danbrown.angels&demons-第42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！


Then；　rather　than　pulling　out　the　documents；　he　held　them　in　place　while　he　slid　off　the　bag…an　archivist's　procedure　for　minimizing　torque　on　the　artifact。　Not　until　the　bag　was　removed　and　Langdon　had　turned　on　the　exam　darklight　beneath　the　table　did　he　begin　breathing　again。
　Vittoria　looked　like　a　specter　now；　lit　from　below　by　the　lamp　beneath　the　glass。　〃Small　sheets；〃　she　said；　her　voice　reverent。
　Langdon　nodded。　The　stack　of　folios　before　them　looked　like　loose　pages　from　a　small　paperback　novel。　Langdon　could　see　that　the　top　sheet　was　an　ornate　pen　and　ink　cover　sheet　with　the　title；　the　date；　and　Galileo's　name　in　his　own　hand。
　In　that　instant；　Langdon　forgot　the　cramped　quarters；　forgot　his　exhaustion；　forgot　the　horrifying　situation　that　had　brought　him　here。　He　simply　stared　in　wonder。　Close　encounters　with　history　always　left　Langdon　numbed　with　reverence　。　。　。　like　seeing　the　brushstrokes　on　the　Mona　Lisa。
　The　muted；　yellow　papyrus　left　no　doubt　in　Langdon's　mind　as　to　its　age　and　authenticity；　but　excluding　the　inevitable　fading；　the　document　was　in　superb　condition。　Slight　bleaching　of　the　pigment。　Minor　sundering　and　cohesion　of　the　papyrus。　But　all　in　all　。　。　。　in　damn　fine　condition。　He　studied　the　ornate　hand　etching　of　the　cover；　his　vision　blurring　in　the　lack　of　humidity。　Vittoria　was　silent。
　〃Hand　me　a　spatula；　please。〃　Langdon　motioned　beside　Vittoria　to　a　tray　filled　with　stainless…steel　archival　tools。　She　handed　it　to　him。　Langdon　took　the　tool　in　his　hand。　It　was　a　good　one。　He　ran　his　fingers　across　the　face　to　remove　any　static　charge　and　then；　ever　so　carefully；　slid　the　blade　beneath　the　cover。　Then；　lifting　the　spatula；　he　turned　over　the　cover　sheet。　
　The　first　page　was　written　in　longhand；　the　tiny；　stylized　calligraphy　almost　impossible　to　read。　Langdon　immediately　noticed　that　there　were　no　diagrams　or　numbers　on　the　page。　It　was　an　essay。
　〃Heliocentricity；〃　Vittoria　said；　translating　the　heading　on　folio　one。　She　scanned　the　text。　〃Looks　like　Galileo　renouncing　the　geocentric　model　once　and　for　all。　Ancient　Italian；　though；　so　no　promises　on　the　translation。〃
　〃Forget　it；〃　Langdon　said。　〃We're　looking　for　math。　The　pure　language。〃　He　used　the　spatula　tool　to　flip　the　next　page。　Another　essay。　No　math　or　diagrams。　Langdon's　hands　began　to　sweat　inside　his　gloves。
　〃Movement　of　the　Planets；〃　Vittoria　said；　translating　the　title。
　Langdon　frowned。　On　any　other　day；　he　would　have　been　fascinated　to　read　it；　incredibly　NASA's　current　model　of　planetary　orbits；　observed　through　high…powered　telescopes；　was　supposedly　almost　identical　to　Galileo's　original　predictions。　
　〃No　math；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃He's　talking　about　retrograde　motions　and　elliptical　orbits　or　something。〃
　Elliptical　orbits。　Langdon　recalled　that　much　of　Galileo's　legal　trouble　had　begun　when　he　described　planetary　motion　as　elliptical。　The　Vatican　exalted　the　perfection　of　the　circle　and　insisted　heavenly　motion　must　be　only　circular。　Galileo's　Illuminati；　however；　saw　perfection　in　the　ellipse　as　well；　revering　the　mathematical　duality　of　its　twin　foci。　The　Illuminati's　ellipse　was　prominent　even　today　in　modern　Masonic　tracing　boards　and　footing　inlays。
　〃Next；〃　Vittoria　said。
　Langdon　flipped。
　〃Lunar　phases　and　tidal　motion；〃　she　said。　〃No　numbers。　No　diagrams。〃
　Langdon　flipped　again。　Nothing。　He　kept　flipping　through　a　dozen　or　so　pages。　Nothing。　Nothing。　Nothing。　
　〃I　thought　this　guy　was　a　mathematician；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃This　is　all　text。〃
　Langdon　felt　the　air　in　his　lungs　beginning　to　thin。　His　hopes　were　thinning　too。　The　pile　was　waning。　
　〃Nothing　here；〃　Vittoria　said。　〃No　math。　A　few　dates；　a　few　standard　figures；　but　nothing　that　looks　like　it　could　be　a　clue。〃
　Langdon　flipped　over　the　last　folio　and　sighed。　It；　too；　was　an　essay。
　〃Short　book；〃　Vittoria　said；　frowning。
　Langdon　nodded。
　〃Merda；　as　we　say　in　Rome。〃
　Shit　is　right；　Langdon　thought。　His　reflection　in　the　glass　seemed　mocking；　like　the　image　staring　back　at　him　this　morning　from　his　bay　window。　An　aging　ghost。　〃There's　got　to　be　something；〃　he　said；　the　hoarse　desperation　in　his　voice　surprising　him。　〃The　segno　is　here　somewhere。　I　know　it！〃
　〃Maybe　you　were　wrong　about　DIII？〃
　Langdon　turned　and　stared　at　her。
　〃Okay；〃　she　agreed；　〃DIII　makes　perfect　sense。　But　maybe　the　clue　isn't　mathematical？〃
　〃Lingua　pura。　What　else　would　it　be？〃
　〃Art？〃
　〃Except　there　are　no　diagrams　or　pictures　in　the　book。〃
　〃All　I　know　is　that　lingua　pura　refers　to　something　other　than　Italian。　Math　just　seems　logical。〃
　〃I　agree。〃
　Langdon　refused　to　accept　defeat　so　quickly。　〃The　numbers　must　be　written　longhand。　The　math　must　be　in　words　rather　than　equations。〃　
　〃It'll　take　some　time　to　read　all　the　pages。〃
　〃Time's　something　we　don't　have。　We'll　have　to　split　the　work。〃　Langdon　flipped　the　stack　back　over　to　the　beginning。　〃I　know　enough　Italian　to　spot　numbers。〃　Using　his　spatula；　he　cut　the　stack　like　a　deck　of　cards　and　lay　the　first　half…dozen　pages　in　front　of　Vittoria。　〃It's　in　here　somewhere。　I'm　sure。〃
　Vittoria　reached　down　and　flipped　her　first　page　by　hand。
　〃Spatula！〃　Langdon　said；　grabbing　her　an　extra　tool　from　the　tray。　〃Use　the　spatula。〃
　〃I'm　wearing　gloves；〃　she　grumbled。　〃How　much　damage　could　I　cause？〃　
　〃Just　use　it。〃
　Vittoria　picked　up　the　spatula。　〃You　feeling　what　I'm　feeling？〃
　〃Tense？〃　
　〃No。　Short　of　breath。〃
　Langdon　was　definitely　starting　to　feel　it　too。　The　air　was　thinning　faster　than　he　had　imagined。　He　knew　they　had　to　hurry。　Archival　conundrums　were　nothing　new　for　him；　but　usually　he　had　more　than　a　few　minutes　to　work　them　out。　Without　another　word；　Langdon　bowed　his　head　and　began　translating　the　first　page　in　his　stack。　
　Show　yourself；　damn　it！　Show　yourself！　
　
　53

