danbrown.angels&demons-第85节

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Pope；　and　four　cardinals？　It　seemed　unthinkable。　And　how　had　Kohler　managed　all　this　treachery　within　the　Vatican　walls？　Rocher　was　Kohler's　inside　man；　Vittoria　told　herself。　Rocher　was　an　Illuminatus。　No　doubt　Captain　Rocher　had　keys　to　everything…the　Pope's　chambers；　Il　Passetto；　the　Necropolis；　St。　Peter's　tomb；　all　of　it。　He　could　have　placed　the　antimatter　on　St。　Peter's　tomb…a　highly　restricted　locale…and　then　manded　his　guards　not　to　waste　time　searching　the　Vatican's　restricted　areas。　Rocher　knew　nobody　would　ever　find　the　canister。
　But　Rocher　never　counted　on　the　camerlegno's　message　from　above。
　The　message。　This　was　the　leap　of　faith　Vittoria　was　still　struggling　to　accept。　Had　God　actually　municated　with　the　camerlegno？　Vittoria's　gut　said　no；　and　yet　hers　was　the　science　of　entanglement　physics…the　study　of　interconnectedness。　She　witnessed　miraculous　munications　every　day…twin　sea…turtle　eggs　separated　and　placed　in　labs　thousands　of　miles　apart　hatching　at　the　same　instant　。　。　。　acres　of　jellyfish　pulsating　in　perfect　rhythm　as　if　of　a　single　mind。　There　are　invisible　lines　of　munication　everywhere；　she　thought。　
　But　between　God　and　man？
　Vittoria　wished　her　father　were　there　to　give　her　faith。　He　had　once　explained　divine　munication　to　her　in　scientific　terms；　and　he　had　made　her　believe。　She　still　remembered　the　day　she　had　seen　him　praying　and　asked　him；　〃Father；　why　do　you　bother　to　pray？　God　cannot　answer　you。〃
　Leonardo　Vetra　had　looked　up　from　his　meditations　with　a　paternal　smile。　〃My　daughter　the　skeptic。　So　you　don't　believe　God　speaks　to　man？　Let　me　put　it　in　your　language。〃　He　took　a　model　of　the　human　brain　down　from　a　shelf　and　set　it　in　front　of　her。　〃As　you　probably　know；　Vittoria；　human　beings　normally　use　a　very　small　percentage　of　their　brain　power。　However；　if　you　put　them　in　emotionally　charged　situations…like　physical　trauma；　extreme　joy　or　fear；　deep　meditation…all　of　a　sudden　their　neurons　start　firing　like　crazy；　resulting　in　massively　enhanced　mental　clarity。〃
　〃So　what？〃　Vittoria　said。　〃Just　because　you　think　clearly　doesn't　mean　you　talk　to　God。〃
　〃Aha！〃　Vetra　exclaimed。　〃And　yet　remarkable　solutions　to　seemingly　impossible　problems　often　occur　in　these　moments　of　clarity。　It's　what　gurus　call　higher　consciousness。　Biologists　call　it　altered　states。　Psychologists　call　it　super…sentience。〃　He　paused。　〃And　Christians　call　it　answered　prayer。〃　Smiling　broadly；　he　added；　〃Sometimes；　divine　revelation　simply　means　adjusting　your　brain　to　hear　what　your　heart　already　knows。〃
　Now；　as　she　dashed　down；　headlong　into　the　dark；　Vittoria　sensed　perhaps　her　father　was　right。　Was　it　so　hard　to　believe　that　the　camerlegno's　trauma　had　put　his　mind　in　a　state　where　he　had　simply　〃realized〃　the　antimatter's　location？
　Each　of　us　is　a　God；　Buddha　had　said。　Each　of　us　knows　all。We　need　only　open　our　minds　to　hear　our　own　wisdom。
