Latest Da Vinci mystery: Judge's own secret code?
-
By Peter Graff
LONDON (Reuters) - Three weeks after a British court passed judgment in the copyright case involving Dan Brown's bestseller "The Da Vinci Code," a lawyer has uncovered what may be a secret message buried in the text of the ruling.
Lawyer Dan Tench noticed some letters in the judgment had been italicized, and it suddenly dawned on him that they spelled a phrase that included the name of the judge: "Smith code."
Justice Peter Smith, who during the trial displayed a sense of humor unusual in the rarified world of bewigged barristers and ancient tradition, appears to have embraced the mysterious world of codes and conspiracy that run through the novel.
"I thought it was a mistake, that there were some stray letters that had been italicized because the word processor had gone wrong," Tench told Reuters.
Tench initially told The Times newspaper that apparently random letters in the judge's ruling appeared in italics. Wouldn't it be clever if the judge had embedded a secret message in the text? The Times ran a jokey item.
"And then I got an e-mail from the judge," said Tench.
He said Smith told him to look back at the first paragraphs. The italicized letters scattered throughout the judgment spell out: "smithcodeJaeiextostpsacgreamqwfkadpmqz."
Those in the first paragraphs spell out "smith code."
But what does the rest mean?
The novel, and upcoming movie starring Tom Hanks, are about a secret code that reveals ancient mysteries about Jesus Christ.
Smith, who ruled that author Brown had not plagiarized his hugely popular thriller from another book, "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," has so far not given any clues to his own mystery code.
For now, the judge is not speaking. His clerk said he is refusing interviews. She would not confirm whether there truly was a secret mystery embedded in his judgment.
But she did confirm that he is, generally speaking, a humorous type of person.
© Reuters 2006.
Ok Ok... I'm bored. 
-
ahh... the fictional code...
it had the potential to become the catholic version of Rushdie's Satanic Verses
but it didn't...
maybe in there, is some kinda lesson,..
hey! i gotta go "code" some of my paper at work then
let it be coded in there "the big boss is a semi-sentient braindeath who makes a lobotomised retarded gibbon look like Einstein"
okay.. i'm bored too
hey.. wanna meet the gang for makan at Newton on Saturday?
(there's no code in the last line ) -
...and who's in the triad?Originally posted by the Bear:hey.. wanna meet the gang for makan at Newton on Saturday?
(there's no code in the last line ) -
what an awesome read. thanks,Originally posted by BabyRS:By Peter Graff
LONDON (Reuters) - Three weeks after a British court passed judgment in the copyright case involving Dan Brown's bestseller "The Da Vinci Code," a lawyer has uncovered what may be a secret message buried in the text of the ruling.
Lawyer Dan Tench noticed some letters in the judgment had been italicized, and it suddenly dawned on him that they spelled a phrase that included the name of the judge: "Smith code."
Justice Peter Smith, who during the trial displayed a sense of humor unusual in the rarified world of bewigged barristers and ancient tradition, appears to have embraced the mysterious world of codes and conspiracy that run through the novel.
"I thought it was a mistake, that there were some stray letters that had been italicized because the word processor had gone wrong," Tench told Reuters.
Tench initially told The Times newspaper that apparently random letters in the judge's ruling appeared in italics. Wouldn't it be clever if the judge had embedded a secret message in the text? The Times ran a jokey item.
"And then I got an e-mail from the judge," said Tench.
He said Smith told him to look back at the first paragraphs. The italicized letters scattered throughout the judgment spell out: "smithcodeJaeiextostpsacgreamqwfkadpmqz."
Those in the first paragraphs spell out "smith code."
But what does the rest mean?
The novel, and upcoming movie starring Tom Hanks, are about a secret code that reveals ancient mysteries about Jesus Christ.
Smith, who ruled that author Brown had not plagiarized his hugely popular thriller from another book, "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," has so far not given any clues to his own mystery code.
For now, the judge is not speaking. His clerk said he is refusing interviews. She would not confirm whether there truly was a secret mystery embedded in his judgment.
But she did confirm that he is, generally speaking, a humorous type of person.
© Reuters 2006. Ok Ok... I'm bored.
btw, i saw your siggy, your gun has no bullets -
shhhhhhh!!!Originally posted by coffeeortea:what an awesome read. thanks,
btw, i saw your siggy, your gun has no bullets 
-
Dan Brown is lucky that Catholics are civilised people, unlike the Shiites of Iran.Originally posted by the Bear:ahh... the fictional code...
it had the potential to become the catholic version of Rushdie's Satanic Verses
but it didn't...
maybe in there, is some kinda lesson,..
hey! i gotta go "code" some of my paper at work then
let it be coded in there "the big boss is a semi-sentient braindeath who makes a lobotomised retarded gibbon look like Einstein"
okay.. i'm bored too
hey.. wanna meet the gang for makan at Newton on Saturday?
(there's no code in the last line )
Ever wondered why Christian-dominated (and secular) nations are more prosperous and democratic in general?