danbrown.angels&demons-第11部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Vittoria　stared；　saying　nothing。　Langdon　sensed　in　her　a　reluctant　respect　and　acceptance　of　Kohler's　logic。
　〃Before　we　report　anything　to　the　authorities；〃　Kohler　said；　〃I　need　to　know　what　you　two　were　working　on。　I　need　you　to　take　us　to　your　lab。〃
　〃The　lab　is　irrelevant；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃Nobody　knew　what　my　father　and　I　were　doing。　The　experiment　could　not　possibly　have　anything　to　do　with　my　father's　murder。〃
　Kohler　exhaled　a　raspy；　ailing　breath。　〃Evidence　suggests　otherwise。〃　
　〃Evidence？　What　evidence？〃
　Langdon　was　wondering　the　same　thing。
　Kohler　was　dabbing　his　mouth　again。　〃You'll　just　have　to　trust　me。〃
　It　was　clear；　from　Vittoria's　smoldering　gaze；　that　she　did　not。
　
　15

　Langdon　strode　silently　behind　Vittoria　and　Kohler　as　they　moved　back　into　the　main　atrium　where　Langdon's　bizarre　visit　had　begun。　Vittoria's　legs　drove　in　fluid　efficiency…like　an　Olympic　diver…a　potency；　Langdon　figured；　no　doubt　born　from　the　flexibility　and　control　of　yoga。　He　could　hear　her　breathing　slowly　and　deliberately；　as　if　somehow　trying　to　filter　her　grief。　
　Langdon　wanted　to　say　something　to　her；　offer　his　sympathy。　He　too　had　once　felt　the　abrupt　hollowness　of　unexpectedly　losing　a　parent。　He　remembered　the　funeral　mostly；　rainy　and　gray。　Two　days　after　his　twelfth　birthday。　The　house　was　filled　with　gray…suited　men　from　the　office；　men　who　squeezed　his　hand　too　hard　when　they　shook　it。　They　were　all　mumbling　words　like　cardiac　and　stress。　His　mother　joked　through　teary　eyes　that　she'd　always　been　able　to　follow　the　stock　market　simply　by　holding　her　husband's　hand　。　。　。　his　pulse　her　own　private　ticker　tape。　
　Once；　when　his　father　was　alive；　Langdon　had　heard　his　mom　begging　his　father　to　〃stop　and　smell　the　roses。〃　That　year；　Langdon　bought　his　father　a　tiny　blown…glass　rose　for　Christmas。　It　was　the　most　beautiful　thing　Langdon　had　ever　seen　。　。　。　the　way　the　sun　caught　it；　throwing　a　rainbow　of　colors　on　the　wall。　〃It's　lovely；〃　his　father　had　said　when　he　opened　it；　kissing　Robert　on　the　forehead。　〃Let's　find　a　safe　spot　for　it。〃　Then　his　father　had　carefully　placed　the　rose　on　a　high　dusty　shelf　in　the　darkest　corner　of　the　living　room。　A　few　days　later；　Langdon　got　a　stool；　retrieved　the　rose；　and　took　it　back　to　the　store。　His　father　never　noticed　it　was　gone。　
　The　ping　of　an　elevator　pulled　Langdon　back　to　the　present。　Vittoria　and　Kohler　were　in　front　of　him；　boarding　the　lift。　Langdon　hesitated　outside　the　open　doors。
　〃Is　something　wrong？〃　Kohler　asked；　sounding　more　impatient　than　concerned。
　〃Not　at　all；〃　Langdon　said；　forcing　himself　toward　the　cramped　carriage。　He　only　used　elevators　when　absolutely　necessary。　He　preferred　the　more　open　spaces　of　stairwells。　
　〃Dr。　Vetra's　lab　is　subterranean；〃　Kohler　said。
　Wonderful；　Langdon　thought　as　he　stepped　across　the　cleft；　feeling　an　icy　wind　churn　up　from　the　depths　of　the　shaft。　The　doors　closed；　and　the　car　began　to　descend。　
　〃Six　stories；〃　Kohler　said　blankly；　like　an　analytical　engine。
　Langdon　pictured　the　darkness　of　the　empty　shaft　below　them。　He　tried　to　block　it　out　by　staring　at　the　numbered　display　of　changing　floors。　Oddly；　the　elevator　showed　only　two　stops。　GROUND　LEVEL　and　LHC。　
　〃What's　LHC　stand　for？〃　Langdon　asked；　trying　not　to　sound　nervous。
　〃Large　Hadron　Collider；〃　Kohler　said。　〃A　particle　accelerator。〃
　Particle　accelerator？　Langdon　was　vaguely　familiar　with　the　term。　He　had　first　heard　it　over　dinner　with　some　colleagues　at　Dunster　House　in　Cambridge。　A　physicist　friend　of　theirs；　Bob　Brownell；　had　arrived　for　dinner　one　night　in　a　rage。
　〃The　bastards　canceled　it！〃　Brownell　cursed。
　〃Canceled　what？〃　they　all　asked。
　〃The　SSC！〃
　〃The　what？〃
　〃The　Superconducting　Super　Collider！〃
　Someone　shrugged。　〃I　didn't　know　Harvard　was　building　one。〃
　〃Not　Harvard！〃　he　exclaimed。　〃The　U。S。！　It　was　going　to　be　the　world's　most　powerful　particle　accelerator！　One　of　the　most　important　scientific　projects　of　the　century！　Two　billion　dollars　into　it　and　the　Senate　sacks　the　project！　Damn　Bible…Belt　lobbyists！〃　
