danbrown.angels&demons-第71节

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jammed　anyway。　
　He　was　alone。
　Feeling　his　initial　surge　of　confidence　decay；　Langdon　stood　a　moment　and　took　stock　of　his　pitiful　state…covered　in　bone　dust；　cut；　deliriously　exhausted；　and　hungry。
　Langdon　glanced　back　at　the　church。　Smoke　spiraled　over　the　cupola；　lit　by　the　media　lights　and　fire　trucks。　He　wondered　if　he　should　go　back　and　get　help。　Instinct　warned　him　however　that　extra　help；　especially　untrained　help；　would　be　nothing　but　a　liability。　If　the　Hassassin　sees　us　ing　。　。　。　He　thought　of　Vittoria　and　knew　this　would　be　his　final　chance　to　face　her　captor。
　Piazza　Navona；　he　thought；　knowing　he　could　get　there　in　plenty　of　time　and　stake　it　out。　He　scanned　the　area　for　a　taxi；　but　the　streets　were　almost　entirely　deserted。　Even　the　taxi　drivers；　it　seemed；　had　dropped　everything　to　find　a　television。　Piazza　Navona　was　only　about　a　mile　away；　but　Langdon　had　no　intention　of　wasting　precious　energy　on　foot。　He　glanced　back　at　the　church；　wondering　if　he　could　borrow　a　vehicle　from　someone。　
　A　fire　truck？　A　press　van？　Be　serious。　
　Sensing　options　and　minutes　slipping　away；　Langdon　made　his　decision。　Pulling　the　gun　from　his　pocket；　he　mitted　an　act　so　out　of　character　that　he　suspected　his　soul　must　now　be　possessed。　Running　over　to　a　lone　Citroлn　sedan　idling　at　a　stoplight；　Langdon　pointed　the　weapon　through　the　driver's　open　window。　〃Fuori！〃　he　yelled。
　The　trembling　man　got　out。　
　Langdon　jumped　behind　the　wheel　and　hit　the　gas。
　
　101

　Gunther　Glick　sat　on　a　bench　in　a　holding　tank　inside　the　office　of　the　Swiss　Guard。　He　prayed　to　every　god　he　could　think　of。　Please　let　this　NOT　be　a　dream。　It　had　been　the　scoop　of　his　life。　The　scoop　of　anyone's　life。　Every　reporter　on　earth　wished　he　were　Glick　right　now。　You　are　awake；　he　told　himself。　And　you　are　a　star。　Dan　Rather　is　crying　right　now。　
　Macri　was　beside　him；　looking　a　little　bit　stunned。　Glick　didn't　blame　her。　In　addition　to　exclusively　broadcasting　the　camerlegno's　address；　she　and　Glick　had　provided　the　world　with　gruesome　photos　of　the　cardinals　and　of　the　Pope…that　tongue！…as　well　as　a　live　video　feed　of　the　antimatter　canister　counting　down。　Incredible！　
　Of　course；　all　of　that　had　all　been　at　the　camerlegno's　behest；　so　that　was　not　the　reason　Glick　and　Macri　were　now　locked　in　a　Swiss　Guard　holding　tank。　It　had　been　Glick's　daring　addendum　to　their　coverage　that　the　guards　had　not　appreciated。　Glick　knew　the　conversation　on　which　he　had　just　reported　was　not　intended　for　his　ears；　but　this　was　his　moment　in　the　sun。　Another　Glick　scoop！　
　〃The　11th　Hour　Samaritan？〃　Macri　groaned　on　the　bench　beside　him；　clearly　unimpressed。
　Glick　smiled。　〃Brilliant；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃Brilliantly　dumb。〃
　She's　just　jealous；　Glick　knew。　Shortly　after　the　camerlegno's　address；　Glick　had　again；　by　chance；　been　in　the　right　place　at　the　right　time。　He'd　overheard　Rocher　giving　new　orders　to　his　men。　Apparently　Rocher　had　received　a　phone　call　from　a　mysterious　individual　who　Rocher　claimed　had　critical　information　regarding　the　current　crisis。　Rocher　was　talking　as　if　this　man　could　help　them　and　was　advising　his　guards　to　prepare　for　the　guest's　arrival。
