ABOUT THE BOOK Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of a discovery that ‘will change the face of science forever’ The evening’s host is his friend and former student, Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old tech magnate whose dazzling inventions and audacious predictions have made him a controversial figure around the world This evening is to be no exception: he claims he will reveal an astonishing breakthrough to challenge the fundamentals of human existence But Langdon and several hundred guests are left reeling when the meticulously orchestrated evening is blown apart before Kirsch’s precious discovery can be revealed With his life under threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape, along with the museum’s director, Ambra Vidal Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret Against an enemy who is one step ahead of them at every turn, Langdon and Vidal must navigate the labyrinthine passageways of the city On a trail marked only by enigmatic symbols and elusive modern art, Langdon and Vidal uncover the clues that will bring them face to face with a worldshaking truth that has remained buried – until now CONTENTS Cover About the Book Title Page Dedication Epigraph Prologue Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91 Chapter 92 Chapter 93 Chapter 94 Chapter 95 Chapter 96 Chapter 97 Chapter 98 Chapter 99 Chapter 100 Chapter 101 Chapter 102 Chapter 103 Chapter 104 Chapter 105 Epilogue Acknowledgments Illustration Credits About the Author Also by Dan Brown Copyright IN MEMORY OF MY MOTHER We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us —JOSEPH CAMPBELL FACT: All art, architecture, locations, science, and religious organizations in this novel are real light, Langdon had to agree “Professor?” a familiar voice called, and Langdon turned to see Father Beña hurriedly approaching “I’m so sorry,” the tiny priest said sincerely “I just heard someone saw you waiting in line—you could have called me!” Langdon smiled “Thank you, but it gave me time to admire the facade Besides, I figured you’d be asleep today.” “Asleep?” Beña laughed “Maybe tomorrow.” “A different ambience from last night,” Langdon said, motioning to the sanctuary “Natural light does wonders,” Beña replied “As does the presence of people.” He paused, eyeing Langdon “Actually, since you’re here, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d love to get your thoughts on something downstairs.” As Langdon followed Beña through the crowds, he could hear the sounds of construction reverberating overhead, reminding him that Sagrada Família was still very much an evolving building “Did you happen to see Edmond’s presentation?” Langdon asked Beña laughed “Three times, actually I must say, this new notion of entropy—the universe ‘wanting’ to spread energy—it sounds a bit like Genesis When I think of the Big Bang and the expanding universe, I see a blossoming sphere of energy that billows farther and farther into the darkness of space … bringing light to places that have none.” Langdon smiled, wishing Beña had been his childhood priest “Has the Vatican issued an official statement yet?” “They’re trying, but there seems to be a bit of”—Beña shrugged playfully —“divergence This issue of man’s origin, as you know, has always been a sticking point for Christians—especially fundamentalists If you ask me, we should settle it once and for all.” “Oh?” Langdon asked “And how would we that?” “We should all what so many churches already do—openly admit that Adam and Eve did not exist, that evolution is a fact, and that Christians who declare otherwise make us all look foolish.” Langdon stopped short, staring at the old priest “Oh, please!” Beña said, laughing “I don’t believe that the same God who endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect—” “—intended us to forgo their use?” Beña grinned “I see you’re familiar with Galileo Physics was actually my childhood love; I came to God through a deepening reverence for the physical universe It’s one of the reasons Sagrada Família is so important to me; it feels like a church of the future … one directly connected to nature.” Langdon found himself wondering if perhaps Sagrada Família—like the Pantheon of Rome—might become a flashpoint for transition, a building with one foot in the past and one in the future, a physical bridge between a dying faith and an emerging one If that were true, Sagrada Família was going to be far more important than anyone could ever imagine Beña was now leading Langdon down the same winding staircase they had descended last night The crypt “It is very obvious to me,” Beña said as they walked, “that there is only one way Christianity will survive the coming age of science We must stop rejecting the discoveries of science We most stop denouncing provable facts We must become a spiritual partner of science, using our vast experience— millennia of philosophy, personal inquiry, meditation, soul-searching—to help humanity build a moral framework and ensure that the coming technologies will unify, illuminate, and raise us up … rather than destroy us.” “I could not agree more,” Langdon said I only hope science accepts your help At the bottom of the stairs, Ba motioned past Gaudí’s tomb to the display case containing Edmond’s volume of William Blake’s works “This is what I wanted to ask you about.” “The Blake book?” “Yes As you know, I promised Mr Kirsch that I would display his book here I agreed because I assumed he wanted me to feature this illustration.” They arrived at the case and looked down at Blake’s dramatic rendering of the god he called Urizen measuring the universe with a geometer’s compass “And yet,” Beña said, “it has come to my attention that the text on the facing page … well, perhaps you should just read the final line.” Langdon’s eyes