Chapter 19

There's this thing called dramatic irony, see. It means that someone does something or says something that has a significance s/he isn't aware of. Usually, the audience or reader is aware of what's going on, and it creates a sense of pity for the poor sap.

Shakespeare does it a great deal. In Macbeth, when the Porter claims to be in charge of the gates of hell, Duncan's body has yet to be discovered, so the drunken doorman isn't aware of the bloody accuracy with which he speaks.

This is how Dan Brown does it:

"For a fleeting instant, she wondered if this mysterious visitor could be the enemy they had warned her about, and if tonight she would have to carry out the orders she had been holding all these years."

Do you see the difference? If Dan Brown were writing Macbeth, he'd have the Porter say "Ooh, wouldn't it be dreadful if someone had stabbed the king to death?"

We're back to short chapters, I notice. Incidentally, what are "quiet eyes"?