danbrown.thedavincicode-第91节

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small　rise　on　the　bluff。　From　here；　the　Scottish　countryside　spread　out　before　them；　suffused　in　a　pale　moonlight　that　sifted　through　the　departing　clouds。　They　stood　in　silence；　holding　hands；　both　of　them　fighting　the　descending　shroud　of　exhaustion。
　The　stars　were　just　now　appearing；　but　to　the　east；　a　single　point　of　light　glowed　brighter　than　any　other。　Langdon　smiled　when　he　saw　it。　It　was　Venus。　The　ancient　Goddess　shining　down　with　her　steady　and　patient　light。
　The　night　was　growing　cooler；　a　crisp　breeze　rolling　up　from　the　lowlands。　After　a　while；　Langdon　looked　over　at　Sophie。　Her　eyes　were　closed；　her　lips　relaxed　in　a　contented　smile。　Langdon　could　feel　his　own　eyes　growing　heavy。　Reluctantly；　he　squeezed　her　hand。　〃Sophie？〃
　Slowly；　she　opened　her　eyes　and　turned　to　him。　Her　face　was　beautiful　in　the　moonlight。　She　gave　him　a　sleepy　smile。　〃Hi。〃
　Langdon　felt　an　unexpected　sadness　to　realize　he　would　be　returning　to　Paris　without　her。　〃I　may　be　gone　before　you　wake　up。〃　He　paused；　a　knot　growing　in　his　throat。　〃I'm　sorry；　I'm　not　very　good　at…〃
　Sophie　reached　out　and　placed　her　soft　hand　on　the　side　of　his　face。　Then；　leaning　forward；　she　kissed　him　tenderly　on　the　cheek。　〃When　can　I　see　you　again？〃
　Langdon　reeled　momentarily；　lost　in　her　eyes。　〃When？〃　He　paused；　curious　if　she　had　any　idea　how　much　he　had　been　wondering　the　same　thing。　〃Well；　actually；　next　month　I'm　lecturing　at　a　conference　in　Florence。　I'll　be　there　a　week　without　much　to　do。〃
　〃Is　that　an　invitation？〃
　〃We'd　be　living　in　luxury。　They're　giving　me　a　room　at　the　Brunelleschi。〃
　Sophie　smiled　playfully。　〃You　presume　a　lot；　Mr。　Langdon。〃
　He　cringed　at　how　it　had　sounded。　〃What　I　meant…〃
　〃I　would　love　nothing　more　than　to　meet　you　in　Florence；　Robert。　But　on　one　condition。〃　Her　tone　turned　serious。　〃No　museums；　no　churches；　no　tombs；　no　art；　no　relics。〃
　〃In　Florence？　For　a　week？　There's　nothing　else　to　do。〃
　Sophie　leaned　forward　and　kissed　him　again；　now　on　the　lips。　Their　bodies　came　together；　softly　at　first；　and　then　pletely。　When　she　pulled　away；　her　eyes　were　full　of　promise。
　〃Right；〃　Langdon　managed。　〃It's　a　date。〃
　　
　Epilogue
　
　Robert　Langdon　awoke　with　a　start。　He　had　been　dreaming。　The　bathrobe　beside　his　bed　bore　the　monogram　HOTEL　RITZ　PARIS。　He　saw　a　dim　light　filtering　through　the　blinds。　Is　it　dusk　or　dawn？　he　wondered。
　Langdon's　body　felt　warm　and　deeply　contented。　He　had　slept　the　better　part　of　the　last　two　days。　Sitting　up　slowly　in　bed；　he　now　realized　what　had　awoken　him。。。　the　strangest　thought。　For　days　he　had　been　trying　to　sort　through　a　barrage　of　information；　but　now　Langdon　found　himself　fixed　on　something　he'd　not　considered　before。
　Could　it　be？
　He　remained　motionless　a　long　moment。
　Getting　out　of　bed；　he　walked　to　the　marble　shower。　Stepping　inside；　he　let　the　powerful　jets　message　his　shoulders。　Still；　the　thought　enthralled　him。
　Impossible。
