danbrown.thedavincicode-第23部分

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　in　front　of　the　painting。　She　waved　the　light　back　and　forth　across　the　bare　parquet。
　〃There's　nothing　here！〃
　At　that　moment；　Langdon　saw　a　faint　purple　glimmer　on　the　protective　glass　before　the　Mona　Lisa。　Reaching　down；　he　took　Sophie's　wrist　and　slowly　moved　the　light　up　to　the　painting　itself。
　They　both　froze。
　On　the　glass；　six　words　glowed　in　purple；　scrawled　directly　across　the　Mona　Lisa's　face。
　　
　CHAPTER　27
　
　Seated　at　Saunière's　desk；　Lieutenant　Collet　pressed　the　phone　to　his　ear　in　disbelief。　Did　I　hear　Fache　correctly？　〃A　bar　of　soap？　But　how　could　Langdon　have　known　about　the　GPS　dot？〃
　〃Sophie　Neveu；〃　Fache　replied。　〃She　told　him。〃
　〃What！　Why？〃
　〃Damned　good　question；　but　I　just　heard　a　recording　that　confirms　she　tipped　him　off。〃
　Collet　was　speechless。　What　was　Neveu　thinking？　Fache　had　proof　that　Sophie　had　interfered　with　a　DCPJ　sting　operation？　Sophie　Neveu　was　not　only　going　to　be　fired；　she　was　also　going　to　jail。　〃But；　Captain。。。　then　where　is　Langdon　now？〃
　〃Have　any　fire　alarms　gone　off　there？〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃And　no　one　has　e　out　under　the　Grand　Gallery　gate？〃
　〃No。　We've　got　a　Louvre　security　officer　on　the　gate。　Just　as　you　requested。〃
　〃Okay；　Langdon　must　still　be　inside　the　Grand　Gallery。〃
　〃Inside？　But　what　is　he　doing？〃
　〃Is　the　Louvre　security　guard　armed？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　He's　a　senior　warden。〃
　〃Send　him　in；〃　Fache　manded。　〃I　can't　get　my　men　back　to　the　perimeter　for　a　few　minutes；　and　I　don't　want　Langdon　breaking　for　an　exit。〃　Fache　paused。　〃And　you'd　better　tell　the　guard　Agent　Neveu　is　probably　in　there　with　him。〃
　〃Agent　Neveu　left；　I　thought。〃
　〃Did　you　actually　see　her　leave？〃
　〃No；　sir；　but…〃
　〃Well；　nobody　on　the　perimeter　saw　her　leave　either。　They　only　saw　her　go　in。〃
　Collet　was　flabbergasted　by　Sophie　Neveu's　bravado。　She's　still　inside　the　building？
　〃Handle　it；〃　Fache　ordered。　〃I　want　Langdon　and　Neveu　at　gunpoint　by　the　time　I　get　back。〃
　　
　As　the　Trailor　truck　drove　off；　Captain　Fache　rounded　up　his　men。　Robert　Langdon　had　proven　an　elusive　quarry　tonight；　and　with　Agent　Neveu　now　helping　him；　he　might　be　far　harder　to　corner　than　expected。
　Fache　decided　not　to　take　any　chances。
　Hedging　his　bets；　he　ordered　half　of　his　men　back　to　the　Louvre　perimeter。　The　other　half　he　sent　to　guard　the　only　location　in　Paris　where　Robert　Langdon　could　find　safe　harbor。
　　
　CHAPTER　28
　
　Inside　the　Salle　des　Etats；　Langdon　stared　in　astonishment　at　the　six　words　glowing　on　the　Plexiglas。　The　text　seemed　to　hover　in　space；　casting　a　jagged　shadow　across　Mona　Lisa's　mysterious　smile。
　〃The　Priory；〃　Langdon　whispered。　〃This　proves　your　grandfather　was　a　member！〃
　Sophie　looked　at　him　in　confusion。　〃You　understand　this？〃
　〃It's　flawless；〃　Langdon　said；　nodding　as　his　thoughts　churned。　〃It's　a　proclamation　of　one　of　the　Priory's　most　fundamental　philosophies！〃
　Sophie　looked　baffled　in　the　glow　of　the　message　scrawled　across　the　Mona　Lisa's　face。
　SO　DARK　THE　CON　OF　MAN
　　
　〃Sophie；〃　Langdon　said；　〃the　Priory's　tradition　of　perpetuating　goddess　worship　is　based　on　a　belief　that　powerful　men　in　the　early　Christian　church　'conned'　the　world　by　propagating　lies　that　devalued　the　female　and　tipped　the　scales　in　favor　of　the　masculine。〃
　Sophie　remained　silent；　staring　at　the　words。
