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Chapter 40
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Da Vinci Code, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Conspiracies and Secrets
Art and Symbolism
Faith vs. Knowledge
Sacred Femininity and Revisionist History
Power and Manipulation
Summary
Analysis
Bishop Aringarosa arrives at Castel Gandolfo, where his hosts are waiting in the library. The lights are low compared to his last meeting, suggesting the men are ashamed of their dealings. Three men greet Aringarosa: the Secretariat Vaticana, who oversees legal matters, and two high-ranking cardinals. The secretarius commends Aringarosa’s efficiency. As payment for his work, they give him a briefcase full of Vatican Bank bonds. The Teacher suggested he request these instead of cash as insurance: the bonds can be traced back to the Vatican. Aringarosa’s hosts are concerned he will use the money for illegal things, which he rebuffs, considering what he is doing for them. He signs a papal document and leaves, bound for Paris.
The details of Aringarosa’s meeting with the Vatican representatives are intentionally vague. They pay him a large sum of money for his work, leading the reader to assume they have hired him, the Teacher, and Silas to murder Saunière and find the keystone. Their concern about paying the bishop in Vatican bonds fits this theory, as it suggests they fear the crimes can be traced back to the Vatican. Still, the sparse dialogue leaves the situation unclear—it’s a mystery the novel will return to later.
Themes
