danbrown.angels&demons-第16节

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　The　blood　drained　from　Kohler's　face。　〃What！〃　He　broke　into　a　fit　of　coughing。　〃A　quarter　of　a　gram？　That　converts　to　。　。　。　almost　five　kilotons！〃
　Kilotons。　Vittoria　hated　the　word。　It　was　one　she　and　her　father　never　used。　A　kiloton　was　equal　to　1；000　metric　tons　of　TNT。　Kilotons　were　for　weaponry。　Payload。　Destructive　power。　She　and　her　father　spoke　in　electron　volts　and　joules…constructive　energy　output。　
　〃That　much　antimatter　could　literally　liquidate　everything　in　a　half…mile　radius！〃　Kohler　exclaimed。　
　〃Yes；　if　annihilated　all　at　once；〃　Vittoria　shot　back；　〃which　nobody　would　ever　do！〃
　〃Except　someone　who　didn't　know　better。　Or　if　your　power　source　failed！〃　Kohler　was　already　heading　for　the　elevator。
　〃Which　is　why　my　father　kept　it　in　Haz…Mat　under　a　fail…safe　power　and　a　redundant　security　system。〃
　Kohler　turned；　looking　hopeful。　〃You　have　additional　security　on　Haz…Mat？〃
　〃Yes。　A　second　retina…scan。〃
　Kohler　spoke　only　two　words。　〃Downstairs。　Now。〃
　
　The　freight　elevator　dropped　like　a　rock。　
　Another　seventy…five　feet　into　the　earth。
　Vittoria　was　certain　she　sensed　fear　in　both　men　as　the　elevator　fell　deeper。　Kohler's　usually　emotionless　face　was　taut。　I　know；　Vittoria　thought；　the　sample　is　enormous；　but　the　precautions　we've　taken　are…
　They　reached　the　bottom。　
　The　elevator　opened；　and　Vittoria　led　the　way　down　the　dimly　lit　corridor。　Up　ahead　the　corridor　dead…ended　at　a　huge　steel　door。　HAZ…MAT。　The　retina　scan　device　beside　the　door　was　identical　to　the　one　upstairs。　She　approached。　Carefully；　she　aligned　her　eye　with　the　lens。　
　She　pulled　back。　Something　was　wrong。　The　usually　spotless　lens　was　spattered　。　。　。　smeared　with　something　that　looked　like　。　。　。　blood？　Confused　she　turned　to　the　two　men；　but　her　gaze　met　waxen　faces。　Both　Kohler　and　Langdon　were　white；　their　eyes　fixed　on　the　floor　at　her　feet。　
　Vittoria　followed　their　line　of　sight　。　。　。　down。
　〃No！〃　Langdon　yelled；　reaching　for　her。　But　it　was　too　late。
　Vittoria's　vision　locked　on　the　object　on　the　floor。　It　was　both　utterly　foreign　and　intimately　familiar　to　her。
　It　took　only　an　instant。　
　Then；　with　a　reeling　horror；　she　knew。　Staring　up　at　her　from　the　floor；　discarded　like　a　piece　of　trash；　was　an　eyeball。　She　would　have　recognized　that　shade　of　hazel　anywhere。
　
　24

　The　security　technician　held　his　breath　as　his　mander　leaned　over　his　shoulder；　studying　the　bank　of　security　monitors　before　them。　A　minute　passed。
　The　mander's　silence　was　to　be　expected；　the　technician　told　himself。　The　mander　was　a　man　of　rigid　protocol。　He　had　not　risen　to　mand　one　of　the　world's　most　elite　security　forces　by　talking　first　and　thinking　second。
　But　what　is　he　thinking？　
　The　object　they　were　pondering　on　the　monitor　was　a　canister　of　some　sort…a　canister　with　transparent　sides。　That　much　was　easy。　It　was　the　rest　that　was　difficult。　
　Inside　the　container；　as　if　by　some　special　effect；　a　small　droplet　of　metallic　liquid　seemed　to　be　floating　in　midair。　The　droplet　appeared　and　disappeared　in　the　robotic　red　blinking　of　a　digital　LED　descending　resolutely；　making　the　technician's　skin　crawl。　
