danbrown.thedavincicode-第24部分

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y　powerful。〃
　Despite　the　total　conviction　in　Langdon's　eyes；　Sophie's　gut　reaction　was　one　of　stark　disbelief。　A　secret　pagan　cult？　Once　headed　by　Leonardo　da　Vinci？　It　all　sounded　utterly　absurd。　And　yet；　even　as　she　dismissed　it；　she　felt　her　mind　reeling　back　ten　years…to　the　night　she　had　mistakenly　surprised　her　grandfather　and　witnessed　what　she　still　could　not　accept。　Could　that　explain…？
　〃The　identities　of　living　Priory　members　are　kept　extremely　secret；〃　Langdon　said；　〃but　the　P。S。　and　fleur…de…lis　that　you　saw　as　a　child　are　proof。　It　could　only　have　been　related　to　the　Priory。〃
　Sophie　realized　now　that　Langdon　knew　far　more　about　her　grandfather　than　she　had　previously　imagined。　This　American　obviously　had　volumes　to　share　with　her；　but　this　was　not　the　place。　〃I　can't　afford　to　let　them　catch　you；　Robert。　There's　a　lot　we　need　to　discuss。　You　need　to　go！〃
　　
　Langdon　heard　only　the　faint　murmur　of　her　voice。　He　wasn't　going　anywhere。　He　was　lost　in　another　place　now。　A　place　where　ancient　secrets　rose　to　the　surface。　A　place　where　forgotten　histories　emerged　from　the　shadows。
　Slowly；　as　if　moving　underwater；　Langdon　turned　his　head　and　gazed　through　the　reddish　haze　toward　the　Mona　Lisa。
　The　fleur…de…lis。。。　the　flower　of　Lisa。。。　the　Mona　Lisa。
　It　was　all　intertwined；　a　silent　symphony　echoing　the　deepest　secrets　of　the　Priory　of　Sion　and　Leonardo　da　Vinci。
　　
　A　few　miles　away；　on　the　riverbank　beyond　Les　Invalides；　the　bewildered　driver　of　a　twin…bed　Trailor　truck　stood　at　gunpoint　and　watched　as　the　captain　of　the　Judicial　Police　let　out　a　guttural　roar　of　rage　and　heaved　a　bar　of　soap　out　into　the　turgid　waters　of　the　Seine。
　　
　CHAPTER　24
　
　Silas　gazed　upward　at　the　Saint…Sulpice　obelisk；　taking　in　the　length　of　the　massive　marble　shaft。　His　sinews　felt　taut　with　exhilaration。　He　glanced　around　the　church　one　more　time　to　make　sure　he　was　alone。　Then　he　knelt　at　the　base　of　the　structure；　not　out　of　reverence；　but　out　of　necessity。
　The　keystone　is　hidden　beneath　the　Rose　Line。
　At　the　base　of　the　Sulpice　obelisk。
　All　the　brothers　had　concurred。
　On　his　knees　now；　Silas　ran　his　hands　across　the　stone　floor。　He　saw　no　cracks　or　markings　to　indicate　a　movable　tile；　so　he　began　rapping　softly　with　his　knuckles　on　the　floor。　Following　the　brass　line　closer　to　the　obelisk；　he　knocked　on　each　tile　adjacent　to　the　brass　line。　Finally；　one　of　them　echoed　strangely。
　There's　a　hollow　area　beneath　the　floor！
　Silas　smiled。　His　victims　had　spoken　the　truth。
　Standing；　he　searched　the　sanctuary　for　something　with　which　to　break　the　floor　tile。
　　
　High　above　Silas；　in　the　balcony；　Sister　Sandrine　stifled　a　gasp。　Her　darkest　fears　had　just　been　confirmed。　This　visitor　was　not　who　he　seemed。　The　mysterious　Opus　Dei　monk　had　e　to　Saint…Sulpice　for　another　purpose。
　A　secret　purpose。
　You　are　not　the　only　one　with　secrets；　she　thought。
