Dracula Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Dracula - Essay Example In Gothic text, the fight between the forces of good and bad often dominates the intrigue. (Craft 1984) In Dracula, that conflict is principally based on the fate of its female characters, Lucy and Mina. Neither Mina nor Lucy is an intense character. Both symbolize the Victorian models of female desirable qualities. The two types of women portrayed in the novel are in stark contrast to each other: Lucy and Mina symbolize purity and goodness, while the three brides of Dracula in the castle characterize sleaze and sin. Dracula intimidates womanly good features, as the seductive voluptuous sisters confirm his knack to change the women into passionately sex demanding â€Å"devils of the Pit.† By the time Dracula reaches England and starts working his evil magic on Lucy, one understands that the imminent battle between the good and the bad will center on feminine sexuality. Both Lucy and Mina appear to be bookish versions of old times virtues personified. The two women are faithful, pure and untouched by the world’s evils, and are totally dedicated to their men. However, Dracula tries to transform the two women and reverse their natures by turning them into voluptuous women having unapologetically open sexual desires. Both Lucy and Mina encounter Dracula and experience such transformation. However Lucy falls most dreadfully under Dracula’s spell. Even though Lucy’s letters acknowledge the male fantasy of supremacy: Her letters also disclose that she fantasized sexually active life unlike most women of Victorian era. She is not just a ‘desired’ woman who gets three marriage proposals on the same day but also the one who desires more sex in her life. Lucy writes: Although she immediately retracts from such words but that appears normal on her part since sex was considered ‘dirty’ during those time. She had the desires to experience life outside the restrictions of conservative morality. Dracula’s depiction of women makes the story

Environmental Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Environmental Economics - Essay Example A crisis that is brought about by the accelerated and possible irrevocably impacts of the human activities on the nature agitate for cooperative responses by the intercontinental institutions, governments and the whole populace as well. Governance has therefore, been in the forefront to try and meet the crisis brought about by the environmental problems in the world by their efforts to pool their various experiences and knowledge of the concerned agents and institutions (Gaikwad, 2011). But it should be understood that, the augmenting scales and the gravities of the environmental concerns that are in terms of climatic changes, depletion of biological diversity and deprivation of the ecosystem service threatens to block and likely attempt by various stakeholders including global markets and all the international corporations to reach a solution (Tata Motors, 2012). This aspect has therefore, played a major role in restricting some possible prospects of the economic progress in most re gions and countries The environmental protection actions still remain inadequate in the warning face of the scientific community. The essential reforms indicate a sluggish process that necessitates a lot of diplomatic negotiations, time, energy and above everything money. An extremely serious environmental crisis has demonstrated its in capabilities in the generation of the unanimous reaction from all countries (Gaikwad, 2011). The persistence divisions among the global markets have played a major role in slowing down the advancement towards a suitable organized international environmental governance. Nature pays no attention on the social and the political obstructions and more so various environmental aspects which are meant for change that includes contamination and climatic changes that are indifferent to both borders and states. The international nature of the rooming environmental crisis tends to revoke out the outcomes of all the measures put in place unilaterally by any nati onal body or a particular institution. This therefore, raises a greater need to formulate and apply lasting means for the inter-sector collaboration derived from a holistic perspective of sustainability. A feature of cooperation is needed between the actors and the organizations who are working on the environmental problems (Srinivas, 1999). Along the Montreal protocol to eliminate materials that diminish the ozone layer, it was identified that the stratospheric ozone layer act as shelter in the atmosphere which protects lives on planet earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays. Scientists therefore, observed that, the ozone layer was getting thinner every now and then. The Nations that are UN recognized have endorsed a treaty and are forging ahead to ban the production of the substances that destroy the ozone layer while also coming up with other ozone friendly options (US Environmental

Extream leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Extream leader - Essay Example Their main traits are their tenacity, positive attitude and humility. They welcome other people’s opinion and views. They are capable of turnaround strategy through sheer force of will, flexibility and desire to find the solution. McDonald’s, Apple, Citibank, Amazon etc. have extreme leaders at the helm. These companies not only have leadership position in the industry but their innovative ideas and subsequent high growth have made indelible mark in the corporate world. Leaders like, Ray Croc of McDonald’s, Steve Job of Apple, Charles Prince of Citibank and Jeffery Bezos of Amazon, have all been extraordinary in their vision which they had the guts to transform into success. They were all dynamic leaders who accepted challenges and saw opportunities in adversity. They relentlessly pursued and brought their company to the pinnacle of success despite adverse circumstances. Moreover, they were leaders who shared their vision with the workers and appreciated their input. Indeed, these traits are rare and therefore make them the most sought after leaders for companies who want to make a distinct place in the highly volatile

Amoled Technology Essay Example for Free

Amoled Technology Essay Since 2001, funded by national and european programs, the Institute is developing new research lines focused on molecular magnets, molecular opto-electronic devices, molecular machines and supraand supermolecular structures with long lived electron transfer processes. The IcMol has employed more than 100 scientific researchers and is based at the Valencia University Campus. The Institute presents the most advanced systems for the preparation and characterization of organic light emitting diodes, organic solar cells and other molecule based opto-electronic devices. Main tasks in the project are the following: †¢ Preparation of p and n type solution processable charge injection layers †¢ Wet processing of optically or electronically active small molecules †¢ Hybrid and standard device preparation and characterization www. uv. es www. icmol. es Appendix 5:CombOLED Project, Partners Leti Leti is a CEA laboratory located in Grenoble which is one of the main European applied research centres in electronics. More than 85% of its activity is devoted to research that is conducted with outside partners. We are a partner to the industrial world, with 200 collaborators and 350 contracts a year. Leti has led to the creation of almost 30 start-ups in high-technology, including Soitec, the world leader in Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI). We files some 180 patents a year and manage a portfolio of 1,000 inventions protected by patents. Our main areas of activity are as follows: †¢Micro-and nano-technologies for microelectronics, †¢ Technologies, design