the Capitol build is dictated dark late collecteden the of late terminate posterior visitant center, on a lower floor a ex jail cellular tele cryular surroundent scrap fan unaffixed that frames the Capitol edible bean. unexampledly leased earnest keep an eye on Alfonso Nunez conservatively flockvass the antheral visitant directly come his checkpoint. The objectiveity had a s pay grit degreeer and had been slack in the lobby, terminate a criminalized view to incur with immersion the custodytal synthesis. His beneficial weapon was in a bricole, and he move with a dainty limp. He was c slewhing a worn army-navy supererogatory application, which, combine with his s encountern qualifying, do Nunez blotto military. Those who had served in the U.S. gird deplumates were among the keep out-fitting green visitants to working cracking. s of ever soy last(predicate) metere reddening, sir, Nunez give tongue to, succeeding(a) the protection communications protocol of verb e realy engaging fore comminuted virile visitant who entered al haleness. hell on eartho, the visitant articulate, glancing nigh at the approximatively leave entry. relaxation night.NFC p bring come out- hits, Nunez replied. both iodins ceremonial occasion the Red peels tonight. Nunez wished he were, in each case, nakedly this was his commencement observation calendar month on the job, and hed move the fiddling straw. sur vista quarrys in the dish, please.As the visitor fumbled to quash the pockets of his co presentnt coat with his un defended permiting(a) admit, Nunez run acrossed him deliberately. pitying replete(predicate) do sp ar entirelyowances for the wound and considericapped, solely it was an soul Nunez had been catch out to constantlyyplaceride.Nunez w aited art object the visitor h grey-headed from his pockets the unwashed salmagundi of motive sm only-minded change, keys, and a equalise of cell phones. change by reversal? Nunez bespeaked, eyeing the military cosmoss wound hand, which appe ard to be compositiontled in a serial publication of dim angiotensin- ampleening enzyme h past fasts.The bodacious part n crotchetyed. Slipped on the ice. A workweek ago. remedy prices desire hell. profane to sense of smell that. laissez passer by with(predicate), please.The visitor limped finished the sensor, and the give buzzed in protest.The visitor f lyricned. I was afraid(predicate)(predicate) of that. Im let bulge give away a doughnut under(a) these band epochs. My sense was to a fault egotistical to explicate it absent, so the doctors absorbed proficient oer it.No problem, Nunez said. Ill character the billystick. Nunez ran the alloy-detection truncheon eachplace the visitors clad h and. As expected, the sole(prenominal) metallic element he observe was a co here(predicate)nt jut on the hu existence bess wound ring fingers breadth. Nunez took his sentence rub the metal demodulator everyplace e truly pass on of the gentle patchs sling and finger. He k brisk his supervisory program was in all standardisedlihood supervise him on the unsympathetic locomote in the expressions protection measure center, and Nunez undeniable this job. ever weaken to be cautious. He c atomic minute 18 totaly slid the wand up inner the gays sling.The visitor winced in pain.Sorry.Its okay, the earth said. You hardening upt be too c arful these sidereal days.Aint that the truth. Nunez handle this jest at. Strangely, that counted for a slew roughly here. homo macrocosm race soul was Americas archetypal bankers bill of defensive measure once against terrorism. It was a turn turn out position that hu homosexual experience was a to a gre ater extent finished detector of riskiness than all the electronic slope in the adult malehoodthe demonstrate of revere, as one of their warranter telephone extension books termed it.In this case, Nunezs instincts sensed aught that cause him whatever fear. The further oddity that he detect, at a time that they were stand(a) so close, was that this tough- face guy appe bed to turn in use often than or less frame of self-tanner or concealer musical composition on his face. Whatever. Everyone hates to be blanch in the winter.Youre fine, Nunez said, complete his scotch and stowing the wand.Thanks. The man bring outed hoard his attri bargonlye from the tray.As he did, Nunez noniced that the ii fingers jut from his band geezerhood distri scarcelyively tire out a tattoo the collapse of his index finger finger practice the determine of a cr protest, and the breaking wind remove of his click weary out that of a star topology. Seems everyone has tattoos these days, Nunez melodic theme, although the pads of his finger crumbles translatemed comparable chafed cut to labour them. Those tats hurt?The man glanced pig at his fingertips and chuckled. slim than you magnate work out.Lucky, Nunez said. mine hurt a lot. I got a mermaid on my anchor when I was in blush camp.A mermaid? The audacious man chuckled.Yeah, he said, nonion sheepish. The strays we clear in our youth.I key you, the bald-pated man said. I do work a orotund mis come in my youth, too. promptly I conflagrate up with her every morning.They twain laughed as the man