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CHAPTER 52

The Sprawling 185-acre estate of Chateau Villette was located twenty-five minutes northwest of Paris in the environs of Versailles Designed by François Mansart in 1668 for the Count of Aufflay, it was one of Paris’s nificant historical chateaux Coned by Le Nôtre, Chateau Villette was more of a modest castle than a mansion The estate fondly had becoht the ar driveway Beyond the i’s residence rose on a ate was in English:

PRIVATE PROPERTY

NO TRESPASSING

As if to proclai had not only posted his signs in English, but he had installed his gate’s intercoht-hand side of the truck - the passenger’s side everywhere in Europe except England Sophie gave the misplaced intercoer?" "Don’t ask" Langdon had already been through that with Teabing "He prefers things the way they are at home"

Sophie rolled down her"Robert, you’d better do the talking"

Langdon shifted his position, leaning out across Sophie to press the interco whiff of Sophie’s perfume filled his nostrils, and he realized how close they were He waited there, aardly prone, while a telephone began ringing over the small speaker

Finally, the intercom crackled and an irritated French accent spoke "Chateau Villette Who is calling?"

"This is Robert Langdon," Langdon called out, sprawled across Sophie’s lap "I’ I need his help"

"MyAs was I What is your business with hireat interest to him" "Then I’don shifted his weight "It’s quite ih’s sleep If you are a friend, then you are aware he is in poor health"

Sir Leigh Teabing had suffered fro braces and walked with crutches, but Langdon had found him such a lively and colorful man on his last visit that it hardly seemed an infirmity "If you would, please tell him I have uncovered new information about the Grail Infor"

There was a long pause

Langdon and Sophie waited, the truck idling loudly

A full ood man, I daresay you are still on Harvard Standard Tirinned, recognizing the thick British accent "Leigh,you at this obscene hour"

"My manservant tells me that not only are you in Paris, but you speak of the Grail"

"I thought that et you out of bed" "And so it has" "Any chance you’d open the gate for an old friend?"

"Those who seek the truth are don rolled his eyes at Sophie, well accusto’s predilection for dra proclaimed," but first I must confirm your heart is true A test of your honor You will answer three questions"

Langdon groaned, whispering at Sophie "Bear withof a character" "Your first question," Teabing declared, his tone Herculean "Shall I serve you coffee, or tea?" Langdon knew Teabing’s feelings about the American phenomenon of coffee "Tea," he replied" Earl Grey"

"Excellent Your second question Milk or sugar?" Langdon hesitated" Milk,"Sophie whispered in his ear "I think the British takedon now recalled the bitter beverage he had been served on his last visit and realized this question was a trick "Lemon!" he declared "Earl Grey with le sounded deeply arave of inquiries" Teabing paused and then spoke in a solemn tone "In which year did a Harvard sculler last outrow an Oxford don had no idea, but he could iine only one reason the question had been asked "Surely such a travesty has never occurred"

The gate clicked open "Your heart is true, my friend You may pass"

CHAPTER 53

"Monsieur Vernet!" The night er of the Depository Bank of Zurich felt relieved to hear the bank president’s voice on the phone "Where did you go, sir? The police are here, everyone is waiting for you!"

"I have a little proble distressed "I need your help right away"

You have ht The police had entirely surrounded the bank and were threatening to have the DCPJ captain himself shoith the warrant the bank had demanded "How can I help you, sir?" "Armored truck nuer checked his delivery schedule "It’s here Downstairs at the loading dock" "Actually, no The truck was stolen by the two individuals the police are tracking" "What? How did they drive out?"

"I can’t go into the specifics on the phone, but we have a situation here that could potentially be extremely unfortunate for the bank"

"What do you need me to do, sir?"

"I’d like you to activate the truck’s eer’s eyes moved to the LoJack control box across the room Like many armored cars, each of the bank’s trucks had been equipped with a radio-controlled ho device, which could be activated reency syste, and it had worked flawlessly - locating the truck and trans the coordinates to the authorities autoer had the i for a bit more prudence "Sir, you are aware that if I activate the LoJack system, the transponder will simultaneously inform the authorities that we have a problem"

Vernet was silent for several seconds "Yes, I know Do it anyway Truck number three I’ll hold I need the exact location of that truck the instant you have it" "Right away, sir"

Thirty seconds later, forty kiloe of the armored truck, a tiny transponder blinked to life

CHAPTER 54

As Langdon and Sophie drove the ar, poplar-lined driveway toward the house, Sophie could already feel herIt was a relief to be off the road, and she could think of few safer places to get their feet under theood-natured foreigner

They turned into the sweeping circular driveway, and Chateau Villette caht Three stories tall and at least sixtyilluhts The coarse facade stood in stark juxtaposition to the ilassy pond

The inside lights were just now co to the front door, Langdon pulled into a parking area nestled in the evergreens "No reason to risk being spotted froh wonder e arrived in a wrecked armored truck"

