danbrown.thedavincicode-第35节

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e　in　England；　buried　in　a　hidden　chamber　beneath　one　of　the　many　Templar　churches；　where　it　had　been　hidden　since　at　least　1500。
　The　era　of　Grand　Master　Da　Vinci。
　The　Priory；　in　order　to　keep　their　powerful　documents　safe；　had　been　forced　to　move　them　many　times　in　the　early　centuries。　Historians　now　suspected　as　many　as　six　different　Grail　relocations　since　its　arrival　in　Europe　from　Jerusalem。　The　last　Grail　〃sighting〃　had　been　in　1447　when　numerous　eyewitnesses　described　a　fire　that　had　broken　out　and　almost　engulfed　the　documents　before　they　were　carried　to　safety　in　four　huge　chests　that　each　required　six　men　to　carry。　After　that；　nobody　claimed　to　see　the　Grail　ever　again。　All　that　remained　were　occasional　whisperings　that　it　was　hidden　in　Great　Britain；　the　land　of　King　Arthur　and　the　Knights　of　the　Round　Table。
　Wherever　it　was；　two　important　facts　remained：
　Leonardo　knew　where　the　Grail　resided　during　his　lifetime。
　That　hiding　place　had　probably　not　changed　to　this　day。
　For　this　reason；　Grail　enthusiasts　still　pored　over　Da　Vinci's　art　and　diaries　in　hopes　of　unearthing　a　hidden　clue　as　to　the　Grail's　current　location。　Some　claimed　the　mountainous　backdrop　in　Madonna　of　the　Rocks　matched　the　topography　of　a　series　of　cave…ridden　hills　in　Scotland。　Others　insisted　that　the　suspicious　placement　of　disciples　in　The　Last　Supper　was　some　kind　of　code。　Still　others　claimed　that　X　rays　of　the　Mona　Lisa　revealed　she　originally　had　been　painted　wearing　a　lapis　lazuli　pendant　of　Isis…a　detail　Da　Vinci　purportedly　later　decided　to　paint　over。　Langdon　had　never　seen　any　evidence　of　the　pendant；　nor　could　he　imagine　how　it　could　possibly　reveal　the　Holy　Grail；　and　yet　Grail　aficionados　still　discussed　it　ad　nauseum　on　Internet　bulletin　boards　and　worldwide…web　chat　rooms。
　Everyone　loves　a　conspiracy。
　And　the　conspiracies　kept　ing。　Most　recently；　of　course；　had　been　the　earthshaking　discovery　that　Da　Vinci's　famed　Adoration　of　the　Magi　was　hiding　a　dark　secret　beneath　its　layers　of　paint。　Italian　art　diagnostician　Maurizio　Seracini　had　unveiled　the　unsettling　truth；　which　the　New　York　Times　Magazine　carried　prominently　in　a　story　titled　〃The　Leonardo　Cover…Up。〃
　Seracini　had　revealed　beyond　any　doubt　that　while　the　Adoration's　gray…green　sketched　underdrawing　was　indeed　Da　Vinci's　work；　the　painting　itself　was　not。　The　truth　was　that　some　anonymous　painter　had　filled　in　Da　Vinci's　sketch　like　a　paint…by…numbers　years　after　Da　Vinci's　death。　Far　more　troubling；　however；　was　what　lay　beneath　the　impostor's　paint。　Photographs　taken　with　infrared　reflectography　and　X　ray　suggested　that　this　rogue　painter；　while　filling　in　Da　Vinci's　sketched　study；　had　made　suspicious　departures　from　the　underdrawing。。。　as　if　to　subvert　Da　Vinci's　true　intention。　Whatever　the　true　nature　of　the　underdrawing；　it　had　yet　to　be　made　public。　Even　so；　embarrassed　officials　at　Florence's　Uffizi　Gallery　immediately　banished　the　painting　to　a　warehouse　across　the　street。　Visitors　at　the　gallery's　Leonardo　Room　now　found　a　misleading　and　unapologetic　plaque　where　the　Adoration　once　hung。
