danbrown.thedavincicode-第63章

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a　black　Audi。　It　had　rental　plates。　Collet　felt　the　hood。　Still　warm。　Hot　even。
　〃That　must　be　how　Langdon　got　here；〃　Collet　said。　〃Call　the　rental　pany。　Find　out　if　it's　stolen。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　Another　agent　waved　Collet　back　over　in　the　direction　of　the　fence。　〃Lieutenant；　have　a　look　at　this。〃　He　handed　Collet　a　pair　of　night　vision　binoculars。　〃The　grove　of　trees　near　the　top　of　the　driveway。〃
　Collet　aimed　the　binoculars　up　the　hill　and　adjusted　the　image　intensifier　dials。　Slowly；　the　greenish　shapes　came　into　focus。　He　located　the　curve　of　the　driveway　and　slowly　followed　it　up；　reaching　the　grove　of　trees。　All　he　could　do　was　stare。　There；　shrouded　in　the　greenery；　was　an　armored　truck。　A　truck　identical　to　the　one　Collet　had　permitted　to　leave　the　Depository　Bank　of　Zurich　earlier　tonight。　He　prayed　this　was　some　kind　of　bizarre　coincidence；　but　he　knew　it　could　not　be。
　〃It　seems　obvious；〃　the　agent　said；　〃that　this　truck　is　how　Langdon　and　Neveu　got　away　from　the　bank。〃
　Collet　was　speechless。　He　thought　of　the　armored　truck　driver　he　had　stopped　at　the　roadblock。　The　Rolex。　His　impatience　to　leave。　I　never　checked　the　cargo　hold。
　Incredulous；　Collet　realized　that　someone　in　the　bank　had　actually　lied　to　DCPJ　about　Langdon　and　Sophie's　whereabouts　and　then　helped　them　escape。　But　who？　And　why？　Collet　wondered　if　maybe　this　were　the　reason　Fache　had　told　him　not　to　take　action　yet。　Maybe　Fache　realized　there　were　more　people　involved　tonight　than　just　Langdon　and　Sophie。　And　if　Langdon　and　Neveu　arrived　in　the　armored　truck；　then　who　drove　the　Audi？
　　
　Hundreds　of　miles　to　the　south；　a　chartered　Beechcraft　Baron　58　raced　northward　over　the　Tyrrhenian　Sea。　Despite　calm　skies；　Bishop　Aringarosa　clutched　an　airsickness　bag；　certain　he　could　be　ill　at　any　moment。　His　conversation　with　Paris　had　not　at　all　been　what　he　had　imagined。
　Alone　in　the　small　cabin；　Aringarosa　twisted　the　gold　ring　on　his　finger　and　tried　to　ease　his　overwhelming　sense　of　fear　and　desperation。　Everything　in　Paris　has　gone　terribly　wrong。　Closing　his　eyes；　Aringarosa　said　a　prayer　that　Bezu　Fache　would　have　the　means　to　fix　it。
　　
　CHAPTER　64
　
　Teabing　sat　on　the　divan；　cradling　the　wooden　box　on　his　lap　and　admiring　the　lid's　intricate　inlaid　Rose。　Tonight　has　bee　the　strangest　and　most　magical　night　of　my　life。
　〃Lift　the　lid；〃　Sophie　whispered；　standing　over　him；　beside　Langdon。
　Teabing　smiled。　Do　not　rush　me。　Having　spent　over　a　decade　searching　for　this　keystone；　he　wanted　to　savor　every　millisecond　of　this　moment。　He　ran　a　palm　across　the　wooden　lid；　feeling　the　texture　of　the　inlaid　flower。
　〃The　Rose；〃　he　whispered。　The　Rose　is　Magdalene　is　the　Holy　Grail。　The　Rose　is　the　pass　that　guides　the　way。　Teabing　felt　foolish。　For　years　he　had　traveled　to　cathedrals　and　churches　all　over　France；　paying　for　special　access；　examining　hundreds　of　archways　beneath　rose　windows；　searching　for　an　encrypted　keystone。　La　clef　de　vo？te…a　stone　key　beneath　the　sign　of　the　Rose。
　Teabing　slowly　unlatched　the　lid　and　raised　it。
　As　his　eyes　finally　gazed　upon　the　contents；　he　knew　in　an　instant　it　could　only　be　the　keystone。　He　was　staring　at　a　stone　cylinder；　crafted　of　interconnecting　lettered　dials。　The　device　seemed　surprisingly　familiar　to　him。
　〃Designed　from　Da　Vinci's　diaries；〃　Sophie　said。　〃My　grandfather　made　them　as　a　hobby。〃
　Of　course；　Teabing　realized。　He　had　seen　the　sketches　and　blueprints。　The　key　to　finding　the　Holy　Grail　lies　inside　this　stone。　Teabing　lifted　the　heavy　cryptex　from　the　box；　holding　it　gently。　Although　he　had　no　idea　how　to　open　the　cylinder；　he　sensed　his　own　destiny　lay　inside。　In　moments　of　failure；　Teabing　had　questioned　whether　his　life's　quest　would　ever　be　rewarded。　Now　those　doubts　were　gone　forever。　He　could　hear　the　ancient　words。。。　the　foundation　of　the　Grail　legend：
　Vous　ne　trouvez　pas　le　Saint…Graal；　c'est　le　Saint…Graal　qui　vous　trouve。
　You　do　not　find　the　Grail；　the　Grail　finds　you。
　And　tonight；　incredibly；　the　key　to　finding　the　Holy　Grail　had　walked　right　through　his　front　door。
