In New York at dawn, editor Jonas Faukman grows frustrated after repeatedly querying ChatGPT for any connection between Katherine Solomon’s work and In-Q-Tel investments, finding only irrelevant, disjointed results. He steps away from his desk to stare out toward Central Park, noticing storm clouds building behind the towers of Billionaires’ Row.

Returning to his computer, Faukman sees a new email with the subject line A MESSAGE FROM ROBERT LANGDON. His initial relief turns to suspicion when he realizes the sender is U.S. Ambassador Heide Nagel, whom he distrusts and who could have intercepted or fabricated the message; he had been expecting a phone call and wants to hear Langdon’s voice to be sure he is safe.

Faukman opens the message despite fearing a hack and finds what looks like nonsense text: ROT13EY&XFETHQ. Recognizing ROT13 as a simple rotational cipher from past exchanges with Langdon, he decrypts it and gets RL&KSRGUD, which he understands as Langdon’s signature “textese” shorthand meaning Robert Langdon and Katherine are “good.”

Relieved and amused, Faukman remembers their shared irritation over degraded writing and recalls a New Yorker line he once wrote that Langdon mocked. He considers replying in equally overwrought prose, reassured that the coded message is genuinely Langdon’s.