Page 79 of The Secret of Secrets (Robert Langdon #6)

T he U.S. government owes us an explanation?

Langdon felt disoriented as he and Katherine followed the ambassador along an elegant, curved gallery that ran along the southern wing of Petschek Villa. The ambassador’s apologetic introduction had startled Langdon, who had arrived here on high alert and in no mood to trust anyone.

Now, however, the moment of warmth was gone.

Ambassador Nagel strode with an intensity of purpose that felt urgent, official, and strangely out of place for her own private home.

She offered no commentary whatsoever as they passed a music room, a gold-themed sitting room, and a conservatory with views of the terrace and winter gardens.

When they reached the end of the hall, she pushed through a set of mirrored double doors into a small library.

“This is the most private space in the home,” she said, speaking for the first time since leaving the dining room. “It is where I make all my private calls. I thought we’d speak here.”

The cozy, wood-paneled library smelled of leather and cigars.

Enclosed by shelves stocked with antique books, the room centered on a pair of blue sofas facing each other beneath a gilded chandelier.

In the corner, a well-worn club chair with an octagonal side table was positioned by the window for reading.

The library’s marble fireplace was unlit and set with pristine white birch logs.

Following the ambassador’s lead, Langdon and Katherine took their places on one of the sofas with the ambassador facing them on the other.

She had been carrying papers with her, which she now laid facedown on the coffee table between them.

She set an official embassy pen down on the papers, sat back, folded her hands in her lap, and exhaled.

“I’ll skip the pleasantries,” she began. “First, I will tell you how extremely relieved I am that you are both safe. Your situation with úZSI, Mr. Langdon, was particularly dangerous, and I’m happy I was able to protect you.”

Thank you…I think? Langdon was not entirely convinced he was any better off.

The ambassador studied them both a moment, as if to be certain she had their full attention.

“I brought you to my home today to say, in person, what needs to be said. Quite simply… I’m sorry.

On behalf of the U.S. government, I would like to apologize.

Our embassies were established to protect American citizens and interests overseas.

As ambassador, I took an oath to do precisely that, and I take that oath seriously.

I regret to inform you that several days ago, in service to that oath to protect U.S.

interests, I was ordered to facilitate placing an audio surveillance device in your hotel room. ”

So there it is, Langdon thought, stunned as he pictured the arrangement of tulips and handwritten note from the ambassador.

My suspicions were right. The woman on Charles Bridge was not a premonition, but rather some kind of bizarre performance in response to someone overhearing Katherine’s dream. But why?!

“The surveillance order came from above me,” the ambassador said, “and I complied. I assumed it was for your protection, and I had no idea that the information gleaned would be used in a way that would put you both in danger. That was inexcusable, and I accept full responsibility.”

Katherine glanced at Langdon, outrage registering on her face. “So you did bug our hotel room?” Katherine demanded, making little effort to hide her anger.

“Before you get too indignant,” the ambassador replied, her tone hardening, “these are dangerous times in the world. I can assure you nobody cares about your bedroom habits or pillow talk. That surveillance device was placed there in the name of national security.”

“With respect, Madam Ambassador,” Langdon said as calmly as possible, “do we look like a national security threat?”

“With respect, Professor,” she fired back, “if you think national security threats have a look, then you are more naive than your résumé suggests. I am offering you an apology and some transparency about what happened to you this morning, and I suggest you work with me. Our time is short, and there are aspects to your situation that you both very much need to understand.”

Langdon could not recall ever being reprimanded quite so succinctly. “Understood. Please…go on.”

“First off,” Nagel said, “I am aware, Dr. Solomon, that you have written a book that will be published soon. What you need to understand is that there exist powerful entities who believe that this book, if published, will pose a substantial risk to national security.”

“How?” Katherine demanded. “It’s a book about human consciousness!”

The ambassador shrugged. “That is not information I have been given. However, the man who does have that information is arriving in Prague shortly to speak to you both.”

Langdon was taken aback. “Speak to us—or interrogate us?”

“A bit of both, I imagine,” Nagel replied, her gaze holding steady. “I am committed to protecting you, but I have limited power.”

“How limited could it be?” Katherine asked. “You’re the U.S. ambassador.”

Heide Nagel gave a tired chuckle. “Diplomats come and go, Dr. Solomon. The permanent forces in government are those who make the real decisions, and I’m sorry to report that those are the forces with whom you’re dealing.”

Several guesses came to mind, and Langdon felt increasingly on edge.

“I’ve been forbidden to discuss anything more specific without presenting these.

” She reached down and flipped over the two pages she had set on the coffee table, sliding one page in front of each of them along with the pen.

“Standard nondisclosure agreement—a promise to keep private the conversation you are about to have with the man arriving shortly. Once you sign these, I can brief you by telling you everything I know.”

A single-page NDA? Langdon thought. Since when did lawyers accomplish anything in a single page?

Langdon was no attorney, but he suspected that an NDA this abbreviated would have to be a sweeping exclusion of all topics discussed.

Total blackout. There was also the odd coincidence of Gessner having also asked them to sign an NDA.

Katherine reached for the document, but Langdon, without breaking eye contact with the ambassador, placed a quiet hand on Katherine’s wrist, stopping her.

