danbrown.thedavincicode-第17章

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nto　custody　for　questioning。〃
　Langdon　suddenly　sensed　that　he　needed　a　lawyer。　〃I　didn't　do　this。〃
　Sophie　sighed。　〃This　is　not　American　television；　Mr。　Langdon。　In　France；　the　laws　protect　the　police；　not　criminals。　Unfortunately；　in　this　case；　there　is　also　the　media　consideration。　Jacques　Saunière　was　a　very　prominent　and　well…loved　figure　in　Paris；　and　his　murder　will　be　news　in　the　morning。　Fache　will　be　under　immediate　pressure　to　make　a　statement；　and　he　looks　a　lot　better　having　a　suspect　in　custody　already。　Whether　or　not　you　are　guilty；　you　most　certainly　will　be　held　by　DCPJ　until　they　can　figure　out　what　really　happened。〃
　Langdon　felt　like　a　caged　animal。　〃Why　are　you　telling　me　all　this？〃
　〃Because；　Mr。　Langdon；　I　believe　you　are　innocent。〃　Sophie　looked　away　for　a　moment　and　then　back　into　his　eyes。　〃And　also　because　it　is　partially　my　fault　that　you're　in　trouble。〃
　〃I'm　sorry？　It's　your　fault　Saunière　is　trying　to　frame　me？〃
　〃Saunière　wasn't　trying　to　frame　you。　It　was　a　mistake。　That　message　on　the　floor　was　meant　for　me。〃
　Langdon　needed　a　minute　to　process　that　one。　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃That　message　wasn't　for　the　police。　He　wrote　it　for　me。　I　think　he　was　forced　to　do　everything　in　such　a　hurry　that　he　just　didn't　realize　how　it　would　look　to　the　police。〃　She　paused。　〃The　numbered　code　is　meaningless。　Saunière　wrote　it　to　make　sure　the　investigation　included　cryptographers；　ensuring　that　I　would　know　as　soon　as　possible　what　had　happened　to　him。〃
　Langdon　felt　himself　losing　touch　fast。　Whether　or　not　Sophie　Neveu　had　lost　her　mind　was　at　this　point　up　for　grabs；　but　at　least　Langdon　now　understood　why　she　was　trying　to　help　him。　P。S。　Find　Robert　Langdon。　She　apparently　believed　the　curator　had　left　her　a　cryptic　postscript　telling　her　to　find　Langdon。　〃But　why　do　you　think　his　message　was　for　you？〃
　〃The　Vitruvian　Man；〃　she　said　flatly。　〃That　particular　sketch　has　always　been　my　favorite　Da　Vinci　work。　Tonight　he　used　it　to　catch　my　attention。〃
　〃Hold　on。　You're　saying　the　curator　knew　your　favorite　piece　of　art？〃　She　nodded。　〃I'm　sorry。　This　is　all　ing　out　of　order。　Jacques　Saunière　and　I。。。〃
　Sophie's　voice　caught；　and　Langdon　heard　a　sudden　melancholy　there；　a　painful　past；　simmering　just　below　the　surface。　Sophie　and　Jacques　Saunière　apparently　had　some　kind　of　special　relationship。　Langdon　studied　the　beautiful　young　woman　before　him；　well　aware　that　aging　men　in　France　often　took　young　mistresses。　Even　so；　Sophie　Neveu　as　a　〃kept　woman〃　somehow　didn't　seem　to　fit。
　〃We　had　a　falling…out　ten　years　ago；〃　Sophie　said；　her　voice　a　whisper　now。　〃We've　barely　spoken　since。　Tonight；　when　Crypto　got　the　call　that　he　had　been　murdered；　and　I　saw　the　images　of　his　body　and　text　on　the　floor；　I　realized　he　was　trying　to　send　me　a　message。〃
　〃Because　of　The　Vitruvian　Man？〃
　〃Yes。　And　the　letters　P。S。〃
　〃Post　Script？〃
　She　shook　her　head。　〃P。S。　are　my　initials。〃
　〃But　your　name　is　Sophie　Neveu。〃
　She　looked　away。　〃P。S。　is　the　nickname　he　called　me　when　I　lived　with　him。〃　She　blushed。　〃It　stood　for　Princesse　Sophie〃
　Langdon　had　no　response。
　〃Silly；　I　know；〃　she　said。　〃But　it　was　years　ago。　When　I　was　a　little　girl。〃
　〃You　knew　him　when　you　were　a　little　girl？〃
　〃Quite　well；〃　she　said；　her　eyes　welling　now　with　emotion。　〃Jacques　Saunière　was　my　grandfather。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　14
　
　〃Where's　Langdon？〃　Fache　demanded；　exhaling　the　last　of　a　cigarette　as　he　paced　back　into　the　mand　post。
　〃Still　in　the　men's　room；　sir。〃　Lieutenant　Collet　had　been　expecting　the　question。
　Fache　grumbled；　〃Taking　his　time；　I　see。〃
　The　captain　eyed　the　GPS　dot　over　Collet's　shoulder；　and　Collet　could　almost　hear　the　wheels　turning。　Fache　was　fighting　the　urge　to　go　check　on　Langdon。　Ideally；　the　subject　of　an　observation　was　allowed　the　most　time　and　freedom　possible；　lulling　him　into　a　false　sense　of　security。　Langdon　needed　to　return　of　his　own　volition。　Still；　it　had　been　almost　ten　minutes。
　Too　long。
　〃Any　chance　Langdon　is　onto　us？〃　Fache　asked。
