The Secret of Secrets: A Novel
by Dan Brown
Contents
Chapter 130
Overview
In New York, Faukman processes the fallout of Langdon and Katherine’s Prague ordeal and the likely loss of Katherine’s manuscript. A guarded call with Langdon confirms they are safe and considering a New York stop to debrief in person. Faukman ends the day seeking normalcy, wryly recalling Langdon’s symbology-driven Starbucks boycott as he heads home.
Summary
In Manhattan, editor Faukman walks up Broadway after an afternoon rain, thinking about the upheaval surrounding Katherine Solomon’s manuscript and the danger Robert Langdon and Katherine have been in.
Faukman recalls a brief phone call with Prague in which Langdon, cautious about speaking openly, assures Faukman that he and Katherine are safe. Langdon also says they may stop in New York on their way home so the three of them can debrief face-to-face about everything that happened with the manuscript.
Faukman privately laments that there may be little to salvage professionally: even if Katherine could rewrite the book, the CIA would likely intervene. Despite the loss, Faukman takes comfort in the fact that Langdon and Katherine have survived.
Near Columbus Circle, Faukman ducks into a crowded Starbucks for caffeine, amused by Langdon’s long-standing boycott of the chain for its “two-tailed mermaid” logo, which Langdon insists is actually a siren. Faukman enjoys his coffee anyway and continues his walk home.
Who Appears
- FaukmanKatherine’s editor; reassured by Langdon’s call, worries about losing the manuscript, walks home in Manhattan.
- Robert LangdonCalls Faukman from Prague; guardedly confirms safety and suggests a possible New York debrief.
- Katherine SolomonNeuroscientist author; her manuscript’s future is uncertain due to expected CIA interference.