danbrown.angels&demons-第15部分

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same　truth…pure　energy　is　the　father　of　creation。〃　
　When　Kohler　finally　spoke；　his　voice　was　somber。　〃Vittoria；　you　have　me　at　a　loss。　It　sounds　like　you're　telling　me　your　father　created　matter　。　。　。　out　of　nothing？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Vittoria　motioned　to　the　canisters。　〃And　there　is　the　proof。　In　those　canisters　are　specimens　of　the　matter　he　created。〃
　Kohler　coughed　and　moved　toward　the　canisters　like　a　wary　animal　circling　something　he　instinctively　sensed　was　wrong。　〃I've　obviously　missed　something；〃　he　said。　〃How　do　you　expect　anyone　to　believe　these　canisters　contain　particles　of　matter　your　father　actually　created？　They　could　be　particles　from　anywhere　at　all。〃
　〃Actually；〃　Vittoria　said；　sounding　confident；　〃they　couldn't。　These　particles　are　unique。　They　are　a　type　of　matter　that　does　not　exist　anywhere　on　earth　。　。　。　hence　they　had　to　be　created。〃
　Kohler's　expression　darkened。　〃Vittoria；　what　do　you　mean　a　certain　type　of　matter？　There　is　only　one　type　of　matter；　and　it…〃　Kohler　stopped　short。
　Vittoria's　expression　was　triumphant。　〃You've　lectured　on　it　yourself；　director。　The　universe　contains　two　kinds　of　matter。　Scientific　fact。〃　Vittoria　turned　to　Langdon。　〃Mr。　Langdon；　what　does　the　Bible　say　about　the　Creation？　What　did　God　create？〃
　Langdon　felt　awkward；　not　sure　what　this　had　to　do　with　anything。　〃Um；　God　created　。　。　。　light　and　dark；　heaven　and　hell…〃
　〃Exactly；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃He　created　everything　in　opposites。　Symmetry。　Perfect　balance。〃　She　turned　back　to　Kohler。　〃Director；　science　claims　the　same　thing　as　religion；　that　the　Big　Bang　created　everything　in　the　universe　with　an　opposite。〃
　〃Including　matter　itself；〃　Kohler　whispered；　as　if　to　himself。
　Vittoria　nodded。　〃And　when　my　father　ran　his　experiment；　sure　enough；　two　kinds　of　matter　appeared。〃
　Langdon　wondered　what　this　meant。　Leonardo　Vetra　created　matter's　opposite？　
　Kohler　looked　angry。　〃The　substance　you're　referring　to　only　exists　elsewhere　in　the　universe。　Certainly　not　on　earth。　And　possibly　not　even　in　our　galaxy！〃
　〃Exactly；〃　Vittoria　replied；　〃which　is　proof　that　the　particles　in　these　canisters　had　to　be　created。〃
　Kohler's　face　hardened。　〃Vittoria；　surely　you　can't　be　saying　those　canisters　contain　actual　specimens？〃
　〃I　am。〃　She　gazed　proudly　at　the　canisters。　〃Director；　you　are　looking　at　the　world's　first　specimens　of　antimatter。〃
　
　20

　Phase　two；　the　Hassassin　thought；　striding　into　the　darkened　tunnel。　
　The　torch　in　his　hand　was　overkill。　He　knew　that。　But　it　was　for　effect。　Effect　was　everything。　Fear；　he　had　learned；　was　his　ally。　Fear　cripples　faster　than　any　implement　of　war。　
　There　was　no　mirror　in　the　passage　to　admire　his　disguise；　but　he　could　sense　from　the　shadow　of　his　billowing　robe　that　he　was　perfect。　Blending　in　was　part　of　the　plan　。　。　。　part　of　the　depravity　of　the　plot。　In　his　wildest　dreams　he　had　never　imagined　playing　this　part。
　Two　weeks　ago；　he　would　have　considered　the　task　awaiting　him　at　the　far　end　of　this　tunnel　impossible。　A　suicide　mission。　Walking　naked　into　a　lion's　lair。　But　Janus　had　changed　the　definition　of　impossible。
　The　secrets　Janus　had　shared　with　the　Hassassin　in　the　last　two　weeks　had　been　numerous　。　。　。　this　very　tunnel　being　one　of　them。　Ancient；　and　yet　still　perfectly　passable。
　As　he　drew　closer　to　his　enemy；　the　Hassassin　wondered　if　what　awaited　him　inside　would　be　as　easy　as　Janus　had　promised。　Janus　had　assured　him　someone　on　the　inside　would　make　the　necessary　arrangements。　Someone　on　the　inside。　Incredible。　The　more　he　considered　it；　the　more　he　realized　it　was　child's　play。
　Wahad　。　。　。　tintain　。　。　。　thalatha　。　。　。　arbaa；　he　said　to　himself　in　Arabic　as　he　neared　the　end。　One　。　。　。　two　。　。　。　three　。　。　。　four　。　。　。　
　21

