danbrown.thedavincicode-第34章

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　to　meet　us　somewhere。〃
　〃Meet　us？〃　Sophie　turned　and　stared　at　him　as　if　he　were　crazy。　〃Robert；　you're　dreaming。　Your　embassy　has　no　jurisdiction　except　on　their　own　property。　Sending　someone　to　retrieve　us　would　be　considered　aiding　a　fugitive　of　the　French　government。　It　won't　happen。　If　you　walk　into　your　embassy　and　request　temporary　asylum；　that's　one　thing；　but　asking　them　to　take　action　against　French　law　enforcement　in　the　field？〃　She　shook　her　head。　〃Call　your　embassy　right　now；　and　they　are　going　to　tell　you　to　avoid　further　damage　and　turn　yourself　over　to　Fache。　Then　they'll　promise　to　pursue　diplomatic　channels　to　get　you　a　fair　trial。〃　She　gazed　up　the　line　of　elegant　storefronts　on　Champs…Elysées。　〃How　much　cash　do　you　have？〃
　Langdon　checked　his　wallet。　〃A　hundred　dollars。　A　few　euro。　Why？〃
　〃Credit　cards？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　As　Sophie　accelerated；　Langdon　sensed　she　was　formulating　a　plan。　Dead　ahead；　at　the　end　of　Champs…Elysées；　stood　the　Arc　de　Triomphe…Napoleon's　164…foot…tall　tribute　to　his　own　military　potency…encircled　by　France's　largest　rotary；　a　nine…lane　behemoth。
　Sophie's　eyes　were　on　the　rearview　mirror　again　as　they　approached　the　rotary。　〃We　lost　them　for　the　time　being；〃　she　said；　〃but　we　won't　last　another　five　minutes　if　we　stay　in　this　car。〃
　So　steal　a　different　one；　Langdon　mused；　now　that　we're　criminals。　〃What　are　you　going　to　do？〃
　Sophie　gunned　the　SmartCar　into　the　rotary。　〃Trust　me。〃
　Langdon　made　no　response。　Trust　had　not　gotten　him　very　far　this　evening。　Pulling　back　the　sleeve　of　his　jacket；　he　checked　his　watch…a　vintage；　collector's…edition　Mickey　Mouse　wristwatch　that　had　been　a　gift　from　his　parents　on　his　tenth　birthday。　Although　its　juvenile　dial　often　drew　odd　looks；　Langdon　had　never　owned　any　other　watch；　Disney　animations　had　been　his　first　introduction　to　the　magic　of　form　and　color；　and　Mickey　now　served　as　Langdon's　daily　reminder　to　stay　young　at　heart。　At　the　moment；　however；　Mickey's　arms　were　skewed　at　an　awkward　angle；　indicating　an　equally　awkward　hour。
　2：51　A。M。
　〃Interesting　watch；〃　Sophie　said；　glancing　at　his　wrist　and　maneuvering　the　SmartCar　around　the　wide；　counterclockwise　rotary。
　〃Long　story；〃　he　said；　pulling　his　sleeve　back　down。
　〃I　imagine　it　would　have　to　be。〃　She　gave　him　a　quick　smile　and　exited　the　rotary；　heading　due　north；　away　from　the　city　center。　Barely　making　two　green　lights；　she　reached　the　third　intersection　and　took　a　hard　right　onto　Boulevard　Malesherbes。　They'd　left　the　rich；　tree…lined　streets　of　the　diplomatic　neighborhood　and　plunged　into　a　darker　industrial　neighborhood。　Sophie　took　a　quick　left；　and　a　moment　later；　Langdon　realized　where　they　were。
　Gare　Saint…Lazare。
　Ahead　of　them；　the　glass…roofed　train　terminal　resembled　the　awkward　offspring　of　an　airplane　hangar　and　a　greenhouse。　European　train　stations　never　slept。　Even　at　this　hour；　a　half…dozen　taxis　idled　near　the　main　entrance。　Vendors　manned　carts　of　sandwiches　and　mineral　water　while　grungy　kids　in　backpacks　emerged　from　the　station　rubbing　their　eyes；　looking　around　as　if　trying　to　remember　what　city　they　were　in　now。　Up　ahead　on　the　street；　a　couple　of　city　policemen　stood　on　the　curb　giving　directions　to　some　confused　tourists。
　Sophie　pulled　her　SmartCar　in　behind　the　line　of　taxis　and　parked　in　a　red　zone　despite　plenty　of　legal　parking　across　the　street。　Before　Langdon　could　ask　what　was　going　on；　she　was　out　of　the　car。　She　hurried　to　the　window　of　the　taxi　in　front　of　them　and　began　speaking　to　the　driver。
　As　Langdon　got　out　of　the　SmartCar；　he　saw　Sophie　hand　the　taxi　driver　a　big　wad　of　cash。　The　taxi　driver　nodded　and　then；　to　Langdon's　bewilderment；　sped　off　without　them。
　〃What　happened？〃　Langdon　demanded；　joining　Sophie　on　the　curb　as　the　taxi　disappeared。
　Sophie　was　already　heading　for　the　train　station　entrance。　〃e　on。　We're　buying　two　tickets　on　the　next　train　out　of　Paris。〃
　Langdon　hurried　along　beside　her。　What　had　begun　as　a　one…mile　dash　to　the　U。S。　Embassy　had　now　bee　a　full…fledged　evacuation　from　Paris。　Langdon　was　liking　this　idea　less　and　less。
