danbrown.angels&demons-第11节

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mitting　from　just　about　anywhere　within　the　heavily　guarded　pound…a　densely　packed　collection　of　thirty…two　separate　buildings　covering　a　half…mile　radius。　The　only　clue　was　that　the　camera　seemed　to　have　been　placed　somewhere　dark。　Of　course；　that　wasn't　much　help。　The　plex　contained　endless　dark　locations…maintenance　closets；　heating　ducts；　gardening　sheds；　bedroom　wardrobes；　even　a　labyrinth　of　underground　tunnels。　Camera　#86　could　take　weeks　to　locate。
　But　that's　the　least　of　my　problems；　he　thought。
　Despite　the　dilemma　posed　by　the　camera's　relocation；　there　was　another　far　more　unsettling　matter　at　hand。　The　technician　gazed　up　at　the　image　the　lost　camera　was　transmitting。　It　was　a　stationary　object。　A　modern…looking　device　like　nothing　the　technician　had　ever　seen。　He　studied　the　blinking　electronic　display　at　its　base。
　Although　the　guard　had　undergone　rigorous　training　preparing　him　for　tense　situations；　he　still　sensed　his　pulse　rising。　He　told　himself　not　to　panic。　There　had　to　be　an　explanation。　The　object　appeared　too　small　to　be　of　significant　danger。　Then　again；　its　presence　inside　the　plex　was　troubling。　Very　troubling；　indeed。　
　Today　of　all　days；　he　thought。　
　Security　was　always　a　top　priority　for　his　employer；　but　today；　more　than　any　other　day　in　the　past　twelve　years；　security　was　of　the　utmost　importance。　The　technician　stared　at　the　object　for　a　long　time　and　sensed　the　rumblings　of　a　distant　gathering　storm。　
　Then；　sweating；　he　dialed　his　superior。　
　
　17

　Not　many　children　could　say　they　remembered　the　day　they　met　their　father；　but　Vittoria　Vetra　could。　She　was　eight　years　old；　living　where　she　always　had；　Orfanotrofio　di　Siena；　a　Catholic　orphanage　near　Florence；　deserted　by　parents　she　never　knew。　It　was　raining　that　day。　The　nuns　had　called　for　her　twice　to　e　to　dinner；　but　as　always　she　pretended　not　to　hear。　She　lay　outside　in　the　courtyard；　staring　up　at　the　raindrops　。　。　。　feeling　them　hit　her　body　。　。　。　trying　to　guess　where　one　would　land　next。　The　nuns　called　again；　threatening　that　pneumonia　might　make　an　insufferably　headstrong　child　a　lot　less　curious　about　nature。
　I　can't　hear　you；　Vittoria　thought。　
　She　was　soaked　to　the　bone　when　the　young　priest　came　out　to　get　her。　She　didn't　know　him。　He　was　new　there。　Vittoria　waited　for　him　to　grab　her　and　drag　her　back　inside。　But　he　didn't。　Instead；　to　her　wonder；　he　lay　down　beside　her；　soaking　his　robes　in　a　puddle。
　〃They　say　you　ask　a　lot　of　questions；〃　the　young　man　said。
　Vittoria　scowled。　〃Are　questions　bad？〃　
　He　laughed。　〃Guess　they　were　right。〃
　〃What　are　you　doing　out　here？〃
　〃Same　thing　you're　doing　。　。　。　wondering　why　raindrops　fall。〃
　〃I'm　not　wondering　why　they　fall！　I　already　know！〃
　The　priest　gave　her　an　astonished　look。　〃You　do？〃
　〃Sister　Francisca　says　raindrops　are　angels'　tears　ing　down　to　wash　away　our　sins。〃
　〃Wow！〃　he　said；　sounding　amazed。　〃So　that　explains　it。〃
　〃No　it　doesn't！〃　the　girl　fired　back。　〃Raindrops　fall　because　everything　falls！　Everything　falls！　Not　just　rain！〃
