No doubt. Although Langdon had fully expected the sculpture to somehow point to the next altar of science, he did not expect it to be literal. Both the angel and Habakkuk had their arms outstretched and were pointing into the distance. Langdon found himself suddenly smiling. Not too subtle, is it? Vittoria looked excited but confused. I see them pointing, but they are contradicting each other. The angel is pointing one way, and the prophet the other. Langdon chuckled. It was true. Although both figures were pointing into the distance, they were pointing in totally opposite directions. Langdon, however, had already solved that problem. With a burst of energy he headed for the door. Where are you going? Vittoria called. Outside the building! Langdons legs felt light again as he ran toward the door. I need to see what direction that sculpture is pointing! Wait! How do you know which finger to follow? The poem, he called over his shoulder. The last line! Let angels g

She gazed upward at the outstretched finger of the angel. Her eyes misted unexpectedly. Well Ill be damned! 70 Gunther Glick and Chinita Macri sat parked in the BBC van in the shadows at the far end of Piazza del Popolo. They had arrived shortly after the four Alpha Romeos, just in time to witness an inconceivable chain of events. Chinita still had no idea what it all meant, but shed made sure the camera was rolling. As soon as theyd arrived, Chinita and Glick had seen a veritable army of young men pour out of the Alpha Romeos and surround the church. Some had weapons drawn. One of them, a stiff older man, led a team up the front steps of the church. The soldiers drew guns and blew the locks off the front doors. Macri heard nothing and figured they must have had silencers. Then the soldiers entered. Chinita had recommended they sit tight and film from the shadows. After all, guns were guns, and they had a clear view of the action from the van. Glick had n

Now, across the piazza, men moved in and out of the church. They yelled to each other. Chinita adjusted her camera to follow a team as they searched the surrounding area. All of them, though dressed in civilian clothes, seemed to move with military precision. Who do you think they are? she asked. Hell if I know. Glick looked riveted. You getting all this? Every frame. Glick sounded smug. Still think we should go back to Pope-Watch? Chinita wasnt sure what to say. There was obviously something going on here, but she had been in journalism long enough to know that there was often a very dull explanation for interesting events. This could be nothing, she said. These guys could have gotten the same tip you got and are just checking it out. Could be a false alarm. Glick grabbed her arm. Over there! Focus. He pointed back to the church. Chinita swung the camera back to the top of the stairs. Hello there, she said, training on the man now emerging from the church. Whos the dapper?

Chinita moved in for a close-up. Havent seen him before. She tightened in on the mans face and smiled. But I wouldnt mind seeing him again. Robert Langdon dashed down the stairs outside the church and into the middle of the piazza. It was getting dark now, the springtime sun setting late in southern Rome. The sun had dropped below the surrounding buildings, and shadows streaked the square. Okay, Bernini, he said aloud to himself. Where the hell is your angel pointing? He turned and examined the orientation of the church from which he had just come. He pictured the Chigi Chapel inside, and the sculpture of the angel inside that. Without hesitation he turned due west, into the