danbrown.thedavincicode-第87节

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is　briefcase　among　them。。。　the　families　of　the　deceased。〃
　Fache's　dark　eyes　studied　him　a　long　moment。　〃A　virtuous　gesture；　My　Lord。　I　will　see　to　it　your　wishes　are　carried　out。〃
　A　heavy　silence　fell　between　them。
　On　the　television；　a　lean　French　police　officer　was　giving　a　press　conference　in　front　of　a　sprawling　mansion。　Fache　saw　who　it　was　and　turned　his　attention　to　the　screen。
　〃Lieutenant　Collet；〃　a　BBC　reporter　said；　her　voice　accusing。　〃Last　night；　your　captain　publicly　charged　two　innocent　people　with　murder。　Will　Robert　Langdon　and　Sophie　Neveu　be　seeking　accountability　from　your　department？　Will　this　cost　Captain　Fache　his　job？〃
　Lieutenant　Collet's　smile　was　tired　but　calm。　〃It　is　my　experience　that　Captain　Bezu　Fache　seldom　makes　mistakes。　I　have　not　yet　spoken　to　him　on　this　matter；　but　knowing　how　he　operates；　I　suspect　his　public　manhunt　for　Agent　Neveu　and　Mr。　Langdon　was　part　of　a　ruse　to　lure　out　the　real　killer。〃
　The　reporters　exchanged　surprised　looks。
　Collet　continued。　〃Whether　or　not　Mr。　Langdon　and　Agent　Neveu　were　willing　participants　in　the　sting；　I　do　not　know。　Captain　Fache　tends　to　keep　his　more　creative　methods　to　himself。　All　I　can　confirm　at　this　point　is　that　the　captain　has　successfully　arrested　the　man　responsible；　and　that　Mr。　Langdon　and　Agent　Neveu　are　both　innocent　and　safe。〃
　Fache　had　a　faint　smile　on　his　lips　as　he　turned　back　to　Aringarosa。　〃A　good　man；　that　Collet。〃
　Several　moments　passed。　Finally；　Fache　ran　his　hand　over　his　forehead；　slicking　back　his　hair　as　he　gazed　down　at　Aringarosa。　〃My　Lord；　before　I　return　to　Paris；　there　is　one　final　matter　I'd　like　to　discuss…your　impromptu　flight　to　London。　You　bribed　a　pilot　to　change　course。　In　doing　so；　you　broke　a　number　of　international　laws。〃
　Aringarosa　slumped。　〃I　was　desperate。〃
　〃Yes。　As　was　the　pilot　when　my　men　interrogated　him。〃　Fache　reached　in　his　pocket　and　produced　a　purple　amethyst　ring　with　a　familiar　hand…tooled　mitre…crozier　appliqué。
　Aringarosa　felt　tears　welling　as　he　accepted　the　ring　and　slipped　it　back　on　his　finger。　〃You've　been　so　kind。〃　He　held　out　his　hand　and　clasped　Fache's。　〃Thank　you。〃
　Fache　waved　off　the　gesture；　walking　to　the　window　and　gazing　out　at　the　city；　his　thoughts　obviously　far　away。　When　he　turned；　there　was　an　uncertainty　about　him。　〃My　Lord；　where　do　you　go　from　here？〃
　Aringarosa　had　been　asked　the　exact　same　question　as　he　left　Castel　Gandolfo　the　night　before。　〃I　suspect　my　path　is　as　uncertain　as　yours。〃
　〃Yes。〃　Fache　paused。　〃I　suspect　I　will　be　retiring　early。〃
　Aringarosa　smiled。　〃A　little　faith　can　do　wonders；　Captain。　A　little　faith。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　104
　
　Rosslyn　Chapel…often　called　the　Cathedral　of　Codes…stands　seven　miles　south　of　Edinburgh；　Scotland；　on　the　site　of　an　ancient　Mithraic　temple。　Built　by　the　Knights　Templar　in　1446；　the　chapel　is　engraved　with　a　mind…boggling　array　of　symbols　from　the　Jewish；　Christian；　Egyptian；　Masonic；　and　pagan　traditions。
