Origin

Langdon searches for a book of poetry that might contain the 47-line code to opening Kirsch’s presentation. He recalls Kirsch’s story about his mother, Paloma, who was a devout Catholic and who fell pregnant out of wedlock, drawing God’s ire and moving to America, where her reluctant spouse died in an accident. She then put her son Edmond Kirsch in an orphanage, returned to a Spanish convent, and hanged herself. This is why Kirsch abhorred religion and worked against it.

Vidal and Langdon find nothing, and Winston directs them to watch Mónica Martín’s speech to assembled press. Martín announces that Langdon forcibly kidnapped Vidal and is holding her hostage. She pleads with the public for help in finding the prince’s partner.

Vidal apologizes to Langdon, and Winston shares a plan to combat the media using media. They hear sirens approaching. Vidal hurries away to enact Winston’s plan while Langdon continues to search for the poem that will unlock Kirsch’s presentation.

Admiral Ávila is midway to Barcelona at a rest stop, recalling his meeting with the Palmarian pope, Pope Innocent XIV. In their meeting, the pope’s sermon was about holy war as the righteous way to battle the attacks not only on the church, but on God himself. The pope said Ávila was saved, so he could serve God as a warrior.

ConspiracyNet asks the informant known as Monte to reveal the content of Kirsch’s presentation.

Langdon continues to explore Kirsch’s vast library, commenting on various authors and titles, landing ultimately on William Blake. Langdon opens the case containing the book to find it empty save for a notecard. After reading it, he runs to the roof to find Vidal.

The narration moves to director of electronic security, Suresh, who breaks into Prince Julián’s room and opens the safe containing Valdespino’s phone. He hacks into the phone and finds a text that proves Valdespino guilty. He runs to find Mónica Martín.

Agents Diaz and Fonseca, who were present with Vidal when Kirsch was assassinated, arrive in Barcelona via helicopter and approach Casa Mila, where Vidal and Langdon are trapped behind a wall of police and media cars. The agents know Garza would never have permitted Martín’s wild plan to implicate Langdon as a kidnapper, and that the charges against Garza are false. As they approach, they spot Vidal on the roof.

Perspective moves to Vidal, who is shocked by the sight of the agents in the helicopter. She stumbles, dropping Kirsch’s phone, which falls nine stories, shattering on the ground and severing their connection to Winston.

Perspective moves to Langdon rushing onto the roof, bullets flying around him as he sprints to Vidal. Police have stormed the building and are shooting at Langdon because of Martin’s assertion that he intends to harm the future queen. From the chopper, agent Diaz urges them aboard.

Vidal is pulled onto the helicopter, where she explains to Langdon that she dropped the phone. They now know the poet is Blake, but without Winston they will be hard pressed to locate the right 47-lines of Blake poetry. Vidal insists the pilot take them to the location he found on the card in the Blake case in Kirsch’s library. It is a church designed by Gaudí.

Perspective moves to Langdon who ponders La Sagrada Família, the church designed by Gaudí where Kirsch, an atheist, donated his coveted Blake book. Langdon explains that he thinks he can locate the secret off-site server that houses Winston. With both pieces, they can unlock Kirsch’s presentation for the world.

ConspiracyNet reveals that Ávila is a member of the Palmarian Church, which canonized Franco and Hitler as saints.

On the chopper, Vidal shares the trending news stories with Langdon, especially the debate on where humans came from, inspired by Kirsch’s presentation. They listen to a news story in which a scientist believes Kirsch was going to announce humanity was seeded on earth by aliens, which Langdon believes is untrue.

Bishop Valdespino and Prince Julián are in the car when a growingly distrustful Julián demands to hear the radio news. On the news, a recording of Kirsch defending atheism is debated by Catholics.

Mónica Martín meets with Suresh, who explains that Monte contacted him, and shares Valdespino’s text. Martín orders Suresh to find out who Monte is.

At La Sagrada Família Church, Father Beña mourns the loss of his donor and friend, Kirsch, who had made only one request in return for a massive donation. A helicopter lands, discharging Langdon and Vidal, who ask for Beña’s help locating the William Blake book.

Admiral Ávila is five miles from the church when the Regent calls, diverting him to the church with orders to kill. He recalls five nights prior, when a text alerted him to 100,000 Euros in his bank account followed by a phone call from the Regent, asking him to be of service in killing the man responsible for killing Ávila’s family.

Commander Garza is imprisoned in the palace armory. Martín storms in, loudly demanding a confession. When the door is shut behind her, she whispers that she needs Garza to listen carefully.

