danbrown.thedavincicode-第56部分

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lton；　Chaucer；　and　Voltaire…bold　souls　who　chose　to　write　their　social　mentaries　in　a　meter　that　many　of　the　day　believed　had　mystical　properties。　The　roots　of　iambic　pentameter　were　deeply　pagan。
　Iambs。　Two　syllables　with　opposite　emphasis。　Stressed　and　unstressed。　Yin　yang。　A　balanced　pair。　Arranged　in　strings　of　five。　Pentameter。　Five　for　the　pentacle　of　Venus　and　the　sacred　feminine。
　〃It's　pentameter！〃　Teabing　blurted；　turning　to　Langdon。　〃And　the　verse　is　in　English！　La　lingua　pura！〃
　Langdon　nodded。　The　Priory；　like　many　European　secret　societies　at　odds　with　the　Church；　had　considered　English　the　only　European　pure　language　for　centuries。　Unlike　French；　Spanish；　and　Italian；　which　were　rooted　in　Latin…the　tongue　of　the　Vatican…English　was　linguistically　removed　from　Rome's　propaganda　machine；　and　therefore　became　a　sacred；　secret　tongue　for　those　brotherhoods　educated　enough　to　learn　it。
　〃This　poem；〃　Teabing　gushed；　〃references　not　only　the　Grail；　but　the　Knights　Templar　and　the　scattered　family　of　Mary　Magdalene！　What　more　could　we　ask　for？〃
　〃The　password；〃　Sophie　said；　looking　again　at　the　poem。　〃It　sounds　like　we　need　some　kind　of　ancient　word　of　wisdom？〃
　〃Abracadabra？〃　Teabing　ventured；　his　eyes　twinkling。
　A　word　of　five　letters；　Langdon　thought；　pondering　the　staggering　number　of　ancient　words　that　might　be　considered　words　of　wisdom…selections　from　mystic　chants；　astrological　prophecies；　secret　society　inductions；　Wicca　incantations；　Egyptian　magic　spells；　pagan　mantras…the　list　was　endless。
　〃The　password；〃　Sophie　said；　〃appears　to　have　something　to　do　with　the　Templars。〃　She　read　the　text　aloud。　〃　'A　headstone　praised　by　Templars　is　the　key。'　〃
　〃Leigh；〃　Langdon　said；　〃you're　the　Templar　specialist。　Any　ideas？〃
　Teabing　was　silent　for　several　seconds　and　then　sighed。　〃Well；　a　headstone　is　obviously　a　grave　marker　of　some　sort。　It's　possible　the　poem　is　referencing　a　gravestone　the　Templars　praised　at　the　tomb　of　Magdalene；　but　that　doesn't　help　us　much　because　we　have　no　idea　where　her　tomb　is。〃
　〃The　last　line；〃　Sophie　said；　〃says　that　Atbash　will　reveal　the　truth。　I've　heard　that　word。　Atbash。〃
　〃I'm　not　surprised；〃　Langdon　replied。　〃You　probably　heard　it　in　Cryptology　101。　The　Atbash　Cipher　is　one　of　the　oldest　codes　known　to　man。〃
　Of　course！　Sophie　thought。　The　famous　Hebrew　encoding　system。
　The　Atbash　Cipher　had　indeed　been　part　of　Sophie's　early　cryptology　training。　The　cipher　dated　back　to　500　B。C。　and　was　now　used　as　a　classroom　example　of　a　basic　rotational　substitution　scheme。　A　mon　form　of　Jewish　cryptogram；　the　Atbash　Cipher　was　a　simple　substitution　code　based　on　the　twenty…two…letter　Hebrew　alphabet。　In　Atbash；　the　first　letter　was　substituted　by　the　last　letter；　the　second　letter　by　the　next　to　last　letter；　and　so　on。
　〃Atbash　is　sublimely　appropriate；〃　Teabing　said。　〃Text　encrypted　with　Atbash　is　found　throughout　the　Kabbala；　the　Dead　Sea　Scrolls；　and　even　the　Old　Testament。　Jewish　scholars　and　mystics　are　still　finding　hidden　meanings　using　Atbash。　The　Priory　certainly　would　include　the　Atbash　Cipher　as　part　of　their　teachings。〃
　〃The　only　problem；〃　Langdon　said；　〃is　that　we　don't　have　anything　on　which　to　apply　the　cipher。〃
　Teabing　sighed。　〃There　must　be　a　code　word　on　the　headstone。　We　must　find　this　headstone　praised　by　Templars。〃