　THIS　WORK　IS　UNDERGOING
　DIAGNOSTIC　TESTS　IN　PREPARATION
　FOR　RESTORATION。
　　
　In　the　bizarre　underworld　of　modern　Grail　seekers；　Leonardo　da　Vinci　remained　the　quest's　great　enigma。　His　artwork　seemed　bursting　to　tell　a　secret；　and　yet　whatever　it　was　remained　hidden；　perhaps　beneath　a　layer　of　paint；　perhaps　enciphered　in　plain　view；　or　perhaps　nowhere　at　all。　Maybe　Da　Vinci's　plethora　of　tantalizing　clues　was　nothing　but　an　empty　promise　left　behind　to　frustrate　the　curious　and　bring　a　smirk　to　the　face　of　his　knowing　Mona　Lisa。
　〃Is　it　possible；〃　Sophie　asked；　drawing　Langdon　back；　〃that　the　key　you're　holding　unlocks　the　hiding　place　of　the　Holy　Grail？〃
　Langdon's　laugh　sounded　forced；　even　to　him。　〃I　really　can't　imagine。　Besides；　the　Grail　is　believed　to　be　hidden　in　the　United　Kingdom　somewhere；　not　France。〃　He　gave　her　the　quick　history。
　〃But　the　Grail　seems　the　only　rational　conclusion；〃　she　insisted。　〃We　have　an　extremely　secure　key；　stamped　with　the　Priory　of　Sion　seal；　delivered　to　us　by　a　member　of　the　Priory　of　Sion…a　brotherhood　which；　you　just　told　me；　are　guardians　of　the　Holy　Grail。〃
　Langdon　knew　her　contention　was　logical；　and　yet　intuitively　he　could　not　possibly　accept　it。　Rumors　existed　that　the　Priory　had　vowed　someday　to　bring　the　Grail　back　to　France　to　a　final　resting　place；　but　certainly　no　historical　evidence　existed　to　suggest　that　this　indeed　had　happened。　Even　if　the　Priory　had　managed　to　bring　the　Grail　back　to　France；　the　address　24　Rue　Haxo　near　a　tennis　stadium　hardly　sounded　like　a　noble　final　resting　place。　〃Sophie；　I　really　don't　see　how　this　key　could　have　anything　to　do　with　the　Grail。〃
　〃Because　the　Grail　is　supposed　to　be　in　England？〃
　〃Not　only　that。　The　location　of　the　Holy　Grail　is　one　of　the　best　kept　secrets　in　history。　Priory　members　wait　decades　proving　themselves　trustworthy　before　being　elevated　to　the　highest　echelons　of　the　fraternity　and　learning　where　the　Grail　is。　That　secret　is　protected　by　an　intricate　system　of　partmentalized　knowledge；　and　although　the　Priory　brotherhood　is　very　large；　only　four　members　at　any　given　time　know　where　the　Grail　is　hidden…the　Grand　Master　and　his　three　sénéchaux。　The　probability　of　your　grandfather　being　one　of　those　four　top　people　is　very　slim。〃
　My　grandfather　was　one　of　them；　Sophie　thought；　pressing　down　on　the　accelerator。　She　had　an　image　stamped　in　her　memory　that　confirmed　her　grandfather's　status　within　the　brotherhood　beyond　any　doubt。
　〃And　even　if　your　grandfather　were　in　the　upper　echelon；　he　would　never　be　allowed　to　reveal　anything　to　anyone　outside　the　brotherhood。　It　is　inconceivable　that　he　would　bring　you　into　the　inner　circle。〃
　I've　already　been　there；　Sophie　thought；　picturing　the　ritual　in　the　basement。　She　wondered　if　this　were　the　moment　to　tell　Langdon　what　she　had　witnessed　that　night　in　the　Normandy　chateau。　For　ten　years　now；　simple　shame　had　kept　her　from　telling　a　soul。　Just　thinking　about　it；　she　shuddered。　Sirens　howled　somewhere　in　the　distance；　and　she　felt　a　thickening　shroud　of　fatigue　settling　over　her。
