danbrown.thedavincicode-第31部分

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。。。〃　the　radio　crackled。　〃Et　un　Américain；　Robert　Langdon。。。〃
　Langdon's　muscles　turned　rigid。　They　found　us　already？
　〃Descendez；〃　Sophie　demanded。
　The　trembling　driver　kept　his　arms　over　his　head　as　he　got　out　of　his　taxi　and　took　several　steps　backward。
　Sophie　had　rolled　down　her　window　and　now　aimed　the　gun　outside　at　the　bewildered　cabbie。　〃Robert；〃　she　said　quietly；　〃take　the　wheel。　You're　driving。〃
　Langdon　was　not　about　to　argue　with　a　woman　wielding　a　gun。　He　climbed　out　of　the　car　and　jumped　back　in　behind　the　wheel。　The　driver　was　yelling　curses；　his　arms　still　raised　over　his　head。
　〃Robert；〃　Sophie　said　from　the　back　seat；　〃I　trust　you've　seen　enough　of　our　magic　forest？〃
　He　nodded。　Plenty。
　〃Good。　Drive　us　out　of　here。〃
　Langdon　looked　down　at　the　car's　controls　and　hesitated。　Shit。　He　groped　for　the　stick　shift　and　clutch。　〃Sophie？　Maybe　you…〃
　〃Go！〃　she　yelled。
　Outside；　several　hookers　were　walking　over　to　see　what　was　going　on。　One　woman　was　placing　a　call　on　her　cell　phone。　Langdon　depressed　the　clutch　and　jostled　the　stick　into　what　he　hoped　was　first　gear。　He　touched　the　accelerator；　testing　the　gas。
　Langdon　popped　the　clutch。　The　tires　howled　as　the　taxi　leapt　forward；　fishtailing　wildly　and　sending　the　gathering　crowd　diving　for　cover。　The　woman　with　the　cell　phone　leapt　into　the　woods；　only　narrowly　avoiding　being　run　down。
　〃Doucement！〃　Sophie　said；　as　the　car　lurched　down　the　road。　〃What　are　you　doing？〃
　〃I　tried　to　warn　you；〃　he　shouted　over　the　sound　of　gnashing　gears。　〃I　drive　an　automatic！〃
　　
　CHAPTER　39
　
　Although　the　spartan　room　in　the　brownstone　on　Rue　La　Bruyère　had　witnessed　a　lot　of　suffering；　Silas　doubted　anything　could　match　the　anguish　now　gripping　his　pale　body。　I　was　deceived。　Everything　is　lost。
　Silas　had　been　tricked。　The　brothers　had　lied；　choosing　death　instead　of　revealing　their　true　secret。　Silas　did　not　have　the　strength　to　call　the　Teacher。　Not　only　had　Silas　killed　the　only　four　people　who　knew　where　the　keystone　was　hidden；　he　had　killed　a　nun　inside　Saint…Sulpice。　She　was　working　against　God！　She　scorned　the　work　of　Opus　Dei！
　A　crime　of　impulse；　the　woman's　death　plicated　matters　greatly。　Bishop　Aringarosa　had　placed　the　phone　call　that　got　Silas　into　Saint…Sulpice；　what　would　the　abbé　think　when　he　discovered　the　nun　was　dead？　Although　Silas　had　placed　her　back　in　her　bed；　the　wound　on　her　head　was　obvious。　Silas　had　attempted　to　replace　the　broken　tiles　in　the　floor；　but　that　damage　too　was　obvious。　They　would　know　someone　had　been　there。
　Silas　had　planned　to　hide　within　Opus　Dei　when　his　task　here　was　plete。　Bishop　Aringarosa　will　protect　me。　Silas　could　imagine　no　more　blissful　existence　than　a　life　of　meditation　and　prayer　deep　within　the　walls　of　Opus　Dei's　headquarters　in　New　York　City。　He　would　never　again　set　foot　outside。　Everything　he　needed　was　within　that　sanctuary。　Nobody　will　miss　me。　Unfortunately；　Silas　knew；　a　prominent　man　like　Bishop　Aringarosa　could　not　disappear　so　easily。