　It　was　in　that　moment　of　clarity；　as　Vittoria　plunged　deeper　into　the　earth；　that　she　felt　her　own　mind　open　。　。　。　her　own　wisdom　surface。　She　sensed　now　without　a　doubt　what　the　camerlegno's　intentions　were。　Her　awareness　brought　with　it　a　fear　like　nothing　she　had　ever　known。　
　〃Camerlegno；　no！〃　she　shouted　down　the　passage。　〃You　don't　understand！〃　Vittoria　pictured　the　multitudes　of　people　surrounding　Vatican　City；　and　her　blood　ran　cold。　〃If　you　bring　the　antimatter　up　。　。　。　everyone　will　die！〃　
　
　Langdon　was　leaping　three　steps　at　a　time　now；　gaining　ground。　The　passage　was　cramped；　but　he　felt　no　claustrophobia。　His　once　debilitating　fear　was　overshadowed　by　a　far　deeper　dread。　
　〃Camerlegno！〃　Langdon　felt　himself　closing　the　gap　on　the　lantern's　glow。　〃You　must　leave　the　antimatter　where　it　is！　There's　no　other　choice！〃　
　Even　as　Langdon　spoke　the　words；　he　could　not　believe　them。　Not　only　had　he　accepted　the　camerlegno's　divine　revelation　of　the　antimatter's　location；　but　he　was　lobbying　for　the　destruction　of　St。　Peter's　Basilica…one　of　the　greatest　architectural　feats　on　earth　。　。　。　as　well　as　all　of　the　art　inside。　
　But　the　people　outside　。　。　。　it's　the　only　way。
　It　seemed　a　cruel　irony　that　the　only　way　to　save　the　people　now　was　to　destroy　the　church。　Langdon　figured　the　Illuminati　were　amused　by　the　symbolism。
　The　air　ing　up　from　the　bottom　of　the　tunnel　was　cool　and　dank。　Somewhere　down　here　was　the　sacred　necropolis　。　。　。　burial　place　of　St。　Peter　and　countless　other　early　Christians。　Langdon　felt　a　chill；　hoping　this　was　not　a　suicide　mission。
　Suddenly；　the　camerlegno's　lantern　seemed　to　halt。　Langdon　closed　on　him　fast。
　The　end　of　the　stairs　loomed　abruptly　from　out　of　the　shadows。　A　wrought…iron　gate　with　three　embossed　skulls　blocked　the　bottom　of　the　stairs。　The　camerlegno　was　there；　pulling　the　gate　open。　Langdon　leapt；　pushing　the　gate　shut；　blocking　the　camerlegno's　way。　The　others　came　thundering　down　the　stairs；　everyone　ghostly　white　in　the　BBC　spotlight　。　。　。　especially　Glick；　who　was　looking　more　pasty　with　every　step。
　Chartrand　grabbed　Langdon。　〃Let　the　camerlegno　pass！〃
　〃No！〃　Vittoria　said　from　above；　breathless。　〃We　must　evacuate　right　now！　You　cannot　take　the　antimatter　out　of　here！　If　you　bring　it　up；　everyone　outside　will　die！〃　
　The　camerlegno's　voice　was　remarkably　calm。　〃All　of　you　。　。　。　we　must　trust。　We　have　little　time。〃
　〃You　don't　understand；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃An　explosion　at　ground　level　will　be　much　worse　than　one　down　here！〃
　The　camerlegno　looked　at　her；　his　green　eyes　resplendently　sane。　〃Who　said　anything　about　an　explosion　at　ground　level？〃
　Vittoria　stared。　〃You're　leaving　it　down　here？〃
　The　camerlegno's　certitude　was　hypnotic。　〃There　will　be　no　more　death　tonight。〃　
　〃Father；　but…〃
　〃Please　。　。　。　some　faith。〃　The　camerlegno's　voice　plunged　to　a　pelling　hush。　〃I　am　not　asking　anyone　to　join　me。　You　are　all　free　to　go。　All　I　am　asking　is　that　you　not　interfere　with　His　bidding。　Let　me　do　what　I　have　been　called　to　do。〃　The　camerlegno's　stare　intensified。　〃I　am　to　save　this　church。　And　I　can。　I　swear　on　my　life。〃
　The　silence　that　followed　might　as　well　have　been　thunder。
　
　120