　〃There！〃　Langdon　said；　feeling　excited　to　see　the　huge　plex　of　the　Roland　Garros　tennis　stadium　looming　ahead。
　Sophie　snaked　her　way　toward　the　stadium。　After　several　passes；　they　located　the　intersection　of　Rue　Haxo　and　turned　onto　it；　driving　in　the　direction　of　the　lower　numbers。　The　road　became　more　industrial；　lined　with　businesses。
　We　need　number　twenty…four；　Langdon　told　himself；　realizing　he　was　secretly　scanning　the　horizon　for　the　spires　of　a　church。　Don't　be　ridiculous。　A　forgotten　Templar　church　in　this　neighborhood？
　〃There　it　is；〃　Sophie　exclaimed；　pointing。
　Langdon's　eyes　followed　to　the　structure　ahead。
　What　in　the　world？
　The　building　was　modern。　A　squat　citadel　with　a　giant；　neon　equal…armed　cross　emblazoned　atop　its　facade。　Beneath　the　cross　were　the　words：
　DEPOSITORY　BANK　OF　ZURICH
　Langdon　was　thankful　not　to　have　shared　his　Templar　church　hopes　with　Sophie。　A　career　hazard　of　symbologists　was　a　tendency　to　extract　hidden　meaning　from　situations　that　had　none。　In　this　case；　Langdon　had　entirely　forgotten　that　the　peaceful；　equal…armed　cross　had　been　adopted　as　the　perfect　symbol　for　the　flag　of　neutral　Switzerland。
　At　least　the　mystery　was　solved。
　Sophie　and　Langdon　were　holding　the　key　to　a　Swiss　bank　deposit　box。
　　
　CHAPTER　41
　
　Outside　Castel　Gandolfo；　an　updraft　of　mountain　air　gushed　over　the　top　of　the　cliff　and　across　the　high　bluff；　sending　a　chill　through　Bishop　Aringarosa　as　he　stepped　from　the　Fiat。　I　should　have　worn　more　than　this　cassock；　he　thought；　fighting　the　reflex　to　shiver。　The　last　thing　he　needed　to　appear　tonight　was　weak　or　fearful。
　The　castle　was　dark　save　the　windows　at　the　very　top　of　the　building；　which　glowed　ominously。　The　library；　Aringarosa　thought。　They　are　awake　and　waiting。　He　ducked　his　head　against　the　wind　and　continued　on　without　so　much　as　a　glance　toward　the　observatory　domes。
　The　priest　who　greeted　him　at　the　door　looked　sleepy。　He　was　the　same　priest　who　had　greeted　Aringarosa　five　months　ago；　albeit　tonight　he　did　so　with　much　less　hospitality。　〃We　were　worried　about　you；　Bishop；〃　the　priest　said；　checking　his　watch　and　looking　more　perturbed　than　worried。
　〃My　apologies。　Airlines　are　so　unreliable　these　days。〃
　The　priest　mumbled　something　inaudible　and　then　said；　〃They　are　waiting　upstairs。　I　will　escort　you　up。〃
　The　library　was　a　vast　square　room　with　dark　wood　from　floor　to　ceiling。　On　all　sides；　towering　bookcases　burgeoned　with　volumes。　The　floor　was　amber　marble　with　black　basalt　trim；　a　handsome　reminder　that　this　building　had　once　been　a　palace。
　〃Wele；　Bishop；〃　a　man's　voice　said　from　across　the　room。
　Aringarosa　tried　to　see　who　had　spoken；　but　the　lights　were　ridiculously　low…much　lower　than　they　had　been　on　his　first　visit；　when　everything　was　ablaze。　The　night　of　stark　awakening。　Tonight；　these　men　sat　in　the　shadows；　as　if　they　were　somehow　ashamed　of　what　was　about　to　transpire。
　Aringarosa　entered　slowly；　regally　even。　He　could　see　the　shapes　of　three　men　at　a　long　t