　Although　the　information　was　clearly　private；　Glick　had　acted　as　any　dedicated　reporter　would…without　honor。　He'd　found　a　dark　corner；　ordered　Macri　to　fire　up　her　remote　camera；　and　he'd　reported　the　news。
　〃Shocking　new　developments　in　God's　city；〃　he　had　announced；　squinting　his　eyes　for　added　intensity。　Then　he'd　gone　on　to　say　that　a　mystery　guest　was　ing　to　Vatican　City　to　save　the　day。　The　11th　Hour　Samaritan；　Glick　had　called　him…a　perfect　name　for　the　faceless　man　appearing　at　the　last　moment　to　do　a　good　deed。　The　other　networks　had　picked　up　the　catchy　sound　bite；　and　Glick　was　yet　again　immortalized。　
　I'm　brilliant；　he　mused。　Peter　Jennings　just　jumped　off　a　bridge。　
　Of　course　Glick　had　not　stopped　there。　While　he　had　the　world's　attention；　he　had　thrown　in　a　little　of　his　own　conspiracy　theory　for　good　measure。
　Brilliant。　Utterly　brilliant。　
　〃You　screwed　us；〃　Macri　said。　〃You　totally　blew　it。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？　I　was　great！〃
　Macri　stared　disbelievingly。　〃Former　President　George　Bush？　An　Illuminatus？〃
　Glick　smiled。　How　much　more　obvious　could　it　be？　George　Bush　was　a　well…documented；　33rd…degree　Mason；　and　he　was　the　head　of　the　CIA　when　the　agency　closed　their　Illuminati　investigation　for　lack　of　evidence。　And　all　those　speeches　about　〃a　thousand　points　of　light〃　and　a　〃New　World　Order〃　。　。　。　Bush　was　obviously　Illuminati。
　〃And　that　bit　about　CERN？〃　Macri　chided。　〃You　are　going　to　have　a　very　big　line　of　lawyers　outside　your　door　tomorrow。〃
　〃CERN？　Oh　e　on！　It's　so　obvious！　Think　about　it！　The　Illuminati　disappear　off　the　face　of　the　earth　in　the　1950s　at　about　the　same　time　CERN　is　founded。　CERN　is　a　haven　for　the　most　enlightened　people　on　earth。　Tons　of　private　funding。　They　build　a　weapon　that　can　destroy　the　church；　and　oops！　。　。　。　they　lose　it！〃
　〃So　you　tell　the　world　that　CERN　is　the　new　home　base　of　the　Illuminati？〃
　〃Obviously！　Brotherhoods　don't　just　disappear。　The　Illuminati　had　to　go　somewhere。　CERN　is　a　perfect　place　for　them　to　hide。　I'm　not　saying　everyone　at　CERN　is　Illuminati。　It's　probably　like　a　huge　Masonic　lodge；　where　most　people　are　innocent；　but　the　upper　echelons…〃
　〃Have　you　ever　heard　of　slander；　Glick？　Liability？〃
　〃Have　you　ever　heard　of　real　journalism！〃
　〃Journalism？　You　were　pulling　bullshit　out　of　thin　air！　I　should　have　turned　off　the　camera！　And　what　the　hell　was　that　crap　about　CERN's　corporate　logo？　Satanic　symbology？　Have　you　lost　your　mind？〃
　Glick　smiled。　Macri's　jealousy　was　definitely　showing。　The　CERN　logo　had　been　the　most　brilliant　coup　of　all。　Ever　since　the　camerlegno's　address；　all　the　networks　were　talking　about　CERN　and　antimatter。　Some　stations　were　showing　the　CERN　corporate　logo　as　a　backdrop。　The　logo　seemed　standard　enough…two　intersecting　circles　representing　two　particle　accelerators；　and　five　tangential　lines　representing　particle　injection　tubes。　The　whole　world　was　staring　at　this　logo；　but　it　had　been　Glick；　a　bit　of　a　symbologist　himself；　who　had　first　seen　the　Illuminati　symbology　hidden　in　it。