　When　Brownell　finally　calmed　down；　he　explained　that　a　particle　accelerator　was　a　large；　circular　tube　through　which　subatomic　particles　were　accelerated。　Magnets　in　the　tube　turned　on　and　off　in　rapid　succession　to　〃push〃　particles　around　and　around　until　they　reached　tremendous　velocities。　Fully　accelerated　particles　circled　the　tube　at　over　180；000　miles　per　second。
　〃But　that's　almost　the　speed　of　light；〃　one　of　the　professors　exclaimed。
　〃Damn　right；〃　Brownell　said。　He　went　on　to　say　that　by　accelerating　two　particles　in　opposite　directions　around　the　tube　and　then　colliding　them；　scientists　could　shatter　the　particles　into　their　constituent　parts　and　get　a　glimpse　of　nature's　most　fundamental　ponents。　〃Particle　accelerators；〃　Brownell　declared；　〃are　critical　to　the　future　of　science。　Colliding　particles　is　the　key　to　understanding　the　building　blocks　of　the　universe。〃
　Harvard's　Poet　in　Residence；　a　quiet　man　named　Charles　Pratt；　did　not　look　impressed。　〃It　sounds　to　me；〃　he　said；　〃like　a　rather　Neanderthal　approach　to　science　。　。　。　akin　to　smashing　clocks　together　to　discern　their　internal　workings。〃
　Brownell　dropped　his　fork　and　stormed　out　of　the　room。
　
　So　CERN　has　a　particle　accelerator？　Langdon　thought；　as　the　elevator　dropped。　A　circular　tube　for　smashing　particles。　He　wondered　why　they　had　buried　it　underground。　
　When　the　elevator　thumped　to　a　stop；　Langdon　was　relieved　to　feel　terra　firma　beneath　his　feet。　But　when　the　doors　slid　open；　his　relief　evaporated。　Robert　Langdon　found　himself　standing　once　again　in　a　totally　alien　world。
　The　passageway　stretched　out　indefinitely　in　both　directions；　left　and　right。　It　was　a　smooth　cement　tunnel；　wide　enough　to　allow　passage　of　an　eighteen　wheeler。　Brightly　lit　where　they　stood；　the　corridor　turned　pitch　black　farther　down。　A　damp　wind　rustled　out　of　the　darkness…an　unsettling　reminder　that　they　were　now　deep　in　the　earth。　Langdon　could　almost　sense　the　weight　of　the　dirt　and　stone　now　hanging　above　his　head。　For　an　instant　he　was　nine　years　old　。　。　。　the　darkness　forcing　him　back　。　。　。　back　to　the　five　hours　of　crushing　blackness　that　haunted　him　still。　Clenching　his　fists；　he　fought　it　off。
　Vittoria　remained　hushed　as　she　exited　the　elevator　and　strode　off　without　hesitation　into　the　darkness　without　them。　Overhead　the　flourescents　flickered　on　to　light　her　path。　The　effect　was　unsettling；　Langdon　thought；　as　if　the　tunnel　were　alive　。　。　。　anticipating　her　every　move。　Langdon　and　Kohler　followed；　trailing　a　distance　behind。　The　lights　extinguished　automatically　behind　them。　
　〃This　particle　accelerator；〃　Langdon　said　quietly。　〃It's　down　this　tunnel　someplace？〃
　〃That's　it　there。〃　Kohler　motioned　to　his　left　where　a　polished；　chrome　tube　ran　along　the　tunnel's　inner　wall。
　Langdon　eyed　the　tube；　confused。　〃That's　the　accelerator？〃　The　device　looked　nothing　like　he　had　imagined。　It　was　perfectly　straight；　about　three　feet　in　diameter；　and　extended　horizontally　the　visible　length　of　the　tunnel　before　disappearing　into　the　darkness。　Looks　more　like　a　high…tech　sewer；　Langdon　thought。　〃I　thought　particle　accelerators　were　circular。〃
　〃This　accelerator　is　a　circle；〃　Kohler　said。　〃It　appears　straight；　but　that　is　an　optical　illusion。　The　circumference　of　this　tunnel　is　so　large　that　the　curve　is　imperceptible…like　that　of　the　earth。〃
　Langdon　was　flabbergasted。　This　is　a　circle？　〃But　。　。　。　it　must　be　enormous！〃
　〃The　LHC　is　the　largest　machine　in　the　world。〃　
　Langdon　did　a　double　take。　He　remembered　the　CERN　driver　saying　something　about　a　huge　machine　buried　in　the　earth。　But…
　〃It　is　over　eight　kilometers　in　diameter　。　。　。　and　twenty…seven　kilometers　long。〃
　Langdon's　head　whipped　around。　〃Twenty…seven　kilometers？〃　He　stared　at　the　director　and　then　turned　and　looked　into　the　darkened　tunnel　before　him。　〃This　tunnel　is　twenty…seven　kilometers　long？　That's　。　。　。　that's　over　sixteen　miles！〃
　Kohler　nodded。　〃Bored　in　a　perfect　circle。　It　extends　all　the　way　into　France　before　curving　back　here　to　this　spot。　Fully　accelerated　particles　will　circle　the　tube　more　than　ten　thousand　times　in　a　single