cept to the text。 O； Draconian devil？ Oh； lame saint？ Those lines mean nothing。 They are simply letters written out of order。〃
Sophie needed only an instant to process Langdon's implication； and it seemed laughably simple。 〃You think this message is。。。 une anagramme？〃 She stared at him。 〃Like a word jumble from a newspaper？〃
Langdon could see the skepticism on Sophie's face and certainly understood。 Few people realized that anagrams； despite being a trite modern amusement； had a rich history of sacred symbolism。
The mystical teachings of the Kabbala drew heavily on anagrams—rearranging the letters of Hebrew words to derive new meanings。 French kings throughout the Renaissance were so convinced that anagrams held magic power that they appointed royal anagrammatists to help them make better decisions by analyzing words in important documents。 The Romans actually referred to the study of anagrams as ars magna—〃the great art。〃
Langdon looked up at Sophie； locking eyes with her now。 〃Your grandfather's meaning was right in front of us all along； and he left us more than enough clues to see it。〃
Without another word； Langdon pulled a pen from his jacket pocket and rearranged the letters in each line。
O； Draconian devil！ Oh； lame saint！
was a perfect anagram of。。。
Leonardo da Vinci！ The Mona Lisa！
CHAPTER 21
The Mona Lisa。
For an instant； standing in the exit stairwell； Sophie forgot all about trying to leave the Louvre。
Her shock over the anagram was matched only by her embarrassment at not having deciphered the message herself。 Sophie's expertise in plex cryptanalysis had caused her to overlook simplistic word games； and yet she knew she should have seen it。 After all； she was no stranger to anagrams—especially in English。
When she was young； often her grandfather would use anagram games to hone her English spelling。 Once he had written the English word 〃planets〃 and told Sophie that an astonishing sixty…two other English words of varying lengths could be formed using those same letters。 Sophie had spent three days with an English dictionary until she found them all。
〃I can't imagine；〃 Langdon said； staring at the printout； 〃how your grandfather created such an intricate anagram in the minutes before he died。〃
Sophie knew the explanation； and the realization made her feel even worse。 I should have seen this！ She now recalled that her grandfather—a wordplay aficionado and art lover—had entertained himself as a young man by creating anagrams of famous works of art。 In fact； one of his anagrams had gotten him in trouble once when Sophie was a little girl。 While being interviewed by an American art magazine； Saunière had expressed his distaste for the modernist Cubist movement by noting that Picasso's masterpiece Les Demoiselles d'Avignon was a perfect anagram of vile meaningless doodles。 Picasso fans were not amused。
〃My grandfather probably created this Mona Lisa anagram long ago；〃 Sophie said； glancing up at Langdon。 And tonight he was forced to use it as a makeshift code。 Her grandfather's voice had called out from beyond with chilling precision。
Leonardo da Vinci！
The Mona Lisa！
Why his final words to her referenced the famous painting； Sophie had no idea； but she could think of only one possibility。 A disturbing one。
Those were not his final words。。。。
Was she supposed to visit the Mona Lisa？ Had her grandfather left her a message there？ The idea seemed perfectly plausible。 After all； the famous painting hung in the Salle des Etats—a private viewing chamber accessible only from the Grand Gallery。 In fact； Sophie now realized； the doors that opened into the chamber were situated only twenty meters from where her grandfather had been found dead。
He easily could have visited the Mona Lisa before he died。
Sophie gazed back up the emergency stairwell and felt torn。 She knew she should usher Langdon from the museum immediately； and yet instinct urged her to the contrary。 As Sophie recalled her first childhood visit to the Denon Wing； she realized that if her grandfather had a secret to tell her； few places on earth made a more apt rendezvous than Da Vinci's Mona Lisa。
〃She's just a little bit farther；〃 her grandfather had whispered； clutching Sophie's tiny hand as he led her through the deserted museum after hours。
Sophie was six years old。 She felt small and insignificant as she gazed up at the enormous ceilings and down at the dizzying floor。 The empty museum frightened her； although she was not about to let her grandfather know that。 She set her jaw firmly and let go of his hand。
〃Up ahead is the Salle des Etats；〃 her grandfather said as they approached the Louvre's most famous room。 Despite her grandfather's obvious excitement； Sophie wanted to go home。 She had seen pictures of the Mona Lisa in books and didn't like it at all。 She couldn't understand why everyone made such a fuss。
〃C'est ennuyeux；〃 Sophie grumbled。
〃Boring；〃 he corrected。 〃French at school。 English at home。〃
〃Le Louvre； c'est pas chez moi！〃 she challenged。
He gave her a tired laugh。 〃Right you are。 Then let's speak English just for fun。〃
Sophie pouted and kept walking。 As they entered the Salle des Etats； her eyes scanned the narrow room and settled on the obvious spot of honor—the center of the right…hand wall； where a lone portrait hung behind a protective Plexiglas wall。 Her grandfather paused in the doorway and motioned toward the painting。
〃Go ahead； Sophie。 Not many people get a chance to visit her alone。〃
Swallowing her apprehension； Sophie moved slowly across the room。 After everything she'd heard about the Mona Lisa； she felt as if she were approaching royalty。 Arriving in front of the protective Plexiglas； Sophie held her breath and looked up； taking it in all at once。
Sophie was not sure what she had expected to feel； but it most certainly was not this。 No jolt of amazement。 No instant of wonder。 The famous face looked as it did in books。 She stood in silence for what felt like forever； waiting for something to happen。
〃So what do you think？〃 her grandfather whispered； arriving behind her。 〃Beautiful； yes？〃
〃She's too little。〃
Saunière smiled。 〃You're little and you're beautiful。〃
I am not beautiful； she thought。 Sophie hated her red hair and freckles； and she was bigger than all the boys in her class。 She looked back at the Mona Lisa and shook her head。 〃She's even worse than in the books。 Her face is。。。 brumeux。〃
〃Foggy；〃 her grandfather tutored。
〃Foggy；〃 Sophie repeated； knowing the conversation would not continue until she repeated her new vocabulary word。
〃That's called the sfumato style of painting；〃 he told her； 〃and it's very hard to do。 Leonardo da Vinci was better at it than anyone。〃
Sophie still didn't like the painting。 〃She looks like she knows something。。。 like when kids at school have a secret。〃
Her grandfather laughed。 〃That's part of why she is so famous。 People like to guess why she is smiling。〃
〃Do you know why she's smiling？〃
〃Maybe。〃 Her grandfather winked。 〃Someday I'll tell you all about it。〃
Sophie stamped her foot。 〃I told you I don't like secrets！〃
〃Princess；〃 he smiled。 〃Life is filled with secrets。 You can't learn them all at once。〃
〃I'm going back up；〃 Sophie decl