danbrown.thedavincicode-第7部分

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occasional　statue　or　colossal　porcelain　urn；　which　served　as　a　tasteful　divider　and　kept　the　flow　of　traffic　moving　down　one　wall　and　up　the　other。
　Fache　was　silent　now；　striding　briskly　up　the　right　side　of　the　corridor　with　his　gaze　dead　ahead。　Langdon　felt　almost　disrespectful　to　be　racing　past　so　many　masterpieces　without　pausing　for　so　much　as　a　glance。
　Not　that　I　could　see　anything　in　this　lighting；　he　thought。
　The　muted　crimson　lighting　unfortunately　conjured　memories　of　Langdon's　last　experience　in　noninvasive　lighting　in　the　Vatican　Secret　Archives。　This　was　tonight's　second　unsettling　parallel　with　his　near…death　in　Rome。　He　flashed　on　Vittoria　again。　She　had　been　absent　from　his　dreams　for　months。　Langdon　could　not　believe　Rome　had　been　only　a　year　ago；　it　felt　like　decades。　Another　life。　His　last　correspondence　from　Vittoria　had　been　in　December…a　postcard　saying　she　was　headed　to　the　Java　Sea　to　continue　her　research　in　entanglement　physics。。。　something　about　using　satellites　to　track　manta　ray　migrations。　Langdon　had　never　harbored　delusions　that　a　woman　like　Vittoria　Vetra　could　have　been　happy　living　with　him　on　a　college　campus；　but　their　encounter　in　Rome　had　unlocked　in　him　a　longing　he　never　imagined　he　could　feel。　His　lifelong　affinity　for　bachelorhood　and　the　simple　freedoms　it　allowed　had　been　shaken　somehow。。。　replaced　by　an　unexpected　emptiness　that　seemed　to　have　grown　over　the　past　year。
　They　continued　walking　briskly；　yet　Langdon　still　saw　no　corpse。　〃Jacques　Saunière　went　this　far？〃
　〃Mr。　Saunière　suffered　a　bullet　wound　to　his　stomach。　He　died　very　slowly。　Perhaps　over　fifteen　or　twenty　minutes。　He　was　obviously　a　man　of　great　personal　strength。〃
　Langdon　turned；　appalled。　〃Security　took　fifteen　minutes　to　get　here？〃
　〃Of　course　not。　Louvre　security　responded　immediately　to　the　alarm　and　found　the　Grand　Gallery　sealed。　Through　the　gate；　they　could　hear　someone　moving　around　at　the　far　end　of　the　corridor；　but　they　could　not　see　who　it　was。　They　shouted；　but　they　got　no　answer。　Assuming　it　could　only　be　a　criminal；　they　followed　protocol　and　called　in　the　Judicial　Police。　We　took　up　positions　within　fifteen　minutes。　When　we　arrived；　we　raised　the　barricade　enough　to　slip　underneath；　and　I　sent　a　dozen　armed　agents　inside。　They　swept　the　length　of　the　gallery　to　corner　the　intruder。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃They　found　no　one　inside。　Except。。。〃　He　pointed　farther　down　the　hall。　〃Him。〃
　Langdon　lifted　his　gaze　and　followed　Fache's　outstretched　finger。　At　first　he　thought　Fache　was　pointing　to　a　large　marble　statue　in　the　middle　of　the　hallway。　As　they　continued；　though；　Langdon　began　to　see　past　the　statue。　Thirty　yards　down　the　hall；　a　single　spotlight　on　a　portable　pole　stand　shone　down　on　the　floor；　creating　a　stark　island　of　white　light　in　the　dark　crimson　gallery。　In　the　center　of　the　light；　like　an　insect　under　a　microscope；　the　corpse　of　the　curator　lay　naked　on　the　parquet　floor。
　〃You　saw　the　photograph；〃　Fache　said；　〃so　this　should　be　of　no　surprise。〃
　Langdon　felt　a　deep　chill　as　they　approached　the　body。　Before　him　was　one　of　the　strangest　images　he　had　ever　seen。
　　
　The　pallid　corpse　of　Jacques　Saunière　lay　on　the　parquet　floor　exactly　as　it　appeared　in　the　photograph。　As　Langdon　stood　over　the　body　and　squinted　in　the　harsh　light；　he　reminded　himself　to　his　amazement　that　Saunière　had　spent　his　last　minutes　of　life　arranging　his　own　body　in　this　strange　fashion。
