danbrown.angels&demons-第3部分

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　nothing　but　hull。
　〃Two　hundred　fifty　thousand　kilos　fully　fueled；〃　the　pilot　offered；　like　a　father　bragging　about　his　newborn。　〃Runs　on　slush　hydrogen。　The　shell's　a　titanium　matrix　with　silicon　carbide　fibers。　She　packs　a　20：1　thrust/weight　ratio；　most　jets　run　at　7：1。　The　director　must　be　in　one　helluva　a　hurry　to　see　you。　He　doesn't　usually　send　the　big　boy。〃
　〃This　thing　flies？〃　Langdon　said。
　The　pilot　smiled。　〃Oh　yeah。〃　He　led　Langdon　across　the　tarmac　toward　the　plane。　〃Looks　kind　of　startling；　I　know；　but　you　better　get　used　to　it。　In　five　years；　all　you'll　see　are　these　babies…HSCT's…High　Speed　Civil　Transports。　Our　lab's　one　of　the　first　to　own　one。〃
　Must　be　one　hell　of　a　lab；　Langdon　thought。
　〃This　one's　a　prototype　of　the　Boeing　X…33；〃　the　pilot　continued；　〃but　there　are　dozens　of　others…the　National　Aero　Space　Plane；　the　Russians　have　Scramjet；　the　Brits　have　HOTOL。　The　future's　here；　it's　just　taking　some　time　to　get　to　the　public　sector。　You　can　kiss　conventional　jets　good…bye。〃
　Langdon　looked　up　warily　at　the　craft。　〃I　think　I'd　prefer　a　conventional　jet。〃
　The　pilot　motioned　up　the　gangplank。　〃This　way；　please；　Mr。　Langdon。　Watch　your　step。〃
　
　Minutes　later；　Langdon　was　seated　inside　the　empty　cabin。　The　pilot　buckled　him　into　the　front　row　and　disappeared　toward　the　front　of　the　aircraft。　
　The　cabin　itself　looked　surprisingly　like　a　wide…body　mercial　airliner。　The　only　exception　was　that　it　had　no　windows；　which　made　Langdon　uneasy。　He　had　been　haunted　his　whole　life　by　a　mild　case　of　claustrophobia…the　vestige　of　a　childhood　incident　he　had　never　quite　overe。
　Langdon's　aversion　to　closed　spaces　was　by　no　means　debilitating；　but　it　had　always　frustrated　him。　It　manifested　itself　in　subtle　ways。　He　avoided　enclosed　sports　like　racquetball　or　squash；　and　he　had　gladly　paid　a　small　fortune　for　his　airy；　high…ceilinged　Victorian　home　even　though　economical　faculty　housing　was　readily　available。　Langdon　had　often　suspected　his　attraction　to　the　art　world　as　a　young　boy　sprang　from　his　love　of　museums'　wide　open　spaces。　
　The　engines　roared　to　life　beneath　him；　sending　a　deep　shudder　through　the　hull。　Langdon　swallowed　hard　and　waited。　He　felt　the　plane　start　taxiing。　Piped…in　country　music　began　playing　quietly　overhead。
　A　phone　on　the　wall　beside　him　beeped　twice。　Langdon　lifted　the　receiver。
　〃Hello？〃
　〃fortable；　Mr。　Langdon？〃
　〃Not　at　all。〃　
　〃Just　relax。　We'll　be　there　in　an　hour。〃
　〃And　where　exactly　is　there？〃　Langdon　asked；　realizing　he　had　no　idea　where　he　was　headed。
　〃Geneva；〃　the　pilot　replied；　revving　the　engines。　〃The　lab's　in　Geneva。〃
　〃Geneva；〃　Langdon　repeated；　feeling　a　little　better。　〃Upstate　New　York。　I've　actually　got　family　near　Seneca　Lake。　I　wasn't　aware　Geneva　had　a　physics　lab。〃
　The　pilot　laughed。　〃Not　Geneva；　New　York；　Mr。　Langdon。　Geneva；　Switzerland。〃
　The　word　took　a　long　moment　to　register。　〃Switzerland？〃　Langdon　felt　his　pulse　surge。　〃I　thought　you　said　the　lab　was　only　an　hour　away！〃
　〃It　is；　Mr。　Langdon。〃　The　pilot　chuckled。　〃This　plane　goes　Mach　fifteen。〃
　
　5

