Collet could not believe his ears. "That's me! That's my voice!" He recalled sitting at Saunière's desk and radioing Fache in the Grand Gallery to alert him of Sophie Neveu's arrival.

The agent pointed to the screen. "Number four is of obvious concern."

MICHEL BRETON-Head of DAS (French Intelligence)

"Yes," the agent said. "It looks like data has been collected for over a year now."

EDOUARD DESROCHERS-Senior Archivist, Mitterrand Library

JACQUES SAUNIèRE-Curator, Musée du Louvre

JEAN CHAFFéE-Curator, Musée du Jeu de Paume

COLBERT SOSTAQUE-Chairman of the Conseil Constitutionnel

Collet read the list again, speechless.

Collet nodded blankly. He had noticed it immediately. Jacques Saunière 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?"

High in the hayloft at Chateau Villette, Collet stared at the computer monitor in amazement. "This system is eavesdropping on all these locations?"

"A few. Here's one of the most recent." The agent clicked a few computer keys. The speakers crackled to life. "Capitaine, un agent du Département de Cryptographie est arrivé."

The knight sitting on Saunière's desk!

The agent nodded. "A lot of our Louvre investigation tonight would have been audible if someone had been interested."

"Have you sent anyone in to sweep for the bug?"

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.

"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. "Look familiar?"

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.