　Sister　Sandrine　Bieil　was　more　than　the　keeper　of　this　church。　She　was　a　sentry。　And　tonight；　the　ancient　wheels　had　been　set　in　motion。　The　arrival　of　this　stranger　at　the　base　of　the　obelisk　was　a　signal　from　the　brotherhood。
　It　was　a　silent　call　of　distress。
　　
　CHAPTER　25
　
　The　U。S。　Embassy　in　Paris　is　a　pact　plex　on　Avenue　Gabriel；　just　north　of　the　Champs…Elysées。　The　three…acre　pound　is　considered　U。S。　soil；　meaning　all　those　who　stand　on　it　are　subject　to　the　same　laws　and　protections　as　they　would　encounter　standing　in　the　United　States。
　The　embassy's　night　operator　was　reading　Time　magazine's　International　Edition　when　the　sound　of　her　phone　interrupted。
　〃U。S。　Embassy；〃　she　answered。
　〃Good　evening。〃　The　caller　spoke　English　accented　with　French。　〃I　need　some　assistance。〃　Despite　the　politeness　of　the　man's　words；　his　tone　sounded　gruff　and　official。　〃I　was　told　you　had　a　phone　message　for　me　on　your　automated　system。　The　name　is　Langdon。　Unfortunately；　I　have　forgotten　my　three…digit　access　code。　If　you　could　help　me；　I　would　be　most　grateful。〃
　The　operator　paused；　confused。　〃I'm　sorry；　sir。　Your　message　must　be　quite　old。　That　system　was　removed　two　years　ago　for　security　precautions。　Moreover；　all　the　access　codes　were　five…digit。　Who　told　you　we　had　a　message　for　you？〃
　〃You　have　no　automated　phone　system？〃
　〃No；　sir。　Any　message　for　you　would　be　handwritten　in　our　services　department。　What　was　your　name　again？〃
　But　the　man　had　hung　up。
　　
　Bezu　Fache　felt　dumbstruck　as　he　paced　the　banks　of　the　Seine。　He　was　certain　he　had　seen　Langdon　dial　a　local　number；　enter　a　three…digit　code；　and　then　listen　to　a　recording。　But　if　Langdon　didn't　phone　the　embassy；　then　who　the　hell　did　he　call？
　It　was　at　that　moment；　eyeing　his　cellular　phone；　that　Fache　realized　the　answers　were　in　the　palm　of　his　hand。　Langdon　used　my　phone　to　place　that　call。
　Keying　into　the　cell　phone's　menu；　Fache　pulled　up　the　list　of　recently　dialed　numbers　and　found　the　call　Langdon　had　placed。
　A　Paris　exchange；　followed　by　the　three…digit　code　454。
　Redialing　the　phone　number；　Fache　waited　as　the　line　began　ringing。
　Finally　a　woman's　voice　answered。　〃Bonjour；　vous　êtes　bien　chez　Sophie　Neveu；〃　the　recording　announced。　〃Je　suis　absente　pour　le　moment；　mais。。。〃
　Fache's　blood　was　boiling　as　he　typed　the　numbers　4。。。　5。。。　4。
　　
　CHAPTER　26
　
　Despite　her　monumental　reputation；　the　Mona　Lisa　was　a　mere　thirty…one　inches　by　twenty…one　inches…smaller　even　than　the　posters　of　her　sold　in　the　Louvre　gift　shop。　She　hung　on　the　northwest　wall　of　the　Salle　des　Etats　behind　a　two…inch…thick　pane　of　protective　Plexiglas。　Painted　on　a　poplar　wood　panel；　her　ethereal；　mist…filled　atmosphere　was　attributed　to　Da　Vinci's　mastery　of　the　sfumato　style；　in　which　forms　appear　to　evaporate　into　one　another。
　Since　taking　up　residence　in　the　Louvre；　the　Mona　Lisa…or　La　Jaconde　as　they　call　her　in　France…had　been　stolen　twice；　most　recently　in　1911；　when　she　disappeared　from　the　Louvre's　〃satte　impénétrable〃…Le　Salon　Carre。　Parisians　wept　in　the　streets　and　wrote　newspaper　articles　begging　the　thieves　for　the　painting's　return。　Two　years　later；　the　Mona　Lisa　was　discovered　hidden　in　the　false　bottom　of　a　trunk　in　a　Florence　hotel　room。
