danbrown.thedavincicode-第14部分

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　〃Hold　on。　You're　saying　the　curator　knew　your　favorite　piece　of　art？〃　She　nodded。　〃I'm　sorry。　This　is　all　ing　out　of　order。　Jacques　Saunière　and　I。。。〃
　Sophie's　voice　caught；　and　Langdon　heard　a　sudden　melancholy　there；　a　painful　past；　simmering　just　below　the　surface。　Sophie　and　Jacques　Saunière　apparently　had　some　kind　of　special　relationship。　Langdon　studied　the　beautiful　young　woman　before　him；　well　aware　that　aging　men　in　France　often　took　young　mistresses。　Even　so；　Sophie　Neveu　as　a　〃kept　woman〃　somehow　didn't　seem　to　fit。
　〃We　had　a　falling…out　ten　years　ago；〃　Sophie　said；　her　voice　a　whisper　now。　〃We've　barely　spoken　since。　Tonight；　when　Crypto　got　the　call　that　he　had　been　murdered；　and　I　saw　the　images　of　his　body　and　text　on　the　floor；　I　realized　he　was　trying　to　send　me　a　message。〃
　〃Because　of　The　Vitruvian　Man？〃
　〃Yes。　And　the　letters　P。S。〃
　〃Post　Script？〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃P。S。　are　my　initials。〃
　〃But　your　name　is　Sophie　Neveu。〃
　She　looked　away。　〃P。S。　is　the　nickname　he　called　me　when　I　lived　with　him。〃　She　blushed。　〃It　stood　for　Princesse　Sophie〃
　Langdon　had　no　response。
　〃Silly；　I　know；〃　she　said。　〃But　it　was　years　ago。　When　I　was　a　little　girl。〃
　〃You　knew　him　when　you　were　a　little　girl？〃
　〃Quite　well；〃　she　said；　her　eyes　welling　now　with　emotion。　〃Jacques　Saunière　was　my　grandfather。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　14
　
　〃Where's　Langdon？〃　Fache　demanded；　exhaling　the　last　of　a　cigarette　as　he　paced　back　into　the　mand　post。
　〃Still　in　the　men's　room；　sir。〃　Lieutenant　Collet　had　been　expecting　the　question。
　Fache　grumbled；　〃Taking　his　time；　I　see。〃
　The　captain　eyed　the　GPS　dot　over　Collet's　shoulder；　and　Collet　could　almost　hear　the　wheels　turning。　Fache　was　fighting　the　urge　to　go　check　on　Langdon。　Ideally；　the　subject　of　an　observation　was　allowed　the　most　time　and　freedom　possible；　lulling　him　into　a　false　sense　of　security。　Langdon　needed　to　return　of　his　own　volition。　Still；　it　had　been　almost　ten　minutes。
　Too　long。
　〃Any　chance　Langdon　is　onto　us？〃　Fache　asked。
　Collet　shook　his　head。　〃We're　still　seeing　small　movements　inside　the　men's　room；　so　the　GPS　dot　is　obviously　still　on　him。　Perhaps　he　feels　ill？　If　he　had　found　the　dot；　he　would　have　removed　it　and　tried　to　run。〃
　Fache　checked　his　watch。　〃Fine。〃
　Still　Fache　seemed　preoccupied。　All　evening；　Collet　had　sensed　an　atypical　intensity　in　his　captain。　Usually　detached　and　cool　under　pressure；　Fache　tonight　seemed　emotionally　engaged；　as　if　this　were　somehow　a　personal　matter　for　him。
　Not　surprising；　Collet　thought。　Fache　needs　this　arrest　desperately。　Recently　the　Board　of　Ministers　and　the　media　had　bee　more　openly　critical　of　Fache's　aggressive　tactics；　his　clashes　with　powerful　foreign　embassies；　and　his　gross　overbudgeting　on　new　technologies。　Tonight；　a　high…tech；　high…profile　arrest　of　an　American　would　go　a　long　way　to　silence　Fache's　critics；　helping　him　secure　the　job　a　few　more　years　until　he　could　retire　with　the　lucrative　pension。　God　knows　he　needs　the　pension；　Collet　thought。　Fache's　zeal　for　technology　had　hurt　him　both　professionally　and　personally。　Fache　was　rumored　to　have　invested　his　entire　savings　in　the　technology　craze　a　few　years　back　and　lost　his　shirt。　And　Fache　is　a　man　who　wears　only　the　finest　shirts。
