danbrown.thedavincicode-第13节

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　presence。　Sitting　up；　he　was　surprised　to　find　a　newspaper　clipping　on　his　bedside　table。　The　article　was　in　French；　a　week　old。　When　he　read　the　story；　he　filled　with　fear。　It　told　of　an　earthquake　in　the　mountains　that　had　destroyed　a　prison　and　freed　many　dangerous　criminals。
　His　heart　began　pounding。　The　priest　knows　who　I　am！　The　emotion　he　felt　was　one　he　had　not　felt　for　some　time。　Shame。　Guilt。　It　was　acpanied　by　the　fear　of　being　caught。　He　jumped　from　his　bed。　Where　do　I　run？
　〃The　Book　of　Acts；〃　a　voice　said　from　the　door。
　The　ghost　turned；　frightened。
　The　young　priest　was　smiling　as　he　entered。　His　nose　was　awkwardly　bandaged；　and　he　was　holding　out　an　old　Bible。　〃I　found　one　in　French　for　you。　The　chapter　is　marked。〃
　Uncertain；　the　ghost　took　the　Bible　and　looked　at　the　chapter　the　priest　had　marked。
　Acts　16。
　The　verses　told　of　a　prisoner　named　Silas　who　lay　naked　and　beaten　in　his　cell；　singing　hymns　to　God。　When　the　ghost　reached　Verse　26；　he　gasped　in　shock。
　〃。。。And　suddenly；　there　was　a　great　earthquake；　so　that　the　foundations　of　the　prison　were　shaken；　and　all　the　doors　fell　open。〃
　His　eyes　shot　up　at　the　priest。
　The　priest　smiled　warmly。　〃From　now　on；　my　friend；　if　you　have　no　other　name；　I　shall　call　you　Silas。〃
　The　ghost　nodded　blankly。　Silas。　He　had　been　given　flesh。　My　name　is　Silas。
　〃It's　time　for　breakfast；〃　the　priest　said。　〃You　will　need　your　strength　if　you　are　to　help　me　build　this　church。〃
　　
　Twenty　thousand　feet　above　the　Mediterranean；　Alitalia　flight　1618　bounced　in　turbulence；　causing　passengers　to　shift　nervously。　Bishop　Aringarosa　barely　noticed。　His　thoughts　were　with　the　future　of　Opus　Dei。　Eager　to　know　how　plans　in　Paris　were　progressing；　he　wished　he　could　phone　Silas。　But　he　could　not。　The　Teacher　had　seen　to　that。
　〃It　is　for　your　own　safety；〃　the　Teacher　had　explained；　speaking　in　English　with　a　French　accent。　〃I　am　familiar　enough　with　electronic　munications　to　know　they　can　be　intercepted。　The　results　could　be　disastrous　for　you。〃
　Aringarosa　knew　he　was　right。　The　Teacher　seemed　an　exceptionally　careful　man。　He　had　not　revealed　his　own　identity　to　Aringarosa；　and　yet　he　had　proven　himself　a　man　well　worth　obeying。　After　all；　he　had　somehow　obtained　very　secret　information。　The　names　of　the　brotherhood's　four　top　members！　This　had　been　one　of　the　coups　that　convinced　the　bishop　the　Teacher　was　truly　capable　of　delivering　the　astonishing　prize　he　claimed　he　could　unearth。
　〃Bishop；〃　the　Teacher　had　told　him；　〃I　have　made　all　the　arrangements。　For　my　plan　to　succeed；　you　must　allow　Silas　to　answer　only　to　me　for　several　days。　The　two　of　you　will　not　speak。　I　will　municate　with　him　through　secure　channels。〃
　〃You　will　treat　him　with　respect？〃
　〃A　man　of　faith　deserves　the　highest。〃
　〃Excellent。　Then　I　understand。　Silas　and　I　shall　not　speak　until　this　is　over。〃
　〃I　do　this　to　protect　your　identity；　Silas's　identity；　and　my　investment。〃
　〃Your　investment？〃
