Renowned curator Jacques Sonnier, staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's

grand gallery, he lunged for the nearest painting he could see, a caravaggio.

Grabbing the gilded frame, the 76-year-old man heaved the masterpiece toward himself until

it tore from the wall, and Sonnier collapsed backward in a heap beneath the canvas.

As he had anticipated, a thundering iron gate fell nearby, barricading the entrance

to the suite. The parquet floor shook, far off and alarm began to ring.

The curator lay a moment, gasping for breath, taking stock. I am still alive.

He crawled out from under the canvas and scanned the cavernous space for some place to hide.

A voice spoke, chillingly close. Do not move. On his hands and knees, the curator froze,

turning his head slowly. And that, renowned historian Tom Holland,

is how the Da Vinci Code opened when it was published 20 years ago, in 2003, a great literary

landmark, Tom. One of the great anniversaries. And Dominic, if I may say,

yes, hugely enhanced there by your reading. Oh, thank you. That is your accents.

Well, I don't know with it. Does Dan Brown do his own reading? I don't imagine he does some.

I don't know, but I thought the accent you gave to the 76-year-old man, which was very, very good.

Yes. Well, I think that's a lovely bit of description there, because as already,

Dan Brown starts that book with the words were renowned curator. So he starts with an occupation

and the person's level within his profession, which I think I admire.

And then the next time he refers to that person, he thinks that the best way to describe him is

the 76-year-old man. Well, because the reader knows he's a renowned curator. But the obvious question,

how old is he? And Dan Brown sort of sound out immediately. I mean, is he a man? I mean, is he

man as the right now to go further? We've already had he. So his pronouns are clear.

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