　Tonight；　there　was　still　plenty　of　time。　Sophie　Neveu's　odd　interruption；　though　unfortunate；　had　been　only　a　minor　wrinkle。　She　was　gone　now；　and　Fache　still　had　cards　to　play。　He　had　yet　to　inform　Langdon　that　his　name　had　been　scrawled　on　the　floor　by　the　victim。　P。S。　Find　Robert　Langdon。　The　American's　reaction　to　that　little　bit　of　evidence　would　be　telling　indeed。
　〃Captain？〃　one　of　the　DCPJ　agents　now　called　from　across　the　office。　〃I　think　you　better　take　this　call。〃　He　was　holding　out　a　telephone　receiver；　looking　concerned。
　〃Who　is　it？〃　Fache　said。
　The　agent　frowned。　〃It's　the　director　of　our　Cryptology　Department。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃It's　about　Sophie　Neveu；　sir。　Something　is　not　quite　right。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　15
　
　It　was　time。
　Silas　felt　strong　as　he　stepped　from　the　black　Audi；　the　nighttime　breeze　rustling　his　loose…fitting　robe。　The　winds　of　change　are　in　the　air。　He　knew　the　task　before　him　would　require　more　finesse　than　force；　and　he　left　his　handgun　in　the　car。　The　thirteen…round　Heckler　Koch　USP　40　had　been　provided　by　the　Teacher。
　A　weapon　of　death　has　no　place　in　a　house　of　God。
　The　plaza　before　the　great　church　was　deserted　at　this　hour；　the　only　visible　souls　on　the　far　side　of　Place　Saint…Sulpice　a　couple　of　teenage　hookers　showing　their　wares　to　the　late　night　tourist　traffic。　Their　nubile　bodies　sent　a　familiar　longing　to　Silas's　loins。　His　thigh　flexed　instinctively；　causing　the　barbed　cilice　belt　to　cut　painfully　into　his　flesh。
　The　lust　evaporated　instantly。　For　ten　years　now；　Silas　had　faithfully　denied　himself　all　sexual　indulgence；　even　self…administered。　It　was　The　Way。　He　knew　he　had　sacrificed　much　to　follow　Opus　Dei；　but　he　had　received　much　more　in　return。　A　vow　of　celibacy　and　the　relinquishment　of　all　personal　assets　hardly　seemed　a　sacrifice。　Considering　the　poverty　from　which　he　had　e　and　the　sexual　horrors　he　had　endured　in　prison；　celibacy　was　a　wele　change。
　Now；　having　returned　to　France　for　the　first　time　since　being　arrested　and　shipped　to　prison　in　Andorra；　Silas　could　feel　his　homeland　testing　him；　dragging　violent　memories　from　his　redeemed　soul。　You　have　been　reborn；　he　reminded　himself。　His　service　to　God　today　had　required　the　sin　of　murder；　and　it　was　a　sacrifice　Silas　knew　he　would　have　to　hold　silently　in　his　heart　for　all　eternity。
　The　measure　of　your　faith　is　the　measure　of　the　pain　you　can　endure；　the　Teacher　had　told　him。　Silas　was　no　stranger　to　pain　and　felt　eager　to　prove　himself　to　the　Teacher；　the　one　who　had　assured　him　his　actions　were　ordained　by　a　higher　power。
　〃Hago　la　obra　de　Dios；〃　Silas　whispered；　moving　now　toward　the　church　entrance。
　Pausing　in　the　shadow　of　the　massive　doorway；　he　took　a　deep　breath。　It　was　not　until　this　instant　that　he　truly　realized　what　he　was　about　to　do；　and　what　awaited　him　inside。
　The　keystone。　It　will　lead　us　to　our　final　goal。
　He　raised　his　ghost…white　fist　and　banged　three　times　on　the　door。
　Moments　later；　the　bolts　of　the　enormous　wooden　portal　began　to　move。
　　
　CHAPTER　16
　
　Sophie　wondered　how　long　it　would　take　Fache　to　figure　out　she　had　not　left　the　building。　Seeing　that　Langdon　was　clearly　overwhelmed；　Sophie　questioned　whether　she　had　done　the　right　thing　by　cornering　him　here　in　the　men's　room。
　What　else　was　I　supposed　to　do？