　〃Can　you　lighten　the　contrast？〃　the　mander　asked；　startling　the　technician。
　The　technician　heeded　the　instruction；　and　the　image　lightened　somewhat。　The　mander　leaned　forward；　squinting　closer　at　something　that　had　just　e　visible　on　the　base　of　the　container。　
　The　technician　followed　his　mander's　gaze。　Ever　so　faintly；　printed　next　to　the　LED　was　an　acronym。　Four　capital　letters　gleaming　in　the　intermittent　spurts　of　light。　
　〃Stay　here；〃　the　mander　said。　〃Say　nothing。　I'll　handle　this。〃　
　
　25

　Haz…Mat。　Fifty　meters　below　ground。
　Vittoria　Vetra　stumbled　forward；　almost　falling　into　the　retina　scan。　She　sensed　the　American　rushing　to　help　her；　holding　her；　supporting　her　weight。　On　the　floor　at　her　feet；　her　father's　eyeball　stared　up。　She　felt　the　air　crushed　from　her　lungs。　They　cut　out　his　eye！　Her　world　twisted。　Kohler　pressed　close　behind；　speaking。　Langdon　guided　her。　As　if　in　a　dream；　she　found　herself　gazing　into　the　retina　scan。　The　mechanism　beeped。
　The　door　slid　open。
　Even　with　the　terror　of　her　father's　eye　boring　into　her　soul；　Vittoria　sensed　an　additional　horror　awaited　inside。　When　she　leveled　her　blurry　gaze　into　the　room；　she　confirmed　the　next　chapter　of　the　nightmare。　Before　her；　the　solitary　recharging　podium　was　empty。　
　The　canister　was　gone。　They　had　cut　out　her　father's　eye　to　steal　it。　The　implications　came　too　fast　for　her　to　fully　prehend。　Everything　had　backfired。　The　specimen　that　was　supposed　to　prove　antimatter　was　a　safe　and　viable　energy　source　had　been　stolen。　But　nobody　knew　this　specimen　even　existed！　The　truth；　however；　was　undeniable。　Someone　had　found　out。　Vittoria　could　not　imagine　who。　Even　Kohler；　whom　they　said　knew　everything　at　CERN；　clearly　had　no　idea　about　the　project。
　Her　father　was　dead。　Murdered　for　his　genius。
　As　the　grief　strafed　her　heart；　a　new　emotion　surged　into　Vittoria's　conscious。　This　one　was　far　worse。　Crushing。　Stabbing　at　her。　The　emotion　was　guilt。　Uncontrollable；　relentless　guilt。　Vittoria　knew　it　had　been　she　who　convinced　her　father　to　create　the　specimen。　Against　his　better　judgment。　And　he　had　been　killed　for　it。
　A　quarter　of　a　gram　。　。　。　
　Like　any　technology…fire；　gunpowder；　the　bustion　engine…in　the　wrong　hands；　antimatter　could　be　deadly。　Very　deadly。　Antimatter　was　a　lethal　weapon。　Potent；　and　unstoppable。　Once　removed　from　its　recharging　platform　at　CERN；　the　canister　would　count　down　inexorably。　A　runaway　train。　
　And　when　time　ran　out　。　。　。　
　A　blinding　light。　The　roar　of　thunder。　Spontaneous　incineration。　Just　the　flash　。　。　。　and　an　empty　crater。　A　big　empty　crater。
　The　image　of　her　father's　quiet　genius　being　used　as　a　tool　of　destruction　was　like　poison　in　her　blood。　Antimatter　was　the　ultimate　terrorist　weapon。　It　had　no　metallic　parts　to　trip　metal　detectors；　no　chemical　signature　for　dogs　to　trace；　no　fuse　to　deactivate　if　the　authorities　located　the　canister。　The　countdown　had　begun　。　。　。　
　