never left Beña’s “‘The dark religions are departed and sweet science reigns’?” Beña looked impressed “You know it.” Langdon smiled “I do.” “Well, I must admit it bothers me deeply This phrase—the ‘dark religions’—is troubling It sounds as if Blake is claiming religions are dark … malevolent and evil somehow.” “That’s a common misunderstanding,” Langdon replied “In fact, Blake was a deeply spiritual man, morally evolved far beyond the dry, smallminded Christianity of eighteenth-century England He believed that religions came in two flavors—the dark, dogmatic religions that oppressed creative thinking … and the light, expansive religions that encouraged introspection and creativity.” Beña seemed startled “Blake’s concluding line,” Langdon assured him, “could just as easily say: ‘Sweet science will banish the dark religions … so the enlightened religions can flourish.’” Beña fell silent for a long time, and then, ever so slowly, a quiet smile appeared on his lips “Thank you, Professor I believe you’ve spared me an awkward ethical dilemma.” Upstairs in the main sanctuary, having said his good-byes to Father Beña, Langdon lingered awhile, seated peacefully in a pew, along with hundreds of others, all watching the colorful rays of light creep along the towering pillars as the sun slowly set He thought about all the religions of the world, about their shared origins, about the earliest gods of the sun, moon, sea, and wind Nature was once the core For all of us The unity, of course, had disappeared long ago, splintered into endlessly disparate religions, each proclaiming to be the One Truth Tonight, however, seated inside this extraordinary temple, Langdon found himself surrounded by people of all faiths, colors, languages, and cultures, everyone staring heavenward with a shared sense of wonder … all admiring the simplest of miracles Sunlight on stone Langdon now saw a stream of images in his mind—Stonehenge, the Great Pyramids, the Ajanta Caves, Abu Simbel, Chichén Itzá—sacred sites around the world where ancients had once gathered to watch the very same spectacle In that instant, Langdon felt the tiniest of tremors in the earth beneath him, as if a tipping point had been reached … as if religious thought had just traversed the farthest reaches of its orbit and was now circling back, wearied from its long journey, and finally coming home ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my most sincere thanks to the following: First and foremost, to my editor and friend Jason Kaufman for his razorsharp skills, superb instincts, and tireless hours in the trenches with me … but above all for his unmatched sense of humor and for his understanding of what it is I am trying to accomplish with these stories To my incomparable agent and trusted friend Heide Lange for so expertly guiding all aspects of my career with unparalleled enthusiasm, energy, and personal care For her limitless talents and unwavering dedication, I am eternally grateful And to my dear friend Michael Rudell for his wise counsel and for being a role model of grace and kindness To the entire team at Doubleday and Penguin Random House, I would like to express my deepest appreciation for believing and trusting in me over the years—especially to Suzanne Herz for her friendship and for overseeing all facets of the publishing process with such imagination and responsiveness A very, very special thank-you as well to Markus Dohle, Sonny Mehta, Bill Thomas, Tony Chirico, and Anne Messitte for their unending support and patience My sincere thanks as well for the tremendous efforts of Nora Reichard, Carolyn Williams, and Michael J Windsor in the home stretch, and to Rob Bloom, Judy Jacoby, Lauren Weber, Maria Carella, Lorraine Hyland, Beth Meister, Kathy Hourigan, Andy Hughes, and all of the amazing people who make up the Penguin Random House sales team To the incredible team at Transworld for their perpetual creativity and publishing capability, in particular to my editor Bill Scott-Kerr for his friendship and support on so many fronts To all of my devoted publishers around the world, my most humble and sincere thanks for their belief and efforts on behalf of these books To the tireless team of translators from around the world who worked so diligently to bring this novel to readers in so many languages—my sincere thanks for your time, your skill, and your care To my Spanish publisher, Planeta, for their invaluable help in the research and translation of Origin—especially to their marvelous editorial director Elena Ramirez, along with María Guitart Ferrer, Carlos Revés, Sergio Álvarez, Marc Rocamora, Aurora Rodríguez, Nahir Gutiérrez, Laura Díaz, Ferrán Lopez A very special thank-you also to Planeta CEO Jesús Badenes for his support, hospitality, and his brave attempt to teach me how to make paella In addition, to those who helped manage Origin’s translation site, I would like to thank Jordi Lúđez, Javier Montero, Marc Serrate, Emilio Pastor, Alberto Barón, and Antonio López To the indefatigable Mónica Martín and her entire team at the MB Agency, especially Inés Planells and Txell Torrent, for everything they’ve done to assist with this project in Barcelona and beyond To the entire team at Sanford J Greenburger Associates—especially Stephanie Delman and Samantha Isman—for their remarkable efforts on my behalf … day in and day out Over the past four years, a wide array of scientists, historians, curators, religious scholars, and organizations generously offered assistance as I researched this novel Words cannot begin to express my appreciation to all of them for their generosity and openness in sharing their expertise and insight At the Abby of Montserrat, I would like to thank the monks and laypeople who made my visits there so informative, enlightening, and uplifting My heartfelt gratitude