　On　a　busy　European　street；　the　killer　serpentined　through　a　crowd。　He　was　a　powerful　man。　Dark　and　potent。　Deceptively　agile。　His　muscles　still　felt　hard　from　the　thrill　of　his　meeting。
　It　went　well；　he　told　himself。　Although　his　employer　had　never　revealed　his　face；　the　killer　felt　honored　to　be　in　his　presence。　Had　it　really　been　only　fifteen　days　since　his　employer　had　first　made　contact？　The　killer　still　remembered　every　word　of　that　call　。　。　。　
　〃My　name　is　Janus；〃　the　caller　had　said。　〃We　are　kinsmen　of　a　sort。　We　share　an　enemy。　I　hear　your　skills　are　for　hire。〃
　〃It　depends　whom　you　represent；〃　the　killer　replied。
　The　caller　told　him。
　〃Is　this　your　idea　of　a　joke？〃
　〃You　have　heard　our　name；　I　see；〃　the　caller　replied。
　〃Of　course。　The　brotherhood　is　legendary。〃
　〃And　yet　you　find　yourself　doubting　I　am　genuine。〃
　〃Everyone　knows　the　brothers　have　faded　to　dust。〃
　〃A　devious　ploy。　The　most　dangerous　enemy　is　that　which　no　one　fears。〃
　The　killer　was　skeptical。　〃The　brotherhood　endures？〃
　〃Deeper　underground　than　ever　before。　Our　roots　infiltrate　everything　you　see　。　。　。　even　the　sacred　fortress　of　our　most　sworn　enemy。〃
　〃Impossible。　They　are　invulnerable。〃
　〃Our　reach　is　far。〃
　〃No　one's　reach　is　that　far。〃
　〃Very　soon；　you　will　believe。　An　irrefutable　demonstration　of　the　brotherhood's　power　has　already　transpired。　A　single　act　of　treachery　and　proof。〃
　〃What　have　you　done？〃
　The　caller　told　him。　
　The　killer's　eyes　went　wide。　〃An　impossible　task。〃
　The　next　day；　newspapers　around　the　globe　carried　the　same　headline。　The　killer　became　a　believer。　
　Now；　fifteen　days　later；　the　killer's　faith　had　solidified　beyond　the　shadow　of　a　doubt。　The　brotherhood　endures；　he　thought。　Tonight　they　will　surface　to　reveal　their　power。　
　As　he　made　his　way　through　the　streets；　his　black　eyes　gleamed　with　foreboding。　One　of　the　most　covert　and　feared　fraternities　ever　to　walk　the　earth　had　called　on　him　for　service。　They　have　chosen　wisely；　he　thought。　His　reputation　for　secrecy　was　exceeded　only　by　that　of　his　deadliness。
　So　far；　he　had　served　them　nobly。　He　had　made　his　kill　and　delivered　the　item　to　Janus　as　requested。　Now；　it　was　up　to　Janus　to　use　his　power　to　ensure　the　item's　placement。
　The　placement　。　。　。
　The　killer　wondered　how　Janus　could　possibly　handle　such　a　staggering　task。　The　man　obviously　had　connections　on　the　inside。　The　brotherhood's　dominion　seemed　limitless。
　Janus；　the　killer　thought。　A　code　name；　obviously。　Was　it　a　reference；　he　wondered；　to　the　Roman　two…faced　god　。　。　。　or　to　the　moon　of　Saturn？　Not　that　it　made　any　difference。　Janus　wielded　unfathomable　power。　He　had　proven　that　beyond　a　doubt。
　As　the　killer　walked；　he　imagined　his　ancestors　smiling　down　on　him。　Today　he　was　fighting　their　battle；　he　was　fighting　the　same　enemy　they　had　fought　for　ages；　as　far　back　as　the　eleventh　century　。　。　。　when　the　enemy's　crusading　armies　had　first　pillaged　his　land；　raping　and　killing　his　people；　declaring　them　unclean；　defiling　their　temples　and　gods。　
　His　ancestors　had　formed　a　small　but　deadly　army　to　defend　themselves。　The　army　became　famous　across　the　land　as　protectors…skilled　executioners　who　wandered　the　countryside　slaughtering　any　of　the　enemy　they　could　find。　They　were　renowned　not　only　for　their　brutal　killings；　but　also　for　celebrating　their　slayings　by　plunging　themselves　into　drug…induced　stupors。　Their　drug　of　choice　was　a　potent　intoxicant　they　called　hashish。
　As　their　notoriety　spread；　these　lethal　men　became　known　by　a　single　word…Hassassin…literally　〃the　followers　of　hashish。〃　The　name　Hassassin　became　synonymous　with　death　in　almost　every　language　on　earth。　The　word　was　still　used　today；　even　in　modern　English　。　。　。　but　like　the　craft　of　killing；　the　word　had　evolved。　
　It　was　now　pronounced　assassin。
　
　6

　Sixty…four　minutes　had　passed　when　an　incredulous　and　slightly　air…sick　Robert　Langdon　stepped　down　the　gangplank　onto　the　sun…drenched　runway。　A　crisp　breeze　rustled　the　lapels　of　his　tweed　jacket。　The　open　space　felt　wonderful。　He　squinted　out　at　the　lush　green　valley　rising　to　snowcapped　peaks　all　around　them。
　I'm　dreaming；　he　told　himself。　Any　minute　now　I'll　be　waking　up。　
　〃Wele　to　Switzerland；〃　the　pilot　said；　yelling　over　the　roar　of　the　X…33's　misted…fuel　HEDM　engines　winding　down　behind　them。　
　Langdon　checked　his　watch。　It　read　7：07　A。M。　
　〃You　just　crossed　six　time　zones；〃　the　pilot　offered。　〃It's　a　little　past　1　P。M。　here。〃
　Langdon　reset　his　watch。
　〃How　do　you　feel？〃
　He　rubbed　his　stomach。　〃Like　I've　been　eating　Styrofoam。〃　
　The　pilot　nodded。　〃Altitude　sickness。　We　were　at　sixty　thousand　feet。　You're　thirty　percent　lighter　up　there。　Lucky　we　only　did　a　puddle　jump。　If　we'd　gone　to　Tokyo　I'd　have　taken　her　all　the　way　up…a　hundred　miles。　Now　that'll　get　your　insides　rolling。〃
　Langdon　gave　a　wan　nod　and　counted　himself　lucky。　All　things　considered；　the　flight　had　been　remarkably　ordinary。　Aside　from　a　bone…crushing　acceleration　during　take　off；　the　plane's　motion　had　been　fairly　typical…occasional　minor　turbulence；　a　few　pre