"I'm being framed, Leigh," Langdon said, trying to stay calm. You know me. I wouldn't kill anyone.
Teabing's tone did not soften. "Robert, you're on television, for Christ's sake. Did you know youwere wanted by the authorities?""Yes.""Then you abused my trust. I'm astonished you would put me at risk by coming here and asking meto ramble on about the Grail so you could hide out in my home.""I didn't kill anyone.""Jacques Saunière is dead, and the police say you did it." Teabing looked saddened. "Such acontributor to the arts...""Sir?" The manservant had appeared now, standing behind Teabing in the study doorway, his armscrossed. "Shall I show them out?""Allow me." Teabing hobbled across the study, unlocked a set of wide glass doors, and swungthem open onto a side lawn. "Please find your car, and leave."Sophie did not move. "We have information about the clef de vo.te. The Priory keystone."Teabing stared at her for several seconds and scoffed derisively. "A desperate ploy. Robert knowshow I've sought it.""She's telling the truth," Langdon said. "That's why we came to you tonight. To talk to you aboutthe keystone."The manservant intervened now. "Leave, or I shall call the authorities.""Leigh," Langdon whispered, "we know where it is."Teabing's balance seemed to falter a bit.
Rémy now marched stiffly across the room. "Leave at once! Or I will forcibly—""Rémy!" Teabing spun, snapping at his servant. "Excuse us for a moment."The servant's jaw dropped. "Sir? I must protest. These people are—""I'll handle this." Teabing pointed to the hallway.
After a moment of stunned silence, Rémy skulked out like a banished dog.
In the cool night breeze coming through the open doors, Teabing turned back to Sophie andLangdon, his expression still wary. "This better be good. What do you know of the keystone?"In the thick brush outside Teabing's study, Silas clutched his pistol and gazed through the glassdoors. Only moments ago, he had circled the house and seen Langdon and the woman talking inthe large study. Before he could move in, a man on crutches entered, yelled at Langdon, threwopen the doors, and demanded his guests leave. Then the woman mentioned the keystone, andeverything changed. Shouts turned to whispers. Moods softened. And the glass doors were quicklyclosed.
Now, as he huddled in the shadows, Silas peered through the glass. The keystone is somewhereinside the house. Silas could feel it.
Staying in the shadows, he inched closer to the glass, eager to hear what was being said. He wouldgive them five minutes. If they did not reveal where they had placed the keystone, Silas wouldhave to enter and persuade them with force.
Inside the study, Langdon could sense their host's bewilderment.
"Grand Master?" Teabing choked, eyeing Sophie. "Jacques Saunière?"Sophie nodded, seeing the shock in his eyes.
"But you could not possibly know that!""Jacques Saunière was my grandfather."Teabing staggered back on his crutches, shooting a glance at Langdon, who nodded. Teabingturned back to Sophie. "Miss Neveu, I am speechless. If this is true, then I am truly sorry for yourloss. I should admit, for my research, I have kept lists of men in Paris whom I thought might begood candidates for involvement in the Priory. Jacques Saunière was on that list along with manyothers. But Grand Master, you say? It's hard to fathom." Teabing was silent a moment and thenshook his head. "But it still makes no sense. Even if your grandfather were the Priory Grand Masterand created the keystone himself, he would never tell you how to find it. The keystone reveals thepathway to the brotherhood's ultimate treasure. Granddaughter or not, you are not eligible toreceive such knowledge.""Mr. Saunière was dying when he passed on the information," Langdon said. "He had limitedoptions.""He didn't need options," Teabing argued. "There exist three sénéchaux who also know the secret.
That is the beauty of their system. One will rise to Grand Master and they will induct a newsénéchal and share the secret of the keystone.""I guess you didn't see the entire news broadcast," Sophie said. "In addition to my grandfather,three other prominent Parisians were murdered today. All in similar ways. All looked like they hadbeen interrogated."Teabing's jaw fell. "And you think they were...""The sénéchaux," Langdon said.
"But how? A murderer could not possibly learn the identities of all four top members of the Prioryof Sion! Look at me, I have been researching them for decades, and I can't even name one Priorymember. It seems inconceivable that all three sénéchaux and the Grand Master could be discoveredand killed in one day.""I doubt the information was gathered in a single day," Sophie said. "It sounds like a well-planneddécapiter. It's a technique we use to fight organized crime syndicates. If DCPJ wants to move on acertain group, they will silently listen and watch for months, identify all the main players, and thenmove in and take them all at the same moment. Decapitation. With no leadership, the group fallsinto chaos and divulges other information. It's possible someone patiently watched the Priory andthen attacked, hoping the top people would reveal the location of the keystone."Teabing looked unconvinced. "But the brothers would never talk. They are sworn to secrecy. Evenin the face of death.""Exactly," Langdon said. "Meaning, if they never divulged the secret, and they were killed..."Teabing gasped. "Then the location of the keystone would be lost forever!""And with it," Langdon said, "the location of the Holy Grail."Teabing's body seemed to sway with the weight of Langdon's words. Then, as if too tired to standanother moment, he flopped in a chair and stared out the window.
Sophie walked over, her voice soft. "Considering my grandfather's predicament, it seems possiblethat in total desperation he tried to pass the secret on to someone outside the brotherhood. Someonehe thought he could trust. Someone in his family."Teabing was pale. "But someone capable of such an attack... of discovering so much about thebrotherhood..." He paused, radiating a new fear. "It could only be one force. This kind ofinfiltration could only have come from the Priory's oldest enemy."Langdon glanced up. "The Church.""Who else? Rome has been seeking the Grail for centuries."Sophie was skeptical. "You think the Church killed my grandfather?"Teabing replied, "It would not be the first time in history the Church has killed to protect itself. Thedocuments that accompany the Holy Grail are explosive, and the Church has wanted to destroythem for years."Langdon was having trouble buying Teabing's premise that the Church would blatantly murderpeople to obtain these documents. Having met the new Pope and many of the cardinals, Langdonknew they were deeply spiritual men who would never condone assassination. Regardless of thestakes.
Sophie seemed to be having similar thoughts. "Isn't it possible that these Priory members weremurdered by someone outside the Church? Someone who didn't understand what the Grail reallyis? The Cup of Christ, after all, would be quite an enticing treasure. Certainly treasure hunters havekilled for less.""In my experience," Teabing said, "men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than toobtain what they desire. I sense a desperation in this assault on the Priory.""Leigh," Langdon said, "the argument is paradoxical. Why would members of the Catholic clergymurder Priory members in an effort to f............