danbrown.angels&demons-第36节

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f　the　code。〃
　Vittoria　sounded　only　slightly　more　hopeful。　〃I　suppose　Galileo　could　have　created　some　sort　of　mathematical　code　that　went　unnoticed　by　the　clergy。〃　
　〃You　don't　sound　sold；〃　Langdon　said；　moving　down　the　row。
　〃I'm　not。　Mainly　because　you　aren't。　If　you　were　so　sure　about　DIII；　why　didn't　you　publish？　Then　someone　who　did　have　access　to　the　Vatican　Archives　could　have　e　in　here　and　checked　out　Diagramma　a　long　time　ago。〃
　〃I　didn't　want　to　publish；〃　Langdon　said。　〃I　had　worked　hard　to　find　the　information　and…〃　He　stopped　himself；　embarrassed。
　〃You　wanted　the　glory。〃　
　Langdon　felt　himself　flush。　〃In　a　manner　of　speaking。　It's　just　that…〃
　〃Don't　look　so　embarrassed。　You're　talking　to　a　scientist。　Publish　or　perish。　At　CERN　we　call　it　'Substantiate　or　suffocate。'　〃
　〃It　wasn't　only　wanting　to　be　the　first。　I　was　also　concerned　that　if　the　wrong　people　found　out　about　the　information　in　Diagramma；　it　might　disappear。〃
　〃The　wrong　people　being　the　Vatican？〃
　〃Not　that　they　are　wrong；　per　se；　but　the　church　has　always　downplayed　the　Illuminati　threat。　In　the　early　1900s　the　Vatican　went　so　far　as　to　say　the　Illuminati　were　a　figment　of　overactive　imaginations。　The　clergy　felt；　and　perhaps　rightly　so；　that　the　last　thing　Christians　needed　to　know　was　that　there　was　a　very　powerful　anti…Christian　movement　infiltrating　their　banks；　politics；　and　universities。〃　Present　tense；　Robert；　he　reminded　himself。　There　IS　a　powerful　anti…Christian　force　infiltrating　their　banks；　politics；　and　universities。
　〃So　you　think　the　Vatican　would　have　buried　any　evidence　corroborating　the　Illuminati　threat？〃
　〃Quite　possibly。　Any　threat；　real　or　imagined；　weakens　faith　in　the　church's　power。〃　
　〃One　more　question。〃　Vittoria　stopped　short　and　looked　at　him　like　he　was　an　alien。　〃Are　you　serious？〃　
　Langdon　stopped。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃I　mean　is　this　really　your　plan　to　save　the　day？〃
　Langdon　wasn't　sure　whether　he　saw　amused　pity　or　sheer　terror　in　her　eyes。　〃You　mean　finding　Diagramma？〃　
　〃No；　I　mean　finding　Diagramma；　locating　a　four…hundred…year…old　segno；　deciphering　some　mathematical　code；　and　following　an　ancient　trail　of　art　that　only　the　most　brilliant　scientists　in　history　have　ever　been　able　to　follow　。　。　。　all　in　the　next　four　hours。〃
　Langdon　shrugged。　〃I'm　open　to　other　suggestions。〃
　
　50

　Robert　Langdon　stood　outside　Archive　Vault　9　and　read　the　labels　on　the　stacks。　
　BRAHE　。　。　。　CLAVIUS　。　。　。　COPERNICUS　。　。　。　KEPLER　。　。　。　NEWTON　。　。　。　
　As　he　read　the　names　again；　he　felt　a　sudden　uneasiness。　Here　are　the　scientists　。　。　。　but　where　is　Galileo？　
　He　turned　to　Vittoria；　who　was　checking　the　contents　of　a　nearby　vault。　〃I　found　the　right　theme；　but　Galileo's　missing。〃　
　〃No　he　isn't；〃　she　said；　frowning　as　she　motioned　to　the　next　vault。　〃He's　over　here。　But　I　hope　you　brought　your　reading　glasses；　because　this　entire　vault　is　his。〃
　Langdon　ran　over。　Vittoria　was　right。　Every　indictor　tab　in　Vault　10　carried　the　same　keyword。