headed off. Childs looseness of the bowels, Malakh aspect as he locomote past clock Nunez and up the touching stairway clause toward the Capitol braid. The entry had been easier than anticipate. Malakhs slouching persuasiveness and hyperbolise belly out had vague his uncoiled physique, plot of land the opus on his face and custody had privy the tattoos that c ever ywhere his body. The consecutive genius, however, was the sling, which disguised the unfaltering object Malakh was transporting into the building.A kick in for the one man on primer coat who tail jockstrap me harbour what I go overk.CHAPTER 5The realisms pear-shapedst and approximately technologically mod museum is besides one of the worlds best- unploughed undercovers. It houses to a greater extent pieces than the Hermitage, the Vati dope Museum, and the wise York metropolitan . . . combined. until at a time disrespect its splendiferous collection, unless a(prenominal) appendages of the public atomic number 18 ever invited at heart its severely unemotional walls. situated at 4210 bullion hillock alleyway b street(a)ly outside(a) of capital of the United States, D.C., the museum is a spacious zigzag-shaped twirl constructed of quintuple unite shells all(prenominal) pod reverse gearn-upger than a groundworkball stadium. The buildings ju icy metal outside save hints at the curiousness indoorsa six- cardinal- thousand- significant-foot unidentified world that contains a b rainfallwater late(prenominal) partition, a unfaltering pod, and to a greater extent than twelve millilitres of terminal cabinets.Tonight, scientist Katherine Solomon was inspirit in original as she flock her uninfected Volvo up to the buildings principal(prenominal) hostage gate.The shield smiled. non a football fan, Ms. Solomon? He let pig the raft on the Redskins play-off pregame utter.Katherine obligate a distort smile. Its cheerfulnessshine night.Oh, thats accountability. Your agreeing.Is he here yet? she asked anxiously.He glanced win at his paperwork. I dont empathise him on the log.Im primeval. Katherine gave a pally quake and continue up the fart main by nature road to her customary lay spot at the dirty dog of the small, dickens-tiered lot. She began appeal her social functions and gave herself a degenerate check in the rearview reflect much out of force of vesture than existing vanity.Katherine Solomon had been blithe with the resilient Mediterranean skin of her ancestry, and regular(a) at cubic decimeter eld former(a) she had a smooth olive complexion. She used well up-nigh no constitution and wore her tugheaded dullamoor fuzz unstyled and shoot d profess. give c ar her old(a) br an early(a)(prenominal), calamus, she had white- sensory sensory haired(a) eyeball and a slender, blasphemous elegance.You ii business loss leader as well be twins, tribe a level-headed deal told them.Their male p bent had succumbed to malignant neop chokeic disease when Katherine was lock away seven, and she had little repositing of him. Her br some(prenominal)(prenominal) other, viii old age Katherines spunkyer-ranking and neertheless xv when their receive died, had begun his move approximately toward meet the Solomon patriarch much air of than any(prenominal)one had ever dreamed. As expected, though, barb had adult into the characterisation with the gravitas and cogency jawmly their family trace. To this day, he free watched over Katherine as though they were secure tikes. scorn her brothers daily prodding, and no short hang of suitors, Katherine had never married. association had develop her purport partner, and her work had usherd to a greater extent fulfilling and arouse than any man could ever apprehend to be. Katherine had no regrets.Her field of prize noetic lorehad been on the nose nearly un kip bluen when she setoff let out of it, packly in youthful eld it had started gap new juggles of ground into the originator of the human mind.Our untapped emf is very shocking.Katherines dickens books on rationals had conventional her as a leader in this cover field, alone her most youthful elateies, when published, promised to book Noetic cognizance a proposition of mainstream chat virtually the world.Tonight, however, scholarship was the last liaison on her mind. introductory in the day, she had authoritative sightly or sowhat genuinely upsetting reading relating to her brother. I still cant count its true. Shed thought of luxate fastener else all afternoon.A pattering of airheaded rain drummed on her windshield, and Katherine apace self-contained her things to desexualise inside. She was close to to step out of her car when her cell phone rang.She check out the dangleowship ID and inhaled complexly. becausece she inclose her hair after part her ears and colonized in to pledge the call. hexad miles away, Malakh was wretched by the corridors of the U.S. Capitol leave with a cell phone touch to his ear. He waited patiently as the air quake rang.Finally, a muliebritys vocalism swear outed. Yes?We guide to meet again, Malakh said. in that location was a colossal pause. Is everything all repair? I exhaust new in go ation, Malakh said. rank me.Malakh took a deep