ConspiracyNet continues its coverage of the Palmarian Church, releasing more information from informant Monte, including details about the cult-like church.

Langdon and Vidal follow Beña to the crypt, where William Blake’s book sits near Gaudí’s tomb. They leave the two guards behind.

From guard Diaz’s perspective, he wonders about the loyalty of his fellow guard Fonseca, who sneaks away to take a quiet call.

On Gaudí’s tomb Langdon spots a symbol he doesn’t recognize, which Beña explains is a cross on Mount Carmel, put there by the nuns who cared for him. They find William Blake’s book open to the correct page, revealing an image of Urizen, a god of Blake’s creation who honors science. The page preceding it contains a poem.

Agent Diaz, now suspicious of Fonseca, gets a call from Martín, who passes the phone to Garza. Garza begs Diaz to keep Vidal safe then hangs up. From the darkness, two hands grab Diaz, snapping his neck in one swift move.

ConspiracyNet reveals that Langdon did not kidnap Vidal but is working to release Kirsch’s presentation. Further, Monte, via ConspiracyNet, claims that the royal palace is working to stop Langdon and Vidal from succeeding.

Prince Julián suspects Bishop Valdespino is lying to him and isolating him. He stops the car and demands answers. Valdespino says the king ordered his actions, and has moved himself to El Escorial, a royal palace, church, museum, and home to the royal crypt, where he is waiting for Prince Julián now. Julián recalls his father taking him, at age eight, to the tomb of the kings. Valdespino says everything he has done has been at the king’s request.

Langdon and Vidal read The Four Zoas, a poem by Blake about the end of religion, a perfect fit for Kirsch. They find the line that will unlock Kirsch’s phone: “The dark religions are departed and sweet science reigns” (326). From upstairs, they hear Father Beña screaming.

Langdon and Vidal run to find Father Beña beside Diaz’s body. Moments later a voice urges them to run before the speaker’s body hits the floor. They flee up the stairs, Langdon turning to face their pursuer. They struggle, Langdon ultimately getting a gun trained on Admiral Ávila, who he recognizes from the news. Ávila says that he killed Kirsch as justice for Kirsch killing his family.

Admiral Ávila stands with broken ribs, facing a gun-wielding Langdon. He thinks about the call from the Regent that explained how Kirsch was responsible for the rise of atheism and thus the attacks on the church. The Regent shared documents that showed a prolonged, well-funded attack against the Palmarian Church by Kirsch. Ávila takes advantage of Langdon’s inexperience with a gun, and lunges. He aims his 3D printed gun at Langdon and fires, but the gun is damaged, and does not fire. He lunges, pushing Langdon towards the edge of the stairs and a long, deadly drop.

From Langdon’s perspective, Ávila is pushing him towards a lethal fall through a narrow stairwell. Instead of resisting, Langdon lunges across the gap in the stairwell just as Ávila pushes. This unsteadies Ávila, who falls into the stairwell as Langdon slams into the opposing wall, unconscious.

Prince Julián arrives at El Escorial. A guard gives him a letter and a private car and driver. Julián reads the letter, then refuses to tell a visibly concerned Bishop Valdespino what the letter says.

Ambra awakens Langdon and asks for the location of the off-site server that houses Winston. Police swarm the area, ensnaring them. Langdon asks Beña to help them escape unseen, which he agrees to do, unafraid of what Kirsch’s revelation will prompt.

The perspective moves to the helicopter pilot, who talks briefly with Father Beña and then lands the chopper on top of the church, where Langdon and Vidal quickly climb aboard.

ConspiracyNet reveals that the Palmarian Church was responsible for the death of Paloma Kirsch, Edmond Kirsch’s mother, and that Kirsch had been suing the church for damages.

Commander Garza fumes that the king ordered his arrest and public humiliation, though Martín defends their need to follow the king’s orders. She shares the text from Valdespino’s phone with Garza.

Langdon is awakening from his concussion and feeling grateful to be alive as he directs the pilot over Barcelona. He explains that Kirsch took him to lunch at a hotel a year ago, claiming he walked there daily. Further, Langdon claims Winston revealed his location via the self-portrait he’d made for the Guggenheim. The chopper lands, and they rush towards the building indicated in Winston’s self-portrait map. As they get near, they realize the building is a small church.

Prince Julián and Valdespino arrive at the location indicated by the king: the Valley of the Fallen, a graveyard for victims of the Spanish Civil War. It was constructed as a self-serving monument to Franco, the one-time dictator of Spain. Under the massive cross atop the mountain is a secret cavern, which they approach with fear.