danbrown.angels&demons-第8节

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ists　and　banking　magnates。　
　Kohler　pointed　angrily　at　Vetra's　body。　〃Considering　the　evidence；　I　would　say　perhaps　the　conspiracy　buffs　are　correct。〃
　〃I　realize　how　it　appears；〃　Langdon　said　as　diplomatically　as　he　could。　〃And　yet　a　far　more　plausible　explanation　is　that　some　other　organization　has　taken　control　of　the　Illuminati　brand　and　is　using　it　for　their　own　purposes。〃　
　〃What　purposes？　What　does　this　murder　prove？〃
　Good　question；　Langdon　thought。　He　also　was　having　trouble　imagining　where　anyone　could　have　turned　up　the　Illuminati　brand　after　400　years。　〃All　I　can　tell　you　is　that　even　if　the　Illuminati　were　still　active　today；　which　I　am　virtually　positive　they　are　not；　they　would　never　be　involved　in　Leonardo　Vetra's　death。〃
　〃No？〃
　〃No。　The　Illuminati　may　have　believed　in　the　abolition　of　Christianity；　but　they　wielded　their　power　through　political　and　financial　means；　not　through　terrorists　acts。　Furthermore；　the　Illuminati　had　a　strict　code　of　morality　regarding　who　they　saw　as　enemies。　They　held　men　of　science　in　the　highest　regard。　There　is　no　way　they　would　have　murdered　a　fellow　scientist　like　Leonardo　Vetra。〃
　Kohler's　eyes　turned　to　ice。　〃Perhaps　I　failed　to　mention　that　Leonardo　Vetra　was　anything　but　an　ordinary　scientist。〃
　Langdon　exhaled　patiently。　〃Mr。　Kohler；　I'm　sure　Leonardo　Vetra　was　brilliant　in　many　ways；　but　the　fact　remains…〃
　Without　warning；　Kohler　spun　in　his　wheelchair　and　accelerated　out　of　the　living　room；　leaving　a　wake　of　swirling　mist　as　he　disappeared　down　a　hallway。
　For　the　love　of　God；　Langdon　groaned。　He　followed。　Kohler　was　waiting　for　him　in　a　small　alcove　at　the　end　of　the　hallway。　
　〃This　is　Leonardo's　study；〃　Kohler　said；　motioning　to　the　sliding　door。　〃Perhaps　when　you　see　it　you'll　understand　things　differently。〃　With　an　awkward　grunt；　Kohler　heaved；　and　the　door　slid　open。
　Langdon　peered　into　the　study　and　immediately　felt　his　skin　crawl。　Holy　mother　of　Jesus；　he　said　to　himself。
　
　12

　In　another　country；　a　young　guard　sat　patiently　before　an　expansive　bank　of　video　monitors。　He　watched　as　images　flashed　before　him…live　feeds　from　hundreds　of　wireless　video　cameras　that　surveyed　the　sprawling　plex。　The　images　went　by　in　an　endless　procession。
　An　ornate　hallway。
　A　private　office。
　An　industrial…size　kitchen。
　As　the　pictures　went　by；　the　guard　fought　off　a　daydream。　He　was　nearing　the　end　of　his　shift；　and　yet　he　was　still　vigilant。　Service　was　an　honor。　Someday　he　would　be　granted　his　ultimate　reward。
　As　his　thoughts　drifted；　an　image　before　him　registered　alarm。　Suddenly；　with　a　reflexive　jerk　that　startled　even　himself；　his　hand　shot　out　and　hit　a　button　on　the　control　panel。　The　picture　before　him　froze。
　His　nerves　tingling；　he　leaned　toward　the　screen　for　a　closer　look。　The　reading　on　the　monitor　told　him　the　image　was　being　transmitted　from　camera　#86…a　camera　that　was　supposed　to　be　overlooking　a　hallway。
　But　the　image　before　him　was　most　definitely　not　a　hallway。
　13
