danbrown.angels&demons-第106部分

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ithin　his　Borgia　apartments。　The　Papal　Vault　contained　those　items　the　church　deemed　too　dangerous　for　anyone's　eyes　except　the　Pope's。　
　Why　did　they　hide　that　which　inspired　fear？　Fear　brought　people　to　God！　
　The　vault's　key　was　passed　down　from　Pope　to　Pope。　Camerlegno　Carlo　Ventresca　had　purloined　the　key　and　ventured　inside；　the　myth　of　what　the　vault　contained　was　bewitching…the　original　manuscript　for　the　fourteen　unpublished　books　of　the　Bible　known　as　the　Apocrypha；　the　third　prophecy　of　Fatima；　the　first　two　having　e　true　and　the　third　so　terrifying　the　church　would　never　reveal　it。　In　addition　to　these；　the　camerlegno　had　found　the　Illuminati　Collection…all　the　secrets　the　church　had　uncovered　after　banishing　the　group　from　Rome　。　。　。　their　contemptible　Path　of　Illumination　。　。　。　the　cunning　deceit　of　the　Vatican's　head　artist；　Bernini　。　。　。　Europe's　top　scientists　mocking　religion　as　they　secretly　assembled　in　the　Vatican's　own　Castle　St。　Angelo。　The　collection　included　a　pentagon　box　containing　iron　brands；　one　of　them　the　mythical　Illuminati　Diamond。　This　was　a　part　of　Vatican　history　the　ancients　thought　best　forgotten。　The　camerlegno；　however；　had　disagreed。
　〃But　the　antimatter　。　。　。〃　Vittoria　demanded。　〃You　risked　destroying　the　Vatican！〃
　〃There　is　no　risk　when　God　is　at　your　side；〃　the　camerlegno　said。　〃This　cause　was　His。〃
　〃You're　insane！〃　she　seethed。
　〃Millions　were　saved。〃
　〃People　were　killed！〃　
　〃Souls　were　saved。〃
　〃Tell　that　to　my　father　and　Max　Kohler！〃
　〃CERN's　arrogance　needed　to　be　revealed。　A　droplet　of　liquid　that　can　vaporize　a　half　mile？　And　you　call　me　mad？〃　The　camerlegno　felt　a　rage　rising　in　him。　Did　they　think　his　was　a　simple　charge？　〃Those　who　believe　undergo　great　tests　for　God！　God　asked　Abraham　to　sacrifice　his　child！　God　manded　Jesus　to　endure　crucifixion！　And　so　we　hang　the　symbol　of　the　crucifix　before　our　eyes…bloody；　painful；　agonizing…to　remind　us　of　evil's　power！　To　keep　our　hearts　vigilant！　The　scars　on　Jesus'　body　are　a　living　reminder　of　the　powers　of　darkness！　My　scars　are　a　living　reminder！　Evil　lives；　but　the　power　of　God　will　overe！〃
　His　shouts　echoed　off　the　back　wall　of　the　Sistine　Chapel　and　then　a　profound　silence　fell。　Time　seemed　to　stop。　Michelangelo's　Last　Judgment　rose　ominously　behind　him　。　。　。　Jesus　casting　sinners　into　hell。　Tears　brimmed　in　Mortati's　eyes。
　〃What　have　you　done；　Carlo？〃　Mortati　asked　in　a　whisper。　He　closed　his　eyes；　and　a　tear　rolled。　〃His　Holiness？〃
　A　collective　sigh　of　pain　went　up；　as　if　everyone　in　the　room　had　forgotten　until　that　very　moment。　The　Pope。　Poisoned。　
　〃A　vile　liar；〃　the　camerlegno　said。
　Mortati　looked　shattered。　〃What　do　you　mean？　He　was　honest！　He　。　。　。　loved　you。〃
　〃And　I　him。〃　Oh；　how　I　loved　him！　But　the　deceit！　The　broken　vows　to　God！　
　The　camerlegno　knew　they　did　not　understand　right　now；　but　they　would。　When　he　told　them；　they　would　see！　His　Holiness　was　the　most　nefarious　deceiver　the　church　had　ever　seen。　The　camerlegno　still　remembered　that　terrible　night。　He　had　returned　from　his　trip　to　CERN　with　news　of　Vetra's　Genesis　and　of　antimatter's　horrific　power。　The　camerlegno　was　certain　the　Pope　would　see　the　perils；　but　the　Holy　Father　saw　only　hope　in　Vetra's　breakthrough。　He　even　suggested　the　Vatican　fund　Vetra's　work　as　a　gesture　of　goodwill　toward　spiritually　based　scientific　research。　
　Madness！　The　church　investing　in　research　that　threatened　to　make　the　church　obsolete？　Work　that　spawned　weapons　of　mass　destruction？　The　bomb　that　had　killed　his　mother　。　。　。　
　〃But　。　。　。　you　can't！〃　the　camerlegno　had　exclaimed。　
　〃I　owe　a　deep　debt　to　science；〃　the　Pope　had　replied。　〃Something　I　have　hidden　my　entire　life。　Science　gave　me　a　gift　when　I　was　a　young　man。　A　gift　I　have　never　forgotten。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。　What　does　science　have　to　offer　a　man　of　God？〃　
　〃It　is　plicated；〃　the　Pope　had　said。　〃I　will　need　time　to　make　you　understand。　But　first；　there　is　a　simple　fact　about　me　that　you　must　know。　I　have　kept　it　hidden　all　these　years。　I　believe　it　is　time　I　told　you。〃
