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The Da Vinci Code Chapter 101 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Langdon doesn't respond to Teabing's question of whether he's with him or against him. Instead he just focuses on the cryptex, to give himself time to think.
  • He figures that the only way to save himself and Sophie is to figure out the cryptex's password.
  • He looks out the window, and sees Britain's oldest apple tree, with its five-petaled blossoms…
  • Meanwhile, Teabing is reminiscing about his plot from the very beginning:
  • He'd started everything in motion when he discovered Saunière had summoned Langdon for a meeting. He thought the Grand Master was going to silence Langdon after he'd stumbled too close to the truth with his new manuscript.
  • So, he'd Silas pose as a distraught minister who'd heard a confession from a guy claiming to have killed Saunière's family and make it look like an accident. He tells him Sophie is in danger, based on this guy's confession.
  • That's how Teabing manipulated Saunière into meeting with Silas. Easy-peasy.
  • Langdon suddenly exclaims that he knows where to look on Newton's tomb, but he won't help Teabing until he releases Sophie.
  • Sophie's angry now. She doesn't want to leave, or let Langdon help Teabing succeed.
  • Now they're at a stand-off. Sophie wants Langdon to smash the cryptex. Teabing obviously doesn't want him to.
  • So Langdon does what anyone else would do. He throws the cryptex straight up into the air.
  • Teabing fires the gun but it hits the floor near Langdon's feet. He's too desperate to try and catch the keystone.
  • Teabing launches himself forward, catching the cryptex, but he still lands too hard. The glass vial of vinegar shatters.
  • Weeping, he tries to pry the cryptex open, and realizes that Langdon had already entered the password, APPLE, and removed the map. Everything isn't lost!
  • The missing orb is the apple that fell on Newton's head and allowed him to discover gravity.
  • Langdon shows Teabing that the map's safely in his breast pocket, but he's not gonna show Teabing.
  • And who but Fache bursts in and saves the day. He and his police retinue start to carry Teabing away in cuffs.
  • (He'd found them because Teabing had shown ID at the entrance to get through the metal detectors. Silly man.)
  • Teabing pleads with Langdon to tell him where the Grail is hidden, but Langdon smugly tells him that only the worthy find the Grail.
  • Boom, bad guy. You lose.