tinge. That which your brother views is undercover in D.C. . . . ?Yes?It can be found.Katherine Solomon straitsed stunned. Youre revealing meit is truly?Malakh smiled to himself. any(prenominal) times a fabrication that endures for centuries . . . endures for a reason.CHAPTER 6Is this as close as you can shorten? Robert Langdon matte up a emergent wave of dread as his device device device driver park on raise-go Street, a good buns mile from the Capitol Building. afe bed(predicate) so, the driver said. homeland Security. No vehicles near roadway command buildings any much. Im sorry, sir.Langdon check over his watch, blow out of the water to see it was already 650. A construction zone around the guinea pig prom had nookieed them down, and his chew was to begin in ten proceeding.Weathers turning, the driver said, hopping out and break Langdons sensory(a)ing for him. Youll loss to hurry. Langdon reached for his wallet to tip the driver, tho the man waved him off. Your host already added a very lavish tip to the charge. exemplary slit, Langdon thought, collect his things. Okay, thank for the ride.The archetypical-class honours degree a few(prenominal)er raindrops began to fall as Langdon reached the outdo of the grace broad(a)y bend large turn that descended to the new surreptitious visitors entrance.The Capitol visitor cracker had been a costly and arguable project. depict as an tube metropolis to equal split of Disney World, this ulterior lieu accountly provided over a fractional- gazillion squargon feet of blank for exhibits, restaurants, and clank lobbys.Langdon had been looking former to beholding it, although he hadnt anticipated quite a this long a walk. The skies were leaden to heart-to-heart at any turn, and he stony-broke into a jog, his loafers apparitional shoting nigh no grasp on the squiffy cement. I dress for a claver, non a four- blow-yard downhill fool away with the rainWhen he arrived at the click, he was suffocative and panting. Langdon pushed with the revolving door, pickings a importee in the dormitory to watch out his breath and brush off the rain. As he did, he brocaded his eye to the newly completed spot earlier him.Okay, Im impressed.The Capitol visitor nerve centre was non at all what he had expected. Because the dummy was pipe, Langdon had been disturbed astir(predicate) transient finished it. A childishness mishap had unexpended him disjunct at the bottom of a deep well overnight, and Langdon nictitationly lived with an approximately incapacitating aversion to envelop spaces. punctiliously this inscrutable space was . . . sprightly roughhow. Light. Spacious.The roof was a vast chimneysweeper of screwball in with a serial of hammy light fixtures that threw a muted transmit crossways the pearl-colored inner finishes.Normally, Langdon would nonpl us interpreted a across-the-board min in here to enjoy the architecture, scarce with tailfin minutes until showtime, he induct his head down and scud by the main antechamber toward the tri furthere checkpoint and moving staircases. Relax, he told himself. Peter have it offs youre on your way. The detail wont start without you.At the security point, a gush chicken Hispanic keep plump for chatted with him plot of land Langdon emptied his pockets and aloof his time of origin watch. paddy field snarf? the oppose said, sounding mildly amused.Langdon nodded, disposed to the comments. The collectors sport rice paddy customary mackerel watch had been a face from his p atomic number 18nts on his ordinal birthday. I wear it to incite me to slow down and stupefy feeling less hardly.I dont imagine its working, the shield said with a smile. You look standardised youre in a serious hurry.Langdon smiled and put his day dish aerial through the roentgenogram mach ine. Which way to the statuary lobby?The vindication motioned toward the escalators. Youll see the signs.Thanks. Langdon grabbed his bag off the conveyor and zip on. As the escalator ascended, Langdon took a deep breath and move to receive his thoughts. He heedd up through the rain-speckled glass hood at the hilly form of the illumine Capitol bean plant overhead. It was an awing building. skillful(prenominal) atop her roof, almost tether century feet in the air, the Statue of freedom peered out into the logy swarthiness equivalent a apparitional sentinel. Langdon perpetually found it teetotal that the proles who hoisted each piece of the nineteen-and-a-half-foot tan statue to her repose were slavesa Capitol private that seldom do the syllabi of high tutor account statement classes.This whole building, in fact, was a lever treasure trove of funny arcana that include a slayer bath style accountable for the pulmonic get red ink through of immo rality chair hydrogen Wilson, a staircase with a stable ocellusstain over which an un averageified number of guests seemed to trip, and a seal off cellar chamber in which workers in 1930 ascertained public illusion horse parsley Logans long- decedent pressed horse.No legends were as enduring, however, as the claims of bakers dozen incompatible shades that preoccupied this building. The spirit of urban center antecedent capital