　Twenty　minutes　later；　Langdon　stepped　out　of　the　Hotel　Ritz　into　Place　Vend？me。　Night　was　falling。　The　days　of　sleep　had　left　him　disoriented。。。　and　yet　his　mind　felt　oddly　lucid。　He　had　promised　himself　he　would　stop　in　the　hotel　lobby　for　a　cafe　au　lait　to　clear　his　thoughts；　but　instead　his　legs　carried　him　directly　out　the　front　door　into　the　gathering　Paris　night。
　Walking　east　on　Rue　des　Petits　Champs；　Langdon　felt　a　growing　excitement。　He　turned　south　onto　Rue　Richelieu；　where　the　air　grew　sweet　with　the　scent　of　blossoming　jasmine　from　the　stately　gardens　of　the　Palais　Royal。
　He　continued　south　until　he　saw　what　he　was　looking　for…the　famous　royal　arcade…a　glistening　expanse　of　polished　black　marble。　Moving　onto　it；　Langdon　scanned　the　surface　beneath　his　feet。　Within　seconds；　he　found　what　he　knew　was　there…several　bronze　medallions　embedded　in　the　ground　in　a　perfectly　straight　line。　Each　disk　was　five　inches　in　diameter　and　embossed　with　the　letters　N　and　S。
　Nord。　Sud。
　He　turned　due　south；　letting　his　eye　trace　the　extended　line　formed　by　the　medallions。　He　began　moving　again；　following　the　trail；　watching　the　pavement　as　he　walked。　As　he　cut　across　the　corner　of　the　édie…Fran？aise；　another　bronze　medallion　passed　beneath　his　feet。　Yes！
　The　streets　of　Paris；　Langdon　had　learned　years　ago；　were　adorned　with　135　of　these　bronze　markers；　embedded　in　sidewalks；　courtyards；　and　streets；　on　a　north…south　axis　across　the　city。　He　had　once　followed　the　line　from　Sacré…Coeur；　north　across　the　Seine；　and　finally　to　the　ancient　Paris　Observatory。　There　he　discovered　the　significance　of　the　sacred　path　it　traced。
　The　earth's　original　prime　meridian。
　The　first　zero　longitude　of　the　world。
　Paris's　ancient　Rose　Line。
　Now；　as　Langdon　hurried　across　Rue　de　Rivoli；　he　could　feel　his　destination　within　reach。　Less　than　a　block　away。
　The　Holy　Grail　'neath　ancient　Roslin　waits。
　　
　The　revelations　were　ing　now　in　waves。　Saunière's　ancient　spelling　of　Roslin。。。　the　blade　and　chalice。。。　the　tomb　adorned　with　masters'　art。
　Is　that　why　Saunière　needed　to　talk　with　me？　Had　I　unknowingly　guessed　the　truth？
　He　broke　into　a　jog；　feeling　the　Rose　Line　beneath　his　feet；　guiding　him；　pulling　him　toward　his　destination。　As　he　entered　the　long　tunnel　of　Passage　Richelieu；　the　hairs　on　his　neck　began　to　bristle　with　anticipation。　He　knew　that　at　the　end　of　this　tunnel　stood　the　most　mysterious　of　Parisian　monuments…conceived　and　missioned　in　the　1980s　by　the　Sphinx　himself；　Fran？ois　Mitterrand；　a　man　rumored　to　move　in　secret　circles；　a　man　whose　final　legacy　to　Paris　was　a　place　Langdon　had　visited　only　days　before。
　Another　lifetime。
　With　a　final　surge　of　energy；　Langdon　burst　from　the　passageway　into　the　familiar　courtyard　and　came　to　a　stop。　Breathless；　he　raised　his　eyes；　slowly；　disbelieving；　to　the　glistening　structure　in　front　of　him。
　The　Louvre　Pyramid。
　Gleaming　in　the　darkness。
　He　admired　it　only　a　moment。　He　was　more　interested　in　what　lay　to　his　right。　Turning；　he　felt　his　feet　again　tracing　the　invisible　path　of　the　ancient　Rose　Line；　carrying　him　across　the　courtyard　to　the　Carrousel　du　Louvre…the　enormous　circle　of　grass　surrounded　by　a　perimeter　of　neatly　trimmed　hedges…once　the　site　of　Paris's　primeval　nature…worshipping　festivals。。。　joyous　rites　to　celebrate　fertility　and　the　Goddess。
