danbrown.thedavincicode-第33章

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　discern。
　The　space　behind　this　wall　is　hollow！
　Feeling　around　the　edge　of　the　panels；　Sophie　found　a　recessed　fingerhold。　It　was　discreetly　crafted。　A　sliding　door。　Heart　pounding；　she　placed　her　finger　in　the　slot　and　pulled　it。　With　noiseless　precision；　the　heavy　wall　slid　sideways。　From　out　of　the　darkness　beyond；　the　voices　echoed　up。
　Sophie　slipped　through　the　door　and　found　herself　on　a　rough…hewn　stone　staircase　that　spiraled　downward。　She'd　been　ing　to　this　house　since　she　was　a　child　and　yet　had　no　idea　this　staircase　even　existed！
　As　she　descended；　the　air　grew　cooler。　The　voices　clearer。　She　heard　men　and　women　now。　Her　line　of　sight　was　limited　by　the　spiral　of　the　staircase；　but　the　last　step　was　now　rounding　into　view。　Beyond　it；　she　could　see　a　small　patch　of　the　basement　floor…stone；　illuminated　by　the　flickering　orange　blaze　of　firelight。
　Holding　her　breath；　Sophie　inched　down　another　few　steps　and　crouched　down　to　look。　It　took　her　several　seconds　to　process　what　she　was　seeing。
　The　room　was　a　grotto…a　coarse　chamber　that　appeared　to　have　been　hollowed　from　the　granite　of　the　hillside。　The　only　light　came　from　torches　on　the　walls。　In　the　glow　of　the　flames；　thirty　or　so　people　stood　in　a　circle　in　the　center　of　the　room。
　I'm　dreaming；　Sophie　told　herself。　A　dream。　What　else　could　this　be？
　Everyone　in　the　room　was　wearing　a　mask。　The　women　were　dressed　in　white　gossamer　gowns　and　golden　shoes。　Their　masks　were　white；　and　in　their　hands　they　carried　golden　orbs。　The　men　wore　long　black　tunics；　and　their　masks　were　black。　They　looked　like　pieces　in　a　giant　chess　set。　Everyone　in　the　circle　rocked　back　and　forth　and　chanted　in　reverence　to　something　on　the　floor　before　them。。。　something　Sophie　could　not　see。
　The　chanting　grew　steady　again。　Accelerating。　Thundering　now。　Faster。　The　participants　took　a　step　inward　and　knelt。　In　that　instant；　Sophie　could　finally　see　what　they　all　were　witnessing。　Even　as　she　staggered　back　in　horror；　she　felt　the　image　searing　itself　into　her　memory　forever。　Overtaken　by　nausea；　Sophie　spun；　clutching　at　the　stone　walls　as　she　clambered　back　up　the　stairs。　Pulling　the　door　closed；　she　fled　the　deserted　house；　and　drove　in　a　tearful　stupor　back　to　Paris。
　That　night；　with　her　life　shattered　by　disillusionment　and　betrayal；　she　packed　her　belongings　and　left　her　home。　On　the　dining　room　table；　she　left　a　note。
　I　WAS　THERE。　DON'T　TRY　TO　FIND　ME。
　　
　Beside　the　note；　she　laid　the　old　spare　key　from　the　chateau's　woodshed。
　　
　〃Sophie！　Langdon's　voice　intruded。　〃Stop！　Stop！〃
　Emerging　from　the　memory；　Sophie　slammed　on　the　brakes；　skidding　to　a　halt。　〃What？　What　happened？！〃
　Langdon　pointed　down　the　long　street　before　them。
　When　she　saw　it；　Sophie's　blood　went　cold。　A　hundred　yards　ahead；　the　intersection　was　blocked　by　a　couple　of　DCPJ　police　cars；　parked　askew；　their　purpose　obvious。　They've　sealed　off　Avenue　Gabriel！
　Langdon　gave　a　grim　sigh。　〃I　take　it　the　embassy　is　off…limits　this　evening？〃
　Down　the　street；　the　two　DCPJ　officers　who　stood　beside　their　cars　were　now　staring　in　their　direction；　apparently　curious　about　the　headlights　that　had　halted　so　abruptly　up　the　street　from　them。
　Okay；　Sophie；　turn　around　very　slowly。
　Putting　the　SmartCar　in　reverse；　she　performed　a　posed　three…point　turn　and　reversed　her　direction。　As　she　drove　away；　she　heard　the　sound　of　squealing　tires　behind　them。　Sirens　blared　to　life。
　Cursing；　Sophie　slammed　down　the　accelerator。
　　
　CHAPTER　33
　
　Sophie's　SmartCar　tore　through　the　diplomatic　quarter；　weaving　past　embassies　and　consulates；　finally　racing　out　a　side　street　and　taking　a　right　turn　back　onto　the　massive　thoroughfare　of　Champs…Elysées。
　Langdon　sat　white…knuckled　in　the　passenger　seat；　twisted　backward；　scanning　behind　them　for　any　signs　of　the　police。　He　suddenly　wished　he　had　not　decided　to　run。　You　didn't；　he　reminded　himself。　Sophie　had　made　the　decision　for　him　when　she　threw　the　GPS　dot　out　the　bathroom　window。　Now；　as　they　sped　away　from　the　embassy；　serpentining　through　sparse　traffic　on　Champs…Elysées；　Langdon　felt　his　options　deteriorating。　Although　Sophie　seemed　to　have　lost　the　police；　at　least　for　the　moment；　Langdon　doubted　their　luck　would　hold　for　long。