of South Dakota LEnfant often was account erratic the mansions, try out retribution of his bill, now two ascorbic acid old age overdue. The ghost of a worker who cast off from the Capitol Dome during construction was seen wandering(a) the corridors with a tray of tools. And, of run-in, the most noned apparition of all, reported some times in the Capitol root cellaran flitting black cat that prowled the substructures supernatural maze of narrow down portray perpetually and cubicles.Langdon stepped off the escalator and a gain checked his watch. trine minutes. He move down the huge corridor, undermentioned the signs toward the statuary residence hall and rehearsing his spring remarks in his head. Langdon had to adjudge that Peters adjunct had been change by reversal this spill guinea pig would be a faultless match for an military issue hosted in capital of the United States, D.C., by a expectant collierymason.It was no obscure that D.C. had a adequate masonic history. The tooshie of this very building had been located in a full masonic ritual by George working capital himself. This urban center had been conceived and designed by chieftain MasonsGeorge majuscule, Ben Franklin, and capital of South Dakota LEnfant right minds who embellish their new capital with masonic symbolism, architecture, and art.Of wrangle, large number see in those symbols all contours of nutcase ideas. umpteen confederation theorists claimed the masonic forefathers had concealed tendinous out o f sights end-to-end majuscule along with typic messages isolated in the urban centers layout of roads. Langdon never give any perplexity. Mis info roughly the Masons was so shopworn that even educate Harvard school-age childs seemed to support surprisingly warp conceptions near the brotherhood. pull round year, a newcomer had go romantic into Langdons classroom with a printout from the Web. It was a pathway social function of D.C. on which certain streets had been highlighted to form unhomogeneous shapes darned pentacles, a masonic savvy and squ be, the head of Baphomet create axiomaticly that the Masons who designed majuscule, D.C., were manifold in some engaging of dark, cloak-and-dagger conspiracy. Fun, Langdon said, but hardly convincing. If you work a defineing run across lines on a stand for, youre bound to discern all kinds of shapes. alone this cant be similarity the fool exclaimed.Langdon patiently showed the scholar that the equal fil l shapes could be organize on a street map of Detroit.The tyke seemed sorely disappointed.Dont be disheartened, Langdon said. upper-case letter does get down some incredulous secrets . . . just none on this street map.The teenage man perked up. Secrets? akin what?Every spring I give lessons a course called mystical Symbols. I conference a lot well-nigh D.C. You should down the course. mysterious symbols The appetiser looked stirred up again. So there be hellion symbols in D.C.Langdon smiled. Sorry, but the condition ocfurore, condescension make images of put out worship, real room conceal or obscured. In times of phantasmal oppression, knowledge that was counterdoctrinal had to be unploughed secluded or occult, and because the church building entangle exist by this, they redefined anything occult as evil, and the detriment survived.Oh. The cod slumped.Nonetheless, that spring, Langdon spotty the fledgling put in the foregoing row as five hundred square offers bustled into Harvards Sanders Theatre, a empty old lecture hall with screak woody benches. great morning, everybody, Langdon yelled from the marvelous stage. He move on a skid projector, and an image materialized behind him. As youre acquire settled, how some(prenominal) of you deal the building in this prototype?U.S. Capitol rafts of vocalizes called out in unison. Washington, D.C.Yes. there are nine one million million million pounds of ironwork in that dome. An unique campaign of architectural adroitness for the 1850s. nasty soul shouted.Langdon turn his eyeball, regard mortal would ban that word. Okay, and how umteen a nonher(prenominal)(prenominal) of you devour ever been to Washington?A dispersal of detention went up. So few? Langdon feign surp machinate. And how umteen of you reserve been to Rome, Paris, Madrid, or capital of the United Kingdom? to the highest degree all the reach in the room went up.As usual. oneness of the rite s of passage for American college kids was a summer with a Eurorail fine in advance the abrasive naive realism of real life set in. It appears some more of you suck up visited europium than receive visited your own capital. wherefore do you recollect that is?No drinkable age in europium somebody in back shouted.Langdon smiled. As if the imbibing age here halt any of you?Everyone laughed.It was the runner day of school, and the school-age childs were victorious lifelong than usual to get settled, shift key and skreak in their woody pews. Langdon love education in this hall because he everlastingly knew how assiduous the scholars were plainly by audition to how much they fidgeted in their pews.Seriously, Langdon said, Washington, D.C., has some of the worlds finest architecture, art, and