　Langdon　felt　as　if　he　were　crossing　into　another　world　as　he　stepped　over　the　bushes　to　the　grassy　area　within。　This　hallowed　ground　was　now　marked　by　one　of　the　city's　most　unusual　monuments。　There　in　the　center；　plunging　into　the　earth　like　a　crystal　chasm；　gaped　the　giant　inverted　pyramid　of　glass　that　he　had　seen　a　few　nights　ago　when　he　entered　the　Louvre's　subterranean　entresol。
　La　Pyramide　Inversée。
　Tremulous；　Langdon　walked　to　the　edge　and　peered　down　into　the　Louvre's　sprawling　underground　plex；　aglow　with　amber　light。　His　eye　was　trained　not　just　on　the　massive　inverted　pyramid；　but　on　what　lay　directly　beneath　it。　There；　on　the　floor　of　the　chamber　below；　stood　the　tiniest　of　structures。。。　a　structure　Langdon　had　mentioned　in　his　manuscript。
　Langdon　felt　himself　awaken　fully　now　to　the　thrill　of　unthinkable　possibility。　Raising　his　eyes　again　to　the　Louvre；　he　sensed　the　huge　wings　of　the　museum　enveloping　him。。。　hallways　that　burgeoned　with　the　world's　finest　art。
　Da　Vinci。。。　Botticelli。。。
　Adorned　in　masters'　loving　art；　She　lies。
　　
　Alive　with　wonder；　he　stared　once　again　downward　through　the　glass　at　the　tiny　structure　below。
　I　must　go　down　there！
　Stepping　out　of　the　circle；　he　hurried　across　the　courtyard　back　toward　the　towering　pyramid　entrance　of　the　Louvre。　The　day's　last　visitors　were　trickling　out　of　the　museum。
　Pushing　through　the　revolving　door；　Langdon　descended　the　curved　staircase　into　the　pyramid。　He　could　feel　the　air　grow　cooler。　When　he　reached　the　bottom；　he　entered　the　long　tunnel　that　stretched　beneath　the　Louvre's　courtyard；　back　toward　La　Pyramide　Inversée。
　At　the　end　of　the　tunnel；　he　emerged　into　a　large　chamber。　Directly　before　him；　hanging　down　from　above；　gleamed　the　inverted　pyramid…a　breathtaking　V…shaped　contour　of　glass。
　The　Chalice。
　Langdon's　eyes　traced　its　narrowing　form　downward　to　its　tip；　suspended　only　six　feet　above　the　floor。　There；　directly　beneath　it；　stood　the　tiny　structure。
　A　miniature　pyramid。　Only　three　feet　tall。　The　only　structure　in　this　colossal　plex　that　had　been　built　on　a　small　scale。
　Langdon's　manuscript；　while　discussing　the　Louvre's　elaborate　collection　of　goddess　art；　had　made　passing　note　of　this　modest　pyramid。　〃The　miniature　structure　itself　protrudes　up　through　the　floor　as　though　it　were　the　tip　of　an　iceberg…the　apex；　of　an　enormous；　pyramidical　vault；　submerged　below　like　a　hidden　chamber。〃
　Illuminated　in　the　soft　lights　of　the　deserted　entresol；　the　two　pyramids　pointed　at　one　another；　their　bodies　perfectly　aligned；　their　tips　almost　touching。
　The　Chalice　above。　The　Blade　below。
　The　blade　and　chalice　guarding　o'er　Her　gates。
　　
　Langdon　heard　Marie　Chauvel's　words。　One　day　it　will　dawn　on　you。
　He　was　standing　beneath　the　ancient　Rose　Line；　surrounded　by　the　work　of　masters。　What　better　place　for　Saunière　to　keep　watch？　Now　at　last；　he　sensed　he　understoo