　Eleven…fifty…one　P。M。　
　Necropolis　literally　means　City　of　the　Dead。
　Nothing　Robert　Langdon　had　ever　read　about　this　place　prepared　him　for　the　sight　of　it。　The　colossal　subterranean　hollow　was　filled　with　crumbling　mausoleums；　like　small　houses　on　the　floor　of　a　cave。　The　air　smelled　lifeless。　An　awkward　grid　of　narrow　walkways　wound　between　the　decaying　memorials；　most　of　which　were　fractured　brick　with　marble　platings。　Like　columns　of　dust；　countless　pillars　of　unexcavated　earth　rose　up；　supporting　a　dirt　sky；　which　hung　low　over　the　penumbral　hamlet。
　City　of　the　dead；　Langdon　thought；　feeling　trapped　between　academic　wonder　and　raw　fear。　He　and　the　others　dashed　deeper　down　the　winding　passages。　Did　I　make　the　wrong　choice？　
　Chartrand　had　been　the　first　to　fall　under　the　camerlegno's　spell；　yanking　open　the　gate　and　declaring　his　faith　in　the　camerlegno。　Glick　and　Macri；　at　the　camerlegno's　suggestion；　had　nobly　agreed　to　provide　light　to　the　quest；　although　considering　what　accolades　awaited　them　if　they　got　out　of　here　alive；　their　motivations　were　certainly　suspect。　Vittoria　had　been　the　least　eager　of　all；　and　Langdon　had　seen　in　her　eyes　a　wariness　that　looked；　unsettlingly；　a　lot　like　female　intuition。　
　It's　too　late　now；　he　thought；　he　and　Vittoria　dashing　after　the　others。　We're　mitted。　
　Vittoria　was　silent；　but　Langdon　knew　they　were　thinking　the　same　thing。　Nine　minutes　is　not　enough　time　to　get　the　hell　out　of　Vatican　City　if　the　camerlegno　is　wrong。
　As　they　ran　on　through　the　mausoleums；　Langdon　felt　his　legs　tiring；　noting　to　his　surprise　that　the　group　was　ascending　a　steady　incline。　The　explanation；　when　it　dawned　on　him；　sent　shivers　to　his　core。　The　topography　beneath　his　feet　was　that　of　Christ's　time。　He　was　running　up　the　original　Vatican　Hill！　Langdon　had　heard　Vatican　scholars　claim　that　St。　Peter's　tomb　was　near　the　top　of　Vatican　Hill；　and　he　had　always　wondered　how　they　knew。　Now　he　understood。　The　damn　hill　is　still　here！　
　Langdon　felt　like　he　was　running　through　the　pages　of　history。　Somewhere　ahead　was　St。　Peter's　tomb…the　Christian　relic。　It　was　hard　to　imagine　that　the　original　grave　had　been　marked　only　with　a　modest　shrine。　Not　any　more。　As　Peter's　eminence　spread；　new　shrines　were　built　on　top　of　the　old；　and　now；　the　homage　stretched　440　feet　overhead　to　the　top　of　Michelangelo's　dome；　the　apex　positioned　directly　over　the　original　tomb　within　a　fraction　of　an　inch。　
　They　continued　ascending　the　sinuous　passages。　Langdon　checked　his　watch。　Eight　minutes。　He　was　beginning　to　wonder　if　he　and　Vittoria　would　be　joining　the　deceased　here　permanently。
　〃Look　out！〃　Glick　yelled　from　behind　them。　〃Snake　holes！〃
　Langdon　saw　it　in　time。　A　series　of　small　holes　riddled　the　path　before　them。　He　leapt；　just　clearing　them。
　Vittoria　jumped　too；　barely　avoiding　the　narrow　hollows。　She　looked　uneasy　as　they　ran　on。　〃Snake　holes？〃
　〃Snack　holes；　actually；〃　Langdon　corrected。　〃Trust　me；　you　don't　want　to　know。〃　The　holes；　he　had　just　realized；　were　libation　tubes。　The　early　Christians　had　believed　in　the　resurrection　of　the　flesh；　a