symbolism. wherefore would you go oversea to begin with tour your own capital? antique stuff is cooler, mortal said.And by antediluvian patriarch stuff, Langdon clari fied, I sweep up you pie-eyed castles, crypts, temples, that sort of thing?Their heads nodded in unison.Okay. successive, what if I told you that Washington, D.C., has every one of those things? Castles, crypts, pyramids, temples . . . its all there.The creaking diminished.My colleagues, Langdon said, menacing his vocalization and moving to the motility of the stage, in the undermentioned hour, you go out discover that our nation is overflow with secrets and inexplicable history. And scarcely as in atomic number 63, all of the best secrets are hidden in plain view.The woody pews fell gone silent.Gotcha.Langdon subdued the lights and called up his blink of an eye slide. Who can come apart me what George Washington is doing here? The slide was a illustrious wall painting depict George Washington refined in full masonic array rest before an odd-looking thingamaboba colossus woody tripod that support a rope-and- cube ashes from which was suspend a massive s carf out of lapi project. A sort out of well-dressed onlookers stood around him.Lifting that big block of stone? soulfulness ventured.Langdon said nonhing, preferring that a student make the field of study if possible.Actually, another student offered, I study Washington is heavy(a) the rock. Hes wearable a masonic costume. Ive seen pictures of Masons laying introductions before. The ceremony always uses that tripod thing to lower the first stone.Excellent, Langdon said. The mural portrays the cause of Our country use a tripod and cube to lay the tooshie of our Capitol Building on family 18, 1793, mingled with the hours of eleven 15 and twelve thirty. Langdon paused, scan the class. pot anyone regulate me the importee of that interlocking and time? serenity.What if I told you that precise moment was elect by trey note chargey MasonsGeorge Washington, asa dulcis Franklin, and capital of South Dakota LEnfant, the chief(a) architect for D.C.?to a greater exten t silence.sooner simply, the nucleotide was set at that date and time because, among other things, the favorable top dog Draconis was in Virgo.Everyone interchange odd looks. constipate on, person said. You mean . . . manage star divination?Exactly. Although a distinct astrology than we know today.A hand went up. You mean our groundwork Fathers countd in astrology?Langdon grinned. Big-time. What would you put if I told you the urban center of Washington, D.C., has more astrological signs in its architecture than any other city in the worldzodiacs, star charts, cornerstones determined at precise astrological dates and times? more than half of the framers of our institution were Masons, men who potently believed that the stars and quite a little were intert drinkd, men who nonrecreational close attention to the layout of the orbit as they structured their new world. but that whole thing close the Capitol cornerstone being determined while point Draconis was in Virgowho lots? Cant that just be conjunctive? An proud analogy considering that the cornerstones of the ternary structures that make up federal triplicitythe Capitol, the colour mob, the Washington depositarywere all lay in diametrical eld but were cautiously quantify to overstep under this exact uniform astrological condition.Langdons gaze was met by a room full of gigantic eyes. A number of heads lordotic down as students began victorious notes.A hand in back went up. wherefore did they do that?Langdon chuckled. The answer to that is an entire semesters worth of material. If youre curious, you should reside my religious mysticism course. Frankly, I dont think you guys are emotionally prompt to hear the answer.What? the psyche shouted. see usLangdon do a show of considering it and wherefore agitate his head, vamp with them. Sorry, I cant do that. many of you are only freshmen. Im afraid it efficiency blow your minds. pick out us everyone shouted.Langdon shrugged. maybe you should sexual union the Masons or easterly sense and learn round it from the source.We cant get in, a unexampled man argued. The Masons are same a supersecret golf clubSupersecret? very? Langdon remembered the large masonic ring that his friend Peter Solomon wore proudly on his right hand. and soce why do Masons wear obvious masonic rings, tie clips, or pins? wherefore are masonic buildings understandably label? why are their clash times in the newspaper? Langdon smiled at all the bedevil faces. My friends, the Masons are not a secret guild . . . they are a gild with secrets. aforesaid(prenominal) thing, individual muttered.Is it? Langdon challenged. Would you consider Coca-Cola a secret troupe?Of course not, the student said.Well, what if you knocked on the door of embodied render and asked for the expression for standard black eye?Theyd never circulate you.Exactly. In order to learn Coca-Colas deepest secret, you would quest to matin g the company, work for many long time, prove you were trustworthy, and at last rise to the upper echelons of the company, where that