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"I have never met Mr Wren," the altar boy declared
"You’re don said politely "I believe you and Ilast year Father Knowles failed to fornized your face as we came in Now, I realize this is an intrusion, but if you could afford reat distance to scatter ashes a-esque believability The altar boy’s expression turned even don said
"Of course they are to about?"
The altar boy shook his head "Toies Stone tributes to real ures"
"This is a crypt!" Teabing said
"Only in outdated history books This was believed to be a crypt but was revealed as nothing of the sort during the 1950 renovation" He turned back to Langdon "And I i it was his family that uncovered that fact" An uneasy silence fell
It was broken by the sound of a door sla out in the annex
"That o see?"
The altar boy looked doubtful but stalked back toward the annex, leaving Langdon, Sophie, and Teabing to eye one another gloodon whispered "No bodies? What is he talking about?"
Teabing looked distraught "I don’t know I always thought certainly, this ine he knohat he is talking about It don said Sophie pulled the cryptex frodon unwrapped the vellu the cryptex in his hand while he examined the poey"
"Could the poe asked "Could Jacques Sauniere have don considered it and shook his head "Leigh, you said it yourself This church was built by Te tells ood idea if there were knights buried here"
Teabing looked flabbergasted "But this place is perfect" He wheeled back toward the knights "Wethe annex, the altar boy was surprised to find it deserted "Father Knowles?" I know Iheard the door, he thought,forward until he could see the entryway
A thinhis head and looking lost The altar boy gave an irritated huff, realizing he had forgotten to relock the door when he let the others in Now so for directions to so fro a large pillar," we’re closed"
A flurry of cloth ruffled behind him, and before the altar boy could turn, his head snapped backward, a powerful hand cla his scream The hand over the boy’s mouth was snohite, and he smelled alcohol
The prim man in the tuxedo calmly produced a very small revolver, which he aimed directly at the boy’s forehead
The altar boy felt his groin grow hot and realized he had wet himself
"Listen carefully," the tuxedoed man whispered "You will exit this church silently, and you will run You will not stop Is that clear?"
The boy nodded as best he could with the hand over his mouth
"If you call the police" The tuxedoed un to his skin "I will find you"
The next thing the boy knew, he was sprinting across the outside courtyard with no plans of stopping until his legs gave out
CHAPTER 86
Like a ghost, Silas drifted silently behind his target Sophie Neveu sensed hiun barrel into her spine and wrapped a powerful ar body She yelled in surprise Teabing and Langdon both turned now, their expressions astonished and fearful
"What ?" Teabing choked out "What did you do to Remy!"
"Your only concern," Silas said calmly," is that I leave here with the keystone" This recovery mission, as Remy had described it, was to be clean and simple: Enter the church, take the keystone, and walk out; no killing, no struggle
Holding Sophie firm, Silas dropped his hand fro it inside her deep sweater pockets, searching He could sh his own alcohol-laced breath "Where is it?" he whispered The keystone was in her sweater pocket earlier So where is it now?
"It’s over here," Langdon’s deep voice resonated frodon holding the black cryptex before hi a dumb animal
"Set it down," Silas deh leave the church," Langdon replied "You and I can settle this"
Silas pushed Sophie away fro toward hidon said "Not until they leave the building" "You are in no position to don raised the cryptex high over his head "I will not hesitate to smash this on the floor and break the vial inside"
Although Silas sneered outwardly at the threat, he felt a flash of fear This was unexpected He aidon’s head and kept his voice as steady as his hand "You would never break the keystone You want to find the Grail asYou want itto kill for it"
Forty feet away, peering out froaludec felt a rising alarone as planned, and even from here, he could see Silas was uncertain how to handle the situation At the Teacher’s orders, Reun
"Let theh over his head and staring into Silas’s gun
The er and frustration, and Redon while he was holding the cryptex The cryptex cannot fall!
The cryptex was to be Reo, he was si within the walls of Chateau Villette, catering to the whi Then he was approached with an extraordinary proposition Re - the pree Re he had ever dreamed of in life Since then, everyhim to this very instant
I a into the sanctuary of the Tedon’s hand If Langdon dropped it, all would be lost
A the Teacher had strictly forbidden Remy was the only one who knew the Teacher’s identity
"Are you certain you want Silas to carry out this task?" Reetting orders to steal the keystone "I myself am capable"
The Teacher was resolute "Silas served us ith the four Priory members He will recover the keystone You must remain anonymous If others see you, they will need to be eli already Do not reveal your face"
My face will change, Reht With what you’ve proery could even change his fingerprints, the Teacher had told hinizable, beautiful face soaking up the sun on the beach "Understood," Remy said "I will assist Silas froe, Remy," the Teacher had told him," the tomb in question is not in the Te place" Remy was stunned "And you knohere the tomb is?" "Of course Later, I will tell you For the ure out the true location of the tomb and leave the church before you take the cryptex, we could lose the Grail forever"
Reive a damn about the Grail, except that the Teacher refused to pay hiht of the money he soon would have One third oftwenty million euroPlenty to disappear foreverRemy had pictured the beach towns on the Côte d’Azur, where he planned to live out his days basking in the sun and letting others serve hie
Noever, here in the Te to break the keystone, Reht of co this close only to lose it all, Reun in his hand was a concealable, small-caliber, J-frae
Stepping from the shadows, Reun directly at Teabing’s head "Oldti’s heart practically stalled to see Renized the tiny Medusa revolver as his own, the one he kept locked in the li sputtered in shock "What is going on?" Langdon and Sophie looked equally du and rah and on the left, directly behind his heart
Teabing felt his muscles seize with terror "Remy, I don’t - "
"I’ll ’s shoulder "Set down the keystone, or I pull the trigger"
Langdon seemed momentarily paralyzed "The keystone is worthless to you," he staant fools," Re tonight as you discussed these poe I heard, I have shared with others Others who know ht place The tomb you seek is in another location entirely!"
Teabing felt panicked What is he saying!
"Why do you want the Grail?" Langdon demanded "To destroy it? Before the End of Days?" Redon" As the h, looking fully prepared to hurl it at the floor
"I would rather break it," Langdon said, "than see it in the wrong hands"
Teabing now felt a wave of horror He could see his life’s work evaporating before his eyes All his drea exclai! Remy would never shoot me We’ve known each other for ten - "
Re and fired the Medusa The blast was enor like thunder inside the stone chaames," Remy said "The next one is in his back Hand the keystone to Silas"
Langdon reluctantly held out the cryptex Silas stepped forward and took it, his red eyes glea the keystone in the pocket of his robe, Silas backed off, still holding Langdon and Sophie at gunpoint
Teabing felt Rean backing out of the building, dragging Teabing with hio," Langdon de for a drive," Re up "If you call the police, he will die If you do anything to interfere, he will die Is that clear?"
"Takewith ehed "I don’t think so He and I have such a nice history Besides, he stillup now, keeping Langdon and Sophie at gunpoint as Re behind hi "Who are you working for?"
The question brought a s Remy’s face "You would be surprised, Mademoiselle Neveu"