danbrown.thedavincicode-第18部分

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aited　him　inside。
　The　keystone。　It　will　lead　us　to　our　final　goal。
　He　raised　his　ghost…white　fist　and　banged　three　times　on　the　door。
　Moments　later；　the　bolts　of　the　enormous　wooden　portal　began　to　move。
　　
　CHAPTER　16
　
　Sophie　wondered　how　long　it　would　take　Fache　to　figure　out　she　had　not　left　the　building。　Seeing　that　Langdon　was　clearly　overwhelmed；　Sophie　questioned　whether　she　had　done　the　right　thing　by　cornering　him　here　in　the　men's　room。
　What　else　was　I　supposed　to　do？
　She　pictured　her　grandfather's　body；　naked　and　spread…eagle　on　the　floor。　There　was　a　time　when　he　had　meant　the　world　to　her；　yet　tonight；　Sophie　was　surprised　to　feel　almost　no　sadness　for　the　man。　Jacques　Saunière　was　a　stranger　to　her　now。　Their　relationship　had　evaporated　in　a　single　instant　one　March　night　when　she　was　twenty…two。　Ten　years　ago。　Sophie　had　e　home　a　few　days　early　from　graduate　university　in　England　and　mistakenly　witnessed　her　grandfather　engaged　in　something　Sophie　was　obviously　not　supposed　to　see。　It　was　an　image　she　barely　could　believe　to　this　day。
　If　I　hadn't　seen　it　with　my　own　eyes。。。
　Too　ashamed　and　stunned　to　endure　her　grandfather's　pained　attempts　to　explain；　Sophie　immediately　moved　out　on　her　own；　taking　money　she　had　saved；　and　getting　a　small　flat　with　some　roommates。　She　vowed　never　to　speak　to　anyone　about　what　she　had　seen。　Her　grandfather　tried　desperately　to　reach　her；　sending　cards　and　letters；　begging　Sophie　to　meet　him　so　he　could　explain。　Explain　how！？　Sophie　never　responded　except　once…to　forbid　him　ever　to　call　her　or　try　to　meet　her　in　public。　She　was　afraid　his　explanation　would　be　more　terrifying　than　the　incident　itself。
　Incredibly；　Saunière　had　never　given　up　on　her；　and　Sophie　now　possessed　a　decade's　worth　of　correspondence　unopened　in　a　dresser　drawer。　To　her　grandfather's　credit；　he　had　never　once　disobeyed　her　request　and　phoned　her。
　Until　this　afternoon。
　〃Sophie？〃　His　voice　had　sounded　startlingly　old　on　her　answering　machine。　〃I　have　abided　by　your　wishes　for　so　long。。。　and　it　pains　me　to　call；　but　I　must　speak　to　you。　Something　terrible　has　happened。〃
　Standing　in　the　kitchen　of　her　Paris　flat；　Sophie　felt　a　chill　to　hear　him　again　after　all　these　years。　His　gentle　voice　brought　back　a　flood　of　fond　childhood　memories。
　〃Sophie；　please　listen。〃　He　was　speaking　English　to　her；　as　he　always　did　when　she　was　a　little　girl。　Practice　French　at　school。　Practice　English　at　home。　〃You　cannot　be　mad　forever。　Have　you　not　read　the　letters　that　I've　sent　all　these　years？　Do　you　not　yet　understand？〃　He　paused。　〃We　must　speak　at　once。　Please　grant　your　grandfather　this　one　wish。　Call　me　at　the　Louvre。　Right　away。　I　believe　you　and　I　are　in　grave　danger。〃　Sophie　stared　at　the　answering　machine。　Danger？　What　was　he　talking　about？
　〃Princess。。。〃　Her　grandfather's　voice　cracked　with　an　emotion　Sophie　could　not　place。　〃I　know　I've　kept　things　from　you；　and　I　know　it　has　cost　me　your　love。　But　it　was　for　your　own　safety。　Now　you　must　know　the　truth。　Please；　I　must　tell　you　the　truth　about　your　family。〃
　Sophie　suddenly　could　hear　her　own　heart。　My　family？　Sophie's　parents　had　died　when　she　was　only　four。　Their　car　went　off　a　bridge　into　fast…moving　water。　Her　grandmother　and　younger　brother　had　also　been　in　the　car；　and　Sophie's　entire　family　had　been　erased　in　an　instant。　She　had　a　box　of　newspaper　clippings　to　confirm　it。
　His　words　had　sent　an　unexpected　surge　of　longing　through　her　bones。　My　family！　In　that　fleeting　instant；　Sophie　saw　images　from　the　dream　that　had　awoken　her　countless　times　when　she　was　a　little　girl：　My　family　is　alive！　They　are　ing　home！　But；　as　in　her　dream；　the　pictures　evaporated　into　oblivion。
　Your　family　is　dead；　Sophie。　They　are　not　ing　home。
　〃Sophie。。。〃　her　grandfather　said　on　the　machine。　〃I　have　been　waiting　for　years　to　tell　you。　Waiting　for　the　right　moment；　but　now　time　has　run　out。　Call　me　at　the　Louvre。　As　soon　as　you　get　this。　I'll　wait　here　all　night。　I　fear　we　both　may　be　in　danger。　There's　so　much　you　need　to　know。〃
