danbrown.angels&demons-第28节

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r　scientists　not　to　join　the　Illuminati。〃　
　〃Yes。　So　we　shall　do　the　same。　Quid　pro　quo。　Consider　it　symbolic　retribution　for　our　slain　brothers。　Your　four　cardinals　will　die；　one　every　hour　starting　at　eight。　By　midnight　the　whole　world　will　be　enthralled。〃
　Langdon　moved　toward　the　phone。　〃You　actually　intend　to　brand　and　kill　these　four　men？〃　
　〃History　repeats　itself；　does　it　not？　Of　course；　we　will　be　more　elegant　and　bold　than　the　church　was。　They　killed　privately；　dropping　bodies　when　no　one　was　looking。　It　seems　so　cowardly。〃
　〃What　are　you　saying？〃　Langdon　asked。　〃That　you　are　going　to　brand　and　kill　these　men　in　public？〃　
　〃Very　good。　Although　it　depends　what　you　consider　public。　I　realize　not　many　people　go　to　church　anymore。〃
　Langdon　did　a　double　take。　〃You're　going　to　kill　them　in　churches？〃　
　〃A　gesture　of　kindness。　Enabling　God　to　mand　their　souls　to　heaven　more　expeditiously。　It　seems　only　right。　Of　course　the　press　will　enjoy　it　too；　I　imagine。〃
　〃You're　bluffing；〃　Olivetti　said；　the　cool　back　in　his　voice。　〃You　cannot　kill　a　man　in　a　church　and　expect　to　get　away　with　it。〃
　〃Bluffing？　We　move　among　your　Swiss　Guard　like　ghosts；　remove　four　of　your　cardinals　from　within　your　walls；　plant　a　deadly　explosive　at　the　heart　of　your　most　sacred　shrine；　and　you　think　this　is　a　bluff？　As　the　killings　occur　and　the　victims　are　found；　the　media　will　swarm。　By　midnight　the　world　will　know　the　Illuminati　cause。〃
　〃And　if　we　stake　guards　in　every　church？〃　Olivetti　said。
　The　caller　laughed。　〃I　fear　the　prolific　nature　of　your　religion　will　make　that　a　trying　task。　Have　you　not　counted　lately？　There　are　over　four　hundred　Catholic　churches　in　Rome。　Cathedrals；　chapels；　tabernacles；　abbeys；　monasteries；　convents；　parochial　schools　。　。　。〃
　Olivetti's　face　remained　hard。
　〃In　ninety　minutes　it　begins；〃　the　caller　said　with　a　note　of　finality。　〃One　an　hour。　A　mathematical　progression　of　death。　Now　I　must　go。〃
　〃Wait！〃　Langdon　demanded。　〃Tell　me　about　the　brands　you　intend　to　use　on　these　men。〃　
　The　killer　sounded　amused。　〃I　suspect　you　know　what　the　brands　will　be　already。　Or　perhaps　you　are　a　skeptic？　You　will　see　them　soon　enough。　Proof　the　ancient　legends　are　true。〃
　Langdon　felt　light…headed。　He　knew　exactly　what　the　man　was　claiming。　Langdon　pictured　the　brand　on　Leonardo　Vetra's　chest。　Illuminati　folklore　spoke　of　five　brands　in　all。　Four　brands　are　left；　Langdon　thought；　and　four　missing　cardinals。
　〃I　am　sworn；〃　the　camerlegno　said；　〃to　bring　a　new　Pope　tonight。　Sworn　by　God。〃
　〃Camerlegno；〃　the　caller　said；　〃the　world　does　not　need　a　new　Pope。　After　midnight　he　will　have　nothing　to　rule　over　but　a　pile　of　rubble。　The　Catholic　Church　is　finished。　Your　run　on　earth　is　done。〃
　Silence　hung。
　The　camerlegno　looked　sincerely　sad。　〃You　are　misguided。　A　church　is　more　than　mortar　and　stone。　You　cannot　simply　erase　two　thousand　years　of　faith　。　。　。　any　faith。　You　cannot　crush　faith　simply　by　removing　its　earthly　manifestations。　The　Catholic　Church　will　continue　with　or　without　Vatican　City。〃
