danbrown.thedavincicode-第40部分

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ng　to　feel　the　ponderous　weight　of　responsibility；　the　prospect　that　he　and　Sophie　might　actually　be　holding　an　encrypted　set　of　directions　to　one　of　the　most　enduring　mysteries　of　all　time。
　As　if　this　burden　were　not　great　enough；　Langdon　now　realized　that　any　possibility　of　finding　a　way　to　return　the　keystone　to　the　Priory　had　just　evaporated。　News　of　the　three　additional　murders　had　dire　implications。　The　Priory　has　been　infiltrated。　They　are　promised。　The　brotherhood　was　obviously　being　watched；　or　there　was　a　mole　within　the　ranks。　It　seemed　to　explain　why　Saunière　might　have　transferred　the　keystone　to　Sophie　and　Langdon…people　outside　the　brotherhood；　people　he　knew　were　not　promised。　We　can't　very　well　give　the　keystone　back　to　the　brotherhood。　Even　if　Langdon　had　any　idea　how　to　find　a　Priory　member；　chances　were　good　that　whoever　stepped　forward　to　take　the　keystone　could　be　the　enemy　himself。　For　the　moment；　at　least；　it　seemed　the　keystone　was　in　Sophie　and　Langdon's　hands；　whether　they　wanted　it　or　not。
　The　truck's　front　end　looked　worse　than　Langdon　had　imagined。　The　left　headlight　was　gone；　and　the　right　one　looked　like　an　eyeball　dangling　from　its　socket。　Langdon　straightened　it；　and　it　dislodged　again。　The　only　good　news　was　that　the　front　bumper　had　been　torn　almost　clean　off。　Langdon　gave　it　a　hard　kick　and　sensed　he　might　be　able　to　break　it　off　entirely。
　As　he　repeatedly　kicked　the　twisted　metal；　Langdon　recalled　his　earlier　conversation　with　Sophie。　My　grandfather　left　me　a　phone　message；　Sophie　had　told　him。　He　said　he　needed　to　tell　me　the　truth　about　my　family。　At　the　time　it　had　meant　nothing；　but　now；　knowing　the　Priory　of　Sion　was　involved；　Langdon　felt　a　startling　new　possibility　emerge。
　The　bumper　broke　off　suddenly　with　a　crash。　Langdon　paused　to　catch　his　breath。　At　least　the　truck　would　no　longer　look　like　a　Fourth　of　July　sparkler。　He　grabbed　the　bumper　and　began　dragging　it　out　of　sight　into　the　woods；　wondering　where　they　should　go　next。　They　had　no　idea　how　to　open　the　cryptex；　or　why　Saunière　had　given　it　to　them。　Unfortunately；　their　survival　tonight　seemed　to　depend　on　getting　answers　to　those　very　questions。
　We　need　help；　Langdon　decided。　Professional　help。
　In　the　world　of　the　Holy　Grail　and　the　Priory　of　Sion；　that　meant　only　one　man。　The　challenge；　of　course；　would　be　selling　the　idea　to　Sophie。
　　
　Inside　the　armored　car；　while　Sophie　waited　for　Langdon　to　return；　she　could　feel　the　weight　of　the　rosewood　box　on　her　lap　and　resented　it。　Why　did　my　grandfather　give　this　to　me？　She　had　not　the　slightest　idea　what　to　do　with　it。
　Think；　Sophie！　Use　your　head。　Grand…père　is　trying　to　tell　you　something！
　Opening　the　box；　she　eyed　the　cryptex's　dials。　A　proof　of　merit。　She　could　feel　her　grandfather's　hand　at　work。　The　keystone　is　a　map　that　can　be　followed　only　by　the　worthy。　It　sounded　like　her　grandfather　to　the　core。
　Lifting　the　cryptex　out　of　the　box；　Sophie　ran　her　fingers　over　the　dials。　Five　letters。　She　rotated　the　dials　one　by　one。　The　mechanism　moved　smoothly。　She　aligned　the　disks　such　that　her　chosen　letters　lined　up　between　the　cryptex's　two　brass　alignment　arrows　on　either　end　of　the　cylinder。　The　dials　now　spelled　a　five…letter　word　that　Sophie　knew　was　absurdly　obvious。
　G…R…A…I…L。
