1High atop the steps of the Pyramid of Giza a young woman laughed and called down to him. “Robert, hurry up! I knew I should have married a younger man!†Her smile was magic.He struggled to keep up, but his legs felt like stone. “Wait,†he begged. “Please…â€As he climbed, his vision began to blur. There was a thundering in his ears. I must reach her! But when he looked up again, the woman had disappeared. In her place stood an old man with rotting teeth. The man stared down, curling his lips into a lonely grimace. Then he let out a scream of anguish that resounded across the desert.Robert Langdon awoke with a start from his nightmare. The phone beside his bed was ringing. Dazed, he picked up the receiver.“Hello?â€â€œI'm looking for Robert Langdon,†a man's voice said.Langdon sat up in his empty bed and tried to clear his mind. “This… is Robert Langdon.†He squinted at his digital clock. It was 5:18 A.M.“I must see you immediately.â€â€œWho is this?â€â€œMy name is Maximilian Kohler. I'm a discrete particle physicist.â€â€œA what?