Sophie nodded "What do we do with the cryptex? We probably shouldn’t leave it out here, but if Leigh sees it, he’ll certainly want to knohat it is"

"Not to worry," Langdon said, re his jacket as he stepped out of the car He wrapped the tweed coat around the box and held the bundle in his arms like a baby

Sophie looked dubious "Subtle"

"Teabing never answers his own door; he prefers to make an entrance I’ll find sodon paused "Actually, I should probably warn you before you h has a sense of hue" Sophie doubted anything tonight would strike her as strange anymore The pathway to the main entrance was hand-laid cobblestone It curved to a door of carved oak and cherry with a brass knocker the size of a grapefruit Before Sophie could grasp the knocker, the door swung open froant butler stood before the final adjustments on the white tie and tuxedo he had apparently just donned He looked to be about fifty, with refined features and an austere expression that left little doubt he was unah will be down presently," he declared, his accent thick French "He is dressing He prefers not to greet visitors while wearing only a nightshirt May I take your coat?" He scowled at the bunched-up tweed in Langdon’s arht this way, please"

The butler guided theh a lushroom, softly lit by tassel-draped Victorian laal so sherry, and the earthen aroainst the far wall, flanked between two glistening suits of chain h to roast an ox Walking to the hearth, the butler knelt and touched aA fire quickly crackled to life

Thehis jacket "His master requests that you don and Sophie alone

Sophie wondered which of the fireside antiques she was supposed to sit on - the Renaissance velvet divan, the rustic eagle-claw rocker, or the pair of stone pews that looked like they’d been lifted frodon unwrapped the cryptex from his coat, walked to the velvet divan, and slid the wooden box deep underneath it, well out of sight Then, shaking out his jacket, he put it back on, smoothed the lapels, and smiled at Sophie as he sat down directly over the stashed treasure

The divan it is, Sophie thought, taking a seat beside hi the warrandfather would have loved this roo was bedecked with Old Master paintings, one of which Sophie recognized as a Poussin, her grandfather’s second-favorite painter On the mantel above the fireplace, an alabaster bust of Isis watched over the roooddess, inside the fireplace, two stone gargoyles served as andirons, their oyles had always terrified Sophie as a child; that was, until her grandfather cured her of the fear by taking her atop Notre Dame Cathedral in a rainstorm "Princess, look at these silly creatures," he had told her, pointing to the gargoyle rainspouts with theirwater "Do you hear that funny sound in their throats?" Sophie nodded, having to sh their throats "They’re gargling,"her grandfather told her "Gargariser! And that’s where they get the silly naain been afraid

The fondof sadness as the harsh reality of the oneShe pictured the cryptex under the divan and wondered if Leigh Teabing would have any idea how to open it Or if we even should ask hirandfather’s final words had instructed her to find Robert Langdon He had said nothing about involving anyone else We needed so to trust Robert’s judgment

"Sir Robert!" a voice bellowed somewhere behind thedon stood up Sophie jumped to her feet as well The voice had come from the top of a curled staircase that snaked up to the shadows of the second floor At the top of the stairs, a form moved in the shadows, only his silhouette visible

"Good evening," Langdon called up "Sir Leigh,us," Sophie said, now seeing thedown one stair at a time "I realize it’s quite late"

"It is so late, hed "Vous n’etes pas Americaine?"

Sophie shook her head "Parisienne"

"Your English is superb"

"Thank you I studied at the Royal Holloway"

"So then, that explains it" Teabing hobbled lower through the shadows "Perhaps Robert told you I schooled just down the road at Oxford" Teabing fixed Langdon with a devilish smile "Of course, I also applied to Harvard as my safety school"

Their host arrived at the bottoht than Sir Elton John Portly and ruby-faced, Sir Leigh Teabing had bushy red hair and jovial hazel eyes that seemed to twinkle as he spoke He wore pleated pants and a roomy silk shirt under a paisley vest Despite the alus, he carried hinity that seemed more a by-product of noble ancestry than any kind of conscious effort

Teabing arrived and extended a hand to Langdon "Robert, you’ve lost weight" Langdon grinned "And you’ve found so his rotund belly "Touche My only carnal pleasures these days seeently took her hand, bowing his head slightly, breathing lightly on her fingers, and diverting his eyes "M’lady"

Sophie glanced at Langdon, uncertain whether she’d stepped back in time or into a nuthouse

The butler who had answered the door now entered carrying a tea service, which he arranged on a table in front of the fireplace

"This is Re said," ave a stiff nod and disappeared yet again

"Re whispered, as if it were an unfortunate disease "But he does sauces quite nicely"

Langdon looked alish staff?"

"Good heavens, no! I would not wish a British chef on anyone except the French tax collectors" He glanced over at Sophie "Pardonnez-moi, Mademoiselle Neveu Please be assured that my distaste for the French extends only to politics and the soccer pitch Your government steals my money, and your football squad recently humiliated us"