danbrown.angels&demons-第105部分

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　〃I　could　no　longer　stand　by；〃　the　camerlegno　said。　Still；　as　he　drew　nearer；　he　saw　no　flicker　of　understanding　in　anyone's　eyes。　Didn't　they　see　the　radiant　simplicity　of　his　deeds？　Didn't　they　see　the　utter　necessity！
　It　had　been　so　pure。
　The　Illuminati。　Science　and　Satan　as　one。
　Resurrect　the　ancient　fear。　Then　crush　it。　
　Horror　and　Hope。　Make　them　believe　again。　
　Tonight；　the　power　of　the　Illuminati　had　been　unleashed　anew　。　。　。　and　with　glorious　consequence。　The　apathy　had　evaporated。　The　fear　had　shot　out　across　the　world　like　a　bolt　of　lightning；　uniting　the　people。　And　then　God's　majesty　had　vanquished　the　darkness。
　I　could　not　stand　idly　by！　
　The　inspiration　had　been　God's　own…appearing　like　a　beacon　in　the　camerlegno's　night　of　agony。　Oh；　this　faithless　world！　Someone　must　deliver　them。　You。　If　not　you；　who？　You　have　been　saved　for　a　reason。　Show　them　the　old　demons。　Remind　them　of　their　fear。　Apathy　is　death。　Without　darkness；　there　is　no　light。　Without　evil；　there　is　no　good。　Make　them　choose。　Dark　or　light。　Where　is　the　fear？　Where　are　the　heroes？　If　not　now；　when？　
　The　camerlegno　walked　up　the　center　aisle　directly　toward　the　crowd　of　standing　cardinals。　He　felt　like　Moses　as　the　sea　of　red　sashes　and　caps　parted　before　him；　allowing　him　to　pass。　On　the　altar；　Robert　Langdon　switched　off　the　television；　took　Vittoria's　hand；　and　relinquished　the　altar。　The　fact　that　Robert　Langdon　had　survived；　the　camerlegno　knew；　could　only　have　been　God's　will。　God　had　saved　Robert　Langdon。　The　camerlegno　wondered　why。
　The　voice　that　broke　the　silence　was　the　voice　of　the　only　woman　in　the　Sistine　Chapel。　〃You　killed　my　father？〃　she　said；　stepping　forward。
　When　the　camerlegno　turned　to　Vittoria　Vetra；　the　look　on　her　face　was　one　he　could　not　quite　understand…pain　yes；　but　anger？　Certainly　she　must　understand。　Her　father's　genius　was　deadly。　He　had　to　be　stopped。　For　the　good　of　Mankind。
　〃He　was　doing　God's　work；〃　Vittoria　said。
　〃God's　work　is　not　done　in　a　lab。　It　is　done　in　the　heart。〃
　〃My　father's　heart　was　pure！　And　his　research　proved…〃
　〃His　research　proved　yet　again　that　man's　mind　is　progressing　faster　than　his　soul！〃　The　camerlegno's　voice　was　sharper　than　he　had　expected。　He　lowered　his　voice。　〃If　a　man　as　spiritual　as　your　father　could　create　a　weapon　like　the　one　we　saw　tonight；　imagine　what　an　ordinary　man　will　do　with　his　technology。〃
　〃A　man　like　you？〃　
　The　camerlegno　took　a　deep　breath。　Did　she　not　see？　Man's　morality　was　not　advancing　as　fast　as　man's　science。　Mankind　was　not　spiritually　evolved　enough　for　the　powers　he　possessed。　We　have　never　created　a　weapon　we　have　not　used！　And　yet　he　knew　that　antimatter　was　nothing…another　weapon　in　man's　already　burgeoning　arsenal。　Man　could　already　destroy。　Man　learned　to　kill　long　ago。　And　his　mother's　blood　rained　down。　Leonardo　Vetra's　genius　was　dangerous　for　another　reason。
　〃For　centuries；〃　the　camerlegno　said；　〃the　church　has　stood　by　while　science　picked　away　at　religion　bit　by　bit。　Debunking　miracles。　Training　the　mind　to　overe　the　heart。　Condemning　religion　as　the　opiate　of　the　masses。　They　denounce　God　as　a　hallucination…a　delusional　crutch　for　those　too　weak　to　accept　that　life　is　meaningless。　I　could　not　stand　by　while　science　presumed　to　harness　the　power　of　God　himself！　Proof；　you　say？　Yes；　proof　of　science's　ignorance！　What　is　wrong　with　the　admission　that　something　exists　beyond　our　understanding？　The　day　science　substantiates　God　in　a　lab　is　the　day　people　stop　needing　faith！〃
　〃You　mean　the　day　they　stop　needing　the　church；〃　Vittoria　challenged；　moving　toward　him。　〃Doubt　is　your　last　shred　of　control。　It　is　doubt　that　brings　souls　to　you。　Our　need　to　know　that　life　has　meaning。　Man's　insecurity　and　need　for　an　enlightened　soul　assuring　him　everything　is　part　of　a　master　plan。　But　the　church　is　not　the　only　enlightened　soul　on　the　planet！　We　all　seek　God　in　different　ways。　What　are　you　afraid　of？　That　God　will　show　himself　somewhere　other　than　inside　these　walls？　That　people　will　find　him　in　their　own　lives　and　leave　your　antiquated　rituals　behind？　Religions　evolve！　The　mind　finds　answers；　the　heart　grapples　with　new　truths。　My　father　was　on　your　quest！　A　parallel　path！　Why　couldn't　you　see　that？　God　is　not　some　omnipotent　authority　looking　down　from　above；　threatening　to　throw　us　into　a　pit　of　fire　if　we　disobey。　God　is　the　energy　that　flows　through　the　synapses　of　our　nervous　system　and　the　chambers　of　our　hearts！　God　is　in　all　things！〃