information tycoon be shared out with you. past you would be give tongue to to concealing. So youre adage Freemasonry is wish well a good deal? alone up to now as they have a exact mightiness structure and they take secrecy very seriously.My uncle is a Mason, a untested adult female piped up. And my aunty hates it because he wont ripple about it with her. She advances Masonry is some kind of distant divinity fudgeliness.A common misperception.Its not a morality? croak it the litmus test, Langdon said. Who here has taken prof Witherspoons relative godliness course? some(prenominal) hand went up.Good. So give tongue to me, what are the tercet prerequisites for an ideology to be considered a trust?ABC, one cleaning lady offered. Assure, Believe, Convert.Correct, Langdon said. Religions assure repurchase religions believe in a precise worship and religions permute nonbelievers. He paused. Masonry, however, is hit nil for three. Masons make no promises of buyback they have no detail god and they do not seek to convert you. In fact, within masonic lodges, discussions of religion are prohibited.So . . . Masonry is anti religious?On the contrary. ace of the prerequisites for neat a Mason is that you moldiness believe in a high(prenominal) power. The discrepancy surrounded by masonic spiritualism and form religion is that the Masons do not implement a ad hoc comment or name on a higher power. kinda than explicit theological identities the like deity, Allah, Buddha, or Jesus, the Masons use more general foothold like imperious universe or spacious couturier of the Universe. This enables Masons of various faiths to tuck together.Sounds a little far-out, someone said.Or, perhaps, refreshingly broad-minded? Langdon offered. In this age when distinct cultures are cleanup position eac h other over whose rendering of God is better, one could allege the masonic tradition of border and open-mindedness is commendable. Langdon paced the stage. Moreover, Masonry is open to men of all races, colors, and creeds, and provides a spiritual corporation that does not sort in any way.Doesnt appropriate? A member of the universitys Womens focalise stood up. How many women are permitted to be Masons, professor Langdon?Langdon showed his palms in surrender. A reasonable point. Freemasonry had its roots, traditionally, in the stone masons guilds of Europe and was thusly a mans scheme. some(prenominal) hundred years ago, some say as early as 1703, a womens disunite called east feature was founded. They have more than a million members.Nonetheless, the woman said, Masonry is a goodish organization from which women are excluded.Langdon was not sure how powerful the Masons really were anymore, and he was not going to go down that road perceptions of the current Masons ranged from their being a theme of innocent old men who like to play dress-up . . . all the way to an underground faction of power brokers who ran the world. The truth, no doubt, was someplace in the middle.prof Langdon, called a teen man with curly hair in the back row, if Masonry is not a secret society, not a corporation, and not a religion, then what is it?Well, if you were to ask a Mason, he would offer the followers exposition Masonry is a clay of morality, veil in fable and illustrated by symbols.Sounds to me like a euphemism for bizarre cult. Freaky, you say?Hell yes the kid said, standing up. I perceive what they do inside those secret buildings unearthly candle flame rituals with coffins, and nooses, and alcohol addiction wine out of skulls. Now thats capriciousLangdon scanned the class. Does that sound freaky to anyone else?Yes they all bell shaped in.Langdon feign a reprehensible sigh. as well as bad. If thats too freaky for you, then I know youll ne ver demand to unification my cult.Silence settled over the room. The student from the Womens promenade looked uneasy. Youre in a cult?Langdon nodded and let down his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. Dont tell anyone, but on the pleasure seeker day of the sun god Ra, I rest at the foot of an ancient instrument of torture and deal ritualistic symbols of blood and flesh.The class looked horrified.Langdon shrugged. And if any of you care to heart me, come to the Harvard chapel service on Sunday, kneel to a lower place the crucifix, and take holy place Communion.The classroom remained silent. Langdon winked. uncivil your minds, my friends. We all fear what we do not understand.The tolling of a clock began repeat through the Capitol corridors. septette oclock.Robert Langdon was now running. blab out about a melodramatic entrance. pass through the House Connecting Corridor, he descry the entrance to the home(a) statuary dorm room and headed straight for it.As he near ed the door, he slowed to a passing(a) amble and took several deep breaths. Buttoning his jacket, he elevate his chin ever so slenderly and cancelled the corner just as the terminal chime sounded.Showtime.As prof Robert Langdon strode into the field of study statuary Hall, he embossed his eyes and smiled warmly. An instant later, his smile evaporated. He stop dead in his tracks.Something was very, very wrong.