　Gently；　she　held　the　two　ends　of　the　cylinder　and　pulled；　applying　pressure　slowly。　The　cryptex　didn't　budge。　She　heard　the　vinegar　inside　gurgle　and　stopped　pulling。　Then　she　tried　again。
　V…I…N…C…I
　Again；　no　movement。
　V…O…U…T…E
　Nothing。　The　cryptex　remained　locked　solid。
　Frowning；　she　replaced　it　in　the　rosewood　box　and　closed　the　lid。　Looking　outside　at　Langdon；　Sophie　felt　grateful　he　was　with　her　tonight。　P。S。　Find　Robert　Langdon。　Her　grandfather's　rationale　for　including　him　was　now　clear。　Sophie　was　not　equipped　to　understand　her　grandfather's　intentions；　and　so　he　had　assigned　Robert　Langdon　as　her　guide。　A　tutor　to　oversee　her　education。　Unfortunately　for　Langdon；　he　had　turned　out　to　be　far　more　than　a　tutor　tonight。　He　had　bee　the　target　of　Bezu　Fache。。。　and　some　unseen　force　intent　on　possessing　the　Holy　Grail。
　Whatever　the　Grail　turns　out　to　be。
　Sophie　wondered　if　finding　out　was　worth　her　life。
　　
　As　the　armored　truck　accelerated　again；　Langdon　was　pleased　how　much　more　smoothly　it　drove。　〃Do　you　know　how　to　get　to　Versailles？〃
　Sophie　eyed　him。　〃Sightseeing？〃
　〃No；　I　have　a　plan。　There's　a　religious　historian　I　know　who　lives　near　Versailles。　I　can't　remember　exactly　where；　but　we　can　look　it　up。　I've　been　to　his　estate　a　few　times。　His　name　is　Leigh　Teabing。　He's　a　former　British　Royal　Historian。〃
　〃And　he　lives　in　Paris？〃
　〃Teabing's　life　passion　is　the　Grail。　When　whisperings　of　the　Priory　keystone　surfaced　about　fifteen　years　ago；　he　moved　to　France　to　search　churches　in　hopes　of　finding　it。　He's　written　some　books　on　the　keystone　and　the　Grail。　He　may　be　able　to　help　us　figure　out　how　to　open　it　and　what　to　do　with　it。〃
　Sophie's　eyes　were　wary。　〃Can　you　trust　him？〃
　〃Trust　him　to　what？　Not　steal　the　information？〃
　〃And　not　to　turn　us　in。〃
　〃I　don't　intend　to　tell　him　we're　wanted　by　the　police。　I'm　hoping　he'll　take　us　in　until　we　can　sort　all　this　out。〃
　〃Robert；　has　it　occurred　to　you　that　every　television　in　France　is　probably　getting　ready　to　broadcast　our　pictures？　Bezu　Fache　always　uses　the　media　to　his　advantage。　He'll　make　it　impossible　for　us　to　move　around　without　being　recognized。〃
　Terrific；　Langdon　thought。　My　French　TV　debut　will　be　on　〃Paris's　Most　Wanted。〃　At　least　Jonas　Faukman　would　be　pleased；　every　time　Langdon　made　the　news；　his　book　sales　jumped。
　〃Is　this　man　a　good　enough　friend？〃　Sophie　asked。
　Langdon　doubted　Teabing　was　someone　who　watched　television；　especially　at　this　hour；　but　still　the　question　deserved　consideration。　Instinct　told　Langdon　that　Teabing　would　be　totally　trustworthy。　An　ideal　safe　harbor。　Considering　the　circumstances；　Teabing　would　probably　trip　over　himself　to　help　them　as　much　as　possible。　Not　only　did　he　owe　Langdon　a　favor；　but　Teabing　was　a　Grail　researcher；　and　Sophie　claimed　her　grandfather　was　the　actual　Grand　Master　of　the　Priory　of　Sion。　If　Teabing　heard　that；　he　would　salivate　at　the　thought　of　helping　them　figure　this　out。
　〃Teabing　could　be　a　powerful　ally；〃　Langdon　said。　Depending　on　how　much　you　want　to　tell　him。
　〃Fache　probably　will　be　offering　a　monetary　reward。〃
　Langdon　laughed。　〃Believe　me；　money　is　the　last　thing　this　guy　needs。〃　Leigh　Teabing　was　wealthy　in　the　way　small　countries　were　wealthy。　A　descendant　of　Britain's　First　Duke　of　Lancaster；　Teabing　had　gotten　his　money　the　old…fashioned　way…he'd　inherited　it。　His　estate　outside　of　Paris　was　a　seventeenth…century　palace　with　two　private　lakes。
