Chapter 82

           «FleetStreet?»Langdonasked,eyeingTeabinginthebackofthelimo.There’sacryptonFleetStreet?Sofar,Leighwasbeingplayfullycageyaboutwherehethoughttheywouldfindthe“knight’stomb”,which,accordingtothepoem,wouldprovidethepasswordforopeningthesmallercryptex.

           TeabinggrinnedandturnedtoSophie.«MissNeveu,givetheHarvardboyonemoreshotattheverse,willyou?»

           Sophiefishedinherpocketandpulledouttheblackcryptex,whichwaswrappedinthevellum.Everyonehaddecidedtoleavetherosewoodboxandlargercryptexbehindintheplane’sstrongbox,carryingwiththemonlywhattheyneeded,thefarmoreportableanddiscreetblackcryptex.SophieunwrappedthevellumandhandedthesheettoLangdon.

           AlthoughLangdonhadreadthepoemseveraltimesonboardthejet,hehadbeenunabletoextractanyspecificlocation.Now,ashereadthewordsagain,heprocessedthemslowlyandcarefully,hopingthepentametricrhythmswouldrevealaclearermeaningnowthathewasontheground.

           InLondonliesaknightaPopeinterred.

           Hislabor’sfruitaHolywrathincurred.

           Youseektheorbthatoughtbeonhistomb.

           ItspeaksofRosyfleshandseededwomb.

           Thelanguageseemedsimpleenough.TherewasaknightburiedinLondon.AknightwholaboredatsomethingthatangeredtheChurch.Aknightwhosetombwasmissinganorbthatshouldbepresent.Thepoem’sfinalreference–Rosyfleshandseededwomb–wasaclearallusiontoMaryMagdalene,theRosewhoboretheseedofJesus.