danbrown.angels&demons-第35节

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　he　thought。　Somewhere　in　the　dark；　it's　waiting。　
　〃Follow　me；〃　Langdon　said。　He　started　briskly　down　the　first　aisle；　examining　the　indicator　tabs　of　each　vault。　〃Remember　how　I　told　you　about　the　Path　of　Illumination？　How　the　Illuminati　recruited　new　members　using　an　elaborate　test？〃
　〃The　treasure　hunt；〃　Vittoria　said；　following　closely。
　〃The　challenge　the　Illuminati　had　was　that　after　they　placed　the　markers；　they　needed　some　way　to　tell　the　scientific　munity　the　path　existed。〃
　〃Logical；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃Otherwise　nobody　would　know　to　look　for　it。〃
　〃Yes；　and　even　if　they　knew　the　path　existed；　scientists　would　have　no　way　of　knowing　where　the　path　began。　Rome　is　huge。〃　
　〃Okay。〃
　Langdon　proceeded　down　the　next　aisle；　scanning　the　tabs　as　he　talked。　〃About　fifteen　years　ago；　some　historians　at　the　Sorbonne　and　I　uncovered　a　series　of　Illuminati　letters　filled　with　references　to　the　segno。〃　
　〃The　sign。　The　announcement　about　the　path　and　where　it　began。〃
　〃Yes。　And　since　then；　plenty　of　Illuminati　academics；　myself　included；　have　uncovered　other　references　to　the　segno。　It　is　accepted　theory　now　that　the　clue　exists　and　that　Galileo　mass　distributed　it　to　the　scientific　munity　without　the　Vatican　ever　knowing。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃We're　not　sure；　but　most　likely　printed　publications。　He　published　many　books　and　newsletters　over　the　years。〃
　〃That　the　Vatican　no　doubt　saw。　Sounds　dangerous。〃
　〃True。　Nonetheless　the　segno　was　distributed。〃
　〃But　nobody　has　ever　actually　found　it？〃
　〃No。　Oddly　though；　wherever　allusions　to　the　segno　appear…Masonic　diaries；　ancient　scientific　journals；　Illuminati　letters…it　is　often　referred　to　by　a　number。〃
　〃666？〃
　Langdon　smiled。　〃Actually　it's　503。〃
　〃Meaning？〃
　〃None　of　us　could　ever　figure　it　out。　I　became　fascinated　with　503；　trying　everything　to　find　meaning　in　the　number…numerology；　map　references；　latitudes。〃　Langdon　reached　the　end　of　the　aisle；　turned　the　corner；　and　hurried　to　scan　the　next　row　of　tabs　as　he　spoke。　〃For　many　years　the　only　clue　seemed　to　be　that　503　began　with　the　number　five　。　。　。　one　of　the　sacred　Illuminati　digits。〃　He　paused。　
　〃Something　tells　me　you　recently　figured　it　out；　and　that's　why　we're　here。〃
　〃Correct；〃　Langdon　said；　allowing　himself　a　rare　moment　of　pride　in　his　work。　〃Are　you　familiar　with　a　book　by　Galileo　called　Diаlogo？〃　
　〃Of　course。　Famous　among　scientists　as　the　ultimate　scientific　sellout。〃
　Sellout　wasn't　quite　the　word　Langdon　would　have　used；　but　he　knew　what　Vittoria　meant。　In　the　early　1630s；　Galileo　had　wanted　to　publish　a　book　endorsing　the　Copernican　heliocentric　model　of　the　solar　system；　but　the　Vatican　would　not　permit　the　book's　release　unless　Galileo　included　equally　persuasive　evidence　for　the　church's　geocentric　model…a　model　Galileo　knew　to　be　dead　wrong。　Galileo　had　no　choice　but　to　acquiesce　to　the　church's　demands　and　publish　a　book　giving　equal　time　to　both　the　accurate　and　inaccurate　models。　