　The　priest　scratched　his　head；　looking　perplexed。　〃You　know；　young　lady；　you're　right。　Everything　does　fall。　It　must　be　gravity。〃
　〃It　must　be　what？〃
　He　gave　her　an　astonished　look。　〃You　haven't　heard　of　gravity？〃
　〃No。〃
　The　priest　shrugged　sadly。　〃Too　bad。　Gravity　answers　a　lot　of　questions。〃
　Vittoria　sat　up。　〃What's　gravity？〃　she　demanded。　〃Tell　me！〃
　The　priest　gave　her　a　wink。　〃What　do　you　say　I　tell　you　over　dinner。〃
　The　young　priest　was　Leonardo　Vetra。　Although　he　had　been　an　award…winning　physics　student　while　in　university；　he'd　heard　another　call　and　gone　into　the　seminary。　Leonardo　and　Vittoria　became　unlikely　best　friends　in　the　lonely　world　of　nuns　and　regulations。　Vittoria　made　Leonardo　laugh；　and　he　took　her　under　his　wing；　teaching　her　that　beautiful　things　like　rainbows　and　the　rivers　had　many　explanations。　He　told　her　about　light；　planets；　stars；　and　all　of　nature　through　the　eyes　of　both　God　and　science。　Vittoria's　innate　intellect　and　curiosity　made　her　a　captivating　student。　Leonardo　protected　her　like　a　daughter。
　Vittoria　was　happy　too。　She　had　never　known　the　joy　of　having　a　father。　When　every　other　adult　answered　her　questions　with　a　slap　on　the　wrist；　Leonardo　spent　hours　showing　her　books。　He　even　asked　what　her　ideas　were。　Vittoria　prayed　Leonardo　would　stay　with　her　forever。　Then　one　day；　her　worst　nightmare　came　true。　Father　Leonardo　told　her　he　was　leaving　the　orphanage。　
　〃I'm　moving　to　Switzerland；〃　Leonardo　said。　〃I　have　a　grant　to　study　physics　at　the　University　of　Geneva。〃
　〃Physics？〃　Vittoria　cried。　〃I　thought　you　loved　God！〃
　〃I　do；　very　much。　Which　is　why　I　want　to　study　his　divine　rules。　The　laws　of　physics　are　the　canvas　God　laid　down　on　which　to　paint　his　masterpiece。〃
　Vittoria　was　devastated。　But　Father　Leonardo　had　some　other　news。　He　told　Vittoria　he　had　spoken　to　his　superiors；　and　they　said　it　was　okay　if　Father　Leonardo　adopted　her。
　〃Would　you　like　me　to　adopt　you？〃　Leonardo　asked。
　〃What's　adopt　mean？〃　Vittoria　said。
　Father　Leonardo　told　her。
　Vittoria　hugged　him　for　five　minutes；　crying　tears　of　joy。　〃Oh　yes！　Yes！〃
　Leonardo　told　her　he　had　to　leave　for　a　while　and　get　their　new　home　settled　in　Switzerland；　but　he　promised　to　send　for　her　in　six　months。　It　was　the　longest　wait　of　Vittoria's　life；　but　Leonardo　kept　his　word。　Five　days　before　her　ninth　birthday；　Vittoria　moved　to　Geneva。　She　attended　Geneva　International　School　during　the　day　and　learned　from　her　father　at　night。
　Three　years　later　Leonardo　Vetra　was　hired　by　CERN。　Vittoria　and　Leonardo　relocated　to　a　wonderland　the　likes　of　which　the　young　Vittoria　had　never　imagined。
　
　Vittoria　Vetra's　body　felt　numb　as　she　strode　down　the　LHC　tunnel。　She　saw　her　muted　reflection　in　the　LHC　and　sensed　her　father's　absence。　Normally　she　existed　in　a　state　of　deep　calm；　in　harmony　with　the　world　around　her。　But　now；　very　suddenly；　nothing　made　sense。　The　last　three　hours　had　been　a　blur。
