Although the series of events leading to the ending of the story were pretty ugly, it was still a really good build up and intensity before reaching the finale. Before the ending, Mal'akh (revealed to be Peter Solomon's son, Zachary Solomon who was thought to be dead) had interrogated Robert Langdon by placing Langdon into a tank and slowly filling in liquid to convince Langdon into unlocking the code at the Mason's Pyramid's (believed to be hidden somewhere in Washington DC) base, though he continued to fill the tank until Robert Langdon apparently drowns. Mal'akh also bounds Katherine Solomon to a chair, inserting a transfusion needle with an open end into her arm, leaving her to bleed to death. Mal'akh runs with captured wheelchair-bound and injured Peter Solomon (Katherine's brother) to the Temple Room of the Scottish Rite's House of the Temple. He manages to threaten Peter into cooperating by not calling for an ambulance for Katherine. Inoue Sato (Director of CIA's Office of Security) and her team somehow manages to find Robert and Katherine and save their lives. Langdon is revealed to have actually survived, as the water in the tank was breathable oxygenated liquid. The group then rushes to where Mal'akh threatens to release an edited video showing government officials taking part in secret Masonic rituals. Mal'akh forces the Word-the circumpunct out of Peter and tattoos it on his head-the only unmarked part of his body. He then orders Peter to stab him as he believes he would become a demonic spirit leading the forces of evil. Peter could not bring himself to do so as he found out that Mal'akh was his own son., dropping the knife just as Langdon arrives and tackles Peter. Thankfully, Sato arrives at the Temple in a helicopter, smashing the glass panel, the shards of which that stab Mal'akh. The CIA also succeeds in intervening Mal'akh's plan to release the video by disabling a cell tower in the network form Mal'akh's computer. Langdon, Katherine and Peter then reunite and lament over Zachary's death. Zachary, in soul form was only able to mourn over his own body's mutilation into Mal'akh before presumably dragged in Hell.
Later on, Langdon is informed by Peter that the circumpunct that Mal'akh (Zachary) tattooed on his head wasn't the word. This is where the novel begins to end. Peter decides to take Langdon to the true secret behind the Word and leads him to the room at the top of the Washington Monument and informs him that the Word (a common Christian Bible) lies in the cornerstone of the Monument, buried in the ground beneath the Monument's staircase. Langdon soon realizes that the symbols on the pyramid's base depicted the word LAUS DEO, meaning Praise God.
Peter tells Langdon that Masons believe that the Bible is an divine interpretation written by humans containing instructions for achieving humanity's God-like behaviour. This interpretation has been long gone within centuries of scientific skepticism. The Mason's have "buried" it, believing that when the time is right, rediscovery will usher in a new era of human enlightenment.
This is a truly amazing ending as it brings up the realization of Man who were created in God's image. Therefore it is not impossible for us to have godliness in ourselves. I really enjoyed how Dan Brown wrote this story and the build-up of the story all the way to the ending. It was really thrilling (I could imagine all the gory scenes in my head) and interesting. A good read that would get a 11 out of 10.
Lim Kong Sun
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