　〃As　you　probably　know；〃　Langdon　said；　〃despite　Galileo's　promise；　Diаlogo　was　still　seen　as　heretical；　and　the　Vatican　placed　him　under　house　arrest。〃
　〃No　good　deed　goes　unpunished。〃
　Langdon　smiled。　〃So　true。　And　yet　Galileo　was　persistent。　While　under　house　arrest；　he　secretly　wrote　a　lesser…known　manuscript　that　scholars　often　confuse　with　Diаlogo。　That　book　is　called　Discorsi。〃　
　Vittoria　nodded。　〃I've　heard　of　it。　Discourses　on　the　Tides。〃　
　Langdon　stopped　short；　amazed　she　had　heard　of　the　obscure　publication　about　planetary　motion　and　its　effect　on　the　tides。
　〃Hey；〃　she　said；　〃you're　talking　to　an　Italian　marine　physicist　whose　father　worshiped　Galileo。〃
　Langdon　laughed。　Discorsi　however　was　not　what　they　were　looking　for。　Langdon　explained　that　Discorsi　had　not　been　Galileo's　only　work　while　under　house　arrest。　Historians　believed　he　had　also　written　an　obscure　booklet　called　Diagramma。
　〃Diagramma　della　Veritа；〃　Langdon　said。　〃Diagram　of　Truth。〃　
　〃Never　heard　of　it。〃
　〃I'm　not　surprised。　Diagramma　was　Galileo's　most　secretive　work…supposedly　some　sort　of　treatise　on　scientific　facts　he　held　to　be　true　but　was　not　allowed　to　share。　Like　some　of　Galileo's　previous　manuscripts；　Diagramma　was　smuggled　out　of　Rome　by　a　friend　and　quietly　published　in　Holland。　The　booklet　became　wildly　popular　in　the　European　scientific　underground。　Then　the　Vatican　caught　wind　of　it　and　went　on　a　book…burning　campaign。〃
　Vittoria　now　looked　intrigued。　〃And　you　think　Diagramma　contained　the　clue？　The　segno。　The　information　about　the　Path　of　Illumination。〃　
　〃Diagramma　is　how　Galileo　got　the　word　out。　That　I'm　sure　of。〃　Langdon　entered　the　third　row　of　vaults　and　continued　surveying　the　indicator　tabs。　〃Archivists　have　been　looking　for　a　copy　of　Diagramma　for　years。　But　between　the　Vatican　burnings　and　the　booklet's　low　permanence　rating；　the　booklet　has　disappeared　off　the　face　of　the　earth。〃
　〃Permanence　rating？〃
　〃Durability。　Archivists　rate　documents　one　through　ten　for　their　structural　integrity。　Diagramma　was　printed　on　sedge　papyrus。　It's　like　tissue　paper。　Life　span　of　no　more　than　a　century。〃
　〃Why　not　something　stronger？〃
　〃Galileo's　behest。　To　protect　his　followers。　This　way　any　scientists　caught　with　a　copy　could　simply　drop　it　in　water　and　the　booklet　would　dissolve。　It　was　great　for　destruction　of　evidence；　but　terrible　for　archivists。　It　is　believed　that　only　one　copy　of　Diagramma　survived　beyond　the　eighteenth　century。〃
　〃One？〃　Vittoria　looked　momentarily　starstruck　as　she　glanced　around　the　room。　〃And　it's　here？〃　
　〃Confiscated　from　the　Netherlands　by　the　Vatican　shortly　after　Galileo's　death。　I've　been　petitioning　to　see　it　for　years　now。　Ever　since　I　realized　what　was　in　it。〃　
　As　if　reading　Langdon's　mind；　Vittoria　moved　across　the　aisle　and　began　scanning　the　adjacent　bay　of　vaults；　doubling　their　pace。　
　〃Thanks；〃　he　said。　〃Look　for　reference　tabs　that　have　anything　to　do　with　Galileo；　science；　scientists。　You'll　know　it　when　you　see　it。〃
　〃Okay；　but　you　still　haven't　told　me　how　you　figured　out　Diagramma　contained　the　clue。　It　had　something　to　do　with　the　number　you　kept　seeing　in　Illuminati　letters？　503？〃　
