danbrown.thedavincicode-第62章

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！


m　that　man　will　learn　the　truth　and　be　able　to　think　for　himself。　The　ideological　shift　is　enormous；　and　it　is　occurring　right　now。〃
　Langdon　felt　a　shiver。　Astrological　prophecy　never　held　much　interest　or　credibility　for　him；　but　he　knew　there　were　those　in　the　Church　who　followed　it　very　closely。　〃The　Church　calls　this　transitional　period　the　End　of　Days。〃
　Sophie　looked　skeptical。　〃As　in　the　end　of　the　world？　The　Apocalypse？〃
　〃No。〃　Langdon　replied。　〃That's　a　mon　misconception。　Many　religions　speak　of　the　End　of　Days。　It　refers　not　to　the　end　of　the　world；　but　rather　the　end　of　our　current　age…Pisces；　which　began　at　the　time　of　Christ's　birth；　spanned　two　thousand　years；　and　waned　with　the　passing　of　the　millennium。　Now　that　we've　passed　into　the　Age　of　Aquarius；　the　End　of　Days　has　arrived。〃
　〃Many　Grail　historians；〃　Teabing　added；　〃believe　that　if　the　Priory　is　indeed　planning　to　release　this　truth；　this　point　in　history　would　be　a　symbolically　apt　time。　Most　Priory　academics；　myself　included；　anticipated　the　brotherhood's　release　would　coincide　precisely　with　the　millennium。　Obviously；　it　did　not。　Admittedly；　the　Roman　calendar　does　not　mesh　perfectly　with　astrological　markers；　so　there　is　some　gray　area　in　the　prediction。　Whether　the　Church　now　has　inside　information　that　an　exact　date　is　looming；　or　whether　they　are　just　getting　nervous　on　account　of　astrological　prophecy；　I　don't　know。　Anyway；　it's　immaterial。　Either　scenario　explains　how　the　Church　might　be　motivated　to　launch　a　preemptive　attack　against　the　Priory。〃　Teabing　frowned。　〃And　believe　me；　if　the　Church　finds　the　Holy　Grail；　they　will　destroy　it。　The　documents　and　the　relics　of　the　blessed　Mary　Magdalene　as　well。〃　His　eyes　grew　heavy。　〃Then；　my　dear；　with　the　Sangreal　documents　gone；　all　evidence　will　be　lost。　The　Church　will　have　won　their　age…old　war　to　rewrite　history。　The　past　will　be　erased　forever。〃
　Slowly；　Sophie　pulled　the　cruciform　key　from　her　sweater　pocket　and　held　it　out　to　Teabing。
　Teabing　took　the　key　and　studied　it。　〃My　goodness。　The　Priory　seal。　Where　did　you　get　this？〃
　〃My　grandfather　gave　it　to　me　tonight　before　he　died。〃
　Teabing　ran　his　fingers　across　the　cruciform。　〃A　key　to　a　church？〃
　She　drew　a　deep　breath。　〃This　key　provides　access　to　the　keystone。〃
　Teabing's　head　snapped　up；　his　face　wild　with　disbelief。　〃Impossible！　What　church　did　I　miss？　I've　searched　every　church　in　France！〃
　〃It's　not　in　a　church；〃　Sophie　said。　〃It's　in　a　Swiss　depository　bank。〃
　Teabing's　look　of　excitement　waned。　〃The　keystone　is　in　a　bank？〃
　〃A　vault；〃　Langdon　offered。
　〃A　bank　vault？〃　Teabing　shook　his　head　violently。　〃That's　impossible。　The　keystone　is　supposed　to　be　hidden　beneath　the　sign　of　the　Rose。〃
　〃It　is；〃　Langdon　said。　〃It　was　stored　in　a　rosewood　box　inlaid　with　a　five…petal　Rose。〃
　Teabing　looked　thunderstruck。　〃You've　seen　the　keystone？〃
　Sophie　nodded。　〃We　visited　the　bank。〃
　Teabing　came　over　to　them；　his　eyes　wild　with　fear。　〃My　friends；　we　must　do　something。　The　keystone　is　in　danger！　We　have　a　duty　to　protect　it。　What　if　there　are　other　keys？　Perhaps　stolen　from　the　murdered　sénéchaux？　If　the　Church　can　gain　access　to　the　bank　as　you　have…〃
　〃Then　they　will　be　too　late；〃　Sophie　said。　〃We　removed　the　keystone。〃
　〃What！　You　removed　the　keystone　from　its　hiding　place？〃
　〃Don't　worry；〃　Langdon　said。　〃The　keystone　is　well　hidden。〃
　〃Extremely　well　hidden；　I　hope！〃
　〃Actually；〃　Langdon　said；　unable　to　hide　his　grin；　〃that　depends　on　how　often　you　dust　under　your　couch。〃
　　
　The　wind　outside　Chateau　Villette　had　picked　up；　and　Silas's　robe　danced　in　the　breeze　as　he　crouched　near　the　window。　Although　he　had　been　unable　to　hear　much　of　the　conversation；　the　word　keystone　had　sifted　through　the　glass　on　numerous　occasions。
　It　is　inside。
　The　Teacher's　words　were　fresh　in　his　mind。　Enter　Chateau　Villette。　Take　the　keystone。　Hun　no　one。
