danbrown.angels&demons-第69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！


enter。　His　hand　had　stopped　bleeding　and　now　felt　worse　than　it　looked。　As　he　arrived；　it　seemed　everyone　convened　at　once…Olivetti；　Rocher；　the　camerlegno；　Vittoria；　and　a　handful　of　guards。　
　Vittoria　hurried　toward　him　immediately。　〃Robert；　you're　hurt。〃
　Before　Langdon　could　answer；　Olivetti　was　before　him。　〃Mr。　Langdon；　I'm　relieved　you're　okay。　I'm　sorry　about　the　crossed　signals　in　the　archives。〃
　〃Crossed　signals？〃　Langdon　demanded。　〃You　knew　damn　well…〃
　〃It　was　my　fault；〃　Rocher　said；　stepping　forward；　sounding　contrite。　〃I　had　no　idea　you　were　in　the　archives。　Portions　of　our　white　zones　are　cross…wired　with　that　building。　We　were　extending　our　search。　I'm　the　one　who　killed　power。　If　I　had　known　。　。　。〃
　〃Robert；〃　Vittoria　said；　taking　his　wounded　hand　in　hers　and　looking　it　over；　〃the　Pope　was　poisoned。　The　Illuminati　killed　him。〃
　Langdon　heard　the　words；　but　they　barely　registered。　He　was　saturated。　All　he　could　feel　was　the　warmth　of　Vittoria's　hands。
　The　camerlegno　pulled　a　silk　handkerchief　from　his　cassock　and　handed　it　to　Langdon　so　he　could　clean　himself。　The　man　said　nothing。　His　green　eyes　seemed　filled　with　a　new　fire。
　〃Robert；〃　Vittoria　pressed；　〃you　said　you　found　where　the　next　cardinal　is　going　to　be　killed？〃
　Langdon　felt　flighty。　〃I　do；　it's　at　the…〃
　〃No；〃　Olivetti　interrupted。　〃Mr。　Langdon；　when　I　asked　you　not　to　speak　another　word　on　the　walkie…talkie；　it　was　for　a　reason。〃　He　turned　to　the　handful　of　assembled　Swiss　Guards。　〃Excuse　us；　gentlemen。〃
　The　soldiers　disappeared　into　the　security　center。　No　indignity。　Only　pliance。
　Olivetti　turned　back　to　the　remaining　group。　〃As　much　as　it　pains　me　to　say　this；　the　murder　of　our　Pope　is　an　act　that　could　only　have　been　acplished　with　help　from　within　these　walls。　For　the　good　of　all；　we　can　trust　no　one。　Including　our　guards。〃　He　seemed　to　be　suffering　as　he　spoke　the　words。
　Rocher　looked　anxious。　〃Inside　collusion　implies…〃
　〃Yes；〃　Olivetti　said。　〃The　integrity　of　your　search　is　promised。　And　yet　it　is　a　gamble　we　must　take。　Keep　looking。〃　
　Rocher　looked　like　he　was　about　to　say　something；　thought　better　of　it；　and　left。
　The　camerlegno　inhaled　deeply。　He　had　not　said　a　word　yet；　and　Langdon　sensed　a　new　rigor　in　the　man；　as　if　a　turning　point　had　been　reached。　
　〃mander？〃　The　camerlegno's　tone　was　impermeable。　〃I　am　going　to　break　conclave。〃
　Olivetti　pursed　his　lips；　looking　dour。　〃I　advise　against　it。　We　still　have　two　hours　and　twenty　minutes。〃
　〃A　heartbeat。〃
　Olivetti's　tone　was　now　challenging　〃What　do　you　intend　to　do？　Evacuate　the　cardinals　single…handedly？〃
　〃I　intend　to　save　this　church　with　whatever　power　God　has　given　me。　How　I　proceed　is　no　longer　your　concern。〃
　Olivetti　straightened。　〃Whatever　you　intend　to　do　。　。　。〃　He　paused。　〃I　do　not　have　the　authority　to　restrain　you。　Particularly　in　light　of　my　apparent　failure　as　head　of　security。　I　ask　only　that　you　wait。　Wait　twenty　minutes　。　。　。　until　after　ten　o'clock。　If　Mr。　Langdon's　information　is　correct；　I　may　still　have　a　chance　to　catch　this　assassin。　There　is　still　a　chance　to　preserve　protocol　and　decorum。〃
　〃Decorum？〃　The　camerlegno　let　out　a　choked　laugh。　〃We　have　long　since　passed　propriety；　mander。　In　case　you　hadn't　noticed；　this　is　war。〃
　A　guard　emerged　from　the　security　center　and　called　out　to　the　camerlegno；　〃Signore；　I　just　got　word　we　have　detained　the　BBC　reporter；　Mr。　Glick。〃　
　The　camerlegno　nodded。　〃Have　both　he　and　his　camerawoman　meet　me　outside　the　Sistine　Chapel。〃
　Olivetti's　eyes　widened。　〃What　are　you　doing？〃
　〃Twenty　minutes；　mander。　That's　all　I'm　giving　you。〃　Then　he　was　gone。
　
　When　Olivetti's　Alpha　Romeo　tore　out　of　Vatican　City；　this　time　there　was　no　line　of　unmarked　cars　following　him。　In　the　back　seat；　Vittoria　bandaged　Langdon's　hand　with　a　first…aid　kit　she'd　found　in　the　glove　box。
　Olivetti　stared　straight　ahead。　〃Okay；　Mr。　Langdon。　Where　are　we　going？〃
　
　88

