The Da Vinci Code

Vinegar and papyrus, Sophie thought. If someone attempted to force open the cryptex, the glass 
vial would break, and the vinegar would quickly dissolve the papyrus. By the time anyone 
extracted the secret message, it would be a glob of meaningless pulp.
"As you can see," Sophie told him, "the only way to access the information inside is to know the 
proper five-letter password. And with five dials, each with twenty-six letters, that's twenty-six to 
the fifth power." She quickly estimated the permutations. "Approximately twelve million 
possibilities."
"If you say so," Langdon said, looking like he had approximately twelve million questions running 

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through his head. "What information do you think is inside?"
"Whatever it is, my grandfather obviously wanted very badly to keep it secret." She paused, closing 
the box lid and eyeing the five-petal Rose inlaid on it. Something was bothering her. "Did you say 
earlier that the Rose is a symbol for the Grail?"
"Exactly. In Priory symbolism, the Rose and the Grail are synonymous."
Sophie furrowed her brow. "That's strange, because my grandfather always told me the Rose meant 
secrecy. He used to hang a rose on his office door at home when he was having a confidential 
phone call and didn't want me to disturb him. He encouraged me to do the same." Sweetie, her 
grandfather said, rather than lock each other out, we can each hang a rose—la fleur des 
secrets—on our door when we need privacy. This way we learn to respect and trust each other. 
Hanging a rose is an ancient Roman custom.
"Sub rosa," Langdon said. "The Romans hung a rose over meetings to indicate the meeting was 
confidential. Attendees understood that whatever was said under the rose—or sub rosa—had to 
remain a secret."
Langdon quickly explained that the Rose's overtone of secrecy was not the only reason the Priory 
used it as a symbol for the Grail. Rosa rugosa, one of the oldest species of rose, had five petals and 
pentagonal symmetry, just like the guiding star of Venus, giving the Rose strong iconographic ties 
to womanhood. In addition, the Rose had close ties to the concept of "true direction" and 
navigating one's way. The Compass Rose helped travelers navigate, as did Rose Lines, the 
longitudinal lines on maps. For this reason, the Rose was a symbol that spoke of the Grail on many 
levels—secrecy, womanhood, and guidance—the feminine chalice and guiding star that led to 
secret truth.
As Langdon finished his explanation, his expression seemed to tighten suddenly.
"Robert? Are you okay?"
His eyes were riveted to the rosewood box. "Sub... rosa," he choked, a fearful bewilderment 
sweeping across his face. "It can't be."
"What?"
Langdon slowly raised his eyes. "Under the sign of the Rose," he whispered. "This cryptex... I 
think I know what it is."