danbrown.angels&demons-第87节

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　As　the　camerlegno　pulled　himself　up；　he　could　hear　Robert　Langdon　yelling　excitedly；　running　toward　the　craft。　Now　you　understand；　the　camerlegno　thought。　Now　you　have　faith！　
　The　camerlegno　pulled　himself　up　into　the　cockpit；　adjusted　a　few　familiar　levers；　and　then　turned　back　to　his　window　for　the　canister。　
　But　the　guard　to　whom　he　had　given　the　canister　stood　empty…handed。　〃He　took　it！〃　the　guard　yelled。
　The　camerlegno　felt　his　heart　seize。　〃Who！〃
　The　guard　pointed。　〃Him！〃
　
　Robert　Langdon　was　surprised　by　how　heavy　the　canister　was。　He　ran　to　the　other　side　of　the　chopper　and　jumped　in　the　rear　partment　where　he　and　Vittoria　had　sat　only　hours　ago。　He　left　the　door　open　and　buckled　himself　in。　Then　he　yelled　to　the　camerlegno　in　the　front　seat。
　〃Fly；　Father！〃
　The　camerlegno　craned　back　at　Langdon；　his　face　bloodless　with　dread。　〃What　are　you　doing！〃
　〃You　fly！　I'll　throw！〃　Langdon　barked。　〃There's　no　time！　Just　fly　the　blessed　chopper！〃
　The　camerlegno　seemed　momentarily　paralyzed；　the　media　lights　glaring　through　the　cockpit　darkening　the　creases　in　his　face。　〃I　can　do　this　alone；〃　he　whispered。　〃I　am　supposed　to　do　this　alone。〃
　Langdon　wasn't　listening。　Fly！　he　heard　himself　screaming。　Now！　I'm　here　to　help　you！　Langdon　looked　down　at　the　canister　and　felt　his　breath　catch　in　his　throat　when　he　saw　the　numbers。　〃Three　minutes；　Father！　Three！〃　
　The　number　seemed　to　stun　the　camerlegno　back　to　sobriety。　Without　hesitation；　he　turned　back　to　the　controls。　With　a　grinding　roar；　the　helicopter　lifted　off。　
　Through　a　swirl　of　dust；　Langdon　could　see　Vittoria　running　toward　the　chopper。　Their　eyes　met；　and　then　she　dropped　away　like　a　sinking　stone。
　
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　Inside　the　chopper；　the　whine　of　the　engines　and　the　gale　from　the　open　door　assaulted　Langdon's　senses　with　a　deafening　chaos。　He　steadied　himself　against　the　magnified　drag　of　gravity　as　the　camerlegno　accelerated　the　craft　straight　up。　The　glow　of　St。　Peter's　Square　shrank　beneath　them　until　it　was　an　amorphous　glowing　ellipse　radiating　in　a　sea　of　city　lights。
　The　antimatter　canister　felt　like　deadweight　in　Langdon's　hands。　He　held　tighter；　his　palms　slick　now　with　sweat　and　blood。　Inside　the　trap；　the　globule　of　antimatter　hovered　calmly；　pulsing　red　in　the　glow　of　the　LED　countdown　clock。
　〃Two　minutes！〃　Langdon　yelled；　wondering　where　the　camerlegno　intended　to　drop　the　canister。　
　The　city　lights　beneath　them　spread　out　in　all　directions。　In　the　distance　to　the　west；　Langdon　could　see　the　twinkling　delineation　of　the　Mediterranean　coast…a　jagged　border　of　luminescence　beyond　which　spread　an　endless　dark　expanse　of　nothingness。　The　sea　looked　farther　now　than　Langdon　had　imagined。　Moreover；　the　concentration　of　lights　at　the　coast　was　a　stark　reminder　that　even　far　out　at　sea　an　explosion　might　have　devastating　effects。　Langdon　had　not　even　considered　the　effects　of　a　ten…kiloton　tidal　wave　hitting　the　coast。