　Saunière　looked　remarkably　fit　for　a　man　of　his　years。。。　and　all　of　his　musculature　was　in　plain　view。　He　had　stripped　off　every　shred　of　clothing；　placed　it　neatly　on　the　floor；　and　laid　down　on　his　back　in　the　center　of　the　wide　corridor；　perfectly　aligned　with　the　long　axis　of　the　room。　His　arms　and　legs　were　sprawled　outward　in　a　wide　spread　eagle；　like　those　of　a　child　making　a　snow　angel。。。　or；　perhaps　more　appropriately；　like　a　man　being　drawn　and　quartered　by　some　invisible　force。
　Just　below　Saunière's　breastbone；　a　bloody　smear　marked　the　spot　where　the　bullet　had　pierced　his　flesh。　The　wound　had　bled　surprisingly　little；　leaving　only　a　small　pool　of　blackened　blood。
　Saunière's　left　index　finger　was　also　bloody；　apparently　having　been　dipped　into　the　wound　to　create　the　most　unsettling　aspect　of　his　own　macabre　deathbed；　using　his　own　blood　as　ink；　and　employing　his　own　naked　abdomen　as　a　canvas；　Saunière　had　drawn　a　simple　symbol　on　his　flesh…five　straight　lines　that　intersected　to　form　a　five…pointed　star。
　The　pentacle。
　The　bloody　star；　centered　on　Saunière's　navel；　gave　his　corpse　a　distinctly　ghoulish　aura。　The　photo　Langdon　had　seen　was　chilling　enough；　but　now；　witnessing　the　scene　in　person；　Langdon　felt　a　deepening　uneasiness。
　He　did　this　to　himself。
　〃Mr。　Langdon？〃　Fache's　dark　eyes　settled　on　him　again。
　〃It's　a　pentacle；〃　Langdon　offered；　his　voice　feeling　hollow　in　the　huge　space。　〃One　of　the　oldest　symbols　on　earth。　Used　over　four　thousand　years　before　Christ。〃
　〃And　what　does　it　mean？〃
　Langdon　always　hesitated　when　he　got　this　question。　Telling　someone　what　a　symbol　〃meant〃　was　like　telling　them　how　a　song　should　make　them　feel…it　was　different　for　all　people。　A　white　Ku　Klux　Klan　headpiece　conjured　images　of　hatred　and　racism　in　the　United　States；　and　yet　the　same　costume　carried　a　meaning　of　religious　faith　in　Spain。
　〃Symbols　carry　different　meanings　in　different　settings；〃　Langdon　said。　〃Primarily；　the　pentacle　is　a　pagan　religious　symbol。〃
　Fache　nodded。　〃Devil　worship。〃
　〃No；〃　Langdon　corrected；　immediately　realizing　his　choice　of　vocabulary　should　have　been　clearer。
　Nowadays；　the　term　pagan　had　bee　almost　synonymous　with　devil　worship…a　gross　misconception。　The　word's　roots　actually　reached　back　to　the　Latin　paganus；　meaning　country…dwellers。　〃Pagans〃　were　literally　unindoctrinated　country…folk　who　clung　to　the　old；　rural　religions　of　Nature　worship。　In　fact；　so　strong　was　the　Church's　fear　of　those　who　lived　in　the　rural　villes　that　the　once　innocuous　word　for　〃villager〃…villain…came　to　mean　a　wicked　soul。
　〃The　pentacle；〃　Langdon　clarified；　〃is　a　pre…Christian　symbol　that　relates　to　Nature　worship。　The　ancients　envisioned　their　world　in　two　halves…masculine　and　feminine。　Their　gods　and　goddesses　worked　to　keep　a　balance　of　power。　Yin　and　yang。　When　male　and　female　were　balanced；　there　was　harmony　in　the　world。　When　they　were　unbalanced；　there　was　chaos。〃　Langdon　motioned　to　Saunière's　stomach。　〃This　pentacle　is　representative　of　the　female　half　of　all　things…a　concept　religious　historians　call　the　'sacred　feminine'　or　the　'divine　goddess。'　Saunière；　of　all　people；　would　know　this。〃
　〃Saunière　drew　a　goddess　symbol　on　his　stomach？〃
　Langdon　had　to　admit；　it　seemed　odd。　〃In　its　most　specific　interpretation；　the　pentacle　symbolizes　Venus…the　goddess　of　female　sexual　love　and　beauty。〃