　It　had　been　10　A。M。　in　the　Balearic　Islands　when　Kohler's　call　came　through。　Your　father　has　been　murdered。　e　home　immediately。　Despite　the　sweltering　heat　on　the　deck　of　the　dive　boat；　the　words　had　chilled　her　to　the　bone；　Kohler's　emotionless　tone　hurting　as　much　as　the　news。
　Now　she　had　returned　home。　But　home　to　what？　CERN；　her　world　since　she　was　twelve；　seemed　suddenly　foreign。　Her　father；　the　man　who　had　made　it　magical；　was　gone。　
　Deep　breaths；　she　told　herself；　but　she　couldn't　calm　her　mind。　The　questions　circled　faster　and　faster。　Who　killed　her　father？　And　why？　Who　was　this　American　〃specialist〃？　Why　was　Kohler　insisting　on　seeing　the　lab？　
　Kohler　had　said　there　was　evidence　that　her　father's　murder　was　related　to　the　current　project。　What　evidence？　Nobody　knew　what　we　were　working　on！　And　even　if　someone　found　out；　why　would　they　kill　him？　
　As　she　moved　down　the　LHC　tunnel　toward　her　father's　lab；　Vittoria　realized　she　was　about　to　unveil　her　father's　greatest　achievement　without　him　there。　She　had　pictured　this　moment　much　differently。　She　had　imagined　her　father　calling　CERN's　top　scientists　to　his　lab；　showing　them　his　discovery；　watching　their　awestruck　faces。　Then　he　would　beam　with　fatherly　pride　as　he　explained　to　them　how　it　had　been　one　of　Vittoria's　ideas　that　had　helped　him　make　the　project　a　reality　。　。　。　that　his　daughter　had　been　integral　in　his　breakthrough。　Vittoria　felt　a　lump　in　her　throat。　My　father　and　I　were　supposed　to　share　this　moment　together。　But　here　she　was　alone。　No　colleagues。　No　happy　faces。　Just　an　American　stranger　and　Maximilian　Kohler。　
　Maximilian　Kohler。　Der　Kцnig。　
　Even　as　a　child；　Vittoria　had　disliked　the　man。　Although　she　eventually　came　to　respect　his　potent　intellect；　his　icy　demeanor　always　seemed　inhuman；　the　exact　antithesis　of　her　father's　warmth。　Kohler　pursued　science　for　its　immaculate　logic　。　。　。　her　father　for　its　spiritual　wonder。　And　yet　oddly　there　had　always　seemed　to　be　an　unspoken　respect　between　the　two　men。　Genius；　someone　had　once　explained　to　her；　accepts　genius　unconditionally。　
　Genius；　she　thought。　My　father　。　。　。　Dad。　Dead。　
　The　entry　to　Leonardo　Vetra's　lab　was　a　long　sterile　hallway　paved　entirely　in　white　tile。　Langdon　felt　like　he　was　entering　some　kind　of　underground　insane　asylum。　Lining　the　corridor　were　dozens　of　framed；　black…and…white　images。　Although　Langdon　had　made　a　career　of　studying　images；　these　were　entirely　alien　to　him。　They　looked　like　chaotic　negatives　of　random　streaks　and　spirals。　Modern　art？　he　mused。　Jackson　Pollock　on　amphetamines？　
　〃Scatter　plots；〃　Vittoria　said；　apparently　noting　Langdon's　interest。　〃puter　representations　of　particle　collisions。　That's　the　Z…particle；〃　she　said；　pointing　to　a　faint　track　that　was　almost　invisible　in　the　confusion。　〃My　father　discovered　it　five　years　ago。　Pure　energy…no　mass　at　all。　It　may　well　be　the　smallest　building　block　in　nature。　Matter　is　nothing　but　trapped　energy。〃
　Matter　is　energy？　Langdon　cocked　his　head。　Sounds　pretty　Zen。　He　gazed　at　the　tiny　streak　in　the　photograph　and　wondered　what　his　buddies　in　the　Harvard　physics　department　would　say　when　he　told　them　he'd　spent　the　weekend　hanging　out　in　a　L