　She　pictured　her　grandfather's　body；　naked　and　spread…eagle　on　the　floor。　There　was　a　time　when　he　had　meant　the　world　to　her；　yet　tonight；　Sophie　was　surprised　to　feel　almost　no　sadness　for　the　man。　Jacques　Saunière　was　a　stranger　to　her　now。　Their　relationship　had　evaporated　in　a　single　instant　one　March　night　when　she　was　twenty…two。　Ten　years　ago。　Sophie　had　e　home　a　few　days　early　from　graduate　university　in　England　and　mistakenly　witnessed　her　grandfather　engaged　in　something　Sophie　was　obviously　not　supposed　to　see。　It　was　an　image　she　barely　could　believe　to　this　day。
　If　I　hadn't　seen　it　with　my　own　eyes。。。
　Too　ashamed　and　stunned　to　endure　her　grandfather's　pained　attempts　to　explain；　Sophie　immediately　moved　out　on　her　own；　taking　money　she　had　saved；　and　getting　a　small　flat　with　some　roommates。　She　vowed　never　to　speak　to　anyone　about　what　she　had　seen。　Her　grandfather　tried　desperately　to　reach　her；　sending　cards　and　letters；　begging　Sophie　to　meet　him　so　he　could　explain。　Explain　how！？　Sophie　never　responded　except　once…to　forbid　him　ever　to　call　her　or　try　to　meet　her　in　public。　She　was　afraid　his　explanation　would　be　more　terrifying　than　the　incident　itself。
　Incredibly；　Saunière　had　never　given　up　on　her；　and　Sophie　now　possessed　a　decade's　worth　of　correspondence　unopened　in　a　dresser　drawer。　To　her　grandfather's　credit；　he　had　never　once　disobeyed　her　request　and　phoned　her。
　Until　this　afternoon。
　〃Sophie？〃　His　voice　had　sounded　startlingly　old　on　her　answering　machine。　〃I　have　abided　by　your　wishes　for　so　long。。。　and　it　pains　me　to　call；　but　I　must　speak　to　you。　Something　terrible　has　happened。〃
　Standing　in　the　kitchen　of　her　Paris　flat；　Sophie　felt　a　chill　to　hear　him　again　after　all　these　years。　His　gentle　voice　brought　back　a　flood　of　fond　childhood　memories。
　〃Sophie；　please　listen。〃　He　was　speaking　English　to　her；　as　he　always　did　when　she　was　a　little　girl。　Practice　French　at　school。　Practice　English　at　home。　〃You　cannot　be　mad　forever。　Have　you　not　read　the　letters　that　I've　sent　all　these　years？　Do　you　not　yet　understand？〃　He　paused。　〃We　must　speak　at　once。　Please　grant　your　grandfather　this　one　wish。　Call　me　at　the　Louvre。　Right　away。　I　believe　you　and　I　are　in　grave　danger。〃　Sophie　stared　at　the　answering　machine。　Danger？　What　was　he　talking　about？
　〃Princess。。。〃　Her　grandfather's　voice　cracked　with　an　emotion　Sophie　could　not　place。　〃I　know　I've　kept　things　from　you；　and　I　know　it　has　cost　me　your　love。　But　it　was　for　your　own　safety。　Now　you　must　know　the　truth。　Please；　I　must　tell　you　the　truth　about　your　family。〃
　Sophie　suddenly　could　hear　her　own　heart。　My　family？　Sophie's　parents　had　died　when　she　was　only　four。　Their　car　went　off　a　bridge　into　fast…moving　water。　Her　grandmother　and　younger　brother　had　also　been　in　the　car；　and　Sophie's　entire　family　had　been　erased　in　an　instant。　She　had　a　box　of　newspaper　clippings　to　confirm　it。
　His　words　had　sent　an　unexpected　surge　of　longing　through　her　bones。　My　family！　In　that　fleeting　instant；　Sophie　saw　images　from　the　dream　that　had　awoken　her　countless　times　when　she　was　a　little　girl：　My　family　is　alive！　They　are　ing　home！　But；　as　in　her　dream；　the　pictures　evaporated　into　oblivion。
　Your　family　is　dead；　Sophie。　They　are　not　ing　home。
　〃Sophie。。。〃　her　grandfather　said　on　the　machine。　〃I　have　been　waiting　for　years　to　tell　you。　Waiting　for　the　right　moment；　but　now　time　has　run　out。　Call　me　at　the　Louvre。　As　soon　as　you　get　this。　I'll　wait　here　all　night。　I　fear　we　both　may　be　in　danger。　There's　so　much　you　need　to　know。〃
　The　message　ended。
　In　the　silence；　Sophie　stood　trembling　for　wh