　S　omewhere　beneath　Rome　the　dark　figure　prowled　down　a　stone　ramp　into　the　underground　tunnel。　The　ancient　passageway　was　lit　only　by　torches；　making　the　air　hot　and　thick。　Up　ahead　the　frightened　voices　of　grown　men　called　out　in　vain；　echoing　in　the　cramped　spaces。
　As　he　rounded　the　corner　he　saw　them；　exactly　as　he　had　left　them…four　old　men；　terrified；　sealed　behind　rusted　iron　bars　in　a　stone　cubicle。
　〃Qui　кtes…vous？〃　one　of　the　men　demanded　in　French。　〃What　do　you　want　with　us？〃
　〃Hilfe！〃　another　said　in　German。　〃Let　us　go！〃
　〃Are　you　aware　who　we　are？〃　one　asked　in　English；　his　accent　Spanish。
　〃Silence；〃　the　raspy　voice　manded。　There　was　a　finality　about　the　word。
　The　fourth　prisoner；　an　Italian；　quiet　and　thoughtful；　looked　into　the　inky　void　of　his　captor's　eyes　and　swore　he　saw　hell　itself。　God　help　us；　he　thought。
　The　killer　checked　his　watch　and　then　returned　his　gaze　to　the　prisoners。　〃Now　then；〃　he　said。　〃Who　will　be　first？〃
　
　54

　Inside　Archive　Vault　10　Robert　Langdon　recited　Italian　numbers　as　he　scanned　the　calligraphy　before　him。　Mille　。　。　。　centi　。　。　。　uno；　duo；　tre　。　。　。　cincuanta。　I　need　a　numerical　reference！　Anything；　damnit！　
　When　he　reached　the　end　of　his　current　folio；　he　lifted　the　spatula　to　flip　the　page。　As　he　aligned　the　blade　with　the　next　page；　he　fumbled；　having　difficulty　holding　the　tool　steady。　Minutes　later；　he　looked　down　and　realized　he　had　abandoned　his　spatula　and　was　turning　pages　by　hand。　Oops；　he　thought；　feeling　vaguely　criminal。　The　lack　of　oxygen　was　affecting　his　inhibitions。　Looks　like　I'll　burn　in　archivist's　hell。
　〃About　damn　time；〃　Vittoria　choked　when　she　saw　Langdon　turning　pages　by　hand。　She　dropped　her　spatula　and　followed　suit。　
　〃Any　luck？〃
　Vittoria　shook　her　head。　〃Nothing　that　looks　purely　mathematical。　I'm　skimming　。　。　。　but　none　of　this　reads　like　a　clue。〃
　Langdon　continued　translating　his　folios　with　increasing　difficulty。　His　Italian　skills　were　rocky　at　best；　and　the　tiny　penmanship　and　archaic　language　was　making　it　slow　going。　Vittoria　reached　the　end　of　her　stack　before　Langdon　and　looked　disheartened　as　she　flipped　the　pages　back　over。　She　hunkered　down　for　another　more　intense　inspection。
　When　Langdon　finished　his　final　page；　he　cursed　under　his　breath　and　looked　over　at　Vittoria。　She　was　scowling；　squinting　at　something　on　one　of　her　folios。　〃What　is　it？