　〃The　Priory　believes　that　Constantine　and　his　male　successors　successfully　converted　the　world　from　matriarchal　paganism　to　patriarchal　Christianity　by　waging　a　campaign　of　propaganda　that　demonized　the　sacred　feminine；　obliterating　the　goddess　from　modern　religion　forever。〃
　Sophie's　expression　remained　uncertain。　〃My　grandfather　sent　me　to　this　spot　to　find　this。　He　must　be　trying　to　tell　me　more　than　that。〃
　Langdon　understood　her　meaning。　She　thinks　this　is　another　code。　Whether　a　hidden　meaning　existed　here　or　not；　Langdon　could　not　immediately　say。　His　mind　was　still　grappling　with　the　bold　clarity　of　Saunière's　outward　message。
　So　dark　the　con　of　man；　he　thought。　So　dark　indeed。
　Nobody　could　deny　the　enormous　good　the　modern　Church　did　in　today's　troubled　world；　and　yet　the　Church　had　a　deceitful　and　violent　history。　Their　brutal　crusade　to　〃reeducate〃　the　pagan　and　feminine…worshipping　religions　spanned　three　centuries；　employing　methods　as　inspired　as　they　were　horrific。
　The　Catholic　Inquisition　published　the　book　that　arguably　could　be　called　the　most　blood…soaked　publication　in　human　history。　Malleus　Maleficarum…or　The　Witches'　Hammer…indoctrinated　the　world　to　〃the　dangers　of　freethinking　women〃　and　instructed　the　clergy　how　to　locate；　torture；　and　destroy　them。　Those　deemed　〃witches〃　by　the　Church　included　all　female　scholars；　priestesses；　gypsies；　mystics；　nature　lovers；　herb　gatherers；　and　any　women　〃suspiciously　attuned　to　the　natural　world。〃　Midwives　also　were　killed　for　their　heretical　practice　of　using　medical　knowledge　to　ease　the　pain　of　childbirth…a　suffering；　the　Church　claimed；　that　was　God's　rightful　punishment　for　Eve's　partaking　of　the　Apple　of　Knowledge；　thus　giving　birth　to　the　idea　of　Original　Sin。　During　three　hundred　years　of　witch　hunts；　the　Church　burned　at　the　stake　an　astounding　five　million　women。
　The　propaganda　and　bloodshed　had　worked。
　Today's　world　was　living　proof。
　Women；　once　celebrated　as　an　essential　half　of　spiritual　enlightenment；　had　been　banished　from　the　temples　of　the　world。　There　were　no　female　Orthodox　rabbis；　Catholic　priests；　nor　Islamic　clerics。　The　once　hallowed　act　of　Hieros　Gamos…the　natural　sexual　union　between　man　and　woman　through　which　each　became　spiritually　whole…had　been　recast　as　a　shameful　act。　Holy　men　who　had　once　required　sexual　union　with　their　female　counterparts　to　mune　with　God　now　feared　their　natural　sexual　urges　as　the　work　of　the　devil；　collaborating　with　his　favorite　acplice。。。　woman。
　Not　even　the　feminine　association　with　the　left…hand　side　could　escape　the　Church's　defamation。　In　France　and　Italy；　the　words　for　〃left〃…gauche　and　sinistra…came　to　have　deeply　negative　overtones；　while　their　right…hand　counterparts　rang　of　righteousness；　dexterity；　and　correctness。　To　this　day；　radical　thought　was　considered　left　wing；　irrational　thought　was　left　brain；　and　anything　evil；　sinister。
　The　days　of　the　goddess　were　over。　The　pendulum　had　swung。　Mother　Earth　had　bee　a　man's　world；　and　the　gods　of　destruction　and　war　were　taking　their　toll。　The　male　ego　had　spent　two　millennia　running　unchecked　by　its　female　counterpart。　The　Priory　of　Sion　believed　that　it　was　this　obliteration　of　the　sacred　feminine　in　modern　life　that　had　caused　what　the　Hopi　Native　Americans　called　koyanisquatsi…〃life　out　of　balance〃…an　unstable　situation　marked　by　testosterone…fueled　wars；　a　plethora　of　misogynistic　societies；　and　a　growing　disrespect　for　Mother　Earth。
