danbrown.angels&demons-第25部分

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r　the　helipad。　The　cart　whisked　them　silently　alongside　the　country's　western　border…a　fifty…foot…tall　cement　bulwark　thick　enough　to　ward　off　attacks　even　by　tanks。　Lining　the　interior　of　the　wall；　posted　at　fifty…meter　intervals；　Swiss　Guards　stood　at　attention；　surveying　the　interior　of　the　grounds。　The　cart　turned　sharply　right　onto　Via　della　Osservatorio。　Signs　pointed　in　all　directions：　
　
　PALAZZIO　GOVERNATORIO　COLLEGIO　ETHIOPIANA　BASILICA　SAN　PIETRO　CAPELLA　SISTINA　
　
　They　accelerated　up　the　manicured　road　past　a　squat　building　marked　RADIO　VATICANA。　This；　Langdon　realized　to　his　amazement；　was　the　hub　of　the　world's　most　listened…to　radio　programming…Radio　Vaticana…spreading　the　word　of　God　to　millions　of　listeners　around　the　globe。
　〃Attenzione；〃　the　pilot　said；　turning　sharply　into　a　rotary。
　As　the　cart　wound　round；　Langdon　could　barely　believe　the　sight　now　ing　into　view。　Giardini　Vaticani；　he　thought。　The　heart　of　Vatican　City。　Directly　ahead　rose　the　rear　of　St。　Peter's　Basilica；　a　view；　Langdon　realized；　most　people　never　saw。　To　the　right　loomed　the　Palace　of　the　Tribunal；　the　lush　papal　residence　rivaled　only　by　Versailles　in　its　baroque　embellishment。　The　severe…looking　Governatorato　building　was　now　behind　them；　housing　Vatican　City's　administration。　And　up　ahead　on　the　left；　the　massive　rectangular　edifice　of　the　Vatican　Museum。　Langdon　knew　there　would　be　no　time　for　a　museum　visit　this　trip。
　〃Where　is　everyone？〃　Vittoria　asked；　surveying　the　deserted　lawns　and　walkways。
　The　guard　checked　his　black；　military…style　chronograph…an　odd　anachronism　beneath　his　puffy　sleeve。　〃The　cardinals　are　convened　in　the　Sistine　Chapel。　Conclave　begins　in　a　little　under　an　hour。〃
　Langdon　nodded；　vaguely　recalling　that　before　conclave　the　cardinals　spent　two　hours　inside　the　Sistine　Chapel　in　quiet　reflection　and　visitations　with　their　fellow　cardinals　from　around　the　globe。　The　time　was　meant　to　renew　old　friendships　among　the　cardinals　and　facilitate　a　less　heated　election　process。　〃And　the　rest　of　the　residents　and　staff？〃
　〃Banned　from　the　city　for　secrecy　and　security　until　the　conclave　concludes。〃
　〃And　when　does　it　conclude？〃
　The　guard　shrugged。　〃God　only　knows。〃　The　words　sounded　oddly　literal。　
　
　After　parking　the　cart　on　the　wide　lawn　directly　behind　St。　Peter's　Basilica；　the　guard　escorted　Langdon　and　Vittoria　up　a　stone　escarpment　to　a　marble　plaza　off　the　back　of　the　basilica。　Crossing　the　plaza；　they　approached　the　rear　wall　of　the　basilica　and　followed　it　through　a　triangular　courtyard；　across　Via　Belvedere；　and　into　a　series　of　buildings　closely　huddled　together。　Langdon's　art　history　had　taught　him　enough　Italian　to　pick　out　signs　for　the　Vatican　Printing　Office；　the　Tapestry　Restoration　Lab；　Post　Office　Management；　and　the　Church　of　St。　Ann。　They　crossed　another　small　square　and　arrived　at　their　destination。　
　The　Office　of　the　Swiss　Guard　is　housed　adjacent　to　Il　Corpo　di　Vigilanza；　directly　northeast　of　St。　Peter's　Basilica。　The　office　is　a　squat；　stone　building。　On　either　side　of　the　entrance；　like　two　stone　statues；　stood　a　pair　of　guards。
　Langdon　had　to　admit；　these　guards　did　not　look　quite　so　ical。　Although　they　also　wore　the　blue　and　gold　uniform；　each　wielded　the　traditional　〃Vatican　long　sword〃…an　eight…foot　spear　with　a　razor…sharp　scythe…rumored　to　have　decapitated　countless　Muslims　while　defending　the　Christian　crusaders　in　the　fifteenth　century。
　As　Langdon　and　Vittoria　approached；　the　two　guards　stepped　forward；　crossing　their　long　swords；　blocking　the　entrance。　One　looked　up　at　the　pilot　in　confusion。　〃I　pantaloni；〃　he　said；　motioning　to　Vittoria's　shorts。
　The　pilot　waved　them　off。　〃Il　andante　vuole　vederli　subito。〃　
　The　guards　frowned。　Reluctantly　they　stepped　aside。
　
　Inside；　the　air　was　cool。　It　looked　nothing　like　the　administrative　security　offices　Langdon　would　have　imagined。　Ornate　and　impeccably　furnished；　the　hallways　contained　paintings　Langdon　was　certain　any　museum　worldwide　would　gladly　have　featured　in　its　main　gallery。