　　
　While　Sophie　and　Teabing　sat　with　the　cryptex　and　talked　about　the　vinegar；　the　dials；　and　what　the　password　might　be；　Langdon　carried　the　rosewood　box　across　the　room　to　a　well…lit　table　to　get　a　better　look　at　it。　Something　Teabing　had　just　said　was　now　running　through　Langdon's　mind。
　The　key　to　the　Grail　is　hidden　beneath　the　sign　of　the　Rose。
　Langdon　held　the　wooden　box　up　to　the　light　and　examined　the　inlaid　symbol　of　the　Rose。　Although　his　familiarity　with　art　did　not　include　woodworking　or　inlaid　furniture；　he　had　just　recalled　the　famous　tiled　ceiling　of　the　Spanish　monastery　outside　of　Madrid；　where；　three　centuries　after　its　construction；　the　ceiling　tiles　began　to　fall　out；　revealing　sacred　texts　scrawled　by　monks　on　the　plaster　beneath。
　Langdon　looked　again　at　the　Rose。
　Beneath　the　Rose。
　Sub　Rosa。
　Secret。
　A　bump　in　the　hallway　behind　him　made　Langdon　turn。　He　saw　nothing　but　shadows。　Teabing's　manservant　most　likely　had　passed　through。　Langdon　turned　back　to　the　box。　He　ran　his　finger　over　the　smooth　edge　of　the　inlay；　wondering　if　he　could　pry　the　Rose　out；　but　the　craftsmanship　was　perfect。　He　doubted　even　a　razor　blade　could　fit　in　between　the　inlaid　Rose　and　the　carefully　carved　depression　into　which　it　was　seated。
　Opening　the　box；　he　examined　the　inside　of　the　lid。　It　was　smooth。　As　he　shifted　its　position；　though；　the　light　caught　what　appeared　to　be　a　small　hole　on　the　underside　of　the　lid；　positioned　in　the　exact　center。　Langdon　closed　the　lid　and　examined　the　inlaid　symbol　from　the　top。　No　hole。
　It　doesn't　pass　through。
　Setting　the　box　on　the　table；　he　looked　around　the　room　and　spied　a　stack　of　papers　with　a　paper　clip　on　it。　Borrowing　the　clip；　he　returned　to　the　box；　opened　it；　and　studied　the　hole　again。　Carefully；　he　unbent　the　paper　clip　and　inserted　one　end　into　the　hole。　He　gave　a　gentle　push。　It　took　almost　no　effort。　He　heard　something　clatter　quietly　onto　the　table。　Langdon　closed　the　lid　to　look。　It　was　a　small　piece　of　wood；　like　a　puzzle　piece。　The　wooden　Rose　had　popped　out　of　the　lid　and　fallen　onto　the　desk。
　Speechless；　Langdon　stared　at　the　bare　spot　on　the　lid　where　the　Rose　had　been。　There；　engraved　in　the　wood；　written　in　an　immaculate　hand；　were　four　lines　of　text　in　a　language　he　had　never　seen。
　The　characters　look　vaguely　Semitic；　Langdon　thought　to　himself；　and　yet　I　don't　recognize　the　language！
　A　sudden　movement　behind　him　caught　his　attention。　Out　of　nowhere；　a　crushing　blow　to　the　head　knocked　Langdon　to　his　knees。
　As　he　fell；　he　thought　for　a　moment　he　saw　a　pale　ghost　hovering　over　him；　clutching　a　gun。　Then　everything　went　black。
　　
　CHAPTER　65
　
　Sophie　Neveu；　despite　working　in　law　enforcement；　had　never　found　herself　at　gunpoint　until　tonight。　Almost　inconceivably；　the　gun　into　which　she　was　now　staring　was　clutched　in　the　pale　hand　of　an　enormous　albino　with　long　white　hair。　He　looked　at　her　with　red　eyes　that　radiated　a　frightening；　disembodied　quality。　Dressed　in　a　wool　robe　with　a　rope　tie；　he　resembled　a　medieval　cleric。　Sophie　could　not　imagine　who　he　was；　and　yet　she　was　feeling　a　sudden　newfound　respect　for　Teabing's　suspicions　that　the　Church　was　behind　this。
　〃You　know　what　I　have　e　for；〃　the　monk　said；　his　voice　hollow。
　Sophie　and　Teabing　were　seated　on　the　divan；　arms　raised　as　their　attacker　had　manded。　Langdon　lay　groaning　on　the　floor。　The　monk's　eyes　fell　immediately　to　the　keystone　on　Teabing's　lap。
　Teabing's　tone　was　defiant。　〃You　will　not　be　able　to　open　it。〃
　〃My　Teacher　is　very　wise；〃　the　monk　replied；　inching　closer；　the　gun　shifting　between　Teabing　and　Sophie。
　Sophie　wondered　where　Teabing's　manservant　was。　Didn't　he　hear　Robert　fall？
　〃Who　is　your　teacher？〃　Teabing　asked。　〃Perhaps　we　can　make　a　financial　arrangement。〃
　〃The　Grail　is　priceless。〃　He　moved　closer。
　〃You're　bleeding；〃　Teabing　noted　calmly；　nodding　to　the　monk's　right　ankle　where　a　trickle　of　blood　had　run　down　his　leg。　〃And　you're　limping。〃
　〃As　do　you；〃　the　monk　replied；　motioning　to　the　metal　crutches　propped　beside　Teabing。　〃Now；　hand　me　the　keystone。〃
　〃You　know