danbrown.angels&demons-第24部分

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ns　looked　like　toppled　gravestones　in　a　cemetery　that　had　somehow　avoided　being　swallowed　by　the　metropolis　surrounding　it。　
　To　the　west　the　wide　basin　of　the　Tiber　River　wound　enormous　arcs　across　the　city。　Even　from　the　air　Langdon　could　tell　the　water　was　deep。　The　churning　currents　were　brown；　filled　with　silt　and　foam　from　heavy　rains。
　〃Straight　ahead；〃　the　pilot　said；　climbing　higher。　
　Langdon　and　Vittoria　looked　out　and　saw　it。　Like　a　mountain　parting　the　morning　fog；　the　colossal　dome　rose　out　of　the　haze　before　them：　St。　Peter's　Basilica。
　〃Now　that；〃　Langdon　said　to　Vittoria；　〃is　something　Michelangelo　got　right。〃　
　Langdon　had　never　seen　St。　Peter's　from　the　air。　The　marble　faзade　blazed　like　fire　in　the　afternoon　sun。　Adorned　with　140　statues　of　saints；　martyrs；　and　angels；　the　Herculean　edifice　stretched　two　football　fields　wide　and　a　staggering　six　long。　The　cavernous　interior　of　the　basilica　had　room　for　over　60；000　worshipers　。　。　。　over　one　hundred　times　the　population　of　Vatican　City；　the　smallest　country　in　the　world。
　Incredibly；　though；　not　even　a　citadel　of　this　magnitude　could　dwarf　the　piazza　before　it。　A　sprawling　expanse　of　granite；　St。　Peter's　Square　was　a　staggering　open　space　in　the　congestion　of　Rome；　like　a　classical　Central　Park。　In　front　of　the　basilica；　bordering　the　vast　oval　mon；　284　columns　swept　outward　in　four　concentric　arcs　of　diminishing　size　。　。　。　an　architectural　trompe　de　l'oiel　used　to　heighten　the　piazza's　sense　of　grandeur。　
　As　he　stared　at　the　magnificent　shrine　before　him；　Langdon　wondered　what　St。　Peter　would　think　if　he　were　here　now。　The　Saint　had　died　a　gruesome　death；　crucified　upside　down　on　this　very　spot。　Now　he　rested　in　the　most　sacred　of　tombs；　buried　five　stories　down；　directly　beneath　the　central　cupola　of　the　basilica。　
　〃Vatican　City；〃　the　pilot　said；　sounding　anything　but　weling。　
　Langdon　looked　out　at　the　towering　stone　bastions　that　loomed　ahead…impenetrable　fortifications　surrounding　the　plex　。　。　。　a　strangely　earthly　defense　for　a　spiritual　world　of　secrets；　power；　and　mystery。　
　〃Look！〃　Vittoria　said　suddenly；　grabbing　Langdon's　arm。　She　motioned　frantically　downward　toward　St。　Peter's　Square　directly　beneath　them。　Langdon　put　his　face　to　the　window　and　looked。　
　〃Over　there；〃　she　said；　pointing。　
　Langdon　looked。　The　rear　of　the　piazza　looked　like　a　parking　lot　crowded　with　a　dozen　or　so　trailer　trucks。　Huge　satellite　dishes　pointed　skyward　from　the　roof　of　every　truck。　The　dishes　were　emblazoned　with　familiar　names：
　
　TELEVISOR　EUROPEA　VIDEO　ITALIA　BBC　UNITED　PRESS　INTERNATIONAL　
　
　Langdon　felt　suddenly　confused；　wondering　if　the　news　of　the　antimatter　had　already　leaked　out。
　Vittoria　seemed　suddenly　tense。　〃Why　is　the　press　here？　What's　going　on？〃
　The　pilot　turned　and　gave　her　an　odd　look　over　his　shoulder。　〃What's　going　on？　You　don't　know？〃
　〃No；〃　she　fired　back；　her　accent　husky　and　strong。
　〃Il　Conclavo；〃　he　said。　〃It　is　to　be　sealed　in　about　an　hour。　The　whole　world　is　watching。〃
　
　Il　Conclavo。
　The　word　rang　a　long　moment　in　Langdon's　ears　before　dropping　like　a　brick　to　the　pit　of　his　stomach。　Il　Conclavo。　The　Vatican　Conclave。　How　could　he　have　forgotten？　It　had　been　in　the　news　recently。　
　Fifteen　days　ago；　the　Pope；　after　a　tremendously　popular　twelve…year　reign；　had　passed　away。　Every　paper　in　the　world　had　carried　the　story　about　the　Pope's　fatal　stroke　while　sleeping…a　sudden　and　unexpected　death　many　whispered　was　suspicious。　But　now；　in　keeping　with　the　sacred　tradition；　fifteen　days　after　the　death　of　a　Pope；　the　Vatican　was　holding　Il　Conclavo…the　sacred　ceremony　in　which　the　165　cardinals　of　the　world…the　most　powerful　men　in　Christendom…gathered　in　Vatican　City　to　elect　the　new　Pope。　
　Every　cardinal　on　the　planet　is　here　today；　Langdon　thought　as　the　chopper　passed　over　St。　Peter's　Basilica。　The　expansive　inner　world　of　Vatican　City　spread　out　beneath　him。　The　entire　power　structure　of　the　Roman　Catholic　Church　is　sitting　on　a　time　bomb。
　
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　Cardinal　Mortati　gazed　up　at　the　lavish　ceiling　of　the　Sistine　Chapel　and　tried　to　find　a　moment　of　quiet　reflection。　The　frescoed　walls　echoed　with　the　voices　of　cardinals　from　nations　around　the　globe。　The　men　jostled　in　the　candlelit　tabernacle；　whispering　excitedly　and　consulting　with　one　another　in　numerous　languages；　the　universal　tongues　being　English；　Italian；　and　Spanish。　
　The　light　in　the　chapel　was　usually　sublime…long　rays　of　tinted　sun　slicing　through　the　darkness　like　rays　from　heaven…but　not　today。　As　was　the　custom；　all　of　the　chapel's　windows　had　been　covered　in　black　velvet　in　the　name　of　secrecy。　This　ensured　that　no　one　on　the　inside　could　send　signals　or　municate　in　any　way　with　the　outside　world。　The　result　was　a　profound　darkness　lit　only　by　candles　。　。　。　a　shimmering　radiance　that　seemed　to　purify　everyone　it　touched；　making　them　all　ghostly　。　。　。　like　saints。　
　What　privilege；　Mortati　thought；　that　I　am　to　oversee　this　sanctified　event。　Cardinals　over　eighty　years　of　age　were　too　old　to　be　eligible　for　election　and　did　not　attend　conclave；　but　at　seventy…nine　years　old；　Mortati　was　the　most　senior　cardinal　here　and　had　been　appointed　to　oversee　the　proceedings。　
　Following　tradition；　the　cardinals　gathered　here　two　hours　before　conclave　to　catch　up　with　friends　and　engage　in　last…minute　discussion。　At　7　P。M。；　the　late　Pope's　chamberlain　would　arrive；　give　opening　prayer；　and　then　leave。　Then　the　Swiss　Guard　would　seal　the　doors　and　lock　all　the　cardinals　inside。　It　was　then　that　the　oldest　and　most　secretive　political　ritual　in　the　world　would　begin。　The　cardinals　would　not　be　released　until　they　decided　who　among　them　would　be　the　next　Pope。
　Conclave。　Even　the　name　was　secretive。　〃Con　clave〃　literally　meant　〃locked　with　a　key。〃　The　cardinals　were　permitted　no　contact　whatsoever　with　the　outside　world。　No　phone　calls。　No　messages。　No　whispers　through　doorways。　Conclave　was　a　vacuum；　not　to　be　influenced　by　anything　in　the　outside　world。　This　would　ensure　that　the　cardinals　kept　Solum　Dum　prae　oculis　。　。　。　only　God　before　their　eyes。　
　Outside　the　walls　of　the　chapel；　of　course；　the　media　watched　and　waited；　speculating　as　to　which　of　the　cardinals　would　bee　the　ruler　of　one　billion　Catholics　worldwide。　Conclaves　created　an　intense；　politically　charged　atmosphere；　and　over　the　centuries　they　had　turned　deadly；　poisonings；　fist　fights；　and　even　murder　had　erupted　within　the　sacred　walls。　Ancient　history；　Mortati　thought。　Tonight's　conclave　will　be　unified；　blissful；　and　above　all　。　。　。　brief。　
　Or　at　least　that　had　been　his　speculation。　
　Now；　however；　an　unexpected　development　had　emerged。　Mystifyingly；　four　cardinals　were　absent　from　the　chapel。　Mortati　knew　that　all　the　exits　to　Vatican　City　were　guarded；　and　the　missing　cardinals　could　not　have　gone　far；　but　still；　with　less　than　an　hour　before　opening　prayer；　he　was　feeling　disconcerted。　After　all；　the　four　missing　men　were　no　ordinary　cardinals。　They　were　the　cardinals。
　The　chosen　four。
　As　overseer　of　the　conclave；　Mortati　had　already　sent　word　through　the　proper　channels　to　the　Swiss　Guard　alerting　them　to　the　cardinals'　absence。　He　had　yet　to　hear　back。　Other　cardinals　had　now　noticed　the　puzzling　absence。　The　anxious　whispers　had　begun。　Of　all　cardinals；　these　four　should　be　on　time！　Cardinal　Mortati　was　starting　to　fear　it　might　be　a　long　evening　after　all。　
　He　had　no　idea。
　
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　The　Vatican's　helipad；　for　reasons　of　safety　and　noise　control；　is　located　in　the　northwest　tip　of　Vatican　City；　as　far　from　St。　Peter's　Basilica　as　possible。
　〃Terra　firma；〃　the　pilot　announced　as　they　touched　down。　He　exited　and　opened　the　sliding　door　for　Langdon　and　Vittoria。　
　Langdon　descended　from　the　craft　and　turned　to　help　Vittoria；　but　she　had　already　dropped　effortlessly　to　the　ground。　Every　muscle　in　her　body　seemed　tuned　to　one　objective…finding　the　antimatter　before　it　left　a　horrific　legacy。
　After　stretching　a　reflective　sun　tarp　across　the　cockpit　window；　the　pilot　ushered　them　to　an　oversized　electric　golf　cart　waiting　near　the　helipad。　The　cart　whisked　them　silently　alongside　the　country's　western　border…a　fifty…foot…ta