and integration of microsystems, †¢ Imaging technologies, †¢ Micro- and nano-technologies for biology and health, †¢ Communication technologies and nomad objects. Leti is endowed with an annual budget of 174 Mâ‚ ¬ and employs 1,000 people with, in addition, more than 500 external collaborators (postgraduates, research partners and industrialists). We have 11,000m? of clean rooms, an equipment portfolio worth 200 Mâ‚ ¬ and we invest more than 40 Mâ‚ ¬ a year on new equipment. Leti is one of the main forces behind Minatec ®, Europe’s premier Centre of Excellence in Microand Nano-technologies. In the future Minatec ® is destined to bring together more than 4,000 researchers, industrialists and teaching staff in Grenoble. www-leti. cea. fr Appendix 5:CombOLED Project, Partners PPML PPML is one of the first European companies that are investing in OLED applications. PPML was born in 2005 with the aim to become the excellence in manufacturing OLED based solutions. Having collected a wide database of feasible applications, PPML is currently working in the deployment of some prototypes and general demonstrator in partnership with OSRAM-OS and with the aim to launch the first solutions in parallel with OLED introduction into the lighting market. PPML will contribute to CombOLED project leading the dissemination activities in order to accelerate OLED penetration to the final users. For this reason, PPML will lead a wide dissemination campaign through known channels like the organization of a specific Design Contest and special Workshops with the major European Design School. www. ppml. it Appendix 5:CombOLED Project, Partners Schreiner Group Innovation, Quality, Performance and Enthusiasm are the values of Schreiner Group based in Oberschleissheim near Munich. The family-owned business develops, designs and produces high-tech products. As certified system suppliers and development partners, seven specialized divisions offer a comprehensive range of innovative products and customized solutions. Schreiner ProTech delivers individual solutions for self-adhesive markings and functional components for engineering industries. Schreiner MediPharm focuses on self-adhesive products for medical technology and pharmaceuticals. Schreiner ProSecure offers a wide range of counterfeit-proof solutions for authenticity and value protection. Schreiner LogiData specializes in data carriers, transponders and complete systems based on RFID technology. Schreiner VarioLight develops and produces printed electronics, in particular high-grade electroluminescent lamps with electronic power supply and control components. Schreiner Systems offers complete solutions from consulting support and development of specifications, to delivery and installation of hard- and software, all the way to after-sales service. Schreiner Labels designs and produces labels for product marking and advertising. Schreiner Groups experience in printing electronic devices stems from various products including antennas, capacitive sensors and electroluminescent lamps.

Advantages Of Mixed Economy To Hilton Kuching Marketing Essay

Advantages Of Mixed Economy To Hilton Kuching Marketing Essay In this assignment we have chosen Hilton Hotel, Kuching as our research and analysis. Hilton Kuching is located at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, which is at the center of the city. From Kuching International Airport, it usually takes 25 minutes to arrive Hilton. Surround the hotel; there are variety of shops such as the 24-hours convenience shop 7-11, the coffee shop, the lounge, bistro and shopping mall. It is very convenient for the guests who wish to have different kind of activities during their stay at the accommodation. Hilton Kuching provides guests with different types of facilities and services. For the business convenience, Hilton Hotel provide the guest with business center which is well equipped with the internet access, express mail, printer, photocopying service and etc. They also provide the businessman with the meeting room in order to allow the businessman meet with their client. Apart from that, the hotel also provides some service to the family who come for vacation. The service is such as the babysitting service, the family package offer, the cribs and the playground. For the other convenient of the guest, the hotel has provide the guest with the other service such as the concierge desk, the barber shop, the lounge, the safety deposit box, the guest recreation desk and the multi-lingual staff. During the time of the guests stay, Hilton Hotel provide the places for them to have their outdoor activities such as the swimming pool and the tennis court. For the food and beverage service, Hilton Hotel provides the restaurant where they serve different types of cuisine. For example, the Waterfront Restaurant that serves the guest in buffet style. They are opened for the breakfast, lunch and dinner. For the Toh Yuen Restaurant, they serve Chinese cuisine. The guests can have their meal their during the lunch and dinner time. Sometime, the Chinese will held the wedding at that restaurant. Apart from that, the hotel also provides the guests with fine-dining service at the Steakhouse. They serve the western food for the guests and the well known dish that recommended by the chef is the steak and sirloin. These are the 3 main restaurants that located in the establishment. Apart from these 3, there are other lunge and bistro such as the Senso bar where the guests can taste the variety of cocktails, the Cafà © Cino where is full with the aroma of coffee and serve the freshly baked bread. They also provide the wireless service to the guests. Lastly, the Hilton Hotel provides the guest with 7 types of room with different room rates. The room type is such as the King Deluxe Plus, King Guestroom Plus, King Hilton Guestroom, Twin Guestroom Plus, Twin Hilton Guestroom, Suites and the King Executive Suite. Every different type of room will have their own room rate and the highest rate is the King Executive Suite. The Hilton Hotel is experiencing a mixed economy in Kuching which means that the economic system that combined the private and states enterprise. Hilton Hotel does not have the full control on their establishment. The mixed economy which is experienced by the Hilton Hotel brings them the advantage and disadvantage. We will look into the details of what advantages and disadvantages has bring to the hotel in the coming pages. Executive Summary In this assignment, we have chosen Hilton Hotel, Kuching as our research and discussion. Hilton Kuching has experienced a mixed economy in Kuching. Mixed economy is an economic system that combines the private and the state enterprises. It is the common form of national economic organization, somewhere between the command economy and a market economy. The degree of government intervention is the basis of most political division in countries using this system. The objective of this assignment is to enable us to know more about the economy that experienced by the Hilton Kuching which is mixed economy. It also enables us to understand the advantages and disadvantages for Hilton Kuching to have mixed economy. Through this assignment, we will be able to understand the details of mixed economy but not the surface only. It also helps us to improve our knowledge and look into detail of the economic world. Nowadays, teenagers do not concern about the economy of particular country and with this assignment, we have the opportunities to look into the articles and the news of mixed economy. It helps us to improve our knowledge on the economic field. As a conclusion, this assignment can guide our concentration to a new environment and new field which is economic environment and this will help us a lot in our future. Advantages of Mixed Economy to Hilton Kuching Hilton Kuching is experiencing a mixed economy