　Langdon　smiled。　〃Yes。　It　took　some　time；　but　I　finally　figured　out　that　503　is　a　simple　code。　It　clearly　points　to　Diagramma。〃　
　For　an　instant　Langdon　relived　his　moment　of　unexpected　revelation：　August　16。　Two　years　ago。　He　was　standing　lakeside　at　the　wedding　of　the　son　of　a　colleague。　Bagpipes　droned　on　the　water　as　the　wedding　party　made　their　unique　entrance　。　。　。　across　the　lake　on　a　barge。　The　craft　was　festooned　with　flowers　and　wreaths。　It　carried　a　Roman　numeral　painted　proudly　on　the　hull…DCII。　
　Puzzled　by　the　marking　Langdon　asked　the　father　of　the　bride；　〃What's　with　602？〃
　〃602？〃　
　Langdon　pointed　to　the　barge。　〃DCII　is　the　Roman　numeral　for　602。〃
　The　man　laughed。　〃That's　not　a　Roman　numeral。　That's　the　name　of　the　barge。〃
　〃The　DCII？〃
　The　man　nodded。　〃The　Dick　and　Connie　II。〃　
　Langdon　felt　sheepish。　Dick　and　Connie　were　the　wedding　couple。　The　barge　obviously　had　been　named　in　their　honor。　〃What　happened　to　the　DCI？〃　
　The　man　groaned。　〃It　sank　yesterday　during　the　rehearsal　luncheon。〃
　Langdon　laughed。　〃Sorry　to　hear　that。〃　He　looked　back　out　at　the　barge。　The　DCII；　he　thought。　Like　a　miniature　QEII。　A　second　later；　it　had　hit　him。　
　Now　Langdon　turned　to　Vittoria。　〃503；〃　he　said；　〃as　I　mentioned；　is　a　code。　It's　an　Illuminati　trick　for　concealing　what　was　actually　intended　as　a　Roman　numeral。　The　number　503　in　Roman　numerals　is…〃
　〃DIII。〃　
　Langdon　glanced　up。　〃That　was　fast。　Please　don't　tell　me　you're　an　Illuminata。〃
　She　laughed。　〃I　use　Roman　numerals　to　codify　pelagic　strata。〃
　Of　course；　Langdon　thought。　Don't　we　all。
　Vittoria　looked　over。　〃So　what　is　the　meaning　of　DIII？〃
　〃DI　and　DII　and　DIII　are　very　old　abbreviations。　They　were　used　by　ancient　scientists　to　distinguish　between　the　three　Galilean　documents　most　monly　confused。
　Vittoria　drew　a　quick　breath。　〃Diаlogo　。　。　。　Discorsi　。　。　。　Diagramma。〃　
　〃D…one。　D…two。　D…three。　All　scientific。　All　controversial。　503　is　DIII。　Diagramma。　The　third　of　his　books。〃
　Vittoria　looked　troubled。　〃But　one　thing　still　doesn't　make　sense。　If　this　segno；　this　clue；　this　advertisement　about　the　Path　of　Illumination　was　really　in　Galileo's　Diagramma；　why　didn't　the　Vatican　see　it　when　they　repossessed　all　the　copies？〃
　〃They　may　have　seen　it　and　not　noticed。　Remember　the　Illuminati　markers？　Hiding　things　in　plain　view？　Dissimulation？　The　segno　apparently　was　hidden　the　same　way…in　plain　view。　Invisible　to　those　who　were　not　looking　for　it。　And　also　invisible　to　those　who　didn't　understand　it。〃
　〃Meaning？〃
　〃Meaning　Galileo　hid　it　well。　According　to　historic　record；　the　segno　was　revealed　in　a　mode　the　Illuminati　called　lingua　pura。〃　
　〃The　pure　language？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Mathematics？〃
　〃That's　my　guess。　Seems　pretty　obvious。　Galileo　was　a　scientist　after　all；　and　he　was　writing　for　scientists。　Math　would　be　a　logical　language　in　which　to　lay　out　the　clue。　The　booklet　is　called　Diagramma；　so　mathematical　diagrams　may　also　be　part　of　the　code。〃
　Vittoria　sounded　only　slightly　more　hopeful。　〃I　suppose　Galileo　could　have　created　s