　Langdon　stared　in　bewilderment　at　the　study　before　him。　〃What　is　this　place？〃　Despite　the　wele　blast　of　warm　air　on　his　face；　he　stepped　through　the　door　with　trepidation。
　Kohler　said　nothing　as　he　followed　Langdon　inside。
　Langdon　scanned　the　room；　not　having　the　slightest　idea　what　to　make　of　it。　It　contained　the　most　peculiar　mix　of　artifacts　he　had　ever　seen。　On　the　far　wall；　dominating　the　decor；　was　an　enormous　wooden　crucifix；　which　Langdon　placed　as　fourteenth…century　Spanish。　Above　the　cruciform；　suspended　from　the　ceiling；　was　a　metallic　mobile　of　the　orbiting　planets。　To　the　left　was　an　oil　painting　of　the　Virgin　Mary；　and　beside　that　was　a　laminated　periodic　table　of　elements。　On　the　side　wall；　two　additional　brass　cruciforms　flanked　a　poster　of　Albert　Einstein；　his　famous　quote　reading；　GOD　DOES　NOT　PLAY　DICE　WITH　THE　UNIVERSE。
　Langdon　moved　into　the　room；　looking　around　in　astonishment。　A　leather…bound　Bible　sat　on　Vetra's　desk　beside　a　plastic　Bohr　model　of　an　atom　and　a　miniature　replica　of　Michelangelo's　Moses。　
　Talk　about　eclectic；　Langdon　thought。　The　warmth　felt　good；　but　something　about　the　decor　sent　a　new　set　of　chills　through　his　body。　He　felt　like　he　was　witnessing　the　clash　of　two　philosophical　titans　。　。　。　an　unsettling　blur　of　opposing　forces。　He　scanned　the　titles　on　the　bookshelf：　
　
　The　God　Particle　The　Tao　of　Physics　God：　The　Evidence　
　
　One　of　the　bookends　was　etched　with　a　quote：
　
　TRUE　SCIENCE　DISCOVERS　GOD　WAITING　BEHIND　EVERY　DOOR。　…POPE　PIUS　XII　
　
　〃Leonardo　was　a　Catholic　priest；〃　Kohler　said。
　Langdon　turned。　〃A　priest？　I　thought　you　said　he　was　a　physicist。〃
　〃He　was　both。　Men　of　science　and　religion　are　not　unprecedented　in　history。　Leonardo　was　one　of　them。　He　considered　physics　'God's　natural　law。'　He　claimed　God's　handwriting　was　visible　in　the　natural　order　all　around　us。　Through　science　he　hoped　to　prove　God's　existence　to　the　doubting　masses。　He　considered　himself　a　theo…physicist。〃　
　Theo…physicist？　Langdon　thought　it　sounded　impossibly　oxymoronic。
　〃The　field　of　particle　physics；〃　Kohler　said；　〃has　made　some　shocking　discoveries　lately…discoveries　quite　spiritual　in　implication。　Leonardo　was　responsible　for　many　of　them。〃
　Langdon　studied　CERN's　director；　still　trying　to　process　the　bizarre　surroundings。　〃Spirituality　and　physics？〃　Langdon　had　spent　his　career　studying　religious　history；　and　if　there　was　one　recurring　theme；　it　was　that　science　and　religion　had　been　oil　and　water　since　day　one　。　。　。　archenemies　。　。　。　unmixable。
　〃Vetra　was　on　the　cutting　edge　of　particle　physics；〃　Kohler　said。　〃He　was　starting　to　fuse　science　and　religion　。　。　。　showing　that　they　plement　each　other　in　most　unanticipated　ways。　He　called　the　field　New　Physics。〃　Kohler　pulled　a　book　from　the　shelf　and　handed　it　to　Langdon。　
　Langdon　studied　the　cover。　God；　Miracles；　and　the　New　Physics…by　Leonardo　Vetra。　