and this has brought them few advantages. We will look into detail on how the advantages influence the hotels operation. The first advantage of the mixed economy to Hilton Hotel is that the business can make their decision by their own is some areas. They do not need to follow exactly what the government has stated down. They have their own rights in making decision. For example, the top management of Hilton Kuching can choose to have a foreigner as their manager and in charge in the particular department. Apart from that, the food and beverage department can also import the ingredients for their food from the other country. It is such as some of the seafood that the restaurant needs to import from Japan or Korea. The second advantage is that the government has limited control which is good for the structure. Sometime, due to the regulation that has been set by the government, the public need to accept it but with the mixed economy, the operation has much more freedom in controlling and running their operation. They are able to have their own idea as long as they do not have any illegal act. At the same time, they are able to get the help from the government. The third advantage is that Hilton can get the active government support and direction in their operation while at the same time; they can have their own idea and doing what they wish to do. They can have their own plan; own mission, own vision and also their own target on how they want to achieve the target that has been set. For example, when they are having financial problem such as the problem in turnover, they can get the support and help from the government in order to help operation to overcome the problem. The fourth advantage is that all national resources are utilized under the mixed economy. This is because both public and private sectors work hard to bring out more production and this can helps a lot in the growth of economy of Hilton Hotel. The production can be in the term of promotion, which the government helps to top up their sales of room, in the term of producing food and beverage and etc. The fifth advantage for Hilton Hotel to have mixed economy is that by the using of mixed economy, the both parties are able to strengthen their relation and create a more stable condition of the operation. They help each other in growing up on the economy where as the Hilton will help to grow the economy of Kuching while the government will help to grow the economy of Hilton by helping them to earn more profit. So these are the advantages of the mixed economy bring to the Hilton Hotel, Kuching. Disadvantages of Mixed Economy to Hilton Kuching After looking into the advantages of mixed economy for Hilton Kuching, we will look into the disadvantage of mixed economy for Hilton Kuching and how it influences the operation of the Hilton Kuching. The first disadvantage of the mixed economy for Hilton Hotel, Kuching is that the government intervention in this system to protect the economy will cause the limitation of production because government is responsible for some of the production in this operation. The varieties of products tend to be limited and controlled. For example, due to Malaysia is an Islamic country, Muslim occupying most of the population in Malaysia, the Waterfront Restaurant of Hilton Kuching is required to be Halal which they serve the food without any pork. This can decrease the mobility of the business in preparing the food because without serving pork, they might loss most of their guests who like to eat pork. Pork can be served in variety ways and most of the Chinese love to eat pork. Without serving pork, the restaurant might loss most of their Chinese guests and this can cause them loss an amount of profit. The second advantage is that minor decisions from the business and consumer have to follow the governments policies. With the intervention of government, the operation has a limitation in setting their policies which is such as the example that has been given above. The hotel is required not to serve the pork in their main dining restaurant which is Waterfront Restaurant. apart from that, most of the administrative policies are also based on the governments decision such as the working hour of the staffs, the type of uniform that the staffs should wear and the design of the room. The uniform of the Waterfront Restaurant is based on the Malay costume while for the design of the room, there will be an arrow which shows the direction for the Muslims prayer. Due to this intervention, every room is requested to have the arrow on top pf the ceiling. The third disadvantage is that mixed economy tends to encourage more states monopolies, higher and higher tax and dominant the public finance, making the government the overwhelmingly large economic player as compared to the corporate or the individual entities. Sometime the operation are not in control of the taxes that the guests need to pay and for those guests who do not understand the procedures, they may feel that the charges for the tax is unnecessary and somehow the charges is too much. As we all know that, every guest who stays in the hotel room will need to pay the 5% of government tax and 10% of service tax. The fourth disadvantage is that mixed economy system often turns into the closed economies hindering the international trade and the globalization and depriving citizens from the benefits of an interdependent world economics. This might be due to some regulation of the government and in order not to disobey the regulation; the operation has to stop the particular plans. For example, Hilton Hotel is a well known hotel which they can actually have a more attractive and fashionable design, but due to the intervention of government; they have a limited idea on the design of building because they need the approval from the government. This has cause many limitation to the management of the establishment. For example, the interior design of the hotel. The design is allowed to be more fashionable and attractive but due to the intervention of the government which they might need to save cost for the materials, they will change the design to a more simple design which is acceptable for the pu blic and affordable to them. This can reduce the ambience of the whole establishment and the guest has loss their opportunities to experience a better environment which is like the western country. The fifth disadvantage is that mixed economy system has a natural tendency to move further and further away from the reliance on the competitive market. With the help of the government, the operation does not need to worry about their profit because they can get the support from the government. The government will always held their function at the hotel which provides the government staffs with the accommodation. The example of the activities is such as the workshop or some particular course to improve the skill of government staffs. It is such as the computer course which is prepared for the clerk who working with the government. Summary As a conclusion, we have discussed about the advantage and disadvantage of the mixed economy to the Hilton Hotel, Kuching and how these two elements influence the hotel. As we all know, Hilton Hotel should maintain their strength and improve their weaknesses which can be found out in the research that we have done. For the advantage, we know that the main advantage is the Hilton are able to cooperate with the government in order to improve their performance while for the disadvantage, we know that there are some limitation in running the operation. For example, the limitation of the production. Hilton Kuching should find a solution to overcome the weaknesses and also the problem that cause by the mixed economy in order to ensure their establishment can maintain their present guest and attract more guests to have a nice stay at Hilton Hotel, Kuching.