　Then　the　Pope　had　told　him　the　astonishing　truth。　
　
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　The　camerlegno　lay　curled　in　a　ball　on　the　dirt　floor　in　front　of　St。　Peter's　tomb。　The　Necropolis　was　cold；　but　it　helped　clot　the　blood　flowing　from　the　wounds　he　had　torn　at　his　own　flesh。　His　Holiness　would　not　find　him　here。　Nobody　would　find　him　here　。　。　。　
　〃It　is　plicated；〃　the　Pope's　voice　echoed　in　his　mind。　〃I　will　need　time　to　make　you　understand　。　。　。〃
　But　the　camerlegno　knew　no　amount　of　time　could　make　him　understand。
　Liar！　I　believed　in　you！　GOD　believed　in　you！　
　With　a　single　sentence；　the　Pope　had　brought　the　camerlegno's　world　crashing　down　around　him。　Everything　the　camerlegno　had　ever　believed　about　his　mentor　was　shattered　before　his　eyes。　The　truth　drilled　into　the　camerlegno's　heart　with　such　force　that　he　staggered　backward　out　of　the　Pope's　office　and　vomited　in　the　hallway。
　〃Wait！〃　the　Pope　had　cried；　chasing　after　him。　〃Please　let　me　explain！〃
　But　the　camerlegno　ran　off。　How　could　His　Holiness　expect　him　to　endure　any　more？　Oh；　the　wretched　depravity　of　it！　What　if　someone　else　found　out？　Imagine　the　desecration　to　the　church！　Did　the　Pope's　holy　vows　mean　nothing？
　The　madness　came　quickly；　screaming　in　his　ears；　until　he　awoke　before　St。　Peter's　tomb。　It　was　then　that　God　came　to　him　with　an　awesome　fierceness。　
　YOURS　IS　A　VENGEFUL　GOD！　
　Together；　they　made　their　plans。　Together　they　would　protect　the　church。　Together　they　would　restore　faith　to　this　faithless　world。　Evil　was　everywhere。　And　yet　the　world　had　bee　immune！　Together　they　would　unveil　the　darkness　for　the　world　to　see　。　。　。　and　God　would　overe！　Horror　and　Hope。　Then　the　world　would　believe！
　God's　first　test　had　been　less　horrible　than　the　camerlegno　imagined。　Sneaking　into　the　Papal　bed　chambers　。　。　。　filling　his　syringe　。　。　。　covering　the　deceiver's　mouth　as　his　body　spasmed　into　death。　In　the　moonlight；　the　camerlegno　could　see　in　the　Pope's　wild　eyes　there　was　something　he　wanted　to　say。　
　But　it　was　too　late。　
　The　Pope　had　said　enough。
　
　133

　The　Pope　fathered　a　child。〃
　Inside　the　Sistine　Chapel；　the　camerlegno　stood　unwavering　as　he　spoke。　Five　solitary　words　of　astonishing　disclosure。　The　entire　assembly　seemed　to　recoil　in　unison。　The　cardinals'　accusing　miens　evaporated　into　aghast　stares；　as　if　every　soul　in　the　room　were　praying　the　camerlegno　was　wrong。　
　The　Pope　fathered　a　child。　
　Langdon　felt　the　shock　wave　hit　him　too。　Vittoria's　hand；　tight　in　his；　jolted；　while　Langdon's　mind；　already　numb　with　unanswered　questions；　wrestled　to　find　a　center　of　gravity。
　The　camerlegno's　utterance　seemed　like　it　would　hang　forever　in　the　air　above　them。　Even　in　the　camerlegno's　frenzied　eyes；　Langdon　could　see　pure　conviction。　Langdon　wanted　to　disengage；　tell　himself　he　was　lost　in　some　grotesque　nightmare；　soon　to　wake　up　in　a　world　that　made　sense。　
　〃This　must　be　a　lie！〃　one　of　the　cardinals　yelled。
　〃I　will　not　believe　it！〃　another　protested。　〃His　Holiness　was　as　devout　a　man　as　ever　lived！〃
　It　was　Mortati　who　spoke　next；　his　voice　thin　with　devastation。　〃My　friends。　What　the　camerlegno　says　is　true。〃　Every　cardinal　in　the　chapel　spun　as　though　Mortati　had　just　shouted　an　obscenity。　〃The　Pope　indeed　fathered　a　child。〃
　The　cardinals　blanched　with　dread。
　The　camerlegno　looked　stunned。　〃You　knew？　But　。　。　。　how　could　you　possibly　know　this？〃
　Mortati　sighed。　〃When　His　Holiness　was　elected　。　。　。　I　was　the　Devil's　Advocate。〃
　There　was　a　munal　gasp。　
　Langdon　understood。　This　meant　the　information　was　probably　true。　The　infamous　〃Devil's　Advocate〃　was　the　authority　when　it　came　to　scandalous　information　inside　the　Vatican。　Skeletons　in　a　Pope's　closet　were　dangerous；　and　prior　to　elections；　secret　inquiries　into　a　candidate's　background　were　carried　out　by　a　lone　cardinal　who　served　as　the　〃Devil's　Advocate〃…that　individual　responsible　for　unearthing　reasons　why　the　eligible　cardinals　should　not　bee　Pope。　The　Devil's　Advocate　was　appointed　in　advance　by　the　reigning　Pope　in　preparation　for　his　own　death。　The　Devil's　Advocate　was　never　supposed　to　reveal　his　identity。　Ever。