Although the novel is colored by adventure, mystery, and ancient riddles, the truth is that Clay is a straightforward problem-solver who uses his technology cleverly. This shows the changing of the times, as the Unbroken Spine, for all their years of work, have been permanently outmoded by computers and technology.
This leads to the discovery of new solutions, and in the end, they get to resurrect Manutius's legacy, reintroducing his memoirs back into circulation by cracking the code. Unfortunately, that means that there is no mystery, no religious insight, and no immortal life. Many of the Unbroken Spine regret solving the mystery, wishing to go back to the days when they were a community. Ironically, the book was life-giving when the Unbroken Spine followed Corvina's leadership away from technology.
In the end though, the novel serves not as an argument for or against books or technology, but rather, it is a picture of the reality of the situation—the age of the computer is arrived, regardless of the more nostalgic, magically oriented readers of the past.
Needless to say these plot devices seem to be a reflection on the various ways technology has changed (and will continue to change) even the most fundamental of human experiences, like reading. It offers the reader a mystery of their own to solve: Yes, Clay solved the mystery, but wasn't the Unbroken Spine having more fun when the mystery was still alive, when they were all hoping together for immortal life? This serves as a commentary on the magic of reading books, a pleasure many have forgotten in the internet age.
