«If it’s of any help,» Langdon said, «Peter’s hand is not the first such hand to make an appearance in this Rotunda.»

Sato eyed him like he was insane. «I beg your pardon?»

Langdon motioned to her BlackBerry. «Google ‘George Washington Zeus.’ »

Sato looked uncertain but started typing. Anderson inched toward her, looking over her shoulder intently.

Langdon said, «This Rotunda was once dominated by a massive sculpture of a bare-chested George Washington. . depicted as a god. He sat in the same exact pose as Zeus in the Pantheon, bare chest exposed, left hand holding a sword, right hand raised with thumb and finger extended.»

Sato had apparently found an online image, because Anderson was staring at her BlackBerry in shock. «Hold on, that’s George Washington?»

«Yes,» Langdon said. «Depicted as Zeus.»

«Look at his hand,» Anderson said, still peering over Sato’s shoulder. «His right hand is in the same exact position as Mr. Solomon’s.»

As I said, Langdon thought, Peter’s hand is not the first to make an appearance in this room. When Horatio Greenough’s statue of a naked George Washington was first unveiled in the Rotunda, many joked that Washington must be reaching skyward in a desperate attempt to find some clothes. as american religious ideals changed, however, the joking criticism turned to controversy, and the statue was removed, banished to a shed in the east garden. currently, it made its home at the smithsonian’s national museum of american history, where those who saw it had no reason to suspect that it was one of the last vestigial links to a time when the father of the country had watched over the u.s. capitol as a god. . like zeus watching over the pantheon.

Sato began dialing a number on her BlackBerry, apparently seeing this as an opportune moment to check in with her staff. «What have you got?» She listened patiently. «I see. .» She glanced directly at Langdon, then at Peter’s hand. «You’re certain?» She listened a moment longer. «Okay, thanks.» She hung up and turned back toward Langdon. «My support staff did some research and confirms the existence of your so-called Hand of the Mysteries, corroborating everything you said: five fingertip markings — the star, the sun, the key, the crown, and the lantern — as well as the fact that this hand served as an ancient invitation to learn secret wisdom.»

«I’m glad,» Langdon said.

«Don’t be,» she replied curtly. «It appears we’re now at a dead end until you share whatever it is you’re still not telling me.»

«Ma’am?»

Sato stepped toward him. «We’ve come full circle, Professor. You’ve told me nothing I could not have learned from my own staff. And so I will ask you once more. Why were you brought here tonight? What makes you so special? What is it that you alone know?»

«We’ve been through this,» Langdon fired back. «I don’t know why this guy thinks I know anything at all!»

Langdon was half tempted to demand how the hell Sato knew that he was in the Capitol tonight, but they’d been through that, too. Sato isn’t talking. «If I knew the next step,» he told her, «I’d tell you. But I don’t. Traditionally, the Hand of the Mysteries is extended by a teacher to a student. And then, shortly afterward, the hand is followed up with a set of instructions. . directions to a temple, the name of the master who will teach you — something! But all this guy left for us is five tattoos! Hardly — » Langdon stopped short.

Sato eyed him. «What is it?»

Langdon’s eyes shot back to the hand. Five tattoos. He now realized that what he was saying might not be entirely true.

«Professor?» Sato pressed.

Langdon inched toward the gruesome object. Peter will point the way.

«earlier, it crossed my mind that maybe this guy had left an object clenched in peter’s palm — a map, or a letter, or a set of directions.»

«He didn’t,» Anderson said. «As you can see, those three fingers are not clenched tightly.»

«You’re right,» Langdon said. «But it occurs to me. .» He crouched down now, trying to see up under the fingers to the hidden part of Peter’s palm. «Maybe it’s not written on paper.»

«Tattooed?» Anderson said.

Langdon nodded.

«Do you see anything on the palm?» Sato asked.

Langdon crouched lower, trying to peer up under the loosely clenched fingers. «The angle is impossible. I can’t — »

«Oh, for heaven’s sake,» Sato said, moving toward him. «Just open the damned thing!»

Anderson stepped in front of her. «Ma’am! We should really wait for forensics before we touch — »

«I want some answers,» Sato said, pushing past him. She crouched down, edging Langdon away from the hand.

Langdon stood up and watched in disbelief as Sato pulled a pen from her pocket, sliding it carefully under the three clenched fingers. Then, one by one, she pried each finger upward until the hand stood fully open, with its palm visible.

She glanced up at Langdon, and a thin smile spread across her face. «Right again, Professor.»

CHAPTER 22

Pacing the library, katherine solomon pulled back the sleeve of her lab coat and checked her watch. she was not a woman accustomed to waiting, but at the moment, she felt as if her whole world were on hold. she was waiting for trish’s search-spider results, she was waiting for word from her brother, and also, she was waiting for a callback from the man who was responsible for this entire troubling situation.

I wish he hadn’t told me, she thought. Normally, Katherine was extremely careful about making new acquaintances, and although she had met this man for the first time only this afternoon, he had earned her trust in a matter of minutes. Completely.

His call had come this afternoon while Katherine was at home enjoying her usual Sunday-afternoon pleasure of catching up on the week’s scientific journals.

«Ms. Solomon?» an unusually airy voice had said. «My name is Dr. Christopher Abaddon. I was hoping I might speak to you for a moment about your brother?»

«I’m sorry, who is this?» she had demanded. And how did you get my private cell-phone number?

«Dr. Christopher Abaddon?»

Katherine did not recognize the name.

The man cleared his throat, as if the situation had just become awkward. «I apologize, Ms. Solomon. I was under the impression your brother had told you about me. I’m his doctor. Your cell number was listed as his emergency contact.»

Katherine’s heart skipped. Emergency contact? «Is something wrong?»

«No. . I don’t think so,» the man said. «Your brother missed an appointment this morning, and I can’t reach him on any of his numbers. He never misses appointments without calling, and I’m just a little worried. I hesitated to phone you, but — »

«No, no, not at all, I appreciate the concern.» Katherine was still trying to place the doctor’s name. «I haven’t spoken to my brother since yesterday morning, but he probably just forgot to turn on his cell.» katherine had recently given him a new iphone, and he still hadn’t taken the time to figure out how to use it.

«You say you’re his doctor?» she asked. Does Peter have an illness he’s keeping from me?

There was a weighty pause on the line. «I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve obviously just made a rather serious professional error by calling you. Your brother told me you were aware of his visits to me, but now I see that’s not the case.»

My brother lied to his doctor? Katherine’s concern was now growing steadily. «Is he sick?»

«I’m sorry, Ms. Solomon, doctor-patient confidentiality precludes me from discussing your brother’s condition, and I’ve already said too much by admitting he is my patient. I’m going to hang up now, but if you hear from him today, please ask him to call me so I know he’s okay.»