　The　chapel's　geographic　coordinates　fall　precisely　on　the　north…south　meridian　that　runs　through　Glastonbury。　This　longitudinal　Rose　Line　is　the　traditional　marker　of　King　Arthur's　Isle　of　Avalon　and　is　considered　the　central　pillar　of　Britain's　sacred　geometry。　It　is　from　this　hallowed　Rose　Line　that　Rosslyn…originally　spelled　Roslin…takes　its　name。
　Rosslyn's　rugged　spires　were　casting　long　evening　shadows　as　Robert　Langdon　and　Sophie　Neveu　pulled　their　rental　car　into　the　grassy　parking　area　at　the　foot　of　the　bluff　on　which　the　chapel　stood。　Their　short　flight　from　London　to　Edinburgh　had　been　restful；　although　neither　of　them　had　slept　for　the　anticipation　of　what　lay　ahead。　Gazing　up　at　the　stark　edifice　framed　against　a　cloud…swept　sky；　Langdon　felt　like　Alice　falling　headlong　into　the　rabbit　hole。　This　must　be　a　dream。　And　yet　he　knew　the　text　of　Saunière's　final　message　could　not　have　been　more　specific。
　The　Holy　Grail　'neath　ancient　Roslin　waits。
　　
　Langdon　had　fantasized　that　Saunière's　〃Grail　map〃　would　be　a　diagram…a　drawing　with　an　X…marks…the…spot…and　yet　the　Priory's　final　secret　had　been　unveiled　in　the　same　way　Saunière　had　spoken　to　them　from　the　beginning。　Simple　verse。　Four　explicit　lines　that　pointed　without　a　doubt　to　this　very　spot。　In　addition　to　identifying　Rosslyn　by　name；　the　verse　made　reference　to　several　of　the　chapel's　renowned　architectural　features。
　Despite　the　clarity　of　Saunière's　final　revelation；　Langdon　had　been　left　feeling　more　off　balance　than　enlightened。　To　him；　Rosslyn　Chapel　seemed　far　too　obvious　a　location。　For　centuries；　this　stone　chapel　had　echoed　with　whispers　of　the　Holy　Grail's　presence。　The　whispers　had　turned　to　shouts　in　recent　decades　when　ground…penetrating　radar　revealed　the　presence　of　an　astonishing　structure　beneath　the　chapel…a　massive　subterranean　chamber。　Not　only　did　this　deep　vault　dwarf　the　chapel　atop　it；　but　it　appeared　to　have　no　entrance　or　exit。　Archaeologists　petitioned　to　begin　blasting　through　the　bedrock　to　reach　the　mysterious　chamber；　but　the　Rosslyn　Trust　expressly　forbade　any　excavation　of　the　sacred　site。　Of　course；　this　only　fueled　the　fires　of　speculation。　What　was　the　Rosslyn　Trust　trying　to　hide？
　Rosslyn　had　now　bee　a　pilgrimage　site　for　mystery　seekers。　Some　claimed　they　were　drawn　here　by　the　powerful　magnetic　field　that　emanated　inexplicably　from　these　coordinates；　some　claimed　they　came　to　search　the　hillside　for　a　hidden　entrance　to　the　vault；　but　most　admitted　they　had　e　simply　to　wander　the　grounds　and　absorb　the　lore　of　the　Holy　Grail。
　Although　Langdon　had　never　been　to　Rosslyn　before　now；　he　always　chuckled　when　he　heard　the　chapel　described　as　the　current　home　of　the　Holy　Grail。　Admittedly；　Rosslyn　once　might　have　been　home　to　the　Grail；　long　ago。。。　but　certainly　no　longer。　Far　too　much　attention　had　been　drawn　to　Rosslyn　in　past　decades；　and　sooner　or　later　someone　would　find　a　way　to　break　into　the　vault。
　True　Grail　academics　agreed　that　Rosslyn　was　a　decoy…one　of　the　devious　dead　ends　the　Priory　crafted　so　convincingly。　Tonight；　however；　with　the　Priory's　keystone　offering　a　verse　that　pointed　directly　to　this　spot；　Langdon　no　longer　felt　so　smug。　A　perplexing　question　had　been　running　through　his　mind　all　day：