　〃Bishop；　if　your　own　eagerness　to　keep　abreast　of　progress　puts　you　in　jail；　then　you　will　be　unable　to　pay　me　my　fee。〃
　The　bishop　smiled。　〃A　fine　point。　Our　desires　are　in　accord。　Godspeed。〃
　Twenty　million　euro；　the　bishop　thought；　now　gazing　out　the　plane's　window。　The　sum　was　approximately　the　same　number　of　U。S。　dollars。　A　pittance　for　something　so　powerful。
　He　felt　a　renewed　confidence　that　the　Teacher　and　Silas　would　not　fail。　Money　and　faith　were　powerful　motivators。
　　
　CHAPTER　11
　
　〃Une　plaisanterie　numérique？〃　Bezu　Fache　was　livid；　glaring　at　Sophie　Neveu　in　disbelief。　A　numeric　joke？　〃Your　professional　assessment　of　Saunière's　code　is　that　it　is　some　kind　of　mathematical　prank？〃
　Fache　was　in　utter　inprehension　of　this　woman's　gall。　Not　only　had　she　just　barged　in　on　Fache　without　permission；　but　she　was　now　trying　to　convince　him　that　Saunière；　in　his　final　moments　of　life；　had　been　inspired　to　leave　a　mathematical　gag？
　〃This　code；〃　Sophie　explained　in　rapid　French；　〃is　simplistic　to　the　point　of　absurdity。　Jacques　Saunière　must　have　known　we　would　see　through　it　immediately。〃　She　pulled　a　scrap　of　paper　from　her　sweater　pocket　and　handed　it　to　Fache。　〃Here　is　the　decryption。〃
　Fache　looked　at　the　card。
　1…1…2…3…5…8…13…21
　　
　〃This　is　it？〃　he　snapped。　〃All　you　did　was　put　the　numbers　in　increasing　order！〃
　Sophie　actually　had　the　nerve　to　give　a　satisfied　smile。　〃Exactly。〃
　Fache's　tone　lowered　to　a　guttural　rumble。　〃Agent　Neveu；　I　have　no　idea　where　the　hell　you're　going　with　this；　but　I　suggest　you　get　there　fast。〃　He　shot　an　anxious　glance　at　Langdon；　who　stood　nearby　with　the　phone　pressed　to　his　ear；　apparently　still　listening　to　his　phone　message　from　the　U。S。　Embassy。　From　Langdon's　ashen　expression；　Fache　sensed　the　news　was　bad。
　〃Captain；〃　Sophie　said；　her　tone　dangerously　defiant；　〃the　sequence　of　numbers　you　have　in　your　hand　happens　to　be　one　of　the　most　famous　mathematical　progressions　in　history。〃
　Fache　was　not　aware　there　even　existed　a　mathematical　progression　that　qualified　as　famous；　and　he　certainly　didn't　appreciate　Sophie's　off…handed　tone。
　〃This　is　the　Fibonacci　sequence；〃　she　declared；　nodding　toward　the　piece　of　paper　in　Fache's　hand。　〃A　progression　in　which　each　term　is　equal　to　the　sum　of　the　two　preceding　terms。〃
　Fache　studied　the　numbers。　Each　term　was　indeed　the　sum　of　the　two　previous；　and　yet　Fache　could　not　imagine　what　the　relevance　of　all　this　was　to　Saunière's　death。
　〃Mathematician　Leonardo　Fibonacci　created　this　succession　of　numbers　in　the　thirteenth…century。　Obviously　there　can　be　no　coincidence　that　all　of　the　numbers　Saunière　wrote　on　the　floor　belong　to　Fibonacci's　famous　sequence。〃
　Fache　stared　at　the　young　woman　for　several　moments。　〃Fine；　if　there　is　no　coincidence；　would　you　tell　me　why　Jacques　Saunière　chose　to　do　this。　What　is　he　saying？　What　does　this　mean？〃
　She　shrugged。　〃Absolutely　nothing。　That's　the　point。　It's　a　simplistic　cryptographic　joke。　Like　taking　the　words　of　a　famous　poem　and　shuffling　them　at　random　to　see　if　anyone　recognizes　what　all　the　words　have　in　mon。〃