East Asian Economic Crisis :: essays papers

East Asian Economic Crisis A large economic downturn in East Asia threatens to end its nearly 30 year run of high growth rates. The crisis has caused Asian currencies to fall 50-60%, stock markets to decline 40%, banks to close, and property values to drop. The crisis was brought on by currency devaluations, bad banking practices, high foreign debt,loose government regulation, and corruption. Due to East Asia's large impact on the world economy, the panic in Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, and other Asian countries has prompted other countries to worry about the affect on their own economies and offer aid to the financially troubled nations (Sanger 1). The East Asian crisis has affected almost all of the Asian nations, but the three hardest hit countries are Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea. The panic began in Thailand in May of 1997 when speculators, worried about Thailand's slowing economy, exces sive debt, and political instability devalued the baht as they fled for market-driven currencies like the American dollar. Indonesia's economy soon fell soon after when the rupiah hit a record low against the U.S. dollar. Indonesia is plagued by more than $70 billion worth of bad debts and a corrupt and inefficient government. Thailand and Indonesia also suffer from being overbuilt during real estate booms that Reven2 were the result of huge influxes of cash by optimistic foreign investors. South Korea faltered under the weight of its huge foreign debt, decreasing exports, and weakening currency (Lochhead 4-5). Other major countries touched by the crisis are Japan, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Japan's economy is burdened by $300 billion in bad bank loans and a recession. Chinese banks may carry bad banks loans of up to $1 trillion. The banks lend 66% of China's investment capital to state-run industries that only produce 12% of China's industrial output (Manning 2). Malaysia and the Philippines are both faced with devalued currencies and lowered stock markets (Lochhead 5). The implications of the Asian financial crisis are many. A declining Asian economy will reduce demand for U.S. and other countries' exports. The devalued currencies of East Asia will make Asian imports seen cheap and will lead to increased American imports, thus increasing our trade deficit (Lochhead 2). A worldwide banking emergency could result if the embattled Asian economies failed to pay back their loans to the U.S. and other countries (Duffy 2). If the Asian economies fall further, in a desire to raise cash, they might sell the hundreds of billion dollars of U.S. treasuries they now own, leading to higher interest rates and an American recession (Lacayo 2).

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 87-92

CHAPTER 87 The fireplace in Chateau Villette's drawing room was cold, but Collet paced before it nonetheless as he read the faxes from Interpol. Not at all what he expected. Andre Vernet, according to official records, was a model citizen. No police record – not even a parking ticket. Educated at prep school and the Sorbonne, he had a cum laude degree in international finance. Interpol said Vernet's name appeared in the newspapers from time to time, but always in a positive light. Apparently the man had helped design the security parameters that kept the Depository Bank of Zurich a leader in the ultramodern world of electronic security. Vernet's credit card records showed a penchant for art books, expensive wine, and classical CD's – mostly Brahms – which he apparently enjoyed on an exceptionally high-end stereo system he had purchased several years ago. Zero, Collet sighed. The only red flag tonight from Interpol had been a set of fingerprints that apparently belonged to Teabing's servant. The chief PTS examiner was reading the report in a comfortable chair across the room. Collet looked over. â€Å"Anything?† The examiner shrugged. â€Å"Prints belong to Remy Legaludec. Wanted for petty crime. Nothing serious. Looks like he got kicked out of university for rewiring phone jacks to get free service†¦ later did some petty theft. Breaking and entering. Skipped out on a hospital bill once for an emergency tracheotomy.† He glanced up, chuckling. â€Å"Peanut allergy.† Collet nodded, recalling a police investigation into a restaurant that had failed to notate on its menu that the chili recipe contained peanut oil. An unsuspecting patron had died of anaphylactic shock at the table after a single bite. â€Å"Legaludec is probably a live-in here to avoid getting picked up.† The examiner looked amused. â€Å"His lucky night.† Collet sighed. â€Å"All right, you better forward this info to Captain Fache.† The examiner headed off just as another PTS agent burst into the living room. â€Å"Lieutenant! We found something in the barn.† From the anxious look on the agent's face, Collet could only guess. â€Å"A body.† â€Å"No, sir. Something more†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated. â€Å"Unexpected.† Rubbing his eyes, Collet followed the agent out to the barn. As they entered the musty, cavernous space, the agent motioned toward the center of the room, where a wooden ladder now ascended high into the rafters, propped against the ledge of a hayloft suspended high above them. â€Å"That ladder wasn't there earlier,† Collet said.† No, sir. I set that up. We were dusting for prints near the Rolls when I saw the ladder lying on the floor. I wouldn't have given it a second thought except the rungs were worn and muddy. This ladder gets regular use. The height of the hayloft matched the ladder, so I raised it and climbed up to have a look.† Collet's eyes climbed the ladder's steep incline to the soaring hayloft. Someone goes up thereregularly? From down here, the loft appeared to be a deserted platform, and yet admittedly most of it was invisible from this line of sight. A senior PTS agent appeared at the top of the ladder, looking down. â€Å"You'll definitely want to see this, Lieutenant,† he said, waving Collet up with a latex-gloved hand. Nodding tiredly, Collet walked over to the base of the old ladder and grasped the bottom rungs. The ladder was an antique tapered design and narrowed as Collet ascended. As he neared the top, Collet almost lost his footing on a thin rung. The barn below him spun. Alert now, he moved on, finally reaching the top. The agent above him reached out, offering his wrist. Collet grabbed it and made the awkward transition onto the platform. â€Å"It's over there,† the PTS agent said, pointing deep into the immaculately clean loft. â€Å"Only one set of prints up here. We'll have an ID shortly.† Collet squinted through the dim light toward the far wall. What the hell? Nestled against the far wall sat an elaborate computer workstation – two tower CPUs, a flat-screen video monitor with speakers, an array of hard drives, and a multichannel audio console that appeared to have its own filtered power supply. Why in the world would anyone work all the way up here? Collet moved toward the gear. â€Å"Have you examined the system?