e heavy end piece detached in her hand。 Langdon and Teabing almost jumped to their feet。 Sophie's heart rate climbed as she set the end cap on the table and tipped the cylinder to peer inside。
A scroll！
Peering down the hollow of the rolled paper； Sophie could see it had been wrapped around a cylindrical object—the vial of vinegar； she assumed。 Strangely； though； the paper around the vinegar was not the customary delicate papyrus but rather； vellum。 That's odd； she thought； vinegar can't dissolve a lambskin vellum。 She looked again down the hollow of the scroll and realized the object in the center was not a vial of vinegar after all。 It was something else entirely。
〃What's wrong？〃 Teabing asked。 〃Pull out the scroll。〃
Frowning； Sophie grabbed the rolled vellum and the object around which it was wrapped； pulling them both out of the container。
〃That's not papyrus；〃 Teabing said。 〃It's too heavy。〃
〃I know。 It's padding。〃
〃For what？ The vial of vinegar？〃
〃No。〃 Sophie unrolled the scroll and revealed what was wrapped inside。 〃For this。〃
When Langdon saw the object inside the sheet of vellum； his heart sank。
〃God help us；〃 Teabing said； slumping。 〃Your grandfather was a pitiless architect。〃
Langdon stared in amazement。 I see Saunière has no intention of making this easy。
On the table sat a second cryptex。 Smaller。 Made of black onyx。 It had been nested within the first。 Saunière's passion for dualism。 Two cryptexes。 Everything in pairs。 Double entendres。 Male female。 Black nested within white。 Langdon felt the web of symbolism stretching onward。 White gives birth to black。
Every man sprang from woman。
White—female。
Black—male。
Reaching over； Langdon lifted the smaller cryptex。 It looked identical to the first； except half the size and black。 He heard the familiar gurgle。 Apparently； the vial of vinegar they had heard earlier was inside this smaller cryptex。
〃Well； Robert；〃 Teabing said； sliding the page of vellum over to him。
〃You'll be pleased to hear that at least we're flying in the right direction。〃
Langdon examined the thick vellum sheet。 Written in ornate penmanship was another four…line verse。 Again； in iambic pentameter。 The verse was cryptic； but Langdon needed to read only as far as the first line to realize that Teabing's plan to e to Britain was going to pay off。
IN LONDON LIES A KNIGHT A POPE INTERRED。
The remainder of the poem clearly implied that the password for opening the second cryptex could be found by visiting this knight's tomb； somewhere in the city。
Langdon turned excitedly to Teabing。 〃Do you have any idea what knight this poem is referring to？〃
Teabing grinned。 〃Not the foggiest。 But I know in precisely which crypt we should look。〃
At that moment； fifteen miles ahead of them； six Kent police cars streaked down rain…soaked streets toward Biggin Hill Executive Airport。
CHAPTER 79
Lieutenant Collet helped himself to a Perrier from Teabing's refrigerator and strode back out through the drawing room。 Rather than acpanying Fache to London where the action was； he was now baby…sitting the PTS team that had spread out through Chateau Villette。
So far； the evidence they had uncovered was unhelpful： a single bullet buried in the floor； a paper with several symbols scrawled on it along with the words blade and chalice； and a bloody spiked belt that PTS had told Collet was associated with the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei； which had caused a stir recently when a news program exposed their aggressive recruiting practices in Paris。
Collet sighed。 Good luck making sense of this unlikely mélange。
Moving down a lavish hallway； Collet entered the vast ballroom study； where the chief PTS examiner was busy dusting for fingerprints。 He was a corpulent man in suspenders。
〃Anything？〃 Collet asked； entering。
The examiner shook his head。 〃Nothing new。 Multiple sets matching those in the rest of the house。〃
〃How about the prints on the cilice belt？〃
〃Interpol is still working。 I uploaded everything we found。〃
Collet motioned to two sealed evidence bags on the desk。 〃And this？〃
The man shrugged。 〃Force of habit。 I bag anything peculiar。〃
Collet walked over。 Peculiar？
〃This Brit's a strange one；〃 the examiner said。 〃Have a look at this。〃 He sifted through the evidence bags and selected one； handing it to Collet。
The photo showed the main entrance of a Gothic cathedral—the traditional； recessed archway； narrowing through multiple； ribbed layers to a small doorway。
Collet studied the photo and turned。 〃This is peculiar？〃
〃Turn it over。〃
