The Secret of Secrets: A Novel
by Dan Brown
Contents
Chapter 126
Overview
After escaping through the Dripstone Wall, Nagel reels from the revelation that Sasha killed Michael Harris and struggles with guilt even as Katherine urges her to see Sasha as “two people.” The night walk through Wallenstein Garden pushes Nagel toward a major life decision: she intends to guide the embassy through the crisis, then resign. Meanwhile, the group’s next move centers on retrieving the smuggled USB stick that could help expose Threshold.
Summary
Nagel, Langdon, Solomon, and Kerble emerge from the Dripstone Wall into a dark, wintry Wallenstein Garden, and Nagel is shaken by Langdon’s explanation about Sasha. She fixates on the most painful detail: Michael Harris was killed by Sasha.
Katherine Solomon tries to reframe the revelation, insisting that the person who loved Michael and the person who killed him were effectively different versions of Sasha. Even with that distinction, Nagel is overwhelmed by guilt and wishes she could ask both Michael and Sasha for forgiveness, knowing both are gone.
As Nagel walks through the lifeless garden—covered rosebushes and a drained pond—she realizes how drastically her life has changed. Despite holding political leverage from Gessner’s confession, she no longer wants to remain a U.S. ambassador in Prague and begins planning to help the embassy through the immediate crisis before resigning.
Nagel focuses on an urgent practical task: retrieving the USB stick Kerble smuggled out of the embassy inside a box of Dana’s belongings. Kerble plans to go to Nagel’s flat to recover the device, then drive Langdon and Solomon back to their hotel after dropping Nagel at the embassy.
Under the streetlights, Nagel thanks Kerble for the risks he took and acknowledges the loyalty he has shown her. Kerble responds with quiet respect, affirming that the feeling is mutual.
Who Appears
- Ambassador NagelShaken by Sasha/Michael truth; considers resigning; prioritizes retrieving the smuggled USB stick.
- Scott KerbleMarine aide; smuggled the USB out; plans pickups and drives; shares mutual loyalty with Nagel.
- Katherine SolomonConsoles Nagel; insists Sasha should be seen as two people to soften the moral blow.
- Robert LangdonExplained Sasha’s role in Michael’s death; quietly coordinates with Solomon after the escape.
- SashaRevealed as Michael Harris’s killer; framed as a fractured identity despite past love for him.
- Michael HarrisDeceased; his death is attributed to Sasha, intensifying Nagel’s guilt and grief.
- DanaHer belongings box was used to smuggle out the USB stick Kerble needs to retrieve.