† â€Å"It's a listening post.† Collet spun. â€Å"Surveillance?† The agent nodded. â€Å"Very advanced surveillance.† He motioned to a long project table strewn with electronic parts, manuals, tools, wires, soldering irons, and other electronic components. â€Å"Someone clearly knows what he's doing. A lot of this gear is as sophisticated as our own equipment. Miniature microphones, photoelectric recharging cells, high-capacity RAM chips. He's even got some of those new nano drives.† Collet was impressed. â€Å"Here's a complete system,† the agent said, handing Collet an assembly not much larger than a pocket calculator. Dangling off the contraption was a foot-long wire with a stamp-sized piece of wafer-thin foil stuck on the end. â€Å"The base is a high-capacity hard disk audio recording system with rechargeable battery. That strip of foil at the end of the wire is a combination microphone and photoelectric recharging cell.† Collet knew them well. These foil-like, photocell microphones had been an enormous breakthrough a few years back. Now, a hard disk recorder could be affixed behind a lamp, for example, with its foil microphone molded into the contour of the base and dyed to match. As long as the microphone was positioned such that it received a few hours of sunlight per day, the photo cells would keep recharging the system. Bugs like this one could listen indefinitely. â€Å"Reception method?† Collet asked. The agent signaled to an insulated wire that ran out of the back of the computer, up the wall, through a hole in the barn roof. â€Å"Simple radio wave. Small antenna on the roof.† Collet knew these recording systems were generally placed in offices, were voice-activated to save hard disk space, and recorded snippets of conversation during the day, transmitting compressed audio files at night to avoid detection. After transmitting, the hard drive erased itself and prepared to do it all over again the next day. Collet's gaze moved now to a shelf on which were stacked several hundred audio cassettes, all labeled with dates and numbers. Someone has been very busy.He turned back to the agent. â€Å"Doyou have any idea what target is being bugged?† â€Å"Well, Lieutenant,† the agent said, walking to the computer and launching a piece of software. â€Å"It's the strangest thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  CHAPTER 88 Langdon felt utterly spent as he and Sophie hurdled a turnstile at the Temple tube station and dashed deep into the grimy labyrinth of tunnels and platforms. The guilt ripped through him. I involved Leigh, and now he's in enormous danger. Remy's involvement had been a shock, and yet it made sense. Whoever was pursuing the Grail had recruited someone on the inside. They went to Teabing's for the same reason I did.Throughout history, those who held knowledge of the Grail had always been magnets for thieves and scholars alike. The fact that Teabing had been a target all along should have made Langdon feel less guilty about involving him. It did not. We need to find Leigh and help him.Immediately. Langdon followed Sophie to the westbound District and Circle Line platform, where she hurried to a pay phone to call the police, despite Remy's warning to the contrary. Langdon sat on a grungy bench nearby, feeling remorseful. â€Å"The best way to help Leigh,† Sophie reiterated as she dialed,† is to involve the London authorities immediately. Trust me.† Langdon had not initially agreed with this idea, but as they had hatched their plan, Sophie's logic began to make sense. Teabing was safe at the moment. Even if Remy and the others knew where the knight's tomb was located, they still might need Teabing's help deciphering the orb reference. What worried Langdon was what would happen after the Grail map had been found. Leigh willbecome a huge liability. If Langdon were to have any chance of helping Leigh, or of ever seeing the keystone again, it was essential that he find the tomb first. Unfortunately, Remy has a big head start. Slowing Remy down had become Sophie's task. Finding the right tomb had become Langdon's. Sophie would make Remy and Silas fugitives of the London police, forcing them into hiding or, better yet, catching them. Langdon's plan was less certain – to take the tube to nearby King's College, which was renowned for its electronic theological database. The ultimate research tool, Langdon had heard. Instant answers to any religious historical question.He wondered what the database would have to say about† a knight a Pope interred.† He stood up and paced, wishing the train would hurry. At the pay phone, Sophie's call finally connected to the London police. â€Å"Snow Hill Division,† the dispatcher said. â€Å"How may I direct your call?† â€Å"I'm reporting a kidnapping.† Sophie knew to be concise.† Name please?† Sophie paused. â€Å"Agent Sophie Neveu with the French Judicial Police.† The title had the desired effect. â€Å"Right away, ma'am. Let me get a detective on the line for you.† As the call went through, Sophie began wondering if the police would even believe her description of Teabing's captors. A man in a tuxedo.How much easier to identify could a suspect be? Even if Remy changed clothes, he was partnered with an albino monk. Impossible to miss.Moreover, they had a hostage and could not take public transportation. She wondered how many Jaguar stretch limos there could be in London. Sophie's connection to the detective seemed to be taking forever. Come on! She could hear the line clicking and buzzing, as if she was being transferred. Fifteen seconds passed. Finally a man came on the line. â€Å"Agent Neveu?† Stunned, Sophie registered the gruff tone immediately. â€Å"Agent Neveu,† Bezu Fache demanded. â€Å"Where the hell are you?† Sophie was speechless. Captain Fache had apparently requested the London police dispatcher alert him if Sophie called in. â€Å"Listen,† Fache said, speaking to her in terse French. â€Å"I made a terrible mistake tonight. Robert Langdon is innocent. All charges against him have been dropped. Even so, both of you are in danger. You need to come in.† Sophie's jaw fell slack. She had no idea how to respond. Fache was not a man who apologized for anything. â€Å"You did not tell me,† Fache continued,† that Jacques Sauniere was your grandfather. I fully intend to overlook your insubordination last night on account of the emotional stress you must be under. At the moment, however, you and Langdon need to go to the nearest London police headquarters for refuge.† He knows I'm in London? What else does Fache know? Sophie heard what sounded like drilling or machinery in the background. She also heard an odd clicking on the line. â€Å"Are you tracing this call, Captain?