　Langdon　had　first　met　Teabing　several　years　ago　through　the　British　Broadcasting　Corporation。　Teabing　had　approached　the　BBC　with　a　proposal　for　a　historical　documentary　in　which　he　would　expose　the　explosive　history　of　the　Holy　Grail　to　a　mainstream　television　audience。　The　BBC　producers　loved　Teabing's　hot　premise；　his　research；　and　his　credentials；　but　they　had　concerns　that　the　concept　was　so　shocking　and　hard　to　swallow　that　the　network　might　end　up　tarnishing　its　reputation　for　quality　journalism。　At　Teabing's　suggestion；　the　BBC　solved　its　credibility　fears　by　soliciting　three　cameos　from　respected　historians　from　around　the　world；　all　of　whom　corroborated　the　stunning　nature　of　the　Holy　Grail　secret　with　their　own　research。
　Langdon　had　been　among　those　chosen。
　The　BBC　had　flown　Langdon　to　Teabing's　Paris　estate　for　the　filming。　He　sat　before　cameras　in　Teabing's　opulent　drawing　room　and　shared　his　story；　admitting　his　initial　skepticism　on　hearing　of　the　alternate　Holy　Grail　story；　then　describing　how　years　of　research　had　persuaded　him　that　the　story　was　true。　Finally；　Langdon　offered　some　of　his　own　research…a　series　of　symbologic　connections　that　strongly　supported　the　seemingly　controversial　claims。
　When　the　program　aired　in　Britain；　despite　its　ensemble　cast　and　well…documented　evidence；　the　premise　rubbed　so　hard　against　the　grain　of　popular　Christian　thought　that　it　instantly　confronted　a　firestorm　of　hostility。　It　never　aired　in　the　States；　but　the　repercussions　echoed　across　the　Atlantic。　Shortly　afterward；　Langdon　received　a　postcard　from　an　old　friend…the　Catholic　Bishop　of　Philadelphia。　The　card　simply　read：　Et　tu；　Robert？
　〃Robert；〃　Sophie　asked；　〃you're　certain　we　can　trust　this　man？〃
　〃Absolutely。　We're　colleagues；　he　doesn't　need　money；　and　I　happen　to　know　he　despises　the　French　authorities。　The　French　government　taxes　him　at　absurd　rates　because　he　bought　a　historic　landmark。　He'll　be　in　no　hurry　to　cooperate　with　Fache。〃
　Sophie　stared　out　at　the　dark　roadway。　〃If　we　go　to　him；　how　much　do　you　want　to　tell　him？〃
　Langdon　looked　unconcerned。　〃Believe　me；　Leigh　Teabing　knows　more　about　the　Priory　of　Sion　and　the　Holy　Grail　than　anyone　on　earth。〃
　Sophie　eyed　him。　〃More　than　my　grandfather？〃
　〃I　meant　more　than　anyone　outside　the　brotherhood。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　Teabing　isn't　a　member　of　the　brotherhood？〃
　〃Teabing　has　spent　his　life　trying　to　broadcast　the　truth　about　the　Holy　Grail。　The　Priory's　oath　is　to　keep　its　true　nature　hidden。〃
　〃Sounds　to　me　like　a　conflict　of　interest。〃
　Langdon　understood　her　concerns。　Saunière　had　given　the　cryptex　directly　to　Sophie；　and　although　she　didn't　know　what　it　contained　or　what　she　was　supposed　to　do　with　it；　she　was　hesitant　to　involve　a　total　stranger。　Considering　the　information　potentially　enclosed；　the　instinct　was　probably　a　good　one。　〃We　don't　need　to　tell　Teabing　about　the　keystone　immediately。　Or　at　all；　even。　His　house　will　give　us　a　place　to　hide　and　think；　and　maybe　when　we　talk　to　him　about　the　Grail；　you'll　start　to　have　an　idea　why　your　grandfather　gave　this　to　you。〃
　〃Us；〃　Sophie　reminded。
　Langdon　felt　a　humble　pride　and　wondered　yet　again　why　Saunière　had　included　him。
　〃Do　you　know　more　or　less　where　Mr。　Teabing　lives？〃　Sophie　asked。
　〃His　estate　is　called　Chateau　Villette。〃
　Sophie　turned　with　an　incredulous　look。　〃The　Chateau　Villette？〃
　〃That's　the　one。〃
　〃Nice　friends。〃
　〃You　know　the　estate？〃
　〃I've