　〃You're　not　a　symbologist；〃　Macri　chided；　〃you're　just　one　lucky…ass　reporter。　You　should　have　left　the　symbology　to　the　Harvard　guy。〃
　〃The　Harvard　guy　missed　it；〃　Glick　said。　
　The　Illuminati　significance　in　this　logo　is　so　obvious！　
　He　was　beaming　inside。　Although　CERN　had　lots　of　accelerators；　their　logo　showed　only　two。　Two　is　the　Illuminati　number　of　duality。　Although　most　accelerators　had　only　one　injection　tube；　the　logo　showed　five。　Five　is　the　number　of　the　Illuminati　pentagram。　Then　had　e　the　coup…the　most　brilliant　point　of　all。　Glick　pointed　out　that　the　logo　contained　a　large　numeral　〃6…clearly　formed　by　one　of　the　lines　and　circles…and　when　the　logo　was　rotated；　another　six　appeared　。　。　。　and　then　another。　The　logo　contained　three　sixes！　666！　The　devil's　number！　The　mark　of　the　beast！　
　Glick　was　a　genius。　
　Macri　looked　ready　to　slug　him。
　The　jealousy　would　pass；　Glick　knew；　his　mind　now　wandering　to　another　thought。　If　CERN　was　Illuminati　headquarters；　was　CERN　where　the　Illuminati　kept　their　infamous　Illuminati　Diamond？　Glick　had　read　about　it　on　the　Internet…〃a　flawless　diamond；　born　of　the　ancient　elements　with　such　perfection　that　all　those　who　saw　it　could　only　stand　in　wonder。〃　
　Glick　wondered　if　the　secret　whereabouts　of　the　Illuminati　Diamond　might　be　yet　another　mystery　he　could　unveil　tonight。
　
　102

　Piazza　Navona。　Fountain　of　the　Four　Rivers。　
　Nights　in　Rome；　like　those　in　the　desert；　can　be　surprisingly　cool；　even　after　a　warm　day。　Langdon　was　huddled　now　on　the　fringes　of　Piazza　Navona；　pulling　his　jacket　around　him。　Like　the　distant　white　noise　of　traffic；　a　cacophony　of　news　reports　echoed　across　the　city。　He　checked　his　watch。　Fifteen　minutes。　He　was　grateful　for　a　few　moments　of　rest。　
　The　piazza　was　deserted。　Bernini's　masterful　fountain　sizzled　before　him　with　a　fearful　sorcery。　The　foaming　pool　sent　a　magical　mist　upward；　lit　from　beneath　by　underwater　floodlights。　Langdon　sensed　a　cool　electricity　in　the　air。
　The　fountain's　most　arresting　quality　was　its　height。　The　central　core　alone　was　over　twenty　feet　tall…a　rugged　mountain　of　travertine　marble　riddled　with　caves　and　grottoes　through　which　the　water　churned。　The　entire　mound　was　draped　with　pagan　figures。　Atop　this　stood　an　obelisk　that　climbed　another　forty　feet。　Langdon　let　his　eyes　climb。　On　the　obelisk's　tip；　a　faint　shadow　blotted　the　sky；　a　lone　pigeon　perched　silently。
　A　cross；　Langdon　thought；　still　amazed　by　the　arrangement　of　the　markers　across　Rome。　Bernini's　Fountain　of　the　Four　Rivers　was　the　last　altar　of　science。　Only　hours　ago　Langdon　had　been　standing　in　the　Pantheon　convinced　the　Path　of　Illumination　had　been　broken　and　he　would　never　get　this　far。　It　had　been　a　foolish　blunder。　In　fact；　the　entire　path　was　intact。　Earth；　Air；　Fire；　Water。　And　Langdon　had　followed　it　。　。　。　from　beginning　to　end。
　Not　quite　to　the　end；　he　reminded　himself。　The　path　had　five　stops；　not　four。　This　fourth　marker　fountain　somehow　pointed　to　the　ultimat