† Fache's voice was firm now. â€Å"You and I need to cooperate, Agent Neveu. We both have a lot to lose here. This is damage control. I made errors in judgment last night, and if those errors result in the deaths of an American professor and a DCPJ cryptologist, my career will be over. I've been trying to pull you back into safety for the last several hours.† A warm wind was now pushing through the station as a train approached with a low rumble. Sophie had every intention of being on it. Langdon apparently had the same idea; he was gathering himself together and moving toward her now. â€Å"The man you want is Remy Legaludec,† Sophie said. â€Å"He is Teabing's servant. He just kidnapped Teabing inside the Temple Church and – â€Å" â€Å"Agent Neveu!† Fache bellowed as the train thundered into the station. â€Å"This is not something to discuss on an open line. You and Langdon will come in now. For your own well-being! That is a direct order!† Sophie hung up and dashed with Langdon onto the train. CHAPTER 89 The immaculate cabin of Teabing's Hawker was now covered with steel shavings and smelled of compressed air and propane. Bezu Fache had sent everyone away and sat alone with his drink and the heavy wooden box found in Teabing's safe. Running his finger across the inlaid Rose, he lifted the ornate lid. Inside he found a stone cylinder with lettered dials. The five dials were arranged to spell SOFIA. Fache stared at the word a long moment and then lifted the cylinder from its padded resting place and examined every inch. Then, pulling slowly on the ends, Fache slid off one of the end caps. The cylinder was empty. Fache set it back in the box and gazed absently out the jet's window at the hangar, pondering his brief conversation with Sophie, as well as the information he'd received from PTS in Chateau Villette. The sound of his phone shook him from his daydream. It was the DCPJ switchboard. The dispatcher was apologetic. The president of the Depository Bank of Zurich had been calling repeatedly, and although he had been told several times that the captain was in London on business, he just kept calling. Begrudgingly Fache told the operator to forward the call. â€Å"Monsieur Vernet,† Fache said, before the man could even speak,† I am sorry I did not call you earlier. I have been busy. As promised, the name of your bank has not appeared in the media. So what precisely is your concern?† Vernet's voice was anxious as he told Fache how Langdon and Sophie had extracted a small wooden box from the bank and then persuaded Vernet to help them escape. â€Å"Then when I heard on the radio that they were criminals,† Vernet said, â€Å"I pulled over and demanded the box back, but they attacked me and stole the truck.† â€Å"You are concerned for a wooden box,† Fache said, eyeing the Rose inlay on the cover and again gently opening the lid to reveal the white cylinder. â€Å"Can you tell me what was in the box?† â€Å"The contents are immaterial,† Vernet fired back. â€Å"I am concerned with the reputation of my bank. We have never had a robbery. Ever.It will ruin us if I cannot recover this property on behalf of my client.† â€Å"You said Agent Neveu and Robert Langdon had a password and a key. What makes you say they stole the box?† â€Å"They murdered people tonight. Including Sophie Neveu's grandfather. The key and password were obviously ill-gotten.† â€Å"Mr. Vernet, my men have done some checking into your background and your interests. You are obviously a man of great culture and refinement. I would imagine you are a man of honor, as well. As am I. That said, I give you my word as commanding officer of the Police Judiciaire that your box, along with your bank's reputation, are in the safest of hands.† CHAPTER 90 High in the hayloft at Chateau Villette, Collet stared at the computer monitor in amazement. â€Å"This system is eavesdropping on all these locations?† â€Å"Yes,† the agent said. â€Å"It looks like data has been collected for over a year now.† Collet read the list again, speechless. COLBERT SOSTAQUE – Chairman of the Conseil Constitutionnel JEAN CHAFFeE – Curator, Musee du Jeu de Paume EDOUARD DESROCHERS – Senior Archivist, Mitterrand Library JACQUES SAUNIeRE – Curator, Musee du Louvre MICHEL BRETON – Head of DAS (French Intelligence) The agent pointed to the screen. â€Å"Number four is of obvious concern.† Collet nodded blankly. He had noticed it immediately. Jacques Sauniere was being bugged.He looked at the rest of the list again. How could anyone possibly manage to bug these prominent people?† Have you heard any of the audio files?† â€Å"A few. Here's one of the most recent.† The agent clicked a few computer keys. The speakers crackled to life. â€Å"Capitaine, un agent du Departement de Cryptographie est arrive.† Collet could not believe his ears. â€Å"That's me! That's my voice!† He recalled sitting at Sauniere's desk and radioing Fache in the Grand Gallery to alert him of Sophie Neveu's arrival. The agent nodded. â€Å"A lot of our Louvre investigation tonight would have been audible if someone had been interested.† â€Å"Have you sent anyone in to sweep for the bug?† â€Å"No need. I know exactly where it is.† The agent went to a pile of old notes and blueprints on the worktable. He selected a page and handed it to Collet. â€Å"Look familiar?† Collet was amazed. He was holding a photocopy of an ancient schematic diagram, which depicted a rudimentary machine. He was unable to read the handwritten Italian labels, and yet he knew what he was looking at. A model for a fully articulated medieval French knight. The knight sitting on Sauniere's desk! Collet's eyes moved to the margins, where someone had scribbled notes on the photocopy in red felt-tipped marker. The notes were in French and appeared to be ideas outlining how best to insert a listening device into the knight. CHAPTER 91 Silas sat in the passenger seat of the parked Jaguar limousine near the Temple Church. His hands felt damp on the keystone as he waited for Remy to finish tying and gagging Teabing in back with the rope they had found in the trunk. Finally, Remy climbed out of the rear of the limo, walked around, and slid into the driver's seat beside Silas. â€Å"Secure?† Silas asked. Remy chuckled, shaking off the rain and glancing over his shoulder through the open partition at the crumpled form of Leigh Teabing, who was barely visible in the shadows in the rear. â€Å"He's not going anywhere.† Silas could hear Teabing's muffled cries and realized Remy had used some of the old duct tape to gag him. â€Å"Ferme ta gueule!† Remy shouted over his shoulder at Teabing. Reaching to a control panel on the elaborate dash, Remy pressed a button. An opaque partition raised behind them, sealing off the back. Teabing disappeared, and his voice was silenced. Remy glanced at Silas. â€Å"I've been listening to his miserable whimpering long enough.† Minutes later, as the Jaguar stretch limo powered through the streets, Silas's cell phone rang. TheTeacher.He answered excitedly. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Silas,† the Teacher's familiar French accent said, â€Å"I am relieved to hear your voice. This means you are safe.† Silas was equally comforted to hear the Teacher. It had been hours, and the operation had veered wildly off course. Now, at last, it seemed to be back on track. â€Å"I have the keystone.† â€Å"This is superb news,† the Teacher told him. â€Å"Is Remy with you?† Silas was surprised to hear the Teacher use Remy's name. â€Å"Yes. Remy freed me.† â€Å"As I ordered him to do. I am only sorry you had to endure captivity for so long.† â€Å"Physical discomfort has no meaning. The important thing is that the keystone is ours.† â€Å"Yes. I need it delivered to me at once. Time is of the essence.† Silas was eager to meet the Teacher face-to-face at last. â€Å"Yes, sir, I would be honored.† â€Å"Silas, I would like Remy to bring it to me.† Remy? Silas was crestfallen. After everything Silas had done for the Teacher, he had believed hewould be the one to hand over the prize. The Teacher favors Remy? â€Å"I sense your disappointment,† the Teacher said,† which tells me you do not understand my meaning.† He lowered his voice to a whisper. â€Å"You must believe that I would much prefer to receive the keystone from you – a man of God rather than a criminal – but Remy must be dealt with. He disobeyed my orders and made a grave mistake that has put our entire mission at risk.† Silas felt a chill and glanced over at Remy. Kidnapping Teabing had not been part of the plan, and deciding what to do with him posed a new problem. â€Å"You and I are men of God,† the Teacher whispered. â€Å"We cannot be deterred from our goal.† There was an ominous pause on the line. â€Å"For this reason alone, I will ask Remy to bring me the keystone. Do you understand?† Silas sensed anger in the Teacher's voice and was surprised the man was not more understanding. Showing his face could not be avoided, Silas thought. Remy did what he had to do.He saved the keystone. â€Å"I understand,† Silas managed. â€Å"Good. For your own safety, you need to get off the street immediately. The police will be looking for the limousine soon, and I do not want you caught. Opus Dei has a residence in London, no?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"And you are welcome there?† â€Å"As a brother.† â€Å"Then go there and stay out of sight. I will call you the moment I am in possession of the keystone and have attended to my current problem.† â€Å"You are in London?† â€Å"Do as I say, and everything will be fine.† â€Å"Yes, sir.† The Teacher heaved a sigh, as if what he now had to do was profoundly regrettable. â€Å"It's time I speak to Remy.† Silas handed Remy the phone, sensing it might be the last call Remy Legaludec ever took. As Remy took the phone, he knew this poor, twisted monk had no idea what fate awaited him now that he had served his purpose. The Teacher used you, Silas.And your bishop is a pawn. Remy still marveled at the Teacher's powers of persuasion. Bishop Aringarosa had trusted everything. He had been blinded by his own desperation. Aringarosa was far too eager to believe. Although Remy did not particularly like the Teacher, he felt pride at having gained the man's trust and helped him so substantially. I have earned my payday. â€Å"Listen carefully,† the Teacher said. â€Å"Take Silas to the Opus Dei residence hall and drop him off a few streets away. Then drive to St. James's Park. It is adjacent to Parliament and Big Ben. You can park the limousine on Horse Guards Parade. We'll talk there.† With that, the connection went dead. CHAPTER 92 King's College, established by King George IV in 1829, houses its Department of Theology and Religious Studies adjacent to Parliament on property granted by the Crown. King's College Religion Department boasts not only 150 years' experience in teaching and research, but the 1982 establishment of the Research Institute in Systematic Theology, which possesses one of the most complete and electronically advanced religious research libraries in the world. Langdon still felt shaky as he and Sophie came in from the rain and entered the library. The primary research room was as Teabing had described it – a dramatic octagonal chamber dominated by an enormous round table around which King Arthur and his knights might have been comfortable were it not for the presence of twelve flat-screen computer workstations. On the far side of the room, a reference librarian was just pouring a pot of tea and settling in for her day of work. â€Å"Lovely morning,† she said in a cheerful British accent, leaving the tea and walking over. â€Å"May I help you?† â€Å"Thank you, yes,† Langdon replied. â€Å"My name is – Robert Langdon.† She gave a pleasant smile. â€Å"I know who you are.† For an instant, he feared Fache had put him on English television as well, but the librarian's smile suggested otherwise. Langdon still had not gotten used to these moments of unexpected celebrity. Then again, if anyone on earth were going to recognize his face, it would be a librarian in a Religious Studies reference facility. â€Å"Pamela Gettum,† the librarian said, offering her hand. She had a genial, erudite face and a pleasingly fluid voice. The horn-rimmed glasses hanging around her neck were thick. â€Å"A pleasure,† Langdon said. â€Å"This is my friend Sophie Neveu.† The two women greeted one another, and Gettum turned immediately back to Langdon. â€Å"I didn't know you were coming.† â€Å"Neither did we. If it's not too much trouble, we could really use your help finding some information.† Gettum shifted, looking uncertain. â€Å"Normally our services are by petition and appointment only, unless of course you're the guest of someone at the college?† Langdon shook his head. â€Å"I'm afraid we've come unannounced. A friend of mine speaks very highly of you. Sir Leigh Teabing?† Langdon felt a pang of gloom as he said the name. â€Å"The British Royal Historian.† Gettum brightened now, laughing. â€Å"Heavens, yes. What a character. Fanatical! Every time he comes in, it's always the same search strings. Grail. Grail. Grail. I swear that man will die before he gives up on that quest.† She winked. â€Å"Time and money afford one such lovely luxuries, wouldn't you say? A regular Don Quixote, that one.† â€Å"Is there any chance you can help us?† Sophie asked. â€Å"It's quite important.† Gettum glanced around the deserted library and then winked at them both. â€Å"Well, I can't very well claim I'm too busy, now can I? As long as you sign in, I can't imagine anyone being too upset. What did you have in mind?† â€Å"We're trying to find a tomb in London.† Gettum looked dubious. â€Å"We've got about twenty thousand of them. Can you be a little more specific?† â€Å"It's the tomb of a knight.We don't have a name.† â€Å"A knight. That tightens the net substantially. Much less common.† â€Å"We don't have much information about the knight we're looking for,† Sophie said,† but this is what we know.