　〃A　noble　lie。　But　a　lie　all　the　same。　We　both　know　the　truth。　Tell　me；　why　is　Vatican　City　a　walled　citadel？〃
　〃Men　of　God　live　in　a　dangerous　world；〃　the　camerlegno　said。　
　〃How　young　are　you？　The　Vatican　is　a　fortress　because　the　Catholic　Church　holds　half　of　its　equity　inside　its　walls…rare　paintings；　sculpture；　devalued　jewels；　priceless　books　。　。　。　then　there　is　the　gold　bullion　and　the　real　estate　deeds　inside　the　Vatican　Bank　vaults。　Inside　estimates　put　the　raw　value　of　Vatican　City　at　48。5　billion　dollars。　Quite　a　nest　egg　you're　sitting　on。　Tomorrow　it　will　be　ash。　Liquidated　assets　as　it　were。　You　will　be　bankrupt。　Not　even　men　of　cloth　can　work　for　nothing。〃
　The　accuracy　of　the　statement　seemed　to　be　reflected　in　Olivetti's　and　the　camerlegno's　shell…shocked　looks。　Langdon　wasn't　sure　what　was　more　amazing；　that　the　Catholic　Church　had　that　kind　of　money；　or　that　the　Illuminati　somehow　knew　about　it。
　The　camerlegno　sighed　heavily。　〃Faith；　not　money；　is　the　backbone　of　this　church。〃
　〃More　lies；〃　the　caller　said。　〃Last　year　you　spent　183　million　dollars　trying　to　support　your　struggling　dioceses　worldwide。　Church　attendance　is　at　an　all…time　low…down　forty…six　percent　in　the　last　decade。　Donations　are　half　what　they　were　only　seven　years　ago。　Fewer　and　fewer　men　are　entering　the　seminary。　Although　you　will　not　admit　it；　your　church　is　dying。　Consider　this　a　chance　to　go　out　with　a　bang。〃
　Olivetti　stepped　forward。　He　seemed　less　bative　now；　as　if　he　now　sensed　the　reality　facing　him。　He　looked　like　a　man　searching　for　an　out。　Any　out。　〃And　what　if　some　of　that　bullion　went　to　fund　your　cause？〃
　〃Do　not　insult　us　both。〃
　〃We　have　money。〃
　〃As　do　we。　More　than　you　can　fathom。〃
　Langdon　flashed　on　the　alleged　Illuminati　fortunes；　the　ancient　wealth　of　the　Bavarian　stone　masons；　the　Rothschilds；　the　Bilderbergers；　the　legendary　Illuminati　Diamond。
　〃I　preferiti；〃　the　camerlegno　said；　changing　the　subject。　His　voice　was　pleading。　〃Spare　them。　They　are　old。　They…〃
　〃They　are　virgin　sacrifices。〃　The　caller　laughed。　〃Tell　me；　do　you　think　they　are　really　virgins？　Will　the　little　lambs　squeal　when　they　die？　Sacrifici　vergini　nell'　altare　di　scienza。〃　
　The　camerlegno　was　silent　for　a　long　time。　〃They　are　men　of　faith；〃　he　finally　said。　〃They　do　not　fear　death。〃
　The　caller　sneered。　〃Leonardo　Vetra　was　a　man　of　faith；　and　yet　I　saw　fear　in　his　eyes　last　night。　A　fear　I　removed。〃
　Vittoria；　who　had　been　silent；　was　suddenly　airborne；　her　body　taut　with　hatred。　〃Asino！　He　was　my　father！〃
　A　cackle　echoed　from　the　speaker。　〃Your　father？　What　is　this？　Vetra　has　a　daughter？　You　should　know　your　father　whimpered　like　a　child　at　the　end。　Pitiful　really。　A　pathetic　man。〃
　Vittoria　reeled　as　if　knocked　backward　by　the　words。　Langdon　reached　for　her；　but　she　regained　her　balance　and　fixed　her　dark　eyes　on　the　phone。　〃I　swear　on　my　life；　before　this　night　is　over；　I　will　find　you。〃　Her　voice　sharpened　like　a　laser。　〃And　when　I　do　。　。　。〃
　The　caller　laughed　coarsely。　〃A　woman　of　spirit。　I　am　aroused。　Perhaps　before　this　night　is　over；　I　will　find　you。　And　when　I　do　。　。　。〃
