danbrown.angels&demons-第19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！


　analysis　and　R　and　D。〃　
　〃Industrial　espionage？　But　that　canister　has　twenty…four　hours　before　the　batteries　die。　The　researchers　would　blow　themselves　up　before　they　learned　anything　at　all。〃
　〃They　could　recharge　it　before　it　explodes。　They　could　build　a　patible　recharging　podium　like　the　ones　here　at　CERN。〃
　〃In　twenty…four　hours？〃　Kohler　challenged。　〃Even　if　they　stole　the　schematics；　a　recharger　like　that　would　take　months　to　engineer；　not　hours！〃
　〃He's　right。〃　Vittoria's　voice　was　frail。
　Both　men　turned。　Vittoria　was　moving　toward　them；　her　gait　as　tremulous　as　her　words。　
　〃He's　right。　Nobody　could　reverse　engineer　a　recharger　in　time。　The　interface　alone　would　take　weeks。　Flux　filters；　servo…coils；　power　conditioning　alloys；　all　calibrated　to　the　specific　energy　grade　of　the　locale。〃
　Langdon　frowned。　The　point　was　taken。　An　antimatter　trap　was　not　something　one　could　simply　plug　into　a　wall　socket。　Once　removed　from　CERN；　the　canister　was　on　a　one…way；　twenty…four…hour　trip　to　oblivion。　
　Which　left　only　one；　very　disturbing；　conclusion。
　
　〃We　need　to　call　Interpol；〃　Vittoria　said。　Even　to　herself；　her　voice　sounded　distant。　〃We　need　to　call　the　proper　authorities。　Immediately。〃
　Kohler　shook　his　head。　〃Absolutely　not。〃
　The　words　stunned　her。　〃No？　What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃You　and　your　father　have　put　me　in　a　very　difficult　position　here。〃
　〃Director；　we　need　help。　We　need　to　find　that　trap　and　get　it　back　here　before　someone　gets　hurt。　We　have　a　responsibility！〃
　〃We　have　a　responsibility　to　think；〃　Kohler　said；　his　tone　hardening。　〃This　situation　could　have　very；　very　serious　repercussions　for　CERN。〃
　〃You're　worried　about　CERN's　reputation？　Do　you　know　what　that　canister　could　do　to　an　urban　area？　It　has　a　blast　radius　of　a　half　mile！　Nine　city　blocks！〃
　〃Perhaps　you　and　your　father　should　have　considered　that　before　you　created　the　specimen。〃
　Vittoria　felt　like　she'd　been　stabbed。　〃But　。　。　。　we　took　every　precaution。〃
　〃Apparently；　it　was　not　enough。〃
　〃But　nobody　knew　about　the　antimatter。〃　She　realized；　of　course；　it　was　an　absurd　argument。　Of　course　somebody　knew。　Someone　had　found　out。　
　Vittoria　had　told　no　one。　That　left　only　two　explanations。　Either　her　father　had　taken　someone　into　his　confidence　without　telling　her；　which　made　no　sense　because　it　was　her　father　who　had　sworn　them　both　to　secrecy；　or　she　and　her　father　had　been　monitored。　The　cell　phone　maybe？　She　knew　they　had　spoken　a　few　times　while　Vittoria　was　traveling。　Had　they　said　too　much？　It　was　possible。　There　was　also　their　E…mail。　But　they　had　been　discreet；　hadn't　they？　CERN's　security　system？　Had　they　been　monitored　somehow　without　their　knowledge？　She　knew　none　of　that　mattered　anymore。　What　was　done；　was　done。　My　father　is　dead。
　The　thought　spurred　her　to　action。　She　pulled　her　cell　phone　from　her　shorts　pocket。
　Kohler　accelerated　toward　her；　coughing　violently；　eyes　flashing　anger。　〃Who　。　。　。　are　you　calling？〃
　〃CERN's　switchboard。　They　can　connect　us　to　Interpol。〃
　〃Think！〃　Kohler　choked；　screeching　to　a　halt　in　front　of　her。　〃Are　you　really　so　naпve？　That　canister　could　be　anywhere　in　the　world　by　now。　No　intelligence　agency　on　earth　could　possibly　mobilize　to　find　it　in　time。〃
　〃So　we　do　nothing？〃　Vittoria　felt　punction　challenging　a　man　in　such　frail　health；　but　the　director　was　so　far　out　of　line　she　didn't　even　know　him　anymore。　
　〃We　do　what　is　smart；〃　Kohler　said。　〃We　don't　risk　CERN's　reputation　by　involving　authorities　who　cannot　help　anyway。　Not　yet。　Not　without　thinking。〃
　Vittoria　knew　there　was　logic　somewhere　in　Kohler's　argument；　but　she　also　knew　that　logic；　by　definition；　was　bereft　of　moral　responsibility。　Her　father　had　lived　for　moral　responsibility…careful　science；　accountability；　faith　in　man's　inherent　goodness。　Vittoria　believed　in　those　things　too；　but　she　saw　them　in　terms　of　karma。　Turning　away　from　Kohler；　she　snapped　open　her　phone。
　〃You　can't　do　that；〃　he　said。
　〃Just　try　and　stop　me。〃
　Kohler　did　not　move。　
　An　instant　later；　Vittoria　realized　why。　This　far　underground；　her　cell　phone　had　no　dial　tone。　
　Fuming；　she　headed　for　the　elevator。
　
　26