　Langdon　didn't　know　what　else　to　do。　He　took　his　handkerchief　and　lay　it　on　the　floor　over　Leonardo　Vetra's　eyeball。　Vittoria　was　standing　now　in　the　doorway　of　the　empty　Haz…Mat　chamber；　her　expression　wrought　with　grief　and　panic。　Langdon　moved　toward　her　again；　instinctively；　but　Kohler　intervened。
　〃Mr。　Langdon？〃　Kohler's　face　was　expressionless。　He　motioned　Langdon　out　of　earshot。　Langdon　reluctantly　followed；　leaving　Vittoria　to　fend　for　herself。　〃You're　the　specialist；〃　Kohler　said；　his　whisper　intense。　〃I　want　to　know　what　these　Illuminati　bastards　intend　to　do　with　this　antimatter。〃
　Langdon　tried　to　focus。　Despite　the　madness　around　him；　his　first　reaction　was　logical。　Academic　rejection。　Kohler　was　still　making　assumptions。　Impossible　assumptions。　〃The　Illuminati　are　defunct；　Mr。　Kohler。　I　stand　by　that。　This　crime　could　be　anything…maybe　even　another　CERN　employee　who　found　out　about　Mr。　Vetra's　breakthrough　and　thought　the　project　was　too　dangerous　to　continue。〃
　Kohler　looked　stunned。　〃You　think　this　is　a　crime　of　conscience；　Mr。　Langdon？　Absurd。　Whoever　killed　Leonardo　wanted　one　thing…the　antimatter　specimen。　And　no　doubt　they　have　plans　for　it。〃　
　〃You　mean　terrorism。〃
　〃Plainly。〃
　〃But　the　Illuminati　were　not　terrorists。〃
　〃Tell　that　to　Leonardo　Vetra。〃
　Langdon　felt　a　pang　of　truth　in　the　statement。　Leonardo　Vetra　had　indeed　been　branded　with　the　Illuminati　symbol。　Where　had　it　e　from？　The　sacred　brand　seemed　too　difficult　a　hoax　for　someone　trying　to　cover　his　tracks　by　casting　suspicion　elsewhere。　There　had　to　be　another　explanation。　
　Again；　Langdon　forced　himself　to　consider　the　implausible。　If　the　Illuminati　were　still　active；　and　if　they　stole　the　antimatter；　what　would　be　their　intention？　What　would　be　their　target？　The　answer　furnished　by　his　brain　was　instantaneous。　Langdon　dismissed　it　just　as　fast。　True；　the　Illuminati　had　an　obvious　enemy；　but　a　wide…scale　terrorist　attack　against　that　enemy　was　inconceivable。　It　was　entirely　out　of　character。　Yes；　the　Illuminati　had　killed　people；　but　individuals；　carefully　conscripted　targets。　Mass　destruction　was　somehow　heavy…handed。　Langdon　paused。　Then　again；　he　thought；　there　would　be　a　rather　majestic　eloquence　to　it…antimatter；　the　ultimate　scientific　achievement；　being　used　to　vaporize…
　He　refused　to　accept　the　preposterous　thought。　〃There　is；〃　he　said　suddenly；　〃a　logical　explanation　other　than　terrorism。〃　
　Kohler　stared；　obviously　waiting。　
　Langdon　tried　to　sort　out　the　thought。　The　Illuminati　had　always　wielded　tremendous　power　through　financial　means。　They　controlled　banks。　They　owned　gold　bullion。　They　were　even　rumored　to　possess　the　single　most　valuable　gem　on　earth…the　Illuminati　Diamond；　a　flawless　diamond　of　enormous　proportions。　〃Money；〃　Langdon　said。　〃The　antimatter　could　have　been　stolen　for　financial　gain。〃
　Kohler　looked　incredulous。　〃Financial　gain？　Where　does　one　sell　a　droplet　of　antimatter？〃
　〃Not　the　specimen；〃　Langdon　countered。　〃The　technology。　Antimatter　technology　must　be　worth　a　mint。　Maybe　someone　stole　the　specimen　to　do　analysis　and　R　and　D。〃　
　〃Industria