† She produced a slip of paper on which she had written only the first two lines of the poem. Hesitant to show the entire poem to an outsider, Langdon and Sophie had decided to share just the first two lines, those that identified the knight. Compartmentalized cryptography, Sophie had called it. When an intelligence agency intercepted a code containing sensitive data, cryptographers each worked on a discrete section of the code. This way, when they broke it, no single cryptographer possessed the entire deciphered message. In this case, the precaution was probably excessive; even if this librarian saw the entire poem, identified the knight's tomb, and knew what orb was missing, the information was useless without the cryptex. Gettum sensed an urgency in the eyes of this famed American scholar, almost as if his finding this tomb quickly were a matter of critical importance. The green-eyed woman accompanying him also seemed anxious. Puzzled, Gettum put on her glasses and examined the paper they had just handed her. In London lies a knight a Pope interred. His labor's fruit a Holy wrath incurred. She glanced at her guests. â€Å"What is this? Some kind of Harvard scavenger hunt?† Langdon's laugh sounded forced. â€Å"Yeah, something like that.† Gettum paused, feeling she was not getting the whole story. Nonetheless, she felt intrigued and found herself pondering the verse carefully. â€Å"According to this rhyme, a knight did something that incurred displeasure with God, and yet a Pope was kind enough to bury him in London.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"Does it ring any bells?† Gettum moved toward one of the workstations. â€Å"Not offhand, but let's see what we can pull up in the database.† Over the past two decades, King's College Research Institute in Systematic Theology had used optical character recognition software in unison with linguistic translation devices to digitize and catalog an enormous collection of texts – encyclopedias of religion, religious biographies, sacred scriptures in dozens of languages, histories, Vatican letters, diaries of clerics, anything at all that qualified as writings on human spirituality. Because the massive collection was now in the form of bits and bytes rather than physical pages, the data was infinitely more accessible. Settling into one of the workstations, Gettum eyed the slip of paper and began typing. â€Å"To begin, we'll run a straight Boolean with a few obvious keywords and see what happens.† â€Å"Thank you.† Gettum typed in a few words: LONDON, KNIGHT, POPE As she clicked the SEARCH button, she could feel the hum of the massive mainframe downstairs scanning data at a rate of 500 MB/sec. â€Å"I'm asking the system to show us any documents whose complete text contains all three of these keywords. We'll get more hits than we want, but it's a good place to start.† The screen was already showing the first of the hits now. Painting the Pope. The Collected Portraits of Sir Joshua Reynolds. London University Press. Gettum shook her head. â€Å"Obviously not what you're looking for.† She scrolled to the next hit. The London Writings of Alexander Pope by G. Wilson Knight. Again she shook her head. As the system churned on, the hits came up more quickly than usual. Dozens of texts appeared, many of them referencing the eighteenth-century British writer Alexander Pope, whose counter religious, mock-epic poetry apparently contained plenty of references to knights and London. Gettum shot a quick glance to the numeric field at the bottom of the screen. This computer, by calculating the current number of hits and multiplying by the percentage of the database left to search, provided a rough guess of how much information would be found. This particular search looked like it was going to return an obscenely large amount of data. Estimated number of total hits: 2, 692 â€Å"We need to refine the parameters further,† Gettum said, stopping the search. â€Å"Is this all the information you have regarding the tomb? There's nothing else to go on?† Langdon glanced at Sophie Neveu, looking uncertain. This is no scavenger hunt, Gettum sensed. She had heard the whisperings of Robert Langdon's experience in Rome last year. This American had been granted access to the most secure library on earth – the Vatican Secret Archives. She wondered what kinds of secrets Langdon might have learned inside and if his current desperate hunt for a mysterious London tomb might relate to information he had gained within the Vatican. Gettum had been a librarian long enough to know the most common reason people came to London to look for knights. The Grail. Gettum smiled and adjusted her glasses. â€Å"You are friends with Leigh Teabing, you are in England, and you are looking for a knight.† She folded her hands. â€Å"I can only assume you are on a Grail quest.† Langdon and Sophie exchanged startled looks. Gettum laughed. â€Å"My friends, this library is a base camp for Grail seekers. Leigh Teabing among them. I wish I had a shilling for every time I'd run searches for the Rose, Mary Magdalene, Sangreal, Merovingian, Priory of Sion, et cetera, et cetera. Everyone loves a conspiracy.† She took off her glasses and eyed them. â€Å"I need more information.† In the silence, Gettum sensed her guests' desire for discretion was quickly being outweighed by their eagerness for a fast result. â€Å"Here,† Sophie Neveu blurted. â€Å"This is everything we know.† Borrowing a pen from Langdon, she wrote two more lines on the slip of paper and handed it to Gettum. You seek the orb that ought be on his tomb. It speaks of Rosy flesh and seeded womb. Gettum gave an inward smile. The Grail indeed, she thought, noting the references to the Rose and her seeded womb. â€Å"I can help you,† she said, looking up from the slip of paper. â€Å"Might I ask where this verse came from? And why you are seeking an orb?† â€Å"You might ask,† Langdon said, with a friendly smile,† but it's a long story and we have very little time.† â€Å"Sounds like a polite way of saying â€Å"mind your own business.†Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We would be forever in your debt, Pamela,† Langdon said, â€Å"if you could find out who this knight is and where he is buried.† â€Å"Very well,† Gettum said, typing again. â€Å"I'll play along. If this is a Grail-related issue, we should cross-reference against Grail keywords. I'll add a proximity parameter and remove the title weighting. That will limit our hits only to those instances of textual keywords that occur near aGrail-related word.† Search for: KNIGHT, LONDON, POPE, TOMB Within 100 word proximity of: GRAIL, ROSE, SANGREAL, CHALICE â€Å"How long will this take?† Sophie asked. â€Å"A few hundred terabytes with multiple cross-referencing fields?† Gettum's eyes glimmered as she clicked the SEARCH key. â€Å"A mere fifteen minutes.† Langdon and Sophie said nothing, but Gettum sensed this sounded like an eternity to them. â€Å"Tea?† Gettum asked, standing and walking toward the pot she had made earlier. â€Å"Leigh always loves my tea.†