　Collet　shook　his　head。　〃We're　still　seeing　small　movements　inside　the　men's　room；　so　the　GPS　dot　is　obviously　still　on　him。　Perhaps　he　feels　ill？　If　he　had　found　the　dot；　he　would　have　removed　it　and　tried　to　run。〃
　Fache　checked　his　watch。　〃Fine。〃
　Still　Fache　seemed　preoccupied。　All　evening；　Collet　had　sensed　an　atypical　intensity　in　his　captain。　Usually　detached　and　cool　under　pressure；　Fache　tonight　seemed　emotionally　engaged；　as　if　this　were　somehow　a　personal　matter　for　him。
　Not　surprising；　Collet　thought。　Fache　needs　this　arrest　desperately。　Recently　the　Board　of　Ministers　and　the　media　had　bee　more　openly　critical　of　Fache's　aggressive　tactics；　his　clashes　with　powerful　foreign　embassies；　and　his　gross　overbudgeting　on　new　technologies。　Tonight；　a　high…tech；　high…profile　arrest　of　an　American　would　go　a　long　way　to　silence　Fache's　critics；　helping　him　secure　the　job　a　few　more　years　until　he　could　retire　with　the　lucrative　pension。　God　knows　he　needs　the　pension；　Collet　thought。　Fache's　zeal　for　technology　had　hurt　him　both　professionally　and　personally。　Fache　was　rumored　to　have　invested　his　entire　savings　in　the　technology　craze　a　few　years　back　and　lost　his　shirt。　And　Fache　is　a　man　who　wears　only　the　finest　shirts。
　Tonight；　there　was　still　plenty　of　time。　Sophie　Neveu's　odd　interruption；　though　unfortunate；　had　been　only　a　minor　wrinkle。　She　was　gone　now；　and　Fache　still　had　cards　to　play。　He　had　yet　to　inform　Langdon　that　his　name　had　been　scrawled　on　the　floor　by　the　victim。　P。S。　Find　Robert　Langdon。　The　American's　reaction　to　that　little　bit　of　evidence　would　be　telling　indeed。
　〃Captain？〃　one　of　the　DCPJ　agents　now　called　from　across　the　office。　〃I　think　you　better　take　this　call。〃　He　was　holding　out　a　telephone　receiver；　looking　concerned。
　〃Who　is　it？〃　Fache　said。
　The　agent　frowned。　〃It's　the　director　of　our　Cryptology　Department。〃
　〃And？〃
　〃It's　about　Sophie　Neveu；　sir。　Something　is　not　quite　right。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　15
　
　It　was　time。
　Silas　felt　strong　as　he　stepped　from　the　black　Audi；　the　nighttime　breeze　rustling　his　loose…fitting　robe。　The　winds　of　change　are　in　the　air。　He　knew　the　task　before　him　would　require　more　finesse　than　force；　and　he　left　his　handgun　in　the　car。　The　thirteen…round　Heckler　Koch　USP　40　had　been　provided　by　the　Teacher。
　A　weapon　of　death　has　no　place　in　a　house　of　God。
　The　plaza　before　the　great　church　was　deserted　at　this　hour；　the　only　visible　souls　on　the　far　side　of　Place　Saint…Sulpice　a　couple　of　teenage　hookers　showing　their　wares　to　the　late　night　tourist　traffic。　Their　nubile　bodies　sent　a　familiar　longing　to　Silas's　loins。　His　thigh　flexed　instinctively；　causing　the　barbed　cilice　belt　to　cut　painfully　into　his　flesh。
　The　lust　evaporated　instantly。　For　ten　years　now；　Silas　had　faithfully　denied　himself　all　sexual　indulgence；　even　self…administered。　It　was　The　Way。　He　knew　he　had　sacrificed　much　to　follow　Opus　Dei；　but　he　had　received　much　more　in　return。　A　vow　of　celibacy　and　the　relinquishment　of　all　personal　assets　hardly　seemed　a　sacrifice。　Considering　the　poverty　from　which　he　had　e　and　the　sexual　horrors　he　had　endured　in　prison；　celibacy　was　a　wele　change。
　Now；　having　returned　to　France　for　the　first　time　since　being　arrested　and　shipped　to　prison　in　Andorra；　Silas　could　feel　his　homeland　testing　him；　dragging　violent　memories　from　his　redeemed　soul。　You　have　been　reborn；　he　reminded　himself。　His　service　to　God　today　had　required　the　sin　of　murder；　and　it　was　a　sacrifice　Silas　knew　he　would　have　to　hold　silently　in　his　heart　for　all　eternity。
　The　measure　of　your　faith　is　the　measure　of　the　pain　you　can　endure；　the　Teacher　had　told　him。　Silas　was　no　stranger　to　pain　and　felt　eager　to　prove　himself　to　the　Teacher；　the　one　who　had　assured　him　his　actions　were　ordained　by　a　higher　power。
　〃Hago　la　obra　de　Dios；〃　Silas　whispered；　moving　now　toward　the　church　entrance。
　Pausing　in　the　shadow　of　the　massive　doorway；　he　took　a　deep　breath。　It　was　not　until　this　instant　that　he　truly　realized　what　he　was　about　to　do；　and　what　awaited　him　inside。
　The　keystone。　It　will　lead　us　to　our　final　goal。
　He　raised　his　ghost…white　f