　Why　would　Saunière　go　to　such　effort　to　guide　us　to　so　obvious　a　location？
　There　seemed　only　one　logical　answer。
　There　is　something　about　Rosslyn　we　have　yet　to　understand。
　〃Robert？〃　Sophie　was　standing　outside　the　car；　looking　back　at　him。　〃Are　you　corning？〃　She　was　holding　the　rosewood　box；　which　Captain　Fache　had　returned　to　them。　Inside；　both　cryptexes　had　been　reassembled　and　nested　as　they　had　been　found。　The　papyrus　verse　was　locked　safely　at　its　core…minus　the　shattered　vial　of　vinegar。
　Making　their　way　up　the　long　gravel　path；　Langdon　and　Sophie　passed　the　famous　west　wall　of　the　chapel。　Casual　visitors　assumed　this　oddly　protruding　wall　was　a　section　of　the　chapel　that　had　not　been　finished。　The　truth；　Langdon　recalled；　was　far　more　intriguing。
　The　west　wall　of　Solomon's　Temple。
　The　Knights　Templar　had　designed　Rosslyn　Chapel　as　an　exact　architectural　blueprint　of　Solomon's　Temple　in　Jerusalem…plete　with　a　west　wall；　a　narrow　rectangular　sanctuary；　and　a　subterranean　vault　like　the　Holy　of　Holies；　in　which　the　original　nine　knights　had　first　unearthed　their　priceless　treasure。　Langdon　had　to　admit；　there　existed　an　intriguing　symmetry　in　the　idea　of　the　Templars　building　a　modern　Grail　repository　that　echoed　the　Grail's　original　hiding　place。
　Rosslyn　Chapel's　entrance　was　more　modest　than　Langdon　expected。　The　small　wooden　door　had　two　iron　hinges　and　a　simple；　oak　sign。
　ROSLIN
　This　ancient　spelling；　Langdon　explained　to　Sophie；　derived　from　the　Rose　Line　meridian　on　which　the　chapel　sat；　or；　as　Grail　academics　preferred　to　believe；　from　the　〃Line　of　Rose〃…the　ancestral　lineage　of　Mary　Magdalene。
　The　chapel　would　be　closing　soon；　and　as　Langdon　pulled　open　the　door；　a　warm　puff　of　air　escaped；　as　if　the　ancient　edifice　were　heaving　a　weary　sigh　at　the　end　of　a　long　day。　Her　entry　arches　burgeoned　with　carved　cinquefoils。
　Roses。　The　womb　of　the　goddess。
　Entering　with　Sophie；　Langdon　felt　his　eyes　reaching　across　the　famous　sanctuary　and　taking　it　all　in。　Although　he　had　read　accounts　of　Rosslyn's　arrestingly　intricate　stonework；　seeing　it　in　person　was　an　overwhelming　encounter。
　Symbology　heaven；　one　of　Langdon's　colleagues　had　called　it。
　Every　surface　in　the　chapel　had　been　carved　with　symbols…Christian　cruciforms；　Jewish　stars；　Masonic　seals；　Templar　crosses；　cornucopias；　pyramids；　astrological　signs；　plants；　vegetables；　pentacles；　and　roses。　The　Knights　Templar　had　been　master　stonemasons；　erecting　Templar　churches　all　over　Europe；　but　Rosslyn　was　considered　their　most　sublime　labor　of　love　and　veneration。　The　master　masons　had　left　no　stone　uncarved。　Rosslyn　Chapel　was　a　shrine　to　all　faiths。。。　to　all　traditions。。。　and；　above　all；　to　nature　and　the　goddess。
　The　sanctuary　was　empty　except　for　a　handful　of　visitors　listening　to　a　young　man　giving　the　day's　last　tour。　He　was　leading　them　in　a　single…file　line　along　a　well…known　route　on　the　floor…an　invisible　pathway　linking　six　key　architectural　p