　　
　CHAPTER　34
　
　The　driver　who　collected　Bishop　Aringarosa　from　Leonardo　da　Vinci　International　Airport　pulled　up　in　a　small；　unimpressive　black　Fiat　sedan。　Aringarosa　recalled　a　day　when　all　Vatican　transports　were　big　luxury　cars　that　sported　grille…plate　medallions　and　flags　emblazoned　with　the　seal　of　the　Holy　See。　Those　days　are　gone。　Vatican　cars　were　now　less　ostentatious　and　almost　always　unmarked。　The　Vatican　claimed　this　was　to　cut　costs　to　better　serve　their　dioceses；　but　Aringarosa　suspected　it　was　more　of　a　security　measure。　The　world　had　gone　mad；　and　in　many　parts　of　Europe；　advertising　your　love　of　Jesus　Christ　was　like　painting　a　bull's…eye　on　the　roof　of　your　car。
　Bundling　his　black　cassock　around　himself；　Aringarosa　climbed　into　the　back　seat　and　settled　in　for　the　long　drive　to　Castel　Gandolfo。　It　would　be　the　same　ride　he　had　taken　five　months　ago。
　Last　year's　trip　to　Rome；　he　sighed。　The　longest　night　of　my　life。
　Five　months　ago；　the　Vatican　had　phoned　to　request　Aringarosa's　immediate　presence　in　Rome。　They　offered　no　explanation。　Your　tickets　are　at　the　airport。　The　Holy　See　worked　hard　to　retain　a　veil　of　mystery；　even　for　its　highest　clergy。
　The　mysterious　summons；　Aringarosa　suspected；　was　probably　a　photo　opportunity　for　the　Pope　and　other　Vatican　officials　to　piggyback　on　Opus　Dei's　recent　public　success…the　pletion　of　their　World　Headquarters　in　New　York　City。　Architectural　Digest　had　called　Opus　Dei's　building　〃a　shining　beacon　of　Catholicism　sublimely　integrated　with　the　modern　landscape；〃　and　lately　the　Vatican　seemed　to　be　drawn　to　anything　and　everything　that　included　the　word　〃modern。〃
　Aringarosa　had　no　choice　but　to　accept　the　invitation；　albeit　reluctantly。　Not　a　fan　of　the　current　papal　administration；　Aringarosa；　like　most　conservative　clergy；　had　watched　with　grave　concern　as　the　new　Pope　settled　into　his　first　year　in　office。　An　unprecedented　liberal；　His　Holiness　had　secured　the　papacy　through　one　of　the　most　controversial　and　unusual　conclaves　in　Vatican　history。　Now；　rather　than　being　humbled　by　his　unexpected　rise　to　power；　the　Holy　Father　had　wasted　no　time　flexing　all　the　muscle　associated　with　the　highest　office　in　Christendom。　Drawing　on　an　unsettling　tide　of　liberal　support　within　the　College　of　Cardinals；　the　Pope　was　now　declaring　his　papal　mission　to　be　〃rejuvenation　of　Vatican　doctrine　and　updating　Catholicism　into　the　third　millennium。〃
　The　translation；　Aringarosa　feared；　was　that　the　man　was　actually　arrogant　enough　to　think　he　could　rewrite　God's　laws　and　win　back　the　hearts　of　those　who　felt　the　demands　of　true　Catholicism　had　bee　too　inconvenient　in　a　modern　world。
　Aringarosa　had　been　using　all　of　his　political　sway…substantial　considering　the　size　of　the　Opus　Dei　constituency　and　their　bankroll…to　persuade　the　Pope　and　his　advisers　that　softening　the　Church's　laws　was　not　only　faithless　and　cowardly；　but　political　suicide。　He　reminded　them　that　previous　tempering　of　Church　law…the　Vatican　II　fiasco…had　left　a　devastating　legacy：　Church　attendance　was　now　lower　than　ever；　donations　were　drying　up；　and　there　were　not　even　enough　Catholic　priests　to　preside　over　their　churches。
　People　need　structure　and　direction　from　the　Church；　Aringarosa　insisted；　not　coddling　and　indulgence！
　On　that　night；　months　ago；　as　the　Fiat　had　left　the　airport；　Aringarosa　was　surprised　to　find　himself　heading　not　toward　Vatican　City　but　rather　eastward　up　a　sinuous　mountain　road。　〃Where　are　we　going？〃　he　had　demanded　of　his　driver。
　〃Alban　Hills；〃　the　man　replied。　〃Your　meeting　is　at　Castel　Gandolfo。〃
　The　Pope's　summer　residence？　Aringarosa　had　never　been；　nor　had　he　ever　desired　to　see　it。　In　addition　to　being　the　Pope's　summer　vacation　home；　the　sixteenth…century　citadel　housed　the　Specula　Vaticana…the　Vatican　Observatory…one　of　the　most　advanced　astronomical　observatories　in　Europe。　Aringarosa　had　never　been　fortable　with　the　Vatican's　historical　need　to　dabble　in　science。　What　was　the　rationale　for　fusing　science　and　faith？　Unbiased　science　could　not　possibly　be　performed　by　a　man　w