　The　message　ended。
　In　the　silence；　Sophie　stood　trembling　for　what　felt　like　minutes。　As　she　considered　her　grandfather's　message；　only　one　possibility　made　sense；　and　his　true　intent　dawned。
　It　was　bait。
　Obviously；　her　grandfather　wanted　desperately　to　see　her。　He　was　trying　anything。　Her　disgust　for　the　man　deepened。　Sophie　wondered　if　maybe　he　had　fallen　terminally　ill　and　had　decided　to　attempt　any　ploy　he　could　think　of　to　get　Sophie　to　visit　him　one　last　time。　If　so；　he　had　chosen　wisely。
　My　family。
　Now；　standing　in　the　darkness　of　the　Louvre　men's　room；　Sophie　could　hear　the　echoes　of　this　afternoon's　phone　message。　Sophie；　we　both　may　be　in　danger。　Call　me。
　She　had　not　called　him。　Nor　had　she　planned　to。　Now；　however；　her　skepticism　had　been　deeply　challenged。　Her　grandfather　lay　murdered　inside　his　own　museum。　And　he　had　written　a　code　on　the　floor。
　A　code　for　her。　Of　this；　she　was　certain。
　Despite　not　understanding　the　meaning　of　his　message；　Sophie　was　certain　its　cryptic　nature　was　additional　proof　that　the　words　were　intended　for　her。　Sophie's　passion　and　aptitude　for　cryptography　were　a　product　of　growing　up　with　Jacques　Saunière…a　fanatic　himself　for　codes；　word　games；　and　puzzles。　How　many　Sundays　did　we　spend　doing　the　cryptograms　and　crosswords　in　the　newspaper？
　At　the　age　of　twelve；　Sophie　could　finish　the　Le　Monde　crossword　without　any　help；　and　her　grandfather　graduated　her　to　crosswords　in　English；　mathematical　puzzles；　and　substitution　ciphers。　Sophie　devoured　them　all。　Eventually　she　turned　her　passion　into　a　profession　by　being　a　codebreaker　for　the　Judicial　Police。
　Tonight；　the　cryptographer　in　Sophie　was　forced　to　respect　the　efficiency　with　which　her　grandfather　had　used　a　simple　code　to　unite　two　total　strangers…Sophie　Neveu　and　Robert　Langdon。
　The　question　was　why？
　Unfortunately；　from　the　bewildered　look　in　Langdon's　eyes；　Sophie　sensed　the　American　had　no　more　idea　than　she　did　why　her　grandfather　had　thrown　them　together。
　She　pressed　again。　〃You　and　my　grandfather　had　planned　to　meet　tonight。　What　about？〃
　Langdon　looked　truly　perplexed。　〃His　secretary　set　the　meeting　and　didn't　offer　any　specific　reason；　and　I　didn't　ask。　I　assumed　he'd　heard　I　would　be　lecturing　on　the　pagan　iconography　of　French　cathedrals；　was　interested　in　the　topic；　and　thought　it　would　be　fun　to　meet　for　drinks　after　the　talk。〃
　Sophie　didn't　buy　it。　The　connection　was　flimsy。　Her　grandfather　knew　more　about　pagan　iconography　than　anyone　else　on　earth。　Moreover；　he　an　exceptionally　private　man；　not　someone　prone　to　chatting　with　random　American　professors　unless　there　were　an　important　reason。
　Sophie　took　a　deep　breath　and　probed　further。　〃My　grandfather　called　me　this　afternoon　and　told　me　he　and　I　were　in　grave　danger。　Does　that　mean　anything　to　you？〃
　Langdon's　blue　eyes　now　clouded　with　concern。　〃No；　but　considering　what　just　happened。。。〃
　Sophie　nodded。　Considering　tonight's　events；　she　would　be　a　fool　not　to　be　frightened。　Feeling　drained；　she　walked　to　the　small　plate…glass　window　at　the　far　end　of　the　bathroom　and　gazed　out　in　silence　through　the　mesh　of　alarm　tape　embedded　in　the　glass。　They　were　high　up…forty　feet　at　least。
　Sighing；　she　raised　her　eyes　and　gazed　out　at　Paris's　dazzling　landscape。　On　her　left；　across　the　Seine；　the　illuminated　Eiffel　Tower。　Straight　ahead；　the　Arc　de　Triomphe。　And　to　the　right；　high　atop　the　sloping　rise　of　Montmartre；　the　graceful　arabesque　dome　of　Sacré…Coeur；　its　polished　stone　glowing　white　like　a　resplendent　sanctuary。
　Here　at　the　westernmost　tip　of　the　Denon　Wing；　the　north…south　thoroughfare　of　Place　du　Carrousel　ran　almost　flush　with　the　building　with　only　a　narrow　sidewalk　separating　it　from　the　Louvre's　outer　wall。　Far　below；　the　usual　caravan　of　the　city's　nighttime　delivery　trucks　sat　idling；　waiting　for　the　signals　to　change；　their　running　lights　seeming　to　twinkle　mockingly　up　at　Sophie。
　〃I　don't　know　what　to　say；〃　Langdon　said；　ing　up　behind　her。　〃Your　grandfather　is　obviously　trying　to　tell　us　something。　I'm　sorry　I'm　so　little　help。〃
　Sophie　turned　from　the　window；　sensing　a　sin