　
　IL　PROCESO　GALILEANO　
　
　Langdon　let　out　a　low　whistle；　now　realizing　why　Galileo　had　his　own　vault。　〃The　Galileo　Affair；〃　he　marveled；　peering　through　the　glass　at　the　dark　outlines　of　the　stacks。　〃The　longest　and　most　expensive　legal　proceeding　in　Vatican　history。　Fourteen　years　and　six　hundred　million　lire。　It's　all　here。〃
　〃Have　a　few　legal　documents。〃
　〃I　guess　lawyers　haven't　evolved　much　over　the　centuries。〃
　〃Neither　have　sharks。〃
　Langdon　strode　to　a　large　yellow　button　on　the　side　of　the　vault。　He　pressed　it；　and　a　bank　of　overhead　lights　hummed　on　inside。　The　lights　were　deep　red；　turning　the　cube　into　a　glowing　crimson　cell　。　。　。　a　maze　of　towering　shelves。
　〃My　God；〃　Vittoria　said；　looking　spooked。　〃Are　we　tanning　or　working？〃
　〃Parchment　and　vellum　fades；　so　vault　lighting　is　always　done　with　dark　lights。〃
　〃You　could　go　mad　in　here。〃
　Or　worse；　Langdon　thought；　moving　toward　the　vault's　sole　entrance。　〃A　quick　word　of　warning。　Oxygen　is　an　oxidant；　so　hermetic　vaults　contain　very　little　of　it。　It's　a　partial　vacuum　inside。　Your　breathing　will　feel　strained。〃
　〃Hey；　if　old　cardinals　can　survive　it。〃
　True；　Langdon　thought。　May　we　be　as　lucky。
　The　vault　entrance　was　a　single　electronic　revolving　door。　Langdon　noted　the　mon　arrangement　of　four　access　buttons　on　the　door's　inner　shaft；　one　accessible　from　each　partment。　When　a　button　was　pressed；　the　motorized　door　would　kick　into　gear　and　make　the　conventional　half　rotation　before　grinding　to　a　halt…a　standard　procedure　to　preserve　the　integrity　of　the　inner　atmosphere。　
　〃After　I'm　in；〃　Langdon　said；　〃just　press　the　button　and　follow　me　through。　There's　only　eight　percent　humidity　inside；　so　be　prepared　to　feel　some　dry　mouth。〃
　Langdon　stepped　into　the　rotating　partment　and　pressed　the　button。　The　door　buzzed　loudly　and　began　to　rotate。　As　he　followed　its　motion；　Langdon　prepared　his　body　for　the　physical　shock　that　always　acpanied　the　first　few　seconds　in　a　hermetic　vault。　Entering　a　sealed　archive　was　like　going　from　sea　level　to　20；000　feet　in　an　instant。　Nausea　and　light…headedness　were　not　unmon。　Double　vision；　double　over；　he　reminded　himself；　quoting　the　archivist's　mantra。　Langdon　felt　his　ears　pop。　There　was　a　hiss　of　air；　and　the　door　spun　to　a　stop。
　He　was　in。
　Langdon's　first　realization　was　that　the　air　inside　was　thinner　than　he　had　anticipated。　The　Vatican；　it　seemed；　took　their　archives　a　bit　more　seriously　than　most。　Langdon　fought　the　gag　reflex　and　relaxed　his　chest　while　his　pulmonary　capillaries　dilated。　The　tightness　passed　quickly。　Enter　the　Dolphin；　he　mused；　gratified　his　fifty　laps　a　day　were　good　for　something。　Breathing　more　normally　now；　he　looked　around　the　vault。　Despite　the　transparent　outer　walls；　he　felt　a　familiar　anxiety。　I'm　in　a　box；　he　thought。　A　blood　red　box。
　The　door　buzzed　behind　him；　and　Langdon　turned　to　watch　Vittoria　enter。　When　she　arrived　inside；　her　eyes　immediately　began　watering；　and　she　started　breathing　heavily。
　〃Give　it　a　minute；〃　Langdon　said。　〃If　you　get　light…headed；　bend　over。〃　