　When　Langdon　turned　and　looked　straight　ahead　through　the　cockpit　window；　he　was　more　hopeful。　Directly　in　front　of　them；　the　rolling　shadows　of　the　Roman　foothills　loomed　in　the　night。　The　hills　were　spotted　with　lights…the　villas　of　the　very　wealthy…but　a　mile　or　so　north；　the　hills　grew　dark。　There　were　no　lights　at　all…just　a　huge　pocket　of　blackness。　Nothing。
　The　quarries！　Langdon　thought。　La　Cava　Romana！　
　Staring　intently　at　the　barren　pocket　of　land；　Langdon　sensed　that　it　was　plenty　large　enough。　It　seemed　close；　too。　Much　closer　than　the　ocean。　Excitement　surged　through　him。　This　was　obviously　where　the　camerlegno　planned　to　take　the　antimatter！　The　chopper　was　pointing　directly　toward　it！　The　quarries！　Oddly；　however；　as　the　engines　strained　louder　and　the　chopper　hurtled　through　the　air；　Langdon　could　see　that　the　quarries　were　not　getting　any　closer。　Bewildered；　he　shot　a　glance　out　the　side　door　to　get　his　bearings。　What　he　saw　doused　his　excitement　in　a　wave　of　panic。　Directly　beneath　them；　thousands　of　feet　straight　down；　glowed　the　media　lights　in　St。　Peter's　Square。
　We're　still　over　the　Vatican！　
　〃Camerlegno！〃　Langdon　choked。　〃Go　forward！　We're　high　enough！　You've　got　to　start　moving　forward！　We　can't　drop　the　canister　back　over　Vatican　City！〃
　The　camerlegno　did　not　reply。　He　appeared　to　be　concentrating　on　flying　the　craft。
　〃We've　got　less　than　two　minutes！〃　Langdon　shouted；　holding　up　the　canister。　〃I　can　see　them！　La　Cava　Romana！　A　couple　of　miles　north！　We　don't　have…〃
　〃No；〃　the　camerlegno　said。　〃It's　far　too　dangerous。　I'm　sorry。〃　As　the　chopper　continued　to　claw　heavenward；　the　camerlegno　turned　and　gave　Langdon　a　mournful　smile。　〃I　wish　you　had　not　e；　my　friend。　You　have　made　the　ultimate　sacrifice。〃
　Langdon　looked　in　the　camerlegno's　exhausted　eyes　and　suddenly　understood。　His　blood　turned　to　ice。　〃But　。　。　。　there　must　be　somewhere　we　can　go！〃　
　〃Up；〃　the　camerlegno　replied；　his　voice　resigned。　〃It's　the　only　guarantee。〃　
　Langdon　could　barely　think。　He　had　entirely　misinterpreted　the　camerlegno's　plan。　Look　to　the　heavens！　
　Heaven；　Langdon　now　realized；　was　literally　where　he　was　headed。　The　camerlegno　had　never　intended　to　drop　the　antimatter。　He　was　simply　getting　it　as　far　away　from　Vatican　City　as　humanly　possible。　
　This　was　a　one…way　trip。
　
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　In　St。　Peter's　Square；　Vittoria　Vetra　stared　upward。　The　helicopter　was　a　speck　now；　the　media　lights　no　longer　reaching　it。　Even　the　pounding　of　the　rotors　had　faded　to　a　distant　hum。　It　seemed；　in　that　instant；　that　the　entire　world　was　focused　upward；　silenced　in　anticipation；　necks　craned　to　the　heavens　。　。　。　all　peoples；　all　faiths　。　。　。　all　hearts　beating　as　one。
　Vittoria's　emotions　were　a　cyclone　of　twisting　agonies。　As　the　helicopter　disappeared　from　sight；　she　pictured　Robert's　face；　rising　above　her。　What　had　he　been　thinking？　Didn't　he　understand？　
　Around　the　square；　television　cameras　probed　the　darkness；　waiting。　A　sea　of　faces　stared　heavenward；　united　in　a　silent　countdown。　The　media　screens　all　flickered　the　same　tranquil　scene　。　。　。　a　Roman　sky　illuminated　with　brilliant　stars。　Vittoria　felt　the　tears　begin　to　well。