　Even　with　its　siren　now　affixed　and　blaring；　Olivetti's　Alpha　Romeo　seemed　to　go　unnoticed　as　it　rocketed　across　the　bridge　into　the　heart　of　old　Rome。　All　the　traffic　was　moving　in　the　other　direction；　toward　the　Vatican；　as　if　the　Holy　See　had　suddenly　bee　the　hottest　entertainment　in　Rome。
　Langdon　sat　in　the　backseat；　the　questions　whipping　through　his　mind。　He　wondered　about　the　killer；　if　they　would　catch　him　this　time；　if　he　would　tell　them　what　they　needed　to　know；　if　it　was　already　too　late。　How　long　before　the　camerlegno　told　the　crowd　in　St。　Peter's　Square　they　were　in　danger？　The　incident　in　the　vault　still　nagged。　A　mistake。
　Olivetti　never　touched　the　brakes　as　he　snaked　the　howling　Alpha　Romeo　toward　the　Church　of　Santa　Maria　della　Vittoria。　Langdon　knew　on　any　other　day　his　knuckles　would　have　been　white。　At　the　moment；　however；　he　felt　anesthetized。　Only　the　throbbing　in　his　hand　reminded　him　where　he　was。　
　Overhead；　the　siren　wailed。　Nothing　like　telling　him　we're　ing；　Langdon　thought。　And　yet　they　were　making　incredible　time。　He　guessed　Olivetti　would　kill　the　siren　as　they　drew　nearer。　
　Now　with　a　moment　to　sit　and　reflect；　Langdon　felt　a　tinge　of　amazement　as　the　news　of　the　Pope's　murder　finally　registered　in　his　mind。　The　thought　was　inconceivable；　and　yet　somehow　it　seemed　a　perfectly　logical　event。　Infiltration　had　always　been　the　Illuminati　powerbase…rearrangements　of　power　from　within。　And　it　was　not　as　if　Popes　had　never　been　murdered。　Countless　rumors　of　treachery　abounded；　although　with　no　autopsy；　none　was　ever　confirmed。　Until　recently。　Academics　not　long　ago　had　gotten　permission　to　X…ray　the　tomb　of　Pope　Celestine　V；　who　had　allegedly　died　at　the　hands　of　his　overeager　successor；　Boniface　VIII。　The　researchers　had　hoped　the　X…ray　might　reveal　some　small　hint　of　foul　play…a　broken　bone　perhaps。　Incredibly；　the　X…ray　had　revealed　a　ten…inch　nail　driven　into　the　Pope's　skull。
　Langdon　now　recalled　a　series　of　news　clippings　fellow　Illuminati　buffs　had　sent　him　years　ago。　At　first　he　had　thought　the　clippings　were　a　prank；　so　he'd　gone　to　the　Harvard　microfiche　collection　to　confirm　the　articles　were　authentic。　Incredibly；　they　were。　He　now　kept　them　on　his　bulletin　board　as　examples　of　how　even　respectable　news　organizations　sometimes　got　carried　away　with　Illuminati　paranoia。　Suddenly；　the　media's　suspicions　seemed　a　lot　less　paranoid。　Langdon　could　see　the　articles　clearly　in　his　mind　。　。　。　
　
　THE　BRITISH　BROADCASTING　CORPORATION　
　June　14；　1998
　Pope　John　Paul　I；　who　died　in　1978；　fell　victim　to　a　plot　by　the　P2　Masonic　Lodge　。　。　。　The　secret　society　P2　decided　to　murder　John　Paul　I　when　it　saw　he　was　determined　to　dismiss　the　American　Archbishop　Paul　Marcinkus　as　President　of　the　Vatican　Bank。　The　Bank　had　been　implicated　in　shady　financial　deals　with　the　Masonic　Lodge　。　。　。　
　
　THE　NEW　YORK　TIMES　
　August　24；　1998
　Why　was　the　late　John　Paul　I　wearing　his　day　shirt　in　bed？　Why　was　it　torn？　The　questions　don't　stop　there。　No　medical　investigations　were　made。　Cardinal　Villot　forbade　an　autopsy　on　the　grounds　that　no　Pope　was　ever　given　a　postmortem。　And　John　Paul's　medicines　mysteriously　vanished　from　his　bedside；　as　did　his　glasses；　slippers　and　his　last　will　and　testament。
　
　LONDON　DAILY　MAIL　
　August　27；　1998
　。　。　。　a　plot　including　a　powerful；　ruthless　and　illegal　Masonic　lodge　with　tentacles　stretching　into　the　Vatican。
　
　The　cellular　in　Vittoria's　pocket　rang；　thankfully　erasing　the　memories　from　Langdon's　mind。　
　Vittoria　answered；　looking　confused　as　to　who　might　be　calling　her。　Even　from　a　few　feet　away；　Langdon　recognized　the　laserlike　voice　on　the　phone。
　〃Vittoria？　This　is　Maximilian　Kohler。　Have　you　found　the　antimatter　yet？〃
　〃Max？　You're　okay？〃
　〃I　saw　the　news。　There　was　no　mention　of　CERN　or　the　antimatter。　This　is　good。　What　is　happening？〃
　〃We　haven't　located　the　canister　yet。　The　situation　is　plex。　Robert　Langdon　has　been　quite　an　asset。　We　have　a　lead　on　catching　the　man　assassinating　cardinals。　Right　now　we　are　headed…〃
　〃Ms。　Vetra；〃　Olivetti　interrupted。　〃You've　said　enough。〃
　She　covered　the　receiver；　clearly　annoyed。　〃mander；　this　is　the　president　of　CERN。　Certainly　he　has　a　right　to…〃
　〃He　has　a　right；〃　Oli