　〃Robert！〃　Sophie　said；　her　whisper　yanking　him　back。　〃Someone's　ing！〃
　He　heard　the　approaching　footsteps　out　in　the　hallway。
　〃Over　here！〃　Sophie　extinguished　the　black　light　and　seemed　to　evaporate　before　Langdon's　eyes。
　For　an　instant　he　felt　totally　blind。　Over　where！　As　his　vision　cleared　he　saw　Sophie's　silhouette　racing　toward　the　center　of　the　room　and　ducking　out　of　sight　behind　the　octagonal　viewing　bench。　He　was　about　to　dash　after　her　when　a　booming　voice　stopped　him　cold。
　〃Arrêtez！〃　a　man　manded　from　the　doorway。
　The　Louvre　security　agent　advanced　through　the　entrance　to　the　Salle　des　Etats；　his　pistol　outstretched；　taking　deadly　aim　at　Langdon's　chest。
　Langdon　felt　his　arms　raise　instinctively　for　the　ceiling。
　〃Couchez…vous！〃　the　guard　manded。　〃Lie　down！〃
　Langdon　was　face　first　on　the　floor　in　a　matter　of　seconds。　The　guard　hurried　over　and　kicked　his　legs　apart；　spreading　Langdon　out。
　〃Mauvaise　idée；　Monsieur　Langdon；〃　he　said；　pressing　the　gun　hard　into　Langdon's　back。　〃Mauvaise　idée。〃
　Face　down　on　the　parquet　floor　with　his　arms　and　legs　spread　wide；　Langdon　found　little　humor　in　the　irony　of　his　position。　The　Vitruvian　Man；　he　thought。　Face　down。
　　
　CHAPTER　29
　
　Inside　Saint…Sulpice；　Silas　carried　the　heavy　iron　votive　candle　holder　from　the　altar　back　toward　the　obelisk。　The　shaft　would　do　nicely　as　a　battering　ram。　Eyeing　the　gray　marble　panel　that　covered　the　apparent　hollow　in　the　floor；　he　realized　he　could　not　possibly　shatter　the　covering　without　making　considerable　noise。
　Iron　on　marble。　It　would　echo　off　the　vaulted　ceilings。
　Would　the　nun　hear　him？　She　should　be　asleep　by　now。　Even　so；　it　was　a　chance　Silas　preferred　not　to　take。　Looking　around　for　a　cloth　to　wrap　around　the　tip　of　the　iron　pole；　he　saw　nothing　except　the　altar's　linen　mantle；　which　he　refused　to　defile。　My　cloak；　he　thought。　Knowing　he　was　alone　in　the　great　church；　Silas　untied　his　cloak　and　slipped　it　off　his　body。　As　he　removed　it；　he　felt　a　sting　as　the　wool　fibers　stuck　to　the　fresh　wounds　on　his　back。
　Naked　now；　except　for　his　loin　swaddle；　Silas　wrapped　his　cloak　over　the　end　of　the　iron　rod。　Then；　aiming　at　the　center　of　the　floor　tile；　he　drove　the　tip　into　it。　A　muffled　thud。　The　stone　did　not　break。　He　drove　the　pole　into　it　again。　Again　a　dull　thud；　but　this　time　acpanied　by　a　crack。　On　the　third　swing；　the　covering　finally　shattered；　and　stone　shards　fell　into　a　hollow　area　beneath　the　floor。
　A　partment！
　Quickly　pulling　the　remaining　pieces　from　the　opening；　Silas　gazed　into　the　void。　His　blood　pounded　as　he　knelt　down　before　it。　Raising　his　pale　bare　arm；　he　reached　inside。
　At　first　he　felt　nothing。　The　floor　of　the　partment　was　bare；　smooth　stone。　Then；　feeling　deeper；　reaching　his　arm　in　under　the　Rose　Line；　he　touched　something！　A　thick　stone　tablet。　Getting　his　fingers　around　the　edge；　he　gripped　it　and　gently　lifted　the　tablet　out。　As　he　stood　and　examined　his　find；　he　realized　he　was　holding　a　rough…hewn　stone　slab　with　engraved　words。　He　felt　for　an　instant　like　a　modern…day　Moses。
　As　Silas　read　the　words　on　the　tablet；　he　felt　surprise。　He　had　expected　the　keystone　to　be　a　map；　or　a　plex　series　of　directions；　perhaps　even　encoded。　The　keystone；　however；　bore　the　simplest　of　inscriptions。
　Job　38：11
　A　Bible　verse？　Silas　was　stunned　with　the　devilish　simplicity。　The　secret　location　of　that　which　they　sought　was　revealed　in　a　Bib