　The　words　hung　like　a　blade。　Then　he　was　gone。
　
　42

　Cardinal　Mortati　was　sweating　now　in　his　black　robe。　Not　only　was　the　Sistine　Chapel　starting　to　feel　like　a　sauna；　but　conclave　was　scheduled　to　begin　in　twenty　minutes；　and　there　was　still　no　word　on　the　four　missing　cardinals。　In　their　absence；　the　initial　whispers　of　confusion　among　the　other　cardinals　had　turned　to　outspoken　anxiety。
　Mortati　could　not　imagine　where　the　truant　men　could　be。　With　the　camerlegno　perhaps？　He　knew　the　camerlegno　had　held　the　traditional　private　tea　for　the　four　preferiti　earlier　that　afternoon；　but　that　had　been　hours　ago。　Were　they　ill？　Something　they　ate？　Mortati　doubted　it。　Even　on　the　verge　of　death　the　preferiti　would　be　here。　It　was　once　in　a　lifetime；　usually　never；　that　a　cardinal　had　the　chance　to　be　elected　Supreme　Pontiff；　and　by　Vatican　Law　the　cardinal　had　to　be　inside　the　Sistine　Chapel　when　the　vote　took　place。　Otherwise；　he　was　ineligible。　
　Although　there　were　four　preferiti；　few　cardinals　had　any　doubt　who　the　next　Pope　would　be。　The　past　fifteen　days　had　seen　a　blizzard　of　faxes　and　phone　calls　discussing　potential　candidates。　As　was　the　custom；　four　names　had　been　chosen　as　preferiti；　each　of　them　fulfilling　the　unspoken　requisites　for　being　Pope：
　Multilingual　in　Italian；　Spanish；　and　English。　No　skeletons　in　his　closet。　Between　sixty…five　and　eighty　years　old。
　As　usual；　one　of　the　preferiti　had　risen　above　the　others　as　the　man　the　college　proposed　to　elect。　Tonight　that　man　was　Cardinal　Aldo　Baggia　from　Milan。　Baggia's　untainted　record　of　service；　bined　with　unparalleled　language　skills　and　the　ability　to　municate　the　essence　of　spirituality；　had　made　him　the　clear　favorite。　
　So　where　the　devil　is　he？　Mortati　wondered。
　Mortati　was　particularly　unnerved　by　the　missing　cardinals　because　the　task　of　supervising　this　conclave　had　fallen　to　him。　A　week　ago；　the　College　of　Cardinals　had　unanimously　chosen　Mortati　for　the　office　known　as　The　Great　Elector…the　conclave's　internal　master　of　ceremonies。　Even　though　the　camerlegno　was　the　church's　ranking　official；　the　camerlegno　was　only　a　priest　and　had　little　familiarity　with　the　plex　election　process；　so　one　cardinal　was　selected　to　oversee　the　ceremony　from　within　the　Sistine　Chapel。
　Cardinals　often　joked　that　being　appointed　The　Great　Elector　was　the　cruelest　honor　in　Christendom。　The　appointment　made　one　ineligible　as　a　candidate　during　the　election；　and　it　also　required　one　spend　many　days　prior　to　conclave　poring　over　the　pages　of　the　Universi　Dominici　Gregis　reviewing　the　subtleties　of　conclave's　arcane　rituals　to　ensure　the　election　was　properly　administered。　
　Mortati　held　no　grudge；　though。　He　knew　he　was　the　logical　choice。　Not　only　was　he　the　senior　cardinal；　but　he　had　also　been　a　confidant　of　the　late　Pope；　a　fact　that　elevated　his　esteem。　Although　Mortati　was　technically　still　within　the　legal　age　window　for　election；　he　was　getting　a　bit　old　to　be　a　serious　candidate。　At　seventy…nine　years　old　he　had　crossed　the　uns