　Langdon；　now　having　made　it　clear　to　Sophie　that　he　had　no　intention　of　leaving；　moved　with　her　across　the　Salle　des　Etats。　The　Mona　Lisa　was　still　twenty　yards　ahead　when　Sophie　turned　on　the　black　light；　and　the　bluish　crescent　of　penlight　fanned　out　on　the　floor　in　front　of　them。　She　swung　the　beam　back　and　forth　across　the　floor　like　a　minesweeper；　searching　for　any　hint　of　luminescent　ink。
　Walking　beside　her；　Langdon　was　already　feeling　the　tingle　of　anticipation　that　acpanied　his　face…to…face　reunions　with　great　works　of　art。　He　strained　to　see　beyond　the　cocoon　of　purplish　light　emanating　from　the　black　light　in　Sophie's　hand。　To　the　left；　the　room's　octagonal　viewing　divan　emerged；　looking　like　a　dark　island　on　the　empty　sea　of　parquet。
　Langdon　could　now　begin　to　see　the　panel　of　dark　glass　on　the　wall。　Behind　it；　he　knew；　in　the　confines　of　her　own　private　cell；　hung　the　most　celebrated　painting　in　the　world。
　The　Mona　Lisa's　status　as　the　most　famous　piece　of　art　in　the　world；　Langdon　knew；　had　nothing　to　do　with　her　enigmatic　smile。　Nor　was　it　due　to　the　mysterious　interpretations　attributed　her　by　many　art　historians　and　conspiracy　buffs。　Quite　simply；　the　Mona　Lisa　was　famous　because　Leonardo　da　Vinci　claimed　she　was　his　finest　acplishment。　He　carried　the　painting　with　him　whenever　he　traveled　and；　if　asked　why；　would　reply　that　he　found　it　hard　to　part　with　his　most　sublime　expression　of　female　beauty。
　Even　so；　many　art　historians　suspected　Da　Vinci's　reverence　for　the　Mona　Lisa　had　nothing　to　do　with　its　artistic　mastery。　In　actuality；　the　painting　was　a　surprisingly　ordinary　sfumato　portrait。　Da　Vinci's　veneration　for　this　work；　many　claimed；　stemmed　from　something　far　deeper：　a　hidden　message　in　the　layers　of　paint。　The　Mona　Lisa　was；　in　fact；　one　of　the　world's　most　documented　inside　jokes。　The　painting's　well…documented　collage　of　double　entendres　and　playful　allusions　had　been　revealed　in　most　art　history　tomes；　and　yet；　incredibly；　the　public　at　large　still　considered　her　smile　a　great　mystery。
　No　mystery　at　all；　Langdon　thought；　moving　forward　and　watching　as　the　faint　outline　of　the　painting　began　to　take　shape。　No　mystery　at　all。
　Most　recently　Langdon　had　shared　the　Mona　Lisa's　secret　with　a　rather　unlikely　group…a　dozen　inmates　at　the　Essex　County　Penitentiary。　Langdon's　jail　seminar　was　part　of　a　Harvard　outreach　program　attempting　to　bring　education　into　the　prison　system…Culture　for　Convicts；　as　Langdon's　colleagues　liked　to　call　it。
　Standing　at　an　overhead　projector　in　a　darkened　penitentiary　library；　Langdon　had　shared　the　Mona　Lisa's　secret　with　the　prisoners　attending　class；　men　whom　he　found　surprisingly　engaged…rough；　but　sharp。　〃You　may　notice；〃　Langdon　told　them；　walking　up　to　the　projected　image　of　the　Mona　Lisa　on　the　library　wall；　〃that　the　background　behind　her　face　is　uneven。〃　Langdon　motioned　to　the　glaring　discrepancy。　〃Da　Vinci　painted　the　horizon　line　on　the　left　significantly　lower　than　the　right。〃
　〃He　screwed　it　up？〃　one　of　t