　Behind　the　wheel　Sophie　was　fishing　in　her　sweater　pocket。　She　removed　a　small　metal　object　and　held　it　out　for　him。　〃Robert；　you'd　better　have　a　look　at　this。　This　is　what　my　grandfather　left　me　behind　Madonna　of　the　Rocks。〃
　Feeling　a　shiver　of　anticipation；　Langdon　took　the　object　and　examined　it。　It　was　heavy　and　shaped　like　a　cruciform。　His　first　instinct　was　that　he　was　holding　a　funeral　pieu…a　miniature　version　of　a　memorial　spike　designed　to　be　stuck　into　the　ground　at　a　gravesite。　But　then　he　noted　the　shaft　protruding　from　the　cruciform　was　prismatic　and　triangular。　The　shaft　was　also　pockmarked　with　hundreds　of　tiny　hexagons　that　appeared　to　be　finely　tooled　and　scattered　at　random。
　〃It's　a　laser…cut　key；〃　Sophie　told　him。　〃Those　hexagons　are　read　by　an　electric　eye。〃
　A　key？　Langdon　had　never　seen　anything　like　it。
　〃Look　at　the　other　side；〃　she　said；　changing　lanes　and　sailing　through　an　intersection。
　When　Langdon　turned　the　key；　he　felt　his　jaw　drop。　There；　intricately　embossed　on　the　center　of　the　cross；　was　a　stylized　fleur…de…lis　with　the　initials　P。S。！　〃Sophie；〃　he　said；　〃this　is　the　seal　I　told　you　about！　The　official　device　of　the　Priory　of　Sion。〃
　She　nodded。　〃As　I　told　you；　I　saw　the　key　a　long　time　ago。　He　told　me　never　to　speak　of　it　again。〃
　Langdon's　eyes　were　still　riveted　on　the　embossed　key。　Its　high…tech　tooling　and　age…old　symbolism　exuded　an　eerie　fusion　of　ancient　and　modern　worlds。
　〃He　told　me　the　key　opened　a　box　where　he　kept　many　secrets。〃
　Langdon　felt　a　chill　to　imagine　what　kind　of　secrets　a　man　like　Jacques　Saunière　might　keep。　What　an　ancient　brotherhood　was　doing　with　a　futuristic　key；　Langdon　had　no　idea。　The　Priory　existed　for　the　sole　purpose　of　protecting　a　secret。　A　secret　of　incredible　power。　Could　this　key　have　something　to　do　with　it？　The　thought　was　overwhelming。　〃Do　you　know　what　it　opens？〃
　Sophie　looked　disappointed。　〃I　was　hoping　you　knew。〃
　Langdon　remained　silent　as　he　turned　the　cruciform　in　his　hand；　examining　it。
　〃It　looks　Christian；〃　Sophie　pressed。
　Langdon　was　not　so　sure　about　that。　The　head　of　this　key　was　not　the　traditional　long…stemmed　Christian　cross　but　rather　was　a　square　cross…with　four　arms　of　equal　length…which　predated　Christianity　by　fifteen　hundred　years。　This　kind　of　cross　carried　none　of　the　Christian　connotations　of　crucifixion　associated　with　the　longer…stemmed　Latin　Cross；　originated　by　Romans　as　a　torture　device。　Langdon　was　always　surprised　how　few　Christians　who　gazed　upon　〃the　crucifix〃　realized　their　symbol's　violent　history　was　reflected　in　its　very　name：　〃cross〃　and　〃crucifix〃　came　from　the　Latin　verb　cruciare…to　torture。
　〃Sophie；〃　he　said；　〃all　I　can　tell　you　is　that　equal…armed　crosses　like　this　one　are　considered　peaceful　crosses。　Their　square　configurations　make　them　impractical　for　use　in　crucifixion；　and　their　balanced　vertical　and　horizontal　elements　convey　a　natural　union　of　male　and　female；　making　them　symbolically　consistent　with　Priory　philosophy。〃
　She　gave　him　a　weary　look。　〃You　have　no　idea；　do　you？〃
　Langdon　frowned。　〃Not　a　clue。〃
　〃Okay；　we　have　to　get　off　the　road。〃　Sophie　checked　her　rearview　mirror。　〃We　need　a　safe　place　to　figure　out　what　that　key　opens。〃
　Langdon　thought　longingly　of　his　fortable　room　at　the　Ritz。　Obviously；　that　was　not　an　option。　〃How　about　my　hosts　at　the　American　University　of　Paris？〃
　〃Too　obvious。　Fache　will　check　with　them。〃
　〃You　must　know　people。　You　live　here。〃
　〃Fache　will　run　my　phone　and　e…mail　records；　talk　to　my　coworkers。　My　contacts　are　promised；　and　finding　a　hotel　is　no　good　because　they　all　require　identification。〃
　Langdon　wondered　again　if　he　might　have　been　better　off　taking　his　chances　letting　Fache　arrest　him　at　the　Louvre。　〃Let's　call　the　embassy。　I　can　explain　the　situation　and　have　the　embassy　send　someone　to　meet　us　somewhere。〃
　〃Meet　us？〃　Sophie　turned　and　stared　at　him　as　if　he　were　crazy。　〃Robert；