especially to Pare Manel Gasch, Josep Alta, Ịscar Bardají, and Griselda Espinach At the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, I would like to thank the brilliant team of scientists who shared with me their ideas, their world, their enthusiasm, and, above all, their optimistic vision of the future Special thanks to Director Mateo Valero, Josep Maria Martorell, Sergi Girona, José Maria Cela, Jesús Labarta, Eduard Ayguadé, Francisco Doblas, Ulises Cortés, and Lourdes Cortada At the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, my humble thanks to all those whose knowledge and artistic vision helped deepen my appreciation and affinity for modern and contemporary art A very special thank-you to Director Juan Ignacio Vidarte, Alicia Martínez, Idoia Arrate, and María Bidaurreta for all of their hospitality and enthusiasm To the curators and keepers of the magical Casa Milà, my thanks for their warm welcome and for sharing with me what makes La Pedrera unique in the world Special thanks to Marga Viza, Sílvia Vilarroya, Alba Tosquella, Llụsa Oller, as well as resident Ana Viladomiu For additional assistance in research, I would like to thank members of the Palmar de Troya Palmarian Church Support and Information Group, the United States Embassy in Hungary, and editor Berta Noy A debt of gratitude as well to the dozens of scientists and futurists I met in Palm Springs, whose bold vision for tomorrow deeply impacted this novel For providing perspective along the way, I wish to thank my early editorial readers, especially Heide Lange, Dick and Connie Brown, Blythe Brown, Susan Morehouse, Rebecca Kaufman, Jerry and Olivia Kaufman, John Chaffee, Christina Scott, Valerie Brown, Greg Brown, and Mary Hubbell To my dear friend Shelley Seward for her expertise and attentiveness, both professional and personal, and for taking my calls at five a.m To my dedicated and imaginative digital guru Alex Cannon for so inventively overseeing my social media, web communication, and all things virtual To my wife, Blythe, for continuing to share with me her passion for art, her persistent creative spirit, and her seemingly endless talents of invention, all of which are an ongoing source of inspiration To my personal assistant Susan Morehouse for her friendship, patience, and enormous diversity of skills, and for keeping so many wheels in motion seamlessly To my brother, composer Greg Brown, whose inventive fusion of ancient and modern in Missa Charles Darwin helped spark the earliest notions for this novel And finally, I would like to express my gratitude, love, and respect to my parents—Connie and Dick Brown—for teaching me always to be curious and to ask the difficult questions ILLUSTRATION CREDITS Here, here, here, here, here: Courtesy of Fernando Estel, based on the work of Joselarucca, under Creative Commons 3.0 Here: Courtesy of Shutterstock Here: Courtesy of Blythe Brown Here, here: Courtesy of Dan Brown Here: Courtesy of Shutterstock Here: Illustration by Darwin Bedford Here: Courtesy of Dan Brown Here: Courtesy of Dan Brown Here: Illustration by David Croy Here: Illustration by the Pond Science Institute Here: Illustration by Mapping Specialists, Ltd ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dan Brown is the author of The Da Vinci Code, one of the most widely read books of all time, as well as three other bestsellers featuring Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon: Inferno, The Lost Symbol and Angels & Demons He has also written two internationally acclaimed stand-alone thrillers, Deception Point and Digital Fortress ALSO BY DAN BROWN Featuring Robert Langdon Angels & Demons The Da Vinci Code The Lost Symbol Inferno Digital Fortress Deception Point For more information on Dan Brown and his books, see his website at www.danbrownofficial.co.uk TRANSWORLD PUBLISHERS 61–63 Uxbridge Road, London W5 5SA www.penguin.co.uk Transworld is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com First published in Great Britain in 2017 by Bantam Press an imprint of Transworld Publishers Copyright © Dan Brown 2017 Cover design by Henry Steadman Art direction by Richard Ogle Sagrada Família photograph © Paul Biris/Getty Images Steps photograph © Stefania Rossitto/Shutterstock Dan Brown has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted We apologize for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781473543348 ISBN 9780593078754 This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly 10 Table of Contents About the Book Contents Title Page Dedication Epigraph Prologue Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Chapter 61 Chapter 62 Chapter 63 Chapter 64 Chapter 65 Chapter 66 Chapter 67 Chapter 68 Chapter 69 Chapter 70 Chapter 71 Chapter 72 Chapter 73 Chapter 74 Chapter 75 Chapter 76 Chapter 77 Chapter 78 Chapter 79 Chapter 80 Chapter 81 Chapter 82 Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Chapter 85 Chapter 86 Chapter 87 Chapter 88 Chapter 89 Chapter 90 Chapter 91 Chapter 92 Chapter 93 Chapter 94 Chapter 95 Chapter 96 Chapter 97 Chapter 98 Chapter 99 Chapter 100 Chapter 101 Chapter 102 Chapter 103 Chapter 104 Chapter 105 Epilogue Acknowledgments Illustration Credits About the Author Also by Dan Brown Copyright ... Chapter 104 Chapter 105 Epilogue Acknowledgments Illustration Credits About the Author Also by Dan Brown Copyright IN MEMORY OF MY MOTHER We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned,... had endured the relentless pull of gravity for more than four centuries, never slipping from its original purpose: to insulate its occupants from the modern world Ironically, they will now be the... first to learn the truth, Kirsch thought, wondering how they would react Historically, the most dangerous men on earth were men of God … especially when their gods became threatened And I am about