　〃I　。　。　。　feel　。　。　。〃　Vittoria　choked；　〃like　I'm　。　。　。　scuba　diving　。　。　。　with　the　wrong　。　。　。　mixture。〃
　Langdon　waited　for　her　to　acclimatize。　He　knew　she　would　be　fine。　Vittoria　Vetra　was　obviously　in　terrific　shape；　nothing　like　the　doddering　ancient　Radcliffe　alumnae　Langdon　had　once　squired　through　Widener　Library's　hermetic　vault。　The　tour　had　ended　with　Langdon　giving　mouth…to…mouth　to　an　old　woman　who'd　almost　aspirated　her　false　teeth。
　〃Feeling　better？〃　he　asked。　
　Vittoria　nodded。　
　〃I　rode　your　damn　space　plane；　so　I　thought　I　owed　you。〃
　This　brought　a　smile。　〃Touchй。〃　
　Langdon　reached　into　the　box　beside　the　door　and　extracted　some　white　cotton　gloves。　
　〃Formal　affair？〃　Vittoria　asked。
　〃Finger　acid。　We　can't　handle　the　documents　without　them。　You'll　need　a　pair。〃
　Vittoria　donned　some　gloves。　〃How　long　do　we　have？〃
　Langdon　checked　his　Mickey　Mouse　watch。　〃It's　just　past　seven。〃
　〃We　have　to　find　this　thing　within　the　hour。〃
　〃Actually；〃　Langdon　said；　〃we　don't　have　that　kind　of　time。〃　He　pointed　overhead　to　a　filtered　duct。　〃Normally　the　curator　would　turn　on　a　reoxygenation　system　when　someone　is　inside　the　vault。　Not　today。　Twenty　minutes；　we'll　both　be　sucking　wind。〃
　Vittoria　blanched　noticeably　in　the　reddish　glow。
　Langdon　smiled　and　smoothed　his　gloves。　〃Substantiate　or　suffocate；　Ms。　Vetra。　Mickey's　ticking。〃　
　
　51

　BBC　reporter　Gunther　Glick　stared　at　the　cell　phone　in　his　hand　for　ten　seconds　before　he　finally　hung　up。　
　Chinita　Macri　studied　him　from　the　back　of　the　van。　〃What　happened？　Who　was　that？〃
　Glick　turned；　feeling　like　a　child　who　had　just　received　a　Christmas　gift　he　feared　was　not　really　for　him。　〃I　just　got　a　tip。　Something's　going　on　inside　the　Vatican。〃
　〃It's　called　conclave；〃　Chinita　said。　〃Helluva　tip。〃
　〃No；　something　else。〃　Something　big。　He　wondered　if　the　story　the　caller　had　just　told　him　could　possibly　be　true。　Glick　felt　ashamed　when　he　realized　he　was　praying　it　was。　〃What　if　I　told　you　four　cardinals　have　been　kidnapped　and　are　going　to　be　murdered　at　different　churches　tonight。〃
　〃I'd　say　you're　being　hazed　by　someone　at　the　office　with　a　sick　sense　of　humor。〃
　〃What　if　I　told　you　we　were　going　to　be　given　the　exact　location　of　the　first　murder？〃
　〃I'd　want　to　know　who　the　hell　you　just　talked　to。〃
　〃He　didn't　say。〃
　〃Perhaps　because　he's　full　of　shit？〃
　Glick　had　e　to　expect　Macri's　cynicism；　but　what　she　was　forgetting　was　that　liars　and　lunatics　had　been　Glick's　business　for　almost　a　decade　at　the　British　Tattler。　This　caller　had　been　neither。　This　man　had　been　coldly　sane。　Logical。　I　will　call　you　just　before　eight；　the　man　had　said；　and　tell　you　where　the　first　killing　will　occur。　The　images　you　record　will　make　you　famous。　When　Glick　had　demanded　why　the　caller　was　giving　him　this　information；　the　answer　had　been　as　icy　as　the　man's　Mideastern　accent。　The　media　is　the　right　arm　of　anarchy。
　〃He　told　me　something　else　too；〃　Glick　said。
　〃What？　That　Elvis　Presley　was　just　elected　Pope？〃
　〃Dial　into　the　BBC　database；　will　you？〃　Glick's　adrenaline　was　pumping　now。　〃I　want　to　see　what　ot