CHAPTER SUMMARIES WITH NOTES

CHAPTERS 66 - 70

Summary

Collet and his men storm TeabingÂ’s home. Just as Collet is about to divide his men between the floors, he hears people upstairs and orders his men to the second floor. Collet cannot find anyone and is confused by the sound of a car. He notices there is an intercom system with a series of rooms listed on it. He sees that one of the rooms is the Barn and orders the men there. In the barn he sees the same intercom system with a switch flipped for Guest Bedroom II. Collet realizes he has been tricked. Collet notices that they must have escaped into the forest behind the barn in a Range Rover.

As they drive through the woods, Teabing assures Langdon it was a good decision to take Silas with them. Teabing has concluded that Silas is a member of Opus Dei because of his clothing and corporeal mortification. Teabing insists Silas is not working alone and that Langdon is in danger. Teabing tells them they will fly to England on his private jet.

Langdon calls his New York editor and asks if he sent a copy of his manuscript to Jacques Saunière. The editor admits that he did. Langdon thinks of something in the manuscript which would have piqued Saunière’s interest and decides to discuss it with Sophie privately. Sophie points out that Fache probably thinks Langdon lied to him about never meeting Saunière since Fache had likely found the manuscript in Saunière’s office. When they arrive at the airport, Teabing bribes and threatens the pilot in order to depart immediately. Once on the plane, Teabing explains the gravity of finding the Grail to Sophie. He believes the documents should be made public. Sophie believes she will know what to do when the time comes.

Collet tells Fache that Vernet is now admitting that Sophie and Langdon were in the bank that evening. Vernet will only discuss the details with Fache; in exchange Vernet wants the bankÂ’s name kept out of the news and wants the stolen property returned. In the meantime, Fache learns that Teabing has just left the country by plane. Fache leaves Collet in charge of the investigation at the chateau and goes to the airport.

Notes

The police in this novel are repeatedly presented as the “dupes.” So far, they have been tricked into thinking Langdon jumped out the window of the Louvre, that Vernet was a truck driver, and now that Langdon and Sophie are hiding upstairs. The police play the almost stereotypical suspense-novel role of the ambiguous threat. This is a particularly terrifying prospect because the police are supposed to be a safe-haven from danger. It is unclear at this point whether or not Fache, in particular, can be trusted.

Once again, Sophie exhibits womenÂ’s intuition. While she has just learned about the history of the Grail, she believes she will know what to do with it if they find it. Sophie ignores TeabingÂ’s pleas to release the information, even though he is an expert in the Grail. Instead, she is confident that her instincts will guide her.

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