　The　Hassassin　stood　at　the　end　of　the　stone　tunnel。　His　torch　still　burned　bright；　the　smoke　mixing　with　the　smell　of　moss　and　stale　air。　Silence　surrounded　him。　The　iron　door　blocking　his　way　looked　as　old　as　the　tunnel　itself；　rusted　but　still　holding　strong。　He　waited　in　the　darkness；　trusting。
　It　was　almost　time。
　Janus　had　promised　someone　on　the　inside　would　open　the　door。　The　Hassassin　marveled　at　the　betrayal。　He　would　have　waited　all　night　at　that　door　to　carry　out　his　task；　but　he　sensed　it　would　not　be　necessary。　He　was　working　for　determined　men。　
　Minutes　later；　exactly　at　the　appointed　hour；　there　was　a　loud　clank　of　heavy　keys　on　the　other　side　of　the　door。　Metal　scraped　on　metal　as　multiple　locks　disengaged。　One　by　one；　three　huge　deadbolts　ground　open。　The　locks　creaked　as　if　they　had　not　been　used　in　centuries。　Finally　all　three　were　open。
　Then　there　was　silence。
　The　Hassassin　waited　patiently；　five　minutes；　exactly　as　he　had　been　told。　Then；　with　electricity　in　his　blood；　he　pushed。　The　great　door　swung　open。　
　
　27

　Vittoria；　I　will　not　allow　it！〃　Kohler's　breath　was　labored　and　getting　worse　as　the　Haz…Mat　elevator　ascended。
　Vittoria　blocked　him　out。　She　craved　sanctuary；　something　familiar　in　this　place　that　no　longer　felt　like　home。　She　knew　it　was　not　to　be。　Right　now；　she　had　to　swallow　the　pain　and　act。　Get　to　a　phone。
　Robert　Langdon　was　beside　her；　silent　as　usual。　Vittoria　had　given　up　wondering　who　the　man　was。　A　specialist？　Could　Kohler　be　any　less　specific？　Mr。　Langdon　can　help　us　find　your　father's　killer。　Langdon　was　being　no　help　at　all。　His　warmth　and　kindness　seemed　genuine；　but　he　was　clearly　hiding　something。　They　both　were。　
　Kohler　was　at　her　again。　〃As　director　of　CERN；　I　have　a　responsibility　to　the　future　of　science。　If　you　amplify　this　into　an　international　incident　and　CERN　suffers…〃
　〃Future　of　science？〃　Vittoria　turned　on　him。　〃Do　you　really　plan　to　escape　accountability　by　never　admitting　this　antimatter　came　from　CERN？　Do　you　plan　to　ignore　the　people's　lives　we've　put　in　danger？〃
　〃Not　we；〃　Kohler　countered。　〃You。　You　and　your　father。〃
　Vittoria　looked　away。
　〃And　as　far　as　endangering　lives；〃　Kohler　said；　〃life　is　exactly　what　this　is　about。　You　know　antimatter　technology　has　enormous　implications　for　life　on　this　planet。　If　CERN　goes　bankrupt；　destroyed　by　scandal；　everybody　loses。　Man's　future　is　in　the　hands　of　places　like　CERN；　scientists　like　you　and　your　father；　working　to　solve　tomorrow's　problems。〃
　Vittoria　had　heard　Kohler's　Science…as…God　lecture　before；　and　she　never　bought　it。　Science　itself　caused　half　the　problems　it　was　trying　to　solve。　〃Progress〃　was　Mother　Earth's　ultimate　malignancy。
　〃Scientific　advancement　carries　risk；〃　Kohler　argued。　〃It　always　has。　Space　programs；　genetic　research；　medicine…they　all　make　mistakes。　Science　needs　to　survive　its　own　blunders；　at　any　cost。　For　everyone's　sake。〃
　Vittoria　was　amazed　at　Kohler's　ability　to　weigh　moral　issues　with　scientific　detachment。　His　intellect　seemed　to　be　the　product　of　an　icy　divorce　from　his　inner　spirit。　〃You　think　CERN　is　so　critical　to　the　earth's　future　that　we　should　be　immune　from　moral　responsibility？〃　
　〃Do　not　argue　morals　with　me。　You　crossed　a　line　when　you　made　that　specimen；　and　you　have　put　this　entire　facility　at　risk。　I'm　trying　to　protect　not　only　the　jobs　of　the　three　thousand　scientists　who　work　here；　but　also　your　father's　reputation。　Think　about　him。　A　man　like　your　father　does　not　deserve　to　be　remembered　as　the　creator　of　a　weapon　of　mass　destruction。〃
　Vittoria　felt　his　spear　hit　home。　I　am　the　one　who　convinced　my　father　to　create　that　specimen。　This　is　my　fault！　
　
　When　the　door　opened；　Kohler　was　still　talking。　Vittoria　stepped　out　of　the　elevator；　pulled　out　her　phone；　and　tried　again。　
　Still　no　dial　tone。　Damn！　She　headed　for　the　door。
　〃Vittoria；　stop。〃　The　director　sounded　asthmatic　now；　as　he　accelerated　after　her。　〃Slow　down。　We　need　to　talk。〃
　〃Basta　di　parlare！〃
　〃Think　of