　Fache　eyed　the　naked　man；　and　grunted。
　〃Early　religion　was　based　on　the　divine　order　of　Nature。　The　goddess　Venus　and　the　planet　Venus　were　one　and　the　same。　The　goddess　had　a　place　in　the　nighttime　sky　and　was　known　by　many　names…Venus；　the　Eastern　Star；　Ishtar；　Astarte…all　of　them　powerful　female　concepts　with　ties　to　Nature　and　Mother　Earth。〃
　Fache　looked　more　troubled　now；　as　if　he　somehow　preferred　the　idea　of　devil　worship。
　Langdon　decided　not　to　share　the　pentacle's　most　astonishing　property…the　graphic　origin　of　its　ties　to　Venus。　As　a　young　astronomy　student；　Langdon　had　been　stunned　to　learn　the　planet　Venus　traced　a　perfect　pentacle　across　the　ecliptic　sky　every　four　years。　So　astonished　were　the　ancients　to　observe　this　phenomenon；　that　Venus　and　her　pentacle　became　symbols　of　perfection；　beauty；　and　the　cyclic　qualities　of　sexual　love。　As　a　tribute　to　the　magic　of　Venus；　the　Greeks　used　her　four…year　cycle　to　organize　their　Olympiads。　Nowadays；　few　people　realized　that　the　four…year　schedule　of　modern　Olympic　Games　still　followed　the　cycles　of　Venus。　Even　fewer　people　knew　that　the　five…pointed　star　had　almost　bee　the　official　Olympic　seal　but　was　modified　at　the　last　moment…its　five　points　exchanged　for　five　intersecting　rings　to　better　reflect　the　games'　spirit　of　inclusion　and　harmony。
　〃Mr。　Langdon；〃　Fache　said　abruptly。　〃Obviously；　the　pentacle　must　also　relate　to　the　devil。　Your　American　horror　movies　make　that　point　clearly。〃
　Langdon　frowned。　Thank　you；　Hollywood。　The　five…pointed　star　was　now　a　virtual　cliché　in　Satanic　serial　killer　movies；　usually　scrawled　on　the　wall　of　some　Satanist's　apartment　along　with　other　alleged　demonic　symbology。　Langdon　was　always　frustrated　when　he　saw　the　symbol　in　this　context；　the　pentacle's　true　origins　were　actually　quite　godly。
　〃I　assure　you；〃　Langdon　said；　〃despite　what　you　see　in　the　movies；　the　pentacle's　demonic　interpretation　is　historically　inaccurate。　The　original　feminine　meaning　is　correct；　but　the　symbolism　of　the　pentacle　has　been　distorted　over　the　millennia。　In　this　case；　through　bloodshed。〃
　〃I'm　not　sure　I　follow。〃
　Langdon　glanced　at　Fache's　crucifix；　uncertain　how　to　phrase　his　next　point。　〃The　Church；　sir。　Symbols　are　very　resilient；　but　the　pentacle　was　altered　by　the　early　Roman　Catholic　Church。　As　part　of　the　Vatican's　campaign　to　eradicate　pagan　religions　and　convert　the　masses　to　Christianity；　the　Church　launched　a　smear　campaign　against　the　pagan　gods　and　goddesses；　recasting　their　divine　symbols　as　evil。〃
　〃Go　on。〃
　〃This　is　very　mon　in　times　of　turmoil；〃　Langdon　continued。　〃A　newly　emerging　power　will　take　over　the　existing　symbols　and　degrade　them　over　time　in　an　attempt　to　erase　their　meaning。　In　the　battle　between　the　pagan　symbols　and　Christian　symbols；　the　pagans　lost；　Poseidon's　trident　became　the　devil's　pitchfork；　the　wise　crone's　pointed　hat　became　the　symbol　of　a　witch；　and　Venus's　pentacle　became　a　sign　of　the　devil。〃　Langdon　paused。　〃Unfortunately；　the　United　States　military　has　also　perverted　the　pentacle；　it's　now　our　foremost　symbol　of　war。　We　paint　it　on　all　our　fighter　jets　and　hang　it　on　the　shoulders　of　all　our　generals。〃　So　much　for　the　goddess　of　love　and　beauty。
　〃Interesting。〃　Fache　nodded　toward　the　spread…eagle　corpse。　〃And　the　positioning　of　the　body？　What　do　you　make　of　that？〃
　Langdon　shrugged。　〃The　position　simply　reinforc