The Lost Symbol

Mal’akh goes into a hidden room within his basement where he hides the emblems of his plan and his other equipment. Here he withdraws a knife made of iron and bone. He paid nearly $2 million to purchase the knife, which he believes to be historically famous and worth the price. He also gathers tools with which to tattoo the remaining spot on his head, including some of Peter’s blood. Mal’akh uses Peter’s blood to draw the symbols of the Ancient Mysteries on a piece of vellum, then burns the vellum and adds the charred remnants to the bowl of blood. He pours the blood into a vial and corks it, intending to use it for his final tattoo.

The elderly, blind priest who meets Langdon and Katherine is Reverend Colin Galloway, the dean of the National Cathedral. He takes Langdon and Katherine into his office, where Langdon tells him that they have already deciphered the symbols on the pyramid. Dean Galloway touches the items as he listens to Langdon describe what they have done, then tells them that they have not finished deciphering the pyramid. Langdon and Katherine are confused, for they have deciphered all the writing they can see, but Dean Galloway assures them that the pyramid can be transformed to reveal further information.