danbrown.thedavincicode-第49部分

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metal　door　and　began　to　heave　it　closed。　As　the　door　swung　past　him；　Vernet　reached　up　to　grab　the　single　bolt　that　needed　to　be　slid　into　place。　The　door　closed　with　a　thud；　and　Vernet　quickly　grabbed　the　bolt；　pulling　it　to　the　left。　The　bolt　slid　a　few　inches　and　crunched　to　an　unexpected　halt；　not　lining　up　with　its　sleeve。　What's　going　on？　Vernet　pulled　again；　but　the　bolt　wouldn't　lock。　The　mechanism　was　not　properly　aligned。　The　door　isn't　fully　closed！　Feeling　a　surge　of　panic；　Vernet　shoved　hard　against　the　outside　of　the　door；　but　it　refused　to　budge。　Something　is　blocking　it！　Vernet　turned　to　throw　full　shoulder　into　the　door；　but　this　time　the　door　exploded　outward；　striking　Vernet　in　the　face　and　sending　him　reeling　backward　onto　the　ground；　his　nose　shattering　in　pain。　The　gun　flew　as　Vernet　reached　for　his　face　and　felt　the　warm　blood　running　from　his　nose。
　Robert　Langdon　hit　the　ground　somewhere　nearby；　and　Vernet　tried　to　get　up；　but　he　couldn't　see。　His　vision　blurred　and　he　fell　backward　again。　Sophie　Neveu　was　shouting。　Moments　later；　Vernet　felt　a　cloud　of　dirt　and　exhaust　billowing　over　him。　He　heard　the　crunching　of　tires　on　gravel　and　sat　up　just　in　time　to　see　the　truck's　wide　wheelbase　fail　to　navigate　a　turn。　There　was　a　crash　as　the　front　bumper　clipped　a　tree。　The　engine　roared；　and　the　tree　bent。　Finally；　it　was　the　bumper　that　gave；　tearing　half　off。　The　armored　car　lurched　away；　its　front　bumper　dragging。　When　the　truck　reached　the　paved　access　road；　a　shower　of　sparks　lit　up　the　night；　trailing　the　truck　as　it　sped　away。
　Vernet　turned　his　eyes　back　to　the　ground　where　the　truck　had　been　parked。　Even　in　the　faint　moonlight　he　could　see　there　was　nothing　there。
　The　wooden　box　was　gone。
　　
　CHAPTER　50
　
　The　unmarked　Fiat　sedan　departing　Castel　Gandolfo　snaked　downward　through　the　Alban　Hills　into　the　valley　below。　In　the　back　seat；　Bishop　Aringarosa　smiled；　feeling　the　weight　of　the　bearer　bonds　in　the　briefcase　on　his　lap　and　wondering　how　long　it　would　be　before　he　and　the　Teacher　could　make　the　exchange。
　Twenty　million　euro。
　The　sum　would　buy　Aringarosa　power　far　more　valuable　than　that。
　As　his　car　sped　back　toward　Rome；　Aringarosa　again　found　himself　wondering　why　the　Teacher　had　not　yet　contacted　him。　Pulling　his　cell　phone　from　his　cassock　pocket；　he　checked　the　carrier　signal。　Extremely　faint。
　〃Cell　service　is　intermittent　up　here；〃　the　driver　said；　glancing　at　him　in　the　rearview　mirror。　〃In　about　five　minutes；　we'll　be　out　of　the　mountains；　and　service　improves。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃　Aringarosa　felt　a　sudden　surge　of　concern。　No　service　in　the　mountains？　Maybe　the　Teacher　had　been　trying　to　reach　him　all　this　time。　Maybe　something　had　gone　terribly　wrong。
　Quickly；　Aringarosa　checked　the　phone's　voice　mail。　Nothing。　Then　again；　he　realized；　the　Teacher　never　would　have　left　a　recorded　message；　he　was　a　man　who　took　enormous　care　with　his　munications。　Nobody　understood　better　than　the　Teacher　the　perils　of　speaking　openly　in　this　modern　world。　Electronic　eavesdropping　had　played　a　major　role　in　how　he　had　gathered　his　astonishing　array　of　secret　knowledge。
　For　this　reason；　he　takes　extra　precautions。
　Unfortunately；　the　Teacher's　protocols　for　caution　included　a　refusal　to　give　Aringarosa　any　kind　of　contact　number。　I　alone　will　initiate　contact；　the　Teacher　had　informed　him。　So　keep　your　phone　close。　Now　that　Aringarosa　realized　his　phone　might　not　have　been　working　properly；　he　feared　what　the　Teacher　might　think　if　he　had　been　repeatedly　phoning　with　no　answer。
　He'll　think　something　is　wrong。
　Or　that　I　failed　to　get　the　bonds。
　The　bishop　broke　a　light　sweat。
　Or　worse。。。　that　I　took　the　money　and　ran！
　　
　CHAPTER　51
　
　Even　at　a　modest　sixty　kilometers　an　hour；　the　dangling　front　bumper　of　the　armored　truck　grated　against　the　deserted　suburban　road　with　a　grinding　roar；　spraying　sparks　up　onto　the　hood。
　We've　got　to　get　off　the　road；　Langdon　thought。
　He　could　barely　even　see　where　they　were　headed。　The　truck's　lone　working　headlight　had　been　knocked　off…center　and　was　casting　a　skewed　sidelong　beam　into　the　woods　beside　the　country　highway。　Apparently　the　armor　in　this　〃armored　truck〃　referred　only　to　the　cargo　hold　and　not　the　front　end。
　Sophie　sat　in　the　passenger　seat；　staring　blankly　at　the　rosewood　box　on　her　lap。
　〃Are　you　okay？〃　Langdon　asked。
　Sophie　looked　shaken。　〃Do　you　believe　him？〃
　〃About　the　three　additional　murders？　Absolutely。　It　answers　a　lot　of　questions…the　issue　of　your　grandfather's　desperation　to　pass　on　the　keystone；　as　well　as　the　intensity　with　which　Fache　is　hunting　me。〃
　〃No；　I　meant　about　Vernet　trying　to　protect　his　bank。〃
　Langdon　glanced　over。　〃As　opposed　to？〃
　〃Taking　the　keystone　for　himself。〃
　Langdon　had　not　even　considered　it。　〃How　would　he　even　know　what　this　box　contains？〃
　〃His　bank　stored　it。　He　knew　my　grandfather。　Maybe　he　knew　things。　He　might　have　decided　he　wanted　the　Grail　for　himself。〃
　Langdon　shook　his　head。　Vernet　hardly　seemed　the　type。　〃In　my　experience；　there　are　only　two　reasons　people　seek　the　Grail。　Either　they　are　naive　and　believe　they　are　searching　for　the　long…lost　Cup　of　Christ。。。〃
　〃Or？〃
　〃Or　they　know　the　truth　and　are　threatened　by　it。　Many　groups　throughout　history　have　sought　to　destroy　the　Grail。〃
　The　silence　between　them　accentuated　the　sound　of　the　scraping　bumper。　They　had　driven　a　few　kilometers　now；　and　as　Langdon　watched　the　cascade　of　sparks　ing　off　the　front　of　the　truck；　he　wondered　if　it　was　dangerous。　Either　way；　if　they　passed　another　car；　it　would　certainly　draw　attention。　Langdon　made　up　his　mind。
　〃I'm　going　to　see　if　I　can　bend　this　bumper　back。〃
　Pulling　onto　the　shoulder；　he　brought　the　truck　to　a　stop。
　Silence　at　last。
　As　Langdon　walked　toward　the　front　of　the　truck；　he　felt　surprisingly　alert。　Staring　into　the　barrel　of　yet　another　gun　tonight　had　given　him　a　second　wind。　He　took　a　deep　breath　of　nighttime　air　and　tried　to　get　his　wits　about　him。　Acpanying　the　gravity　of　being　a　hunted　man；　Langdon　was　starting　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