　Sophie　sensed　from　the　grim　look　on　Langdon's　face　that　finding　the　Templar　headstone　would　be　no　small　feat。
　Atbash　is　the　key；　Sophie　thought。　But　we　don't　have　a　door。
　It　was　three　minutes　later　that　Teabing　heaved　a　frustrated　sigh　and　shook　his　head。　〃My　friends；　I'm　stymied。　Let　me　ponder　this　while　I　get　us　some　nibblies　and　check　on　Rémy　and　our　guest。〃　He　stood　up　and　headed　for　the　back　of　the　plane。
　Sophie　felt　tired　as　she　watched　him　go。
　Outside　the　window；　the　blackness　of　the　predawn　was　absolute。　Sophie　felt　as　if　she　were　being　hurtled　through　space　with　no　idea　where　she　would　land。　Having　grown　up　solving　her　grandfather's　riddles；　she　had　the　uneasy　sense　right　now　that　this　poem　before　them　contained　information　they　still　had　not　seen。
　There　is　more　there；　she　told　herself。　Ingeniously　hidden。。。　but　present　nonetheless。
　Also　plaguing　her　thoughts　was　a　fear　that　what　they　eventually　found　inside　this　cryptex　would　not　be　as　simple　as　〃a　map　to　the　Holy　Grail。〃　Despite　Teabing's　and　Langdon's　confidence　that　the　truth　lay　just　within　the　marble　cylinder；　Sophie　had　solved　enough　of　her　grandfather's　treasure　hunts　to　know　that　Jacques　Saunière　did　not　give　up　his　secrets　easily。
　　
　CHAPTER　73
　
　Bourget　Airfield's　night　shift　air　traffic　controller　had　been　dozing　before　a　blank　radar　screen　when　the　captain　of　the　Judicial　Police　practically　broke　down　his　door。
　〃Teabing's　jet；〃　Bezu　Fache　blared；　marching　into　the　small　tower；　〃where　did　it　go？〃
　The　controller's　initial　response　was　a　babbling；　lame　attempt　to　protect　the　privacy　of　their　British　client…one　of　the　airfield's　most　respected　customers。　It　failed　miserably。
　〃Okay；〃　Fache　said；　〃I　am　placing　you　under　arrest　for　permitting　a　private　plane　to　take　off　without　registering　a　flight　plan。〃　Fache　motioned　to　another　officer；　who　approached　with　handcuffs；　and　the　traffic　controller　felt　a　surge　of　terror。　He　thought　of　the　newspaper　articles　debating　whether　the　nation's　police　captain　was　a　hero　or　a　menace。　That　question　had　just　been　answered。
　〃Wait！〃　the　controller　heard　himself　whimper　at　the　sight　of　the　handcuffs。　〃I　can　tell　you　this　much。　Sir　Leigh　Teabing　makes　frequent　trips　to　London　for　medical　treatments。　He　has　a　hangar　at　Biggin　Hill　Executive　Airport　in　Kent。　On　the　outskirts　of　London。〃
　Fache　waved　off　the　man　with　the　cuffs。　〃Is　Biggin　Hill　his　destination　tonight？〃
　〃I　don't　know；〃　the　controller　said　honestly。　〃The　plane　left　on　its　usual　tack；　and　his　last　radar　contact　suggested　the　United　Kingdom。　Biggin　Hill　is　an　extremely　likely　guess。〃
　〃Did　he　have　others　onboard？〃
　〃I　swear；　sir；　there　is　no　way　for　me　to　know　that。　Our　clients　can　drive　directly　to　their　hangars；　and　load　as　they　please。　Who　is　onboard　is　the　responsibility　of　the　customs　officials　at　the　receiving　airport。〃
　Fache　checked　his　watch　and　gazed　out　at　the　scattering　of　jets　parked　in　front　of　the　terminal。　〃If　they're　going　to　Biggin　Hill；　how　long　until　they　land？〃
　The　controller　fumbled　through　his　records。　〃It's　a　short　flight。　His　plane　could　be　on　the　ground　by。。。　around　six…thirty。　Fifteen　minutes　from　now。〃
　Fache　frowned　and　turned　to　one　of　his　men。　〃Get　a　transport　up　here。　I'm　going　to　London。　And　get　me　the　Kent　local　police。　Not　British　MI5。　I　want　this　quiet。　Kent　local。　Tell　them　I　want　Teabing's　plane　to　be　permitted　to　land。　Then　I　want　it　surrounded　on　the　tarmac。　Nobody　deplanes　until　I　get　there。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　74