　Fache　took　a　menacing　step　forward；　placing　his　face　only　inches　from　Sophie's。　〃I　certainly　hope　you　have　a　much　more　satisfying　explanation　than　that。〃
　Sophie's　soft　features　grew　surprisingly　stern　as　she　leaned　in。　〃Captain；　considering　what　you　have　at　stake　here　tonight；　I　thought　you　might　appreciate　knowing　that　Jacques　Saunière　might　be　playing　games　with　you。　Apparently　not。　I'll　inform　the　director　of　Cryptography　you　no　longer　need　our　services。〃
　With　that；　she　turned　on　her　heel；　and　marched　off　the　way　she　had　e。
　Stunned；　Fache　watched　her　disappear　into　the　darkness。　Is　she　out　of　her　mind？　Sophie　Neveu　had　just　redefined　le　suicide　professionnel。
　Fache　turned　to　Langdon；　who　was　still　on　the　phone；　looking　more　concerned　than　before；　listening　intently　to　his　phone　message。　The　U。S。　Embassy。　Bezu　Fache　despised　many　things。。。　but　few　drew　more　wrath　than　the　U。S。　Embassy。
　Fache　and　the　ambassador　locked　horns　regularly　over　shared　affairs　of　state…their　most　mon　battleground　being　law　enforcement　for　visiting　Americans。　Almost　daily；　DCPJ　arrested　American　exchange　students　in　possession　of　drugs；　U。S。　businessmen　for　soliciting　underage　Prostitutes；　American　tourists　for　shoplifting　or　destruction　of　property。　Legally；　the　U。S。　Embassy　could　intervene　and　extradite　guilty　citizens　back　to　the　United　States；　where　they　received　nothing　more　than　a　slap　on　the　wrist。
　And　the　embassy　invariably　did　just　that。
　L'émasculation　de　la　Police　Judiciaire；　Fache　called　it。　Paris　Match　had　run　a　cartoon　recently　depicting　Fache　as　a　police　dog；　trying　to　bite　an　American　criminal；　but　unable　to　reach　because　it　was　chained　to　the　U。S。　Embassy。
　Not　tonight；　Fache　told　himself。　There　is　far　too　much　at　stake。
　By　the　time　Robert　Langdon　hung　up　the　phone；　he　looked　ill。
　〃Is　everything　all　right？〃　Fache　asked。
　Weakly；　Langdon　shook　his　head。
　Bad　news　from　home；　Fache　sensed；　noticing　Langdon　was　sweating　slightly　as　Fache　took　back　his　cell　phone。
　〃An　accident；〃　Langdon　stammered；　looking　at　Fache　with　a　strange　expression。　〃A　friend。。。〃　He　hesitated。　〃I'll　need　to　fly　home　first　thing　in　the　morning。〃
　Fache　had　no　doubt　the　shock　on　Langdon's　face　was　genuine；　and　yet　he　sensed　another　emotion　there　too；　as　if　a　distant　fear　were　suddenly　simmering　in　the　American's　eyes。　〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　that；〃　Fache　said；　watching　Langdon　closely。　〃Would　you　like　to　sit　down？〃　He　motioned　toward　one　of　the　viewing　benches　in　the　gallery。
　Langdon　nodded　absently　and　took　a　few　steps　toward　the　bench。　He　paused；　looking　more　confused　with　every　moment。　〃Actually；　I　think　I'd　like　to　use　the　rest　room。〃
　Fache　frowned　inwardly　at　the　delay。　〃The　rest　room。　Of　course。　Let's　take　a　break　for　a　few　minutes。〃　He　motioned　back　down　the　long　hallway　in　the　direction　they　had　e　from。　〃The　rest　rooms　are　back　toward　the　curator's　office。〃
　Langdon　hesitated；　pointing　in　the　other　direction　toward　the　far　end　of　the　Grand　Gallery　corridor。　〃I　believe　there's　a　much　closer　rest　room　at　the　end。〃
　Fache　realized　Langdon　was　right。　They　were　two　thirds　of　the　way　do