Chapter 44

           «Tendigits,»Sophiesaid,hercryptologicsensestinglingasshestudiedtheprintout.

           13-3-2-21-1-1-8-5

           Grand-pèrewrotehisaccountnumberontheLouvrefloor!

           WhenSophiehadfirstseenthescrambledFibonaccisequenceontheparquet,shehadassumeditssolepurposewastoencourageDCPJtocallintheircryptographersandgetSophieinvolved.Later,sherealizedthenumberswerealsoaclueastohowtodeciphertheotherlines–asequenceoutoforder…anumericanagram.Now,utterlyamazed,shesawthenumbershadamoreimportantmeaningstill.Theywerealmostcertainlythefinalkeytoopeninghergrandfather’smysterioussafe-depositbox.

           «Hewasthemasterofdouble-entendres,»Sophiesaid,turningtoLangdon.«Helovedanythingwithmultiplelayersofmeaning.Codeswithincodes.»

           Langdonwasalreadymovingtowardtheelectronicpodiumneartheconveyorbelt.Sophiegrabbedthecomputerprintoutandfollowed.

           ThepodiumhadakeypadsimilartothatofabankATMterminal.Thescreendisplayedthebank’scruciformlogo.Besidethekeypadwasatriangularhole.Sophiewastednotimeinsertingtheshaftofherkeyintothehole.

           Thescreenrefreshedinstantly.

           ACCOUNTNUMBER:__________

           Thecursorblinked.Waiting.

           Tendigits.Sophiereadthenumbersofftheprintout,andLangdontypedthemin.

           ACCOUNTNUMBER:1332211185

           Whenhehadtypedthelastdigit,thescreenrefreshedagain.Amessageinseverallanguagesappeared.Englishwasontop.

           CAUTION:

           Beforeyoustriketheenterkey,pleasechecktheaccuracyofyouraccountnumber.