　
　〃You're　quiet；〃　Langdon　said；　gazing　across　the　Hawker's　cabin　at　Sophie。
　〃Just　tired；〃　she　replied。　〃And　the　poem。　I　don't　know。〃
　Langdon　was　feeling　the　same　way。　The　hum　of　the　engines　and　the　gentle　rocking　of　the　plane　were　hypnotic；　and　his　head　still　throbbed　where　he'd　been　hit　by　the　monk。　Teabing　was　still　in　the　back　of　the　plane；　and　Langdon　decided　to　take　advantage　of　the　moment　alone　with　Sophie　to　tell　her　something　that　had　been　on　his　mind。　〃I　think　I　know　part　of　the　reason　why　your　grandfather　conspired　to　put　us　together。　I　think　there's　something　he　wanted　me　to　explain　to　you。〃
　〃The　history　of　the　Holy　Grail　and　Mary　Magdalene　isn't　enough？〃
　Langdon　felt　uncertain　how　to　proceed。　〃The　rift　between　you。　The　reason　you　haven't　spoken　to　him　in　ten　years。　I　think　maybe　he　was　hoping　I　could　somehow　make　that　right　by　explaining　what　drove　you　apart。〃
　Sophie　squirmed　in　her　seat。　〃I　haven't　told　you　what　drove　us　apart。〃
　Langdon　eyed　her　carefully。　〃You　witnessed　a　sex　rite。　Didn't　you？〃
　Sophie　recoiled。　〃How　do　you　know　that？〃
　〃Sophie；　you　told　me　you　witnessed　something　that　convinced　you　your　grandfather　was　in　a　secret　society。　And　whatever　you　saw　upset　you　enough　that　you　haven't　spoken　to　him　since。　I　know　a　fair　amount　about　secret　societies。　It　doesn't　take　the　brains　of　Da　Vinci　to　guess　what　you　saw。〃
　Sophie　stared。
　〃Was　it　in　the　spring？〃　Langdon　asked。　〃Sometime　around　the　equinox？　Mid…March？〃
　Sophie　looked　out　the　window。　〃I　was　on　spring　break　from　university。　I　came　home　a　few　days　early。〃
　〃You　want　to　tell　me　about　it？〃
　〃I'd　rather　not。〃　She　turned　suddenly　back　to　Langdon；　her　eyes　welling　with　emotion。　〃I　don't　know　what　I　saw。〃
　〃Were　both　men　and　women　present？〃
　After　a　beat；　she　nodded。
　〃Dressed　in　white　and　black？〃
　She　wiped　her　eyes　and　then　nodded；　seeming　to　open　up　a　little。　〃The　women　were　in　white　gossamer　gowns。。。　with　golden　shoes。　They　held　golden　orbs。　The　men　wore　black　tunics　and　black　shoes。〃
　Langdon　strained　to　hide　his　emotion；　and　yet　he　could　not　believe　what　he　was　hearing。　Sophie　Neveu　had　unwittingly　witnessed　a　two…thousand…year…old　sacred　ceremony。　〃Masks？〃　he　asked；　keeping　his　voice　calm。　〃Androgynous　masks？〃
　〃Yes。　Everyone。　Identical　masks。　White　on　the　women。　Black　on　the　men。〃
　Langdon　had　read　descriptions　of　this　ceremony　and　understood　its　mystic　roots。　〃It's　called　Hieros　Gamos；〃　he　said　softly。　〃It　dates　back　more　than　two　thousand　years。　Egyptian　priests　and　priestesses　performed　it　regularly　to　celebrate　the　reproductive　power　of　the　female；〃　He　paused；　leaning　toward　her。　〃And　if　you　witnessed　Hieros　Gamos　without　being　properly　prepared　to　understand　its　meaning；　I　imagine　it　would　be　pretty　shocking。〃
　Sophie　said　nothing。
　〃Hieros　Gamos　is　Greek；〃　he　continued。　〃It　means　sacred　marriage。〃
　〃The　ritual　I　saw　was　no　marriage。〃
　〃Marriage　as　in　union；　Sophie。〃
　〃You　mean　as　in　sex。〃
　〃No。〃
　〃No？〃　she　said；　her　olive　eyes　testing　him。
　Langdon　backpedaled。　〃Well。。。　yes；　in　a　manner　of　speaking；　but　not　as　we　understand　it　today。〃　He　explained　that　although　what　she　saw　probably　looked　like　a　sex　ritual；　Hieros　Gamos　had　nothing　to　do　with　eroticism。　It　was　a　spiritual　act。　Historically；　intercourse　was　the　act　through　which　male　and　female　experienced　God。　The　ancients　believed　that　the　male　was　spiritually　inplete　unti