　〃The　field　is　small；〃　Kohler　said；　〃but　it's　bringing　fresh　answers　to　some　old　questions…questions　about　the　origin　of　the　universe　and　the　forces　that　bind　us　all。　Leonardo　believed　his　research　had　the　potential　to　convert　millions　to　a　more　spiritual　life。　Last　year　he　categorically　proved　the　existence　of　an　energy　force　that　unites　us　all。　He　actually　demonstrated　that　we　are　all　physically　connected　。　。　。　that　the　molecules　in　your　body　are　intertwined　with　the　molecules　in　mine　。　。　。　that　there　is　a　single　force　moving　within　all　of　us。〃
　Langdon　felt　disconcerted。　And　the　power　of　God　shall　unite　us　all。　〃Mr。　Vetra　actually　found　a　way　to　demonstrate　that　particles　are　connected？〃
　〃Conclusive　evidence。　A　recent　Scientific　American　article　hailed　New　Physics　as　a　surer　path　to　God　than　religion　itself。〃
　The　ment　hit　home。　Langdon　suddenly　found　himself　thinking　of　the　antireligious　Illuminati。　Reluctantly；　he　forced　himself　to　permit　a　momentary　intellectual　foray　into　the　impossible。　If　the　Illuminati　were　indeed　still　active；　would　they　have　killed　Leonardo　to　stop　him　from　bringing　his　religious　message　to　the　masses？　Langdon　shook　off　the　thought。　Absurd！　The　Illuminati　are　ancient　history！　All　academics　know　that！　
　〃Vetra　had　plenty　of　enemies　in　the　scientific　world；〃　Kohler　went　on。　〃Many　scientific　purists　despised　him。　Even　here　at　CERN。　They　felt　that　using　analytical　physics　to　support　religious　principles　was　a　treason　against　science。〃
　〃But　aren't　scientists　today　a　bit　less　defensive　about　the　church？〃
　Kohler　grunted　in　disgust。　〃Why　should　we　be？　The　church　may　not　be　burning　scientists　at　the　stake　anymore；　but　if　you　think　they've　released　their　reign　over　science；　ask　yourself　why　half　the　schools　in　your　country　are　not　allowed　to　teach　evolution。　Ask　yourself　why　the　U。S。　Christian　Coalition　is　the　most　influential　lobby　against　scientific　progress　in　the　world。　The　battle　between　science　and　religion　is　still　raging；　Mr。　Langdon。　It　has　moved　from　the　battlefields　to　the　boardrooms；　but　it　is　still　raging。〃
　Langdon　realized　Kohler　was　right。　Just　last　week　the　Harvard　School　of　Divinity　had　marched　on　the　Biology　Building；　protesting　the　genetic　engineering　taking　place　in　the　graduate　program。　The　chairman　of　the　Bio　Department；　famed　ornithologist　Richard　Aaronian；　defended　his　curriculum　by　hanging　a　huge　banner　from　his　office　window。　The　banner　depicted　the　Christian　〃fish〃　modified　with　four　little　feet…a　tribute；　Aaronian　claimed；　to　the　African　lungfishes　'　evolution　onto　dry　land。　Beneath　the　fish；　instead　of　the　word　〃Jesus；〃　was　the　proclamation　〃DARWIN！〃
　A　sharp　beeping　sound　cut　the　air；　and　Langdon　looked　up。　Kohler　reached　down　into　the　array　of　electronics　on　his　wheelchair。　He　slipped　a　beeper　out　of　its　holder　and　read　the　ining　message。
　〃Good。　That　is　Leonardo's　daughter。　Ms。　Vetra　is　arriving　at　the　helipad　right　now。　We　will　meet　her　there。　I　think　it　best　she　not　e　up　here　and　see　her　father　this　way。〃
　Langdon　agreed。　It　would　be　a　shock　no　child　deserved。
　〃I　will　ask　Ms。　Vetra　to　explain　the　project　she　and　her　father　have　been　working　on　。　。　。　perhaps　shedding　light　on　why　he　was　murdered。〃
　〃You　think　Vetra's　work　is　why　he　was　killed？〃
　〃Quite　possibly。　Leonardo　told　me　he　was　working　on　s