On the back； Collet found notations scrawled in English； describing a cathedral's long hollow nave as a secret pagan tribute to a woman's womb。 This was strange。 The notation describing the cathedral's doorway； however； was what startled him。 〃Hold on！ He thinks a cathedral's entrance represents a woman's。。。〃
The examiner nodded。 〃plete with receding labial ridges and a nice little cinquefoil clitoris above the doorway。〃 He sighed。 〃Kind of makes you want to go back to church。〃
Collet picked up the second evidence bag。 Through the plastic； he could see a large glossy photograph of what appeared to be an old document。 The heading at the top read：
Les Dossiers Secrets—Number 4° lm1 249
〃What's this？〃 Collet asked。
〃No idea。 He's got copies of it all over the place； so I bagged it。〃
Collet studied the document。
PRIEURE DE SIGN—LES NAUTONIERS/GRAND MASTERS
JEAN DE GISORS 1188…1220
MARIE DE SAINT…CLAIR 1220…1266
GUILLAUME DE GlSORS 1266…1307
EDOUARD DE BAR 1307…1336
JEANNE DE BAR 1336…1351
JEAN DE SAINT…CLAIR 1351…1366
BLANCE D'EVREUX 1366…1398
NICOLAS FLAMEL 1398…1418
RENE D'ANJOU 1418…1480
IOLANDE DE BAR 1480…1483
SANDRO BOTTICELLI 1483…1510
LEONARDO DA VINCI 1510…1519
CONNETABLE DE BOURBON 1519…1527
FERDINAND DE GONZAQUE 1527…1575
LOUIS DE NEVERS 1575…1595
ROBERT FLUDD 1595…1637
J。 VALENTIN ANDREA 1637…1654
ROBERT BOYLE 1654…1691
ISAAC NEWTON 1691…1727
CHARLES RADCLYFFE 1727…1746
CHARLES DE LORRAINE 1746…1780
MAXIMILIAN DE LORRAINE 1780…1801
CHARLES NODIER 1801…1844
VICTOR HUGO 1844…1885
CLAUDE DEBUSSY 1885…1918
JEAN COCTEAU 1918…1963
Prieuré de Sion？ Collet wondered。
〃Lieutenant？〃 Another agent stuck his head in。 〃The switchboard has an urgent call for Captain Fache； but they can't reach him。 Will you take it？〃
Collet returned to the kitchen and took the call。
It was André Vernet。
The banker's refined accent did little to mask the tension in his voice。 〃I thought Captain Fache said he would call me； but I have not yet heard from him。〃
〃The captain is quite busy；〃 Collet replied。 〃May I help you？〃
〃I was assured I would be kept abreast of your progress tonight。〃
For a moment； Collet thought he recognized the timbre of the man's voice； but he couldn't quite place it。 〃Monsieur Vernet； I am currently in charge of the Paris investigation。 My name is Lieutenant Collet。〃
There was a long pause on the line。 〃Lieutenant； I have another call ing in。 Please excuse me。 I will call you later。〃 He hung up。
For several seconds； Collet held the receiver。 Then it dawned on him。 I knew I recognized that voice！ The revelation made him gasp。
The armored car driver。
With the fake Rolex。
Collet now understood why the banker had hung up so quickly。 Vernet had remembered the name Lieutenant Collet—the officer he blatantly lied to earlier tonight。
Collet pondered the implications of this bizarre development。 Vernet is involved。 Instinctively； he knew he should call Fache。 Emotionally； he knew this lucky break was going to be his moment to shine。
He immediately called Interpol and requested every shred of information they could find on the Depository Bank of Zurich and its president； André Vernet。
CHAPTER 80
〃Seat belts； please；〃 Teabing's pilot announced as the Hawker 731 descended into a gloomy morning drizzle。 〃We'll be landing in five minutes。〃
Teabing felt a joyous sense of homeing when he saw the misty hills of Kent spreading wide beneath the descending plane。 England was less than an hour from Paris； and yet a world away。 This morning； the damp； spring green of his homeland looked particularly weling。 My time in France is over。 I am returning to England victorious。 The keystone has been found。 The question remained； of course； as to where the keystone would ultimately lead。 Somewhere in the United Kingdom。 Where exactly； Teabing had no idea； but he was already tasting the glory。
As Langdon and Sophie looked on； Teabing got up and went to the far side of the cabin； then slid aside a wall panel to reveal a discreetly hidden wall safe。 He dialed in the bination； opened the safe； and extracted two passports。 〃Documentation for Rémy and myself。〃 He then removed a thick stack of fifty…pound notes。 〃And documentation for you two。〃
Sophie looked leery。 〃A bribe？〃
〃Creative diplomacy。 Executive airfields make certain allowances。 A British customs official will greet us at my hangar and ask to board the plane。 Rather than permitting him to e on； I'll tell him I'm traveling with a French celebrity who prefers that nobody knows she is in England—press considerations； you know—and I'll offer the official this generous tip as gratitude for his discretion。〃
Langdon looked amazed。 〃And the official will accept？〃