“Madam Ambassador, as this situation clearly relates to Katherine’s book, she can’t sign these without speaking to a lawyer, or at least to her editor.

If we could quickly use a phone, perha—”

“That’s a reasonable request,” she interrupted, “and yet I’m unable to oblige. The man coming to speak to you gave me a clear directive prohibiting any outside contact until the NDAs were signed and he had spoken to you.”

“Who is this man?” Katherine asked.

“He goes by Mr. Finch, and these are his NDAs. You’re free to read them, of course.”

“No need,” Langdon said. “I’m guessing it states that anything we discuss in our meeting can never be divulged outside this room.”

Nagel nodded, beginning to look impatient. “That’s usually the point of a nondisclosure.”

“Whoever Mr. Finch is,” Langdon said, “if he cannot even permit us to use a phone, then I hope you can understand why it’s difficult for us to blindly trust this request. I think it’s best if Katherine and I return to our hotel now.”

Katherine looked startled by the comment, as did Ambassador Nagel, whose veneer of diplomacy was starting to crack.

“If you truly wish to leave,” Nagel declared sharply, “I do not have the authority or desire to hold you against your will, but I don’t think leaving is in your best interest.” She paused, locking eyes with Langdon.

“To be frank, I’m not sure it’s entirely safe for you out there. ”

“To be equally frank,” Langdon parried, “I’m not sure we feel entirely safe in here either.”

Nagel’s expression was now a mix of confusion and indignance. “Professor, I had hoped my admission about bugging your hotel room might have bought me a bit of goodwill and trust, but in light—”

A hollow ping from Nagel’s phone cut the air. Annoyed, she pulled out the device and read the incoming message. Her expression morphed from irritation to overt horror. She gasped and covered her mouth, jumping to her feet, eyes wide with emotion.

“I’m…so sorry,” she stammered, steadying herself against the table. “I’m going to need ten minutes. This message is…I’m sorry.” With that, the ambassador rushed out of the door, her rapid footfalls echoing down the marble hallway as she left.

Katherine looked alarmed. “I don’t think that was an act.”

Langdon had the same impression, although politics and acting were more closely related than anyone liked to admit.

“You were very short with her, Robert,” Katherine chided, clearly surprised with Langdon’s resistance to signing the documents. “After all, she had a fair point—she did tell us about the surveillance bug.”

“The same bug I told you about while we were in the ambassador’s limousine. I suspect the ambassador, or perhaps Mr. Finch, eavesdropped on that conversation and realized they had no choice but to tell us what we already knew. I must admit, it was a clever attempt to gain our trust.”

Katherine’s lips tightened into a thin frown. “My God, do you really think she bugged her own limo? You and I talked about… a lot. ”

“All I know,” Langdon replied, scooping up one of the documents, “is these NDAs are a trap.” He scanned the text, confirming his suspicions.

“This basically says anything we discuss with Mr. Finch is instantly classified. All this guy has to do is mention topics in your book that concern him, and you can never speak or write about them again. You would be legally forbidden from publishing this book. Ever.”

“They can do that?!”

“Hell yes, if you sign this paper.” Langdon had a friend who wrote a thriller about a major tech company, only to have it blocked from publication because he had signed a “standard NDA” before touring the company’s offices.

“Well…” Katherine said, staring into space. “This NDA answers one question I’ve had all day.”

“What question is that?”

She turned back to him. “Robert, when I learned someone was trying to destroy all the copies of my manuscript, I kept wondering why they weren’t concerned that I would just rewrite the book. Now we know. They thought I wouldn’t be allowed to.”

“Exactly,” Langdon said. “And I don’t like the fact that we’re at a private residence rather than the U.S.

embassy.” He motioned out the window toward the high security fences surrounding the property.

“Think about it. There’s no way out, we can’t use a phone, and some strange guy is coming to talk to us.

Here? In a private home? Someone who can order a U.S. ambassador to plant listening devices?”

Katherine’s expressive brown eyes seldom flashed fear, but there was definitely concern in them now. “What scares me,” she said, “is nobody knows we’re here. And we don’t even know if Jonas is safe.”

Langdon stood up. “Which is why I’m going to kill those two birds with one phone.”

She gave him an odd look. “You mean ‘stone’?”

No, I mean phone.

Langdon walked toward the vintage club chair, whose leather cushion he had noticed was deeply indented from use. “She said this library is the most private room in the house…and where she makes all her calls. So where’s her phone?”

“She has a mobile,” Katherine said.

Langdon shook his head. “Her legal attaché told me landlines are required for all official business.”

Taking a seat in the worn leather chair, Langdon looked around, eyeing its unusual side table—an octagonal pillar whose unique Beaux Arts design was popular in the late 1800s during alcohol prohibitions.

Gripping the lip of the tabletop, he lifted.

The tabletop hinged open to reveal the cavity within.

As Langdon imagined, this cabinet contained not hidden alcohol, but rather the ambassador’s hardwired telephone.

He reached in, lifted it out, and placed the phone on his lap.

“You’re ridiculous,” Katherine said.

“Lucky guess.” Langdon lifted the receiver to his ear, hearing a dial tone.

“Do you really think you should use that phone?” Katherine looked wary.

“Why not?” he replied, dialing. “It’s probably the safest line in the country.”