　Behind　her　on　the　marble　escarpment；　161　cardinals　stared　up　in　silent　awe。　Some　folded　their　hands　in　prayer。　Most　stood　motionless；　transfixed。　Some　wept。　The　seconds　ticked　past。
　In　homes；　bars；　businesses；　airports；　hospitals　around　the　world；　souls　were　joined　in　universal　witness。　Men　and　women　locked　hands。　Others　held　their　children。　Time　seemed　to　hover　in　limbo；　souls　suspended　in　unison。
　Then；　cruelly；　the　bells　of　St。　Peter's　began　to　toll。
　Vittoria　let　the　tears　e。
　Then　。　。　。　with　the　whole　world　watching　。　。　。　time　ran　out。
　
　The　dead　silence　of　the　event　was　the　most　terrifying　of　all。　
　High　above　Vatican　City；　a　pinpoint　of　light　appeared　in　the　sky。　For　a　fleeting　instant；　a　new　heavenly　body　had　been　born　。　。　。　a　speck　of　light　as　pure　and　white　as　anyone　had　ever　seen。
　Then　it　happened。
　A　flash。　The　point　billowed；　as　if　feeding　on　itself；　unraveling　across　the　sky　in　a　dilating　radius　of　blinding　white。　It　shot　out　in　all　directions；　accelerating　with　inprehensible　speed；　gobbling　up　the　dark。　As　the　sphere　of　light　grew；　it　intensified；　like　a　burgeoning　fiend　preparing　to　consume　the　entire　sky。　It　raced　downward；　toward　them；　picking　up　speed。
　Blinded；　the　multitudes　of　starkly　lit　human　faces　gasped　as　one；　shielding　their　eyes；　crying　out　in　strangled　fear。
　As　the　light　roared　out　in　all　directions；　the　unimaginable　occurred。　As　if　bound　by　God's　own　will；　the　surging　radius　seemed　to　hit　a　wall。　It　was　as　if　the　explosion　were　contained　somehow　in　a　giant　glass　sphere。　The　light　rebounded　inward；　sharpening；　rippling　across　itself。　The　wave　appeared　to　have　reached　a　predetermined　diameter　and　hovered　there。　For　that　instant；　a　perfect　and　silent　sphere　of　light　glowed　over　Rome。　Night　had　bee　day。
　Then　it　hit。　
　The　concussion　was　deep　and　hollow…a　thunderous　shock　wave　from　above。　It　descended　on　them　like　the　wrath　of　hell；　shaking　the　granite　foundation　of　Vatican　City；　knocking　the　breath　out　of　people's　lungs；　sending　others　stumbling　backward。　The　reverberation　circled　the　colonnade；　followed　by　a　sudden　torrent　of　warm　air。　The　wind　tore　through　the　square；　letting　out　a　sepulchral　moan　as　it　whistled　through　the　columns　and　buffeted　the　walls。　Dust　swirled　overhead　as　people　huddled　。　。　。　witnesses　to　Armageddon。
　Then；　as　fast　as　it　appeared；　the　sphere　imploded；　sucking　back　in　on　itself；　crushing　inward　to　the　tiny　point　of　light　from　which　it　had　e。
　
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　Never　before　had　so　many　been　so　silent。
　The　faces　in　St。　Peter's　Square；　one　by　one；　averted　their　eyes　from　the　darkening　sky　and　turned　downward；　each　person　in　his　or　her　own　private　moment　of　wonder。　The　media　lights　followed　suit；　dropping　their　beams　back　to　earth　as　if　out　of　reverence　for　the　blackness　now　settling　upon　them。　It　seemed　for　a　moment　the　entire　world　was　bowing　its　head　in　unison。　
　Cardinal　Mortati　knelt　to　pray；　and　the　other　cardinals　joined　him。　The　Swiss　Guard　lowered　their　long　swords　and　stood　numb。　No　one　spoke。　No　one　moved。　Everywhere；　hearts　shuddered　with　spontaneous　emotion。　Bereavement。