　I　sense　you've　heard　of　antimatter；　Mr。　Langdon？〃　Vittoria　was　studying　him；　her　dark　skin　in　stark　contrast　to　the　white　lab。
　Langdon　looked　up。　He　felt　suddenly　dumb。　〃Yes。　Well　。　。　。　sort　of。〃
　A　faint　smile　crossed　her　lips。　〃You　watch　Star　Trek。〃
　Langdon　flushed。　〃Well；　my　students　enjoy　。　。　。〃　He　frowned。　〃Isn't　antimatter　what　fuels　the　U。S。S。　Enterprise？〃
　She　nodded。　〃Good　science　fiction　has　its　roots　in　good　science。〃
　〃So　antimatter　is　real？〃　
　〃A　fact　of　nature。　Everything　has　an　opposite。　Protons　have　electrons。　Up…quarks　have　down…quarks。　There　is　a　cosmic　symmetry　at　the　subatomic　level。　Antimatter　is　yin　to　matter's　yang。　It　balances　the　physical　equation。〃
　Langdon　thought　of　Galileo's　belief　of　duality。
　〃Scientists　have　known　since　1918；〃　Vittoria　said；　〃that　two　kinds　of　matter　were　created　in　the　Big　Bang。　One　matter　is　the　kind　we　see　here　on　earth；　making　up　rocks；　trees；　people。　The　other　is　its　inverse…identical　to　matter　in　all　respects　except　that　the　charges　of　its　particles　are　reversed。〃
　Kohler　spoke　as　though　emerging　from　a　fog。　His　voice　sounded　suddenly　precarious。　〃But　there　are　enormous　technological　barriers　to　actually　storing　antimatter。　What　about　neutralization？〃
　〃My　father　built　a　reverse　polarity　vacuum　to　pull　the　antimatter　positrons　out　of　the　accelerator　before　they　could　decay。〃
　Kohler　scowled。　〃But　a　vacuum　would　pull　out　the　matter　also。　There　would　be　no　way　to　separate　the　particles。〃
　〃He　applied　a　magnetic　field。　Matter　arced　right；　and　antimatter　arced　left。　They　are　polar　opposites。〃
　At　that　instant；　Kohler's　wall　of　doubt　seemed　to　crack。　He　looked　up　at　Vittoria　in　clear　astonishment　and　then　without　warning　was　overe　by　a　fit　of　coughing。　〃Incred　。　。　。　ible　。　。　。〃　he　said；　wiping　his　mouth；　〃and　yet　。　。　。〃　It　seemed　his　logic　was　still　resisting。　〃Yet　even　if　the　vacuum　worked；　these　canisters　are　made　of　matter。　Antimatter　cannot　be　stored　inside　canisters　made　out　of　matter。　The　antimatter　would　instantly　react　with…〃
　〃The　specimen　is　not　touching　the　canister；〃　Vittoria　said；　apparently　expecting　the　question。　〃The　antimatter　is　suspended。　The　canisters　are　called　'antimatter　traps'　because　they　literally　trap　the　antimatter　in　the　center　of　the　canister；　suspending　it　at　a　safe　distance　from　the　sides　and　bottom。〃
　〃Suspended？　But　。　。　。　how？〃
　〃Between　two　intersecting　magnetic　fields。　Here；　have　a　look。〃
　Vittoria　walked　across　the　room　and　retrieved　a　large　electronic　apparatus。　The　contraption　reminded　Langdon　of　some　sort　of　cartoon　ray　gun…a　wide　cannonlike　barrel　with　a　sighting　scope　on　top　and　a　tangle　of　electronics　dangling　below。　Vittoria　aligned　the　scope　with　one　of　the　canisters；　peered　into　the　eyepiece；　and　calibrated　some　knobs。　Then　she　stepped　away；　offering　Kohler　a　look。　
　Kohler　looked　nonplussed。　〃You　collected　visible　amounts？〃
　〃Five　thousand　nanograms；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃A　liquid　plasma　containing　millions　of　positrons。〃
　〃Millions？　But　a　few　particles　is　all　anyone　has　ever　detected　。　。　。　anywhere。〃
　〃Xenon；〃　Vittoria　said　flatly。　〃He　accelerated　the　particle　beam　through　a　jet　of　xenon；　stripping　away　the　electrons。　He　insisted　on　keeping　the　exact　procedure　a　secret；　but　it　involved　simultaneously　injecting　raw　electrons　into　the　accelerator。〃
　Langdon　felt　lost；　wondering　if　their　conversation　was　still　in　English。
　Kohler　paused；　the　lines　in　his　brow　deepening。　Suddenly　he　drew　a　short　breath。　He　slumped　like　he'd　been　hit　with　a　bullet。　〃Technically　that　would　leave　。　。　。〃
　Vittoria　nodded。　〃Yes。　Lots　of　it。〃
　Kohler　returned　his　gaze　to　the　canister　before　him。　With　a　look　of　uncertainty；　he　hoisted　himself　in　his　chair　and　placed　his　eye　to　the　viewer；　peering　inside。　He　stared　a　long　time　without　saying　anything。　When　he　finally　sat　down；　his　forehead　was　covered　with　sweat。　The　lines　on　his　face　had　disappeared。　His　voice　was　a　whisper。　〃My　God　。　。　。　you　really　did　it。〃　
　Vittoria　nodded。　〃My　father　did　it。〃
　〃I　。　。　。　I　don't　know　what　to　say。〃
　Vittoria　turned　to　Langdon。　〃Would　you　like　a　look？〃　She　motioned　to　the　viewing　device。
　Uncertain　what　to　expect；　Langdon　moved　forward。　From　two　feet　away；　the　canister　appeared　empty。　Whatever　was　inside　was　infinitesimal。　Langdon　placed　his　eye　to　the　viewer。　It　took　a　moment　for　the　image　before　him　to　e　into　focus。
　Then　he　saw　it。
　The　object　was　not　on　the　bottom　of　the　container　as　he　expected；　b