The Da Vinci Code

accident!"
"Bedtime stories to protect your innocence," Teabing said. "Consider that only two family 
members went untouched—the Priory's Grand Master and his lone granddaughter—the perfect pair 
to provide the Church with control over the brotherhood. I can only imagine the terror the Church 
wielded over your grandfather these past years, threatening to kill you if he dared release the 
Sangreal secret, threatening to finish the job they started unless Saunière influenced the Priory to 
reconsider its ancient vow."
"Leigh," Langdon argued, now visibly riled, "certainly you have no proof that the Church had 
anything to do with those deaths, or that it influenced the Priory's decision to remain silent."
"Proof?" Teabing fired back. "You want proof the Priory was influenced? The new millennium has 
arrived, and yet the world remains ignorant! Is that not proof enough?"
In the echoes of Teabing's words, Sophie heard another voice speaking. Sophie, I must tell you the 
truth about your family. She realized she was trembling. Could this possibly be that truth her 
grandfather had wanted to tell her? That her family had been murdered? What did she truly know 
about the crash that took her family? Only sketchy details. Even the stories in the newspaper had 
been vague. An accident? Bedtime stories? Sophie flashed suddenly on her grandfather's 
overprotectiveness, how he never liked to leave her alone when she was young. Even when Sophie 
was grown and away at university, she had the sense her grandfather was watching over. She 
wondered if there had been Priory members in the shadows throughout her entire life, looking after 
her.
"You suspected he was being manipulated," Langdon said, glaring with disbelief at Teabing. "So 
you murdered him?"
"I did not pull the trigger," Teabing said. "Saunière was dead years ago, when the Church stole his 
family from him. He was compromised. Now he is free of that pain, released from the shame 
caused by his inability to carry out his sacred duty. Consider the alternative. Something had to be 
done. Shall the world be ignorant forever? Shall the Church be allowed to cement its lies into our 
history books for all eternity? Shall the Church be permitted to influence indefinitely with murder 
and extortion? No, something needed to be done! And now we are poised to carry out Saunière's 
legacy and right a terrible wrong." He paused. "The three of us. Together."
Sophie felt only incredulity. "How could you possibly believe that we would help you?"

---

"Because, my dear, you are the reason the Priory failed to release the documents. Your 
grandfather's love for you prevented him from challenging the Church. His fear of reprisal against 
his only remaining family crippled him. He never had a chance to explain the truth because you 
rejected him, tying his hands, making him wait. Now you owe the world the truth. You owe it to 
the memory of your grandfather."
Robert Langdon had given up trying to get his bearings. Despite the torrent of questions running 
through his mind, he knew only one thing mattered now—getting Sophie out of here alive. All the 
guilt Langdon had mistakenly felt earlier for involving Teabing had now been transferred to 
Sophie.
I took her to Château Villette. I am responsible.
Langdon could not fathom that Leigh Teabing would be capable of killing them in cold blood here 
in the Chapter House, and yet Teabing certainly had been involved in killing others during his 
misguided quest. Langdon had the uneasy feeling that gunshots in this secluded, thick-walled 
chamber would go unheard, especially in this rain. And Leigh just admitted his guilt to us.
Langdon glanced at Sophie, who looked shaken. The Church murdered Sophie's family to silence