　I　have　endangered　the　bishop。　Silas　gazed　blankly　at　the　floor　and　pondered　taking　his　own　life。　After　all；　it　had　been　Aringarosa　who　gave　Silas　life　in　the　first　place。。。　in　that　small　rectory　in　Spain；　educating　him；　giving　him　purpose。
　〃My　friend；〃　Aringarosa　had　told　him；　〃you　were　born　an　albino。　Do　not　let　others　shame　you　for　this。　Do　you　not　understand　how　special　this　makes　you？　Were　you　not　aware　that　Noah　himself　was　an　albino？〃
　〃Noah　of　the　Ark？〃　Silas　had　never　heard　this。
　Aringarosa　was　smiling。　〃Indeed；　Noah　of　the　Ark。　An　albino。　Like　you；　he　had　skin　white　like　an　angel。　Consider　this。　Noah　saved　all　of　life　on　the　planet。　You　are　destined　for　great　things；　Silas。　The　Lord　has　freed　you　for　a　reason。　You　have　your　calling。　The　Lord　needs　your　help　to　do　His　work。〃
　Over　time；　Silas　learned　to　see　himself　in　a　new　light。　I　am　pure。　White。　Beautiful。　Like　an　angel。
　At　the　moment；　though；　in　his　room　at　the　residence　hall；　it　was　his　father's　disappointed　voice　that　whispered　to　him　from　the　past。
　Tu　es　un　désastre。　Un　spectre。
　Kneeling　on　the　wooden　floor；　Silas　prayed　for　forgiveness。　Then；　stripping　off　his　robe；　he　reached　again　for　the　Discipline。
　　
　CHAPTER　40
　
　Struggling　with　the　gear　shift；　Langdon　managed　to　maneuver　the　hijacked　taxi　to　the　far　side　of　the　Bois　de　Boulogne　while　stalling　only　twice。　Unfortunately；　the　inherent　humor　in　the　situation　was　overshadowed　by　the　taxi　dispatcher　repeatedly　hailing　their　cab　over　the　radio。
　〃Voiture　cinq…six…trois。　Où　êtes…vous？　Répondez！〃
　When　Langdon　reached　the　exit　of　the　park；　he　swallowed　his　machismo　and　jammed　on　the　brakes。　〃You'd　better　drive。〃
　Sophie　looked　relieved　as　she　jumped　behind　the　wheel。　Within　seconds　she　had　the　car　humming　smoothly　westward　along　Allée　de　Longchamp；　leaving　the　Garden　of　Earthly　Delights　behind。
　〃Which　way　is　Rue　Haxo？〃　Langdon　asked；　watching　Sophie　edge　the　speedometer　over　a　hundred　kilometers　an　hour。
　Sophie's　eyes　remained　focused　on　the　road。　〃The　cab　driver　said　it's　adjacent　to　the　Roland　Garros　tennis　stadium。　I　know　that　area。〃
　Langdon　pulled　the　heavy　key　from　his　pocket　again；　feeling　the　weight　in　his　palm。　He　sensed　it　was　an　object　of　enormous　consequence。　Quite　possibly　the　key　to　his　own　freedom。
　Earlier；　while　telling　Sophie　about　the　Knights　Templar；　Langdon　had　realized　that　this　key；　in　addition　to　having　the　Priory　seal　embossed　on　it；　possessed　a　more　subtle　tie　to　the　Priory　of　Sion。　The　equal…armed　cruciform　was　symbolic　of　balance　and　harmony　but　also　of　the　Knights　Templar。　Everyone　had　seen　the　paintings　of　Knights　Templar　wearing　white　tunics　emblazoned　with　red　equal…armed　crosses。　Granted；　the　arms　of　the　Templar　cross　were　slightly　flared　at　the　ends；　but　they　were　still　of　equal　length。
　A　square　cross。　Just　like　the　one　on　this　key。
　Langdon　felt　his　imagination　starting　to　run　wild　as　he　fantasized　about　what　they　might　find。　The　Holy　Grail。　He　almost　laughed　out　loud　at　the　absurdity　of　it。　The　Grail　was　believed　to　be　somewhere　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　S