　Now；　Langdon　and　the　others　had　adjourned　suddenly　to　another　room；　extinguishing　the　study　lights　as　they　went。　Feeling　like　a　panther　stalking　prey；　Silas　crept　to　the　glass　doors。　Finding　them　unlocked；　he　slipped　inside　and　closed　the　doors　silently　behind　him。　He　could　hear　muffled　voices　from　another　room。　Silas　pulled　the　pistol　from　his　pocket；　turned　off　the　safety；　and　inched　down　the　hallway。
　　
　CHAPTER　63
　
　Lieutenant　Collet　stood　alone　at　the　foot　of　Leigh　Teabing's　driveway　and　gazed　up　at　the　massive　house。　Isolated。　Dark。　Good　ground　cover。　Collet　watched　his　half…dozen　agents　spreading　silently　out　along　the　length　of　the　fence。　They　could　be　over　it　and　have　the　house　surrounded　in　a　matter　of　minutes。　Langdon　could　not　have　chosen　a　more　ideal　spot　for　Collet's　men　to　make　a　surprise　assault。
　Collet　was　about　to　call　Fache　himself　when　at　last　his　phone　rang。
　Fache　sounded　not　nearly　as　pleased　with　the　developments　as　Collet　would　have　imagined。　〃Why　didn't　someone　tell　me　we　had　a　lead　on　Langdon？〃
　〃You　were　on　a　phone　call　and…〃
　〃Where　exactly　are　you；　Lieutenant　Collet？〃
　Collet　gave　him　the　address。　〃The　estate　belongs　to　a　British　national　named　Teabing。　Langdon　drove　a　fair　distance　to　get　here；　and　the　vehicle　is　inside　the　security　gate；　with　no　signs　of　forced　entry；　so　chances　are　good　that　Langdon　knows　the　occupant。〃
　〃I'm　ing　out；〃　Fache　said。　〃Don't　make　a　move。　I'll　handle　this　personally。〃
　Collet's　jaw　dropped。　〃But　Captain；　you're　twenty　minutes　away！　We　should　act　immediately。　I　have　him　staked　out。　I'm　with　eight　men　total。　Four　of　us　have　field　rifles　and　the　others　have　sidearms。〃
　〃Wait　for　me。〃
　〃Captain；　what　if　Langdon　has　a　hostage　in　there？　What　if　he　sees　us　and　decides　to　leave　on　foot？　We　need　to　move　now！　My　men　are　in　position　and　ready　to　go。〃
　〃Lieutenant　Collet；　you　will　wait　for　me　to　arrive　before　taking　action。　That　is　an　order。〃　Fache　hung　up。
　Stunned；　Lieutenant　Collet　switched　off　his　phone。　Why　the　hell　is　Fache　asking　me　to　wait？　Collet　knew　the　answer。　Fache；　though　famous　for　his　instinct；　was　notorious　for　his　pride。　Fache　wants　credit　for　the　arrest。　After　putting　the　American's　face　all　over　the　television；　Fache　wanted　to　be　sure　his　own　face　got　equal　time。　Collet's　job　was　simply　to　hold　down　the　fort　until　the　boss　showed　up　to　save　the　day。
　As　he　stood　there；　Collet　flashed　on　a　second　possible　explanation　for　this　delay。　Damage　control。　In　law　enforcement；　hesitating　to　arrest　a　fugitive　only　occurred　when　uncertainty　had　arisen　regarding　the　suspect's　guilt。　Is　Fache　having　second　thoughts　that　Langdon　is　the　right　man？　The　thought　was　frightening。　Captain　Fache　had　gone　out　on　a　limb　tonight　to　arrest　Robert　Langdon…surveillance　cachée；　Interpol；　and　now　television。　Not　even　the　great　Bezu　Fache　would　survive　the　political　fallout　if　he　had　mistakenly　splashed　a　prominent　American's　face　all　over　French　television；　claiming　he　was　a　murderer。　If　Fache　now　realized　he'd　made　a　mistake；　then　it　made　perfect　sense　that　he　would　tell　Collet　not　to　make　a　move。　The　last　thing　Fache　needed　was　for　Collet　to　storm　an　innocent　Brit's　private　estate　and　take　Langdon　at　gunpoint。
　Moreover；　Collet　realized；　if　Langdon　were　innocent；　it　explained　one　of　this　case's　strangest　paradoxes：　Why　had　Sophie　Neveu；　the　granddaughter　of　the　victim；　helped　the　alleged　killer　escape？　Unless　Sophie　knew　Langdon　was　falsely　charged。　Fache　had　posited　all　kinds　of　explanations　tonight　to　explain　Sophie's　odd　behavior；　including　that　Sophie；　as　Saunière's　sole　heir；　had　persuaded　her　secret　lover　Robert　Langdon　to　kill　off　Saunière　for　the　inheritance　money。　Saunière；　if　he　had　suspected　this；　might　have　left　the　police　the　message　P。S。　Find　Robert　Langdon。　Collet　was　fairly　certain　something　else　was　going　on　here。　Sophie　Neveu　seemed　far　too　solid　of　character　to　be　mixed　up　in　something　that　sordid。
　〃Lieutenant？〃　One　of　the　field　agents　came　running　over。　〃We　found　a　car。〃
　Collet　followed　the　agent　about　fifty　yards　past　the　driveway。　The　agent　pointed　to　a　wide　shoulder　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　road。　There；　parked　in　the　brush；　almost　out　of　sight；　was　a　black　Audi。　It　had　rental　plates。　Collet　felt　the　hood。　Still　warm。　Hot　even。
　〃That　must　be　how