　〃Except　science；〃　the　camerlegno　fired　back；　his　eyes　showing　only　pity。　〃Science；　by　definition；　is　soulless。　Divorced　from　the　heart。　Intellectual　miracles　like　antimatter　arrive　in　this　world　with　no　ethical　instructions　attached。　This　in　itself　is　perilous！　But　when　science　heralds　its　Godless　pursuits　as　the　enlightened　path？　Promising　answers　to　questions　whose　beauty　is　that　they　have　no　answers？〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃No。〃
　There　was　a　moment　of　silence。　The　camerlegno　felt　suddenly　tired　as　he　returned　Vittoria's　unbending　stare。　This　was　not　how　it　was　supposed　to　be。　Is　this　God's　final　test？　
　It　was　Mortati　who　broke　the　spell。　〃The　preferiti；〃　he　said　in　a　horrified　whisper。　〃Baggia　and　the　others。　Please　tell　me　you　did　not　。　。　。〃
　The　camerlegno　turned　to　him；　surprised　by　the　pain　in　his　voice。　Certainly　Mortati　could　understand。　Headlines　carried　science's　miracles　every　day。　How　long　had　it　been　for　religion？　Centuries？　Religion　needed　a　miracle！　Something　to　awaken　a　sleeping　world。　Bring　them　back　to　the　path　of　righteousness。　Restore　faith。　The　preferiti　were　not　leaders　anyway；　they　were　transformers…liberals　prepared　to　embrace　the　new　world　and　abandon　the　old　ways！　This　was　the　only　way。　A　new　leader。　Young。　Powerful。　Vibrant。　Miraculous。　The　preferiti　served　the　church　far　more　effectively　in　death　than　they　ever　could　alive。　Horror　and　Hope。　Offer　four　souls　to　save　millions。　The　world　would　remember　them　forever　as　martyrs。　The　church　would　raise　glorious　tribute　to　their　names。　How　many　thousands　have　died　for　the　glory　of　God？　They　are　only　four。　
　〃The　preferiti；〃　Mortati　repeated。
　〃I　shared　their　pain；〃　the　camerlegno　defended；　motioning　to　his　chest。　〃And　I　too　would　die　for　God；　but　my　work　is　only　just　begun。　They　are　singing　in　St。　Peter's　Square！〃
　The　camerlegno　saw　the　horror　in　Mortati's　eyes　and　again　felt　confused。　Was　it　the　morphine？　Mortati　was　looking　at　him　as　if　the　camerlegno　himself　had　killed　these　men　with　his　bare　hands。　I　would　do　even　that　for　God；　the　camerlegno　thought；　and　yet　he　had　not。　The　deeds　had　been　carried　out　by　the　Hassassin…a　heathen　soul　tricked　into　thinking　he　was　doing　the　work　of　the　Illuminati。　I　am　Janus；　the　camerlegno　had　told　him。　I　will　prove　my　power。　And　he　had。　The　Hassassin's　hatred　had　made　him　God's　pawn。
　〃Listen　to　the　singing；〃　the　camerlegno　said；　smiling；　his　own　heart　rejoicing。　〃Nothing　unites　hearts　like　the　presence　of　evil。　Burn　a　church　and　the　munity　rises　up；　holding　hands；　singing　hymns　of　defiance　as　they　rebuild。　Look　how　they　flock　tonight。　Fear　has　brought　them　home。　Forge　modern　demons　for　modern　man。　Apathy　is　dead。　Show　them　the　face　of　evil…Satanists　lurking　among　us…running　our　governments；　our　banks；　our　schools；　threatening　to　obliterate　the　very　House　of　God　with　their　misguided　science。　Depravity　runs　deep。　Man　must　be　vigilant。　Seek　the　goodness。　Bee　the　goodness！〃
　In　the　silence；　the　camerlegno　hoped　they　now　understood。　The　Illuminati　had　not　resurfaced。　The　Illuminati　were　long　deceased。　Only　their　myth　was　alive。　The　camerlegno　had　resurrected　the　Illuminati　as　a　reminder。　Those　who　knew　the　Illuminati　history　relived　their　evil。　Those　who　did　not；　had　learned　of　it　and　were　amazed　how　blind　they　had　been。　The　ancient　demons　had　been　resurrected　to　awaken　an　indifferent　world。
　〃But　。　。　。　the　brands？〃　Mortati's　voice　was　stiff　with　outrage。
　The　camerlegno　did　not　answer。　Mortati　had　no　way　of　knowing；　but　the　brands　had　been　confiscated　by　the　Vatican　over　a　century　ago。　They　had　been　locked　away；　forgotten　and　dust　covered；　in　the　Papal　Vault…the　Pope's　private　reliquary；　deep　within　his　Borgia　apartments。　The　Papal　Vault　containe