　The　pilot　pointed　down　a　steep　set　of　stairs。　〃Down；　please。〃
　Langdon　and　Vittoria　followed　the　white　marble　treads　as　they　descended　between　a　gauntlet　of　nude　male　sculptures。　Each　statue　wore　a　fig　leaf　that　was　lighter　in　color　than　the　rest　of　the　body。　
　The　Great　Castration；　Langdon　thought。
　It　was　one　of　the　most　horrific　tragedies　in　Renaissance　art。　In　1857；　Pope　Pius　IX　decided　that　the　accurate　representation　of　the　male　form　might　incite　lust　inside　the　Vatican。　So　he　got　a　chisel　and　mallet　and　hacked　off　the　genitalia　of　every　single　male　statue　inside　Vatican　City。　He　defaced　works　by　Michelangelo；　Bramante；　and　Bernini。　Plaster　fig　leaves　were　used　to　patch　the　damage。　Hundreds　of　sculptures　had　been　emasculated。　Langdon　had　often　wondered　if　there　was　a　huge　crate　of　stone　penises　someplace。
　〃Here；〃　the　guard　announced。
　They　reached　the　bottom　of　the　stairs　and　dead…ended　at　a　heavy；　steel　door。　The　guard　typed　an　entry　code；　and　the　door　slid　open。　Langdon　and　Vittoria　entered。　
　Beyond　the　threshold　was　absolute　mayhem。
　
　36

　The　Office　of　the　Swiss　Guard。
　Langdon　stood　in　the　doorway；　surveying　the　collision　of　centuries　before　them。　Mixed　media。　The　room　was　a　lushly　adorned　Renaissance　library　plete　with　inlaid　bookshelves；　oriental　carpets；　and　colorful　tapestries　。　。　。　and　yet　the　room　bristled　with　high…tech　gear…banks　of　puters；　faxes；　electronic　maps　of　the　Vatican　plex；　and　televisions　tuned　to　CNN。　Men　in　colorful　pantaloons　typed　feverishly　on　puters　and　listened　intently　in　futuristic　headphones。
　〃Wait　here；〃　the　guard　said。
　Langdon　and　Vittoria　waited　as　the　guard　crossed　the　room　to　an　exceptionally　tall；　wiry　man　in　a　dark　blue　military　uniform。　He　was　talking　on　a　cellular　phone　and　stood　so　straight　he　was　almost　bent　backward。　The　guard　said　something　to　him；　and　the　man　shot　a　glance　over　at　Langdon　and　Vittoria。　He　nodded；　then　turned　his　back　on　them　and　continued　his　phone　call。
　The　guard　returned。　〃mander　Olivetti　will　be　with　you　in　a　moment。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　The　guard　left　and　headed　back　up　the　stairs。　
　Langdon　studied　mander　Olivetti　across　the　room；　realizing　he　was　actually　the　mander　in　Chief　of　the　armed　forces　of　an　entire　country。　Vittoria　and　Langdon　waited；　observing　the　action　before　them。　Brightly　dressed　guards　bustled　about　yelling　orders　in　Italian。
　〃Continua　cercando！〃　one　yelled　into　a　telephone。
　〃Probasti　il　museo？〃another　asked。
　Langdon　did　not　need　fluent　Italian　to　discern　that　the　security　center　was　currently　in　intense　search　mode。　This　was　the　good　news。　The　bad　news　was　that　they　obviously　had　not　yet　found　the　antimatter。
　〃You　okay？〃　Langdon　asked　Vittoria。
　She　shrugged；　offering　a　tired　smile。
　When　the　mander　finally　clicked　off　his　phone　and　approached　across　the　room；　he　seemed　to　grow　with　each　step。　Langdon　was　tall　himself　and　not　accustomed　to　looking　up　at　many　people；　but　mander　Olivetti　demanded　it。　Langdon　sensed　immediately　that　the　mander　was　a　man　who　had　weathered　tempests；　his　face　hale　and　steeled。　His　dark　hair　was　cropped　in　a　military　buzz　cut；　and　his　eyes　burned　with　the　kind　of　hardened　determination　only　attainable　through　years　of　intense　training。　He　moved　with　ramrod　exactness；　the　earpiece　hidden　discreetly　behind　one　ear　making　him　look　more　like　U。S。　Secret　Service　than　Swiss　Guard。
　The　mander　addressed　them　in　accented　English。　His　voice　was　startlingly　quiet　for　such　a　large　man；　barely　a　whisper。　It　bit　with　a　tight；　military　efficiency。　〃Good　afternoon；〃　he　said。　〃I　am　mander　Olivetti…andante　Principale　of　the　Swiss　Guard。　I'm　the　one　who　called　your　director。〃
　Vittoria　gazed　upward。　〃Thank　you　for　seeing　us；　sir。〃
　The　mander　did　not　respond。　He　motioned　for　them　to　follow　and　led　them　through　the　tangle　of　electronics　to　a　door　in　the　side　wall　of　the　chamber。　〃Enter；〃　he　said；　holding　the　door　for　them。
　Langdon　and　Vittoria　walked　through　and　found　themselves　in　a　darkened　control　room　where　a　wall　of　video　monitors　was　cycling